• Irritation of nerves in lower back
• Affects lower back, legs and feet
• Symptoms may include severe pain or numbness in lower back and back of legs
• Caused most commonly due to pressure on nerve in spine from a damaged disc or pinched nerve
• Cannot be spread from person to person
• Affects males and females
• Can occur at any age but most common in young or middle age adults
• May be mild to severe, usually results in short term disability
• Not life threatening

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise regularly
• Stretch your lower back, holding stretch for 30 seconds at a time

FOR PAIN

• At first, ice area for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day
• After 48 hours, apply hot packs or heating pad to area
• Relaxation techniques
• Distraction
• Over-the-counter medicine (refer to manufacturer’s recommendations for dosage):
  • Acetaminophen
  • Ibuprofen