Back pain is extremely common, costing Americans $50 billion each year. In fact, it is the second most common cause of disability in American adults. Despite it being so common, back pain is complex and generally very poorly treated. If you go to five different doctors, you will most likely get five different diagnoses and five different treatments for your pain, most including some type of medication, which will not treat the cause of your pain. There are a lot of structures in your back that have the potential to be pain generators, and often there can be multiple structures involved. Our suggestion for this booklet is to read through all of the causes of low back pain and figure out what “category” yours fits into. Use only the information and exercises from the section that best applies to you.