Pelican Docs: back pain = virus?
 

My Wife has had back pain for 3 weeks that is finally going away. Within the past week, her friend has come down with the same symptoms (pain moving to various parts of the back). They have spent a lot of time together the last few weeks and were wondering if there was a virus or something that was contaigious that could cause back pain. thanks for any input.

maybe she pulled a muscle back there. was she doing any strenous activity or sport? best way to know is with X-rays. But glad it's going away. Never heard of a virus causing back pain.

Thanks for the reply. Her friend is a Pilates instructor and had been helping her stretch out her back and is now laid up w/ the same pain and was worried about passing it on to her clients.

Were they in Vegas together recently?

Lower back pain? Kidney infection can cause back pain but I've never heard of it being contagious. I'm not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn a few times.

Some viruses cause muscle inflammation (remember the bad aches and pains with the flu?). Since the back muscles are the largest muscles in the body this could certainly happen.
When you have a cold or the flu the little virus particles are in every drop of blood in your body, not just the ears, throat, sinuses etc

I'm not a doctor but I have handled thousands of personal injury cases as a defense lawyer. There are theoretical possibilities where an infection could cause low back pain, but they are relatively unlikely. Back pain is one of the most common ailments and something like 30% of Americans over 30 or 40 (I forget the statistics) missed at least one day of work in the last 12 months due to back pain. It comes from every day living in the post-industral age. Backs are complex machines with a lot of muscles and nerves. Doesn't take much to cause some pain.

Back pain in the absence of systemic infectious symptoms is most likely mechanical (traumatic, degenerative) and not contagious. The most common non-traumatic back pain issues I see in my practice are related to side effects from the modern cholesterol lowering drug class "Statins" which cause myositis (inflammation of the muscles).
The differential diagnostic spectrum of back pain is diverse. Fortunately, most causes are relatively benign and self-limited. It can, however, be a sign of serious or even life threatening disease on occasion. When in doubt, check it out. See your personal physician if symptoms persist.

Our family has a lot of experience with back pain. Even surgeries. I wouldn't rule out a virus, although I think this situation is largely coincidental. If a 3rd person has the same symptoms, you might have a sample to study. I'm no doctor, but to survive these days, we all have to do a little "doctoring" for ourselves.

Every time I get a cold due to virus by back hurts for a day or two.. right before the symptoms kick in... and a colleague of mine have a similar back pain throughout the week when she gets a cold.

Thanks for the replys guys. We were curious since there was no fever or flu like symptoms, just lethargia and then the onset of back pain. My Wife is probably going to see a doctor even though she is on the mend.

I'm not a doctor, but I had bad joint pain in my knees, hands, and toes for a couple of weeks. I went to the doctor (fearing rheumatoid arthritis) and it turned out to be a virus. I was seriously lethargic, then I had a "lacy" rash, then the joint pain. Antibiotics cleared me up.

Antibiotics proved effective against a virus? Maybe it was really a bacterial infection?

A virus attacking the auto immune system? Sounds like it to me which explains the movement.

Doubt it (to the original question)

Did you miss the part about the pain moving to different parts of the body? (to the original statement)

Still doubt it.

I had an attack of shingles start 3 weeks ago - lethargy, spots, then aches and pains - its the chicken pox virus and not at all funny either.