 Hi, I am Dr Vidyadarayas, head of the department and consultant science surgeon at Manipal Hospital in Bangalore. Back pain and neck pain are the commonest problems in the society. Any hospital, any specialist would see maximum number of back pain and neck pain patients. They incidentally seem to be suffering more than what the finding show on the MRI or X-ray. This is true because pain is not just physical, it is also psychological. In today's world, people are very stressed out in their jobs, in their personal lives. They seem to suffer more than the physical aspects, more psychological. Now coming to incidents, 8 out of 10 of us suffer from back pain or neck pain at some point of time in life and we never take trust on our body that it will heal. We rush to the doctors and hospitals and get investigated which is rather not necessary at the first instance. I would recommend that always you will have to have patience, wait for the nature to heal the problem and if it doesn't maybe in 2-3 weeks then you go get an X-ray done and if it doesn't settle in 2-3 months then you get an MRI. Unless there is a weakness in the lower limb or urinary or most in incontinence or inability to pass or if the pain is more than 3 months which needs a treatment or evaluation in depth and most of the back pain and neck pain can be prevented by adopting a better lifestyle with less stress and more physical activity. I always tell my patients that it is always better to sweat it out at least once a day for an hour and then be happy so that you can lead a more fruitful life and live dignified and independent till the end of your life.