Why does my lower back hurt?
There are a variety of reasons your lower back may be causing you pain. During our assessment, the focus is on WHY you have pain, rather than on the anatomical structure (i.e. disc, ligament, tendon, joint). Once we know that answer, then we can find a solution.
Frequently, we blame the lower back for our pain when other areas are causing the back to work harder than it is capable of.
Here are a few reasons you may be in pain but your therapist will be the one to assess your injury and create a treatment plan.
1) Postural dysfunction - Do you sit for long periods? Do you have a desk chair that does not fit you? Are the keyboard and mouse too far away and you have to reach?
If the answer is Yes to any of these questions then it might be your posture which is creating the pain. Frequently we do not realize what position we are in at work or at home and we stay there for many hours at a time without moving!
We also need to remember to assess the hips with lower back pain to ensure they are moving properly as well.
2) Poor body mechanics - Are your arms out to the side or away from your body when lifting? Do you do repetitive lifting/pushing/pulling for long periods? Are you lifting weights with improper techniques? Are you lifting too heavy? Are you swinging a golf club with your upper body rather than using your hips?
If the answer is Yes to any of these questions then your body mechanics might be the cause of your pain!
3) Muscle weakness - frequently a lack in strength in certain muscles, especially in the hips, will contribute to lower back pain. The therapist will need to assess those muscles to see which ones are the problem.
4) Muscle tightness - if certain muscles are too tight then they are not able to move in the proper patterns. A muscle that is too tight or too stretched can be a problem!
Who can help you?
What might be involved in their treatment?
- Assessment of movement and strength
- Education - to teach you what is causing your pain and how to make it better as well as how to prevent it from returning in the future
- Exercises - teaching you how to do the proper exercises to decrease your pain and improve your strength and/or mobility
- Manual therapy - your therapist may need to release muscles or mobilize joints to improve their ability to move
- Referral back to family doctor for imaging or to a specialist - if the therapist feels there is a need for an Xray, U/S or MRI then they will contact your family physician to discuss it. They may also suggest a specialist's referral if treatment is not progressing as it should.