Lifestyle

5 Warning Signs a Dangerous Artery Problem Is Hiding Behind Your Back Pain

By Curtis Jones · August 22, 2026

You’ve had a dull ache in your lower back for weeks. You blamed the yard work. A ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm kills 80% of the people who have one — and back pain is often the only warning they get.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the body’s largest artery where it passes through the abdomen. It affects roughly 1% to 2% of men over 65 and is four times more common in men than women. Most produce no symptoms at all until they rupture. But when they do produce symptoms, those symptoms are often vague enough to be mistaken for back strain, a kidney problem, or digestive trouble.

A deep, constant ache in the lower back or abdomen that doesn’t respond to rest. Muscle strains improve with rest, ice, and time. Aneurysm-related pain is deep, persistent, and unrelenting — it doesn’t get better with position changes, stretching, or pain medication. The pain may be in the lower back, the abdomen, or the flank, and it stays in the same location day after day. If you’ve been treating “back pain” for weeks with no improvement, the source may not be muscular.

You feel a pulsing sensation near your belly button. A pulsating mass in the abdomen — a rhythmic throbbing that syncs with your heartbeat — is one of the most specific signs of an AAA. Not everyone can feel it, particularly if they carry abdominal weight. But a pulsation that’s visible when lying flat or palpable when pressing gently below the navel is worth reporting immediately.

The pain radiates to your groin, buttocks, or legs. As an aneurysm expands, it can compress surrounding nerves and structures. Pain that begins in the abdomen or back and radiates downward — into the groin, the hip, or the leg — can be mistaken for sciatica or a hip problem. The referred pattern resembles nerve compression, which is why some patients end up in an orthopedist’s office rather than a vascular surgeon’s.

You feel full or nauseated without a clear digestive cause. A large aneurysm can press against the stomach or intestines, producing a sensation of fullness, bloating, or nausea that has no obvious dietary explanation. Some patients lose their appetite without understanding why. The symptoms mimic a gastrointestinal problem — and without imaging, that’s often what gets diagnosed.

Sudden, severe pain in the back or abdomen that feels like something tore. This is the symptom that means the aneurysm has ruptured or is about to. A ruptured AAA produces sudden, catastrophic pain — often described as feeling like something ripped inside — accompanied by dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and cold or clammy skin. This is a 911 call, not a doctor’s appointment. Only about 20% of people who experience a ruptured AAA survive.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a one-time abdominal ultrasound screening for all men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. The test takes 10 minutes, is painless, and can identify an aneurysm before it becomes an emergency. If you’re in that risk group and haven’t been screened, the test could save your life — because the back pain you’ve been living with may not be what you think it is.