Low Back Pain is one of the most common reasons for disability in Americans and impacts a very large portion of the population. You may be wondering why this is.
Contributors of Low Back Pain
There are many contributors to this type of pain, some being:
- living a sedentary life-style
- being overweight
- core weakness
- sitting for large portions of the day
- trauma
- muscle imbalances
- overall aging
Our population is living longer than ever before, but with that comes increased degenerative changes occurring. Now, let’s talk about the most common causes of low back pain structurally!
Common Diagnoses Related to Low Back Pain:
- Stenosis- this is the narrowing of the spaces between our spinal segments where the nerves come out, often leading to referred pain into the buttocks or down your leg.
- Disc Herniation/Bulge- this is when the inside of the cushion (the disc) between our vertebrae starts to push put into the space where the nerves come off of the spinal cord. This also can lead to referred pain into the leg.
- Low Back Strain- this is when the muscles or soft tissue around the back is injured or “strained” as a result of some type of stress to it. This can be caused from lifting something heavy or something as simple as twisting.
These are just a few of the causes of low back pain and it takes a skilled clinician, such as a Physical Therapist, to get to the bottom of the source of your pain. It is extremely important to handle your low back pain as soon as possible because it can turn into a much larger problem and become much more difficult to treat.
