Symptoms and Complications
Pain that's at its worst in the morning and gets better with movement and stretching is often an indication of muscle injury. If your low back pain is worse at night, and not relieved by exercise, it may be a sign of back pain "referred" to the back from some other organ or that it is due to a bone problem.
Pain that goes all the way down the back of one or both legs is a sign of sciatica. If the sciatic nerve, or some other spinal nerve, is being compressed, it may result in increased pain during coughing, sneezing or straining. Another symptom of nerve compression is having difficulty raising your leg while keeping it straight. A slipped disc is a possible underlying cause of these symptoms.