Hello, I am experiencing back pain . It is a constant, mild discomfort, but every 20-30 seconds, a surge that lasts about 2 seconds runs through my torso, and is very painful. Any physical activity that may have contributed is: I just started a new job that requires a lot of lifting, and I have been bending down to pack and ship packages. Two things I think might be helpful to know are: holding my breath during the surges helps the pain, and massaging has no effect.