Lower Back Pain: Causes and Our Approach

Over my 10+ years as an athletic trainer, lower back pain has been one of the top complaints I’ve received from clients. Lower back pain doesn’t discriminate and affects people regardless of fitness level, and it can be a real roadblock to your physical activity of choice.

In my experience, lower back pain is almost always caused by increasing load too quickly. For example, someone may be working to increase the amount she can back squat, and while her legs may be prepared for increased weight, her back and core may not be ready at the same rate. Similarly, moving the trunk in ways that it isn’t accustomed to - like running after not having done so in a while - can also result in more stress on the low back than it is prepared to handle at that time. Structural issues like herniated discs or scoliosis can also make people more susceptible to back pain when load is increased too rapidly.

Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer indefinitely with lower back pain. When treating low back pain at Elevate Movement and Recovery, we start at the beginning by discussing your detailed injury and training history. We also inquire about your active symptoms. Another critical part of our initial conversation is identifying your goals: what do you want to be able to do that your back pain is preventing you from doing and/or enjoying?

From there, we move into performing a movement analysis to determine if the muscles in the core and lower back are working as expected. Depending on the results of the movement analysis, I will provide you with personalized treatment in the office, using techniques like cupping, dry needling, Graston, and spine and hip adjustments, as well as targeted corrective exercises for you to perform at home.

If you’re feeling frustrated with your low back pain, are tired of simply masking the pain, and are ready to dedicate the effort to fixing it, give us a call! We would love to talk to you about your specific issue and our process.