You’ve just finished up a jog, and you suddenly feel a pain in your lower back. You bend over to lift a box, and pain abruptly sears through your lower spine. If these scenarios sound like ones you’ve been through, then you may be wondering what’s causing your sudden lower back pain. Here are three issues that could be the cause of your pain:
1. Sciatica
Let’s go back to the jogging scenario for a moment. This type of exercise relies on repetitive motions of the legs and back, and these motions can lead to irritation of the sciatic nerve and sudden lower back pain. For example, a tight piriformis muscle may be rubbing against this nerve and causing it to send out pain signals. This muscle runs from the lower spine to the front of the thigh, and it passes right over the sciatic nerve in the buttock. Running can cause a tight piriformis muscle to become inflamed, and this could be the cause of sciatica and your sudden pain.
2. Back muscle spasm
A back muscle spasm can be the cause of sudden lower back pain when lifting a box or other object. These spasms can be the result of several underlying issues. For instance, you may have injured a back muscle, and the muscle developed scar tissue, or adhesions, as it healed. These adhesions can make it more difficult for the muscle fibers to move normally, which can lead to spasming and pain.
3. Sudden back injury
Incidents like car accidents and impacts while playing sports could be another reason you’re suddenly feeling lower back pain. These types of incidents typically place a high level of strain on the spine, and this high strain can instantly cause spinal issues that lead to immediate pain. Herniated discs are one example of an instantly painful strain injury. Pinching of a spinal nerve is another common example, and both of these issues can cause you to feel sudden, sharp pains in your back.
Get help with sudden lower back pain at Panther Physical Therapy
At Panther Physical Therapy, we can help you treat many types of back pain. The reason we can be so versatile is we create individualized treatment plans for every one of our patients. The individualization of these plans is intended to provide people with benefits like:
- Decreased pain
- Improved spinal support and stability
- Increased core muscle strength
- Reduced need for spine surgery
Take the next step to get our help with your back pain treatment. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.