What Causes Low Back Pain?

Bottom Line:

Low back pain is something that over 80% of us will deal with at some point in our lives… but what exactly causes low back pain? Usually, it’s not just one thing that causes low back pain, but there are some trends and information that we’ve uncovered about the primary causes, and most importantly, what you can do to avoid it.

Why it Matters:

Your low back is made up of 5 bones with spinal discs in between them. These bones act as protection for your spinal cord as it travels down and out the left and right sides between each segment. Supporting this incredible structure is a variety of ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Most low back pain occurs because the stress on a particular area of your spine has outweighed your body’s ability to adapt. If the stress on an area is too much, then an injury may occur. The most common low back injuries are sprain and strains and spinal disc bulges or herniations.

In most cases, these injuries can heal pretty quickly with the right care.

• Abnormal motion of the spinal joints in your low back can cause pain.
• A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial found spinal adjustments to be superior to both placebo and NSAID’s in the care of low back pain.
• Periodic chiropractic visits may prevent future episodes of low back pain.

Next Steps:

The best way to reduce your risk of low back pain is by being proactive with your health. Daily movement, dynamic stretching, regular exercise, and spinal adjustments are all important steps you can take to keep your low back in tip-top shape. If you have questions about how you can implement these proactive steps in your daily routine to help reduce your chance of experiencing low back pain, reach out to us today!

Science Source(s):

Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcome? Spine. 2011.

Spinal High-Velocity Low Amplitude Manipulation in Acute Nonspecific Low Back Pain. Spine. 2013.