Stress can play factor in new back pain

DEAR DOCTORS: My lower back went into spasm as I was washing the dishes. I figured it was from bending over, but my mum insists it's from being so stressed out. (My family is dealing with severe smoke damage in our house from the recent fires in Los Angeles.) Can stress really cause back pain?

- DR EVE GLAZIER & DR ELIZABETH KO

DEAR READER: Let's start with back pain, which is one of the most common physical complaints here in the United States. The data show that close to 60% of adults 18 and over will have experienced back pain in the past three months. The prevalence of back pain is due, in large part, to the complex and yet delicate structures that make up the spine. Together they form a single, slender column that is tasked with multiple — and often conflicting — functions.