Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is a common complaint amongst both sedentary and active people alike. It can have many causes and for this reason can be difficult to diagnose and treat.

Back pain can be classed as either acute or chronic. Acute back pain is severe and comes on very suddenly, usually following a specific movement or a fall etc. Chronic back pain is normally at a lower threshold, but is ongoing over a period of weeks, months and even years. There is no discernable point of injury.

Acute Back Pain

Acute back pain is usually due to a specific injury and as such can be easier to diagnose and treat than more longstanding, chronic problems. The following are common examples of acute lower back injuries:

Slipped (protruding) disc
Spondylolysis
Muscle strains

Acute back pain is usually treated very carefully, with many Doctors prescribing complete bed rest for up to two weeks! Although rest is a necessary component of treatment, usually a couple of days is long enough. Too much rest can cause the back and other muscles to weaken which will only exacerbate the problem. Other treatments which may be beneficial in treating acute back pain include anti-inflammatory medications, electrotherapy (e.g. TENS or ultrasound), taping techniques and massage.

Chronic Back Pain

It is often more difficult to determine the cause of longstanding mild to moderate back pain. Often the cause is thought to be due to more than one factor, including:

Poor posture
Muscle weakness
Muscle spasm
Weak core muscles
Nerve compression
Hypermobility
Pelvic instability
Stiff facet joints or sacroiliac joints
Poor support from mattress or chair
Poor desk set-up

The largest potential cause of lower back pain to emerge over recent years is weakness and mis-firing of the core muscles, specifically Transversus Abdominus. Re-training this group of muscles has become a focus for many back pain practitioners and classes.

Treatment of this kind of back pain will vary depending on possible causes, as well as the form of treatment sought e.g. physiotherapy, chiropractic etc. What works for one person may have no effect for another.