Lower back pain isn't uncommon. In fact, it's so pervasive that it's generally dismissed and not taken seriously. That is, until manageable aches and pains become debilitating ones. LBP is a cause for concern, whether it's keeping your from work and play or not.
The lower back is more technically known as the lumbar spine. The lumbar spine has limited mobility and often takes the load from other limbs and joints, creating instability and ripe conditions for injury. Referring pain from the hips and pelvis can present as low back pain. Low back pain with radiating pain up the leg, numbness, or tingling can be serious and requires immediate attention from medical professionals.
It's important to have a thorough screening as pain in the lumbar spine can be structural, functional, or a product of nerve trauma. Structural afflictions such as herniated discs and arthritis are some lower back afflictions many people are familiar with. Pinched nerves around the spine and poor movement patterns can also cause chronic low back pain.
Chronic pain is both physically and emotionally taxing. Frequent low back pain not only prevents physical activity, it also exacerbates stress and compounds anxiety. Diagnosing low back pain can be tricky and should be taken seriously both by the individual and medical professionals. The diagnosis and the treatment plan should be thorough and should also address the cause and not simply the symptoms.
Successful treatment plans for lbp will successfully strengthen weakened areas, treat origins of referring pain, and assess and retrain movement patterns to address structural imbalance.