Sitting at your desk. Playing with your grandkids. Driving to the beach. These are just a few of the times when people with lower back pain can be miserable.
Unfortunately, medical studies show that up to 80% of Americans will have back pain at some point in their lives. Many people can also experience chronic lower back pain that affects their ability to do routine daily tasks and diminishes their quality of life. Finding an effective treatment option for your lower back pain can be as easy as meeting with a physical therapist. Understanding more about the two most common causes of lower back pain is essential as well.
1. Back muscle injury
By far the most common cause of lower back pain is a back muscle injury. Using improper lifting technique is the way many people injure their lower back, and doing so can cause muscle strain by placing too much weight on the muscles in the back. As simple as the advice of lifting with your legs sounds, many people still incorrectly lift heavy objects with their back.
To correctly lift with your legs:
- Begin by bending your knees to the height of the object and keeping your back straight and level.
- Place your hands underneath the object for support.
- Raise back up by engaging your core, thrusting your hips forward and keeping your back level.
2. Sciatica
Pressure on the sciatic nerve causes lower back pain that radiates down through the hip, buttocks and leg. This issue often occurs on only one side of the body, but people can experience sciatic nerve pain on both sides of the body. Sciatica pain is typically caused by an issue that places pressure on one of the sciatic nerves.
Pressure on the sciatic nerves can be caused by:
- A herniated disc in your back
- A bone spur that grows into the sciatic nerve
- Spinal stenosis, which is when the spine narrows and compresses the nerve
- Pregnancy
Panther Physical Therapy offers treatment for many causes of lower back pain
Not sure what’s causing your lower back pain? Our team at Panther Physical Therapy is ready and willing to help you learn the source of your pain. We offer free screenings to pinpoint the root cause of pain in your back. Additionally, we excel at building personalized therapy plans intended to reduce back pain and help you learn how to keep it away.
Not able to get into one of our clinics for an in-person appointment? Don’t worry! We offer services like at-home care and virtual therapy that are designed to let you get therapy without leaving home. Even better, you can start using any of our therapy services without first going to your doctor for a physical therapy referral.
Contact us today for more information about the therapy services we offer for back pain or to schedule your free screening.
Tags: back pian, Lower back pain, Muscle sprains and strains, Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy