What causes lower back pain?
One of the most common reasons your lower back is in pain is a torn or pulled muscle or ligament.
For many adults who sit all day at their jobs, low back strains can happen when you move suddenly and stretch a muscle too far. Similarly, you sprain your ligaments by over-stretching them and causing a tear. Either way, it’s a painful experience, and if left untreated, can become a chronic condition.
Some of the most common causes of lower back pain include:
- Sitting at a desk for prolonged periods of time
- Lifting a heavy object and twisting your spine
- Poor posture
- Sudden movements that place stress on your lower back
- Sports injuries
Sitting for extended periods, day after day at work or when you’re driving may be a more significant contributing factor of your low back pain than you realize.
When you sit for long intervals, your hip flexors remain in a shortened, contracted state. As a result, this causes your gluteus maximus muscles (your “glutes”) to stay contracted as well. Over time, you feel pain in your lower back.
What are common symptoms of low back pain?
Lower back pain can cause a wide range of symptoms, depending on the cause. For some, pain is mild and tolerable, but for others, it’s severe and prevents you from participating in daily activities.
Common lower back pain symptoms include:
- Pain that worsens after sitting for an extended period
- Trouble standing up straight or walking
- Muscle spasms or tightness in your lower back, pelvis, and hips
- Dull, achy pain in your low back
- Stinging or burning pain that moves from your lower back to your hips and thighs (sciatica)
How is lower back pain treated?
Dr. Mike often helps patients get relief from lower back pain through Active Release Techniques® (ART).
ART is a patented, massage-based method that helps loosen overused or tight muscles and soft tissue. ART treatments allow Dr. Mike to provide effective, hands-on adjustments of your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.
He treats your soft tissues in this way through a series of specific movements tailored to your individual needs, so you get long-lasting pain relief. In some cases, a combination of ART, Graston Technique® therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture helps patients of all ages get rid of lower back pain for good.
