A person with chronic back pain suffers from similar episodes of back pain that occur over weeks to months.

Chronic back pain can be described as:

• Back pain that comes and goes over weeks to months
• The severity of the pain is always the same:
• The character of the pain is always the same:
• Cramping pain
• Sharp or stabbing pain
• Burning pain
• Pain that travels to the back
• The location of the pain is always the same:
• Upper back pain
• Lower back pain

Chronic back pain becomes acute back pain when:

• Pain does not go away, but persists and worsens
• Character of the pain changes
• Severity of the pain changes:
• Back pain becomes severe
• Location of the pain changes
• Back pain occurs with other symptoms, such as:
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Fainting
• Excessive sweating
• Blood in the urine
• Leg weakness (unilateral)
• Leg numbness (unilateral)
• Difficulty controlling bladder or bowels