85% of the population will experience an acute episode of lower back pain at one point in their lives. There are many causes of lower back pain. In this article we will go over the top 5 causes of lower back pain and how to treat them.
1) Lower Back Muscle or Ligament Strain:
This type of injury occurs when a muscle, tendon or ligament is stretched too far, creating a minor tear. This can happen from lift and twist movements, sports injuries or repetitive strains. Symptoms of a muscle or ligament strain include pain with movement which is dull, achy or throbbing. These strains will also be sore to touch and sore first thing upon waking.
2) Herniated disc:
This occurs when the jelly like centre of the disk breaks through the outer layer. It causes irritation of the nerve root as well as inflammation and compression. Symptoms of sciatica can often occur with herniated discs, with pain running down into the buttocks or the back of the leg. A herniated disk will often have pain bending forwards or sideways. Pain will usually be worse with sitting and better with lying or with activity.
3) Degenerative Disc Disease/Arthritis in the lower back:
Over time, the discs lose hydration and begin to collapse with aging. This means they can’t absorb forces as well, creating pain in the area of degeneration. This condition often develops slowly in older adults. It is tender when touched and achy in nature. Reduced range of motion is typically present in DDD.
4) Facet Joint Syndrome:
Each lumbar vertebra has 2 facet joints behind each disc. They are surrounded by a capsule and nerves. Facet joint syndrome is more painful when bending backwards or sideways. The pain is typically in the centre of the lower back, with occasional nerve impingement. Pain is worse in the morning.
5) SI joint syndrome:
The SI joint connects the sacrum to the spine on each side of the pelvis. It’s function is to absorb force between the upper and lower body. It will usually present on either the right or left side of the lower back and buttock. Pain is worse with sitting, crossing legs, or lying on the side.
If you are experiencing chronic lower back pain, our team of professionals at Kinetic Edge can help. An assessment is the best place to start to determine the diagnosis, after which time appropriate treatment can start to alleviate pain.
Manual Manipulation and Chiropractic adjustments can be an effective treatment for facet joint strain or SI joint syndrome. This helps to relieve pressure from the joints and decrease nerve irritation.
Lower back muscle strains or ligament strains can be effectively treated by our team of experienced massage therapists. Shockwave physiotherapy is also an effective treatment for lower back strains.
Acupuncture and Dry needling are effective treatments for disc herniations and degenerative disc disease/arthritis. Our physiotherapist and chiropractors are trained in these techniques and can also help prescribe exercises to strengthen the gluts, core and lower back to better support the injured area.