It’s true that more older adults complain about back pain than their younger counterparts, but it still happens to teen athletes and people in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. Whether you're in the highest risk group for your age or not is sometimes irrelevant. Your back, after all, doesn't know how old you are!
When back pain strikes, it's impossible to ignore. Your whole body posture suffers and if the pain goes on too long, problems can arise in the other parts of the body that are trying to compensate. So if you're young and used to health problems going away without doing anything special, this might be different. If it's not getting better, do something.
That something may be as simple as rest, ice, stretching, or over-the-counter medication. If any or all of those don't do the trick, it's time to get help. An orthopedic doctor specializing in spine care is the best medical expert to help with back pain. One of the most helpful things the doctor will do is diagnose what's causing the pain...Is it a muscle spasm or a problem with the actual spinal structure? Is the back just reacting to a problem somewhere else in the body? The answer will determine what treatment will work best for you. (Sometimes people with back pain come in and they have a hip or knee problem that's actually causing the pain.)