Lower Back Pain
One of two very common conditions that we treat. The first is neck pain. The second is lower back pain. These are common questions that are about lower back pain. Watch this sequence of videos, you can find a question that you have been wondering yourself.
30-50 years ago we may have been treating lower back pain due to factory and heavy labor type of jobs. Today, it is more common to work with patients that are office workers and have lower back pain.
There are also many cases due to physical activity. For example performing exercises such as deadlifts and squats. Performing these movements with too heavy a load can cause issues. Using improper form is also a risk. Minimal stretching and overdoing the exercises without consideration for rest contribute to potential problems.
At times we get patients that are both office workers and that train intensively. Runners training for a marathon are prone to lower back injuries. Powerlifters training for an upcoming event are prone to similar injuries. Fitness enthusiasts who overdo it with their exercises also face this risk.
Common Causes
- Arthritic changes
- Disc injuries/disc disease
- Pathological disease processes of the spine, for example the narrowing of the area where the nerve exits
- Structural issues
- Sprains of ligaments and strains of muscles
- Muscle spasm
- Trigger point referral
- Tightness of the fascia
The cause that we will discuss is the most common root we see at the office. Many of the cases we see are from white collar workers. They sit for prolonged periods and many tend to be inactive. This combination can make a group of muscles categorized as hip flexors become short and tight.
This shortening and tightening can cause the lumbar spine (lower back) to be excessively curved. This is known as an excessive lordotic curve. It irritates the joints in the spine and causes muscles to become tight around the lower back.
In essence lower back pain can be more a symptom and less the root. In fact from experience most lower back pain stems from issues with muscles that are more to the “front” of the body.
Treating the “front” side seems to get better, longer term results versus treating the symptomatic area. This is a strong reason why many chronic lower back issues become long term conditions. The treatments tend to be more local and treat the symptom versus the actual root.
The pain and discomfort can be annoying to the point of severely hindering daily activities. Initially, stretching and foam rolling can help with alleviating the discomfort. However, it can get to the point where you need treatment.
In more severe cases, patients can encounter sharp, electrical pain that radiates down the leg. In this instance it can be an issue with a nerve. The Sciatic nerve. The dysfunction occurs when the Sciatic nerve becomes irritated. Usually this occurs as the nerve exits the lower spine. Typically it can be a disc pushing against the nerve.
If you have noticed that treatments only help in the short term, you may want to consider deep tissue massage. This alternative can offer longer-lasting relief. It is more aggressive and can access deeper structures that can be the cause of the pain and discomfort. Discover the longer term benefits of this style of treatment.
If you need further assistance in regards to a treatment plan, please contact us and we can direct you.
We have tips to manage your pain on our Pain Relief Fitness site vprc.ca. Also, check out these muscles that can cause lower back pain.
