With approximately 7.5% of the world’s population suffering from lower back pain, it’s no surprise that many people are scouring the internet trying to find a cause.
From seemingly simple causes such as poor posture and slouching while sitting, to more serious issues including a prolapsed disc or sciatica, we’ll dive into the details of what could be causing your pain.
You’ve Injured Your Lower Back
According to SPINE-health, most acute low back pain results from injury to the muscles, ligaments, joints, or discs. The body reacts to any injury by initiating an inflammatory healing response. One of the steps in this process could be muscle spasm to brace an injured area. While inflammation sounds minor, it can cause severe pain.
We know what you’re thinking: ‘I’d know about it if I’d injured my back, right?’
Not necessarily!
When you think of an injured lower back, you may think of something you’d definitely notice such as a sports injury. However, lower back pain can be the result of many things – even bending down the wrong way can cause injury!
You Regularly Have Poor Posture
Think about it: in one way or another, we’re constantly adopting some form of posture, even when we’re sleeping. And while the occasional evening slouched on the sofa with your favourite TV show shouldn’t do any lasting harm, if we’re constantly putting pressure on our lower back through poor posture, this is almost certainly going to cause pain.
According to the Sleep Foundation, finding a supportive sleeping position is crucial. Ideally, you can sleep on your side, but regardless of the position, make sure your spine is well-aligned. If needed, use extra pillows for body support.
After all, the average person spends about 26 years sleeping in their life which equates to 9,490 days or 227,760 hours. It, therefore, makes sense that even if you’re making an effort to improve your posture during the day, you’re still going to experience pain if your sleeping habits are wrong!
You Have A Medical Condition
Conditions such as a prolapsed disc can cause extreme lower back pain and/or sciatica down the leg. While a prolapsed disc is where a shock absorber in the spine leaks fluid or presses on a nearby nerve root, sciatica is irritation of the nerve that runs from the pelvis to the feet [NHS].
While both can be extremely painful and can be tempting to try and self remedy at home, it’s important to visit a specialist such as a chiropractor for appropriate care.
The Conclusion
Ultimately, whatever the reason for your lower back pain, it’s important to seek the advice of a professional.
While painkillers can provide temporary relief, many experts agree that this isn’t a healthy long-term solution and that proper treatment should be sought.
If you’d like more information about how our team of trained chiropractors can help with your lower back pain, contact us today.
