Common causes of lower back pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common health issues, affecting millions of people every year. It means experiencing discomfort or pain in your lumbar region, which can range from mild to severe and often restricts your ability to engage in certain normal movements. 

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, whether it’s an acute or ongoing issue. According to a survey from the Centers for Disease Control, 58.9% of adults experienced pain of any kind in the past 3 months, and back pain was the most common. It’s also a common symptom reported by workers in the US, leading to millions of lost workdays each year. Here are underlying conditions that are often responsible for the pain.

Some common causes of lower back pain include muscle or ligament strain, herniated discs, arthritis, and poor posture. Factors like obesity, lack of exercise, and age-related wear and tear can also contribute. Below, we’re highlighting four of the most common causes of lower back pain, including treatment options and general prevention tips.

Sciatica

Sciatica is a condition that causes pain along the pathway of your sciatic nerve. This is the longest nerve in the body, originating at the base of the spine and running through the buttock, down the back of each leg, and ending in the foot. Lower back pain and sciatica can also be paired with leg numbness, tingling, or weakness. 

Sciatica typically occurs when a herniated disc or bone spur presses on the root of the sciatic nerve or if the lower spine is narrowed in a condition called spinal stenosis. Other risk factors for sciatica include age, diabetes, prolonged sitting, obesity, and jobs that require prolonged standing or heavy lifting.

Common treatment options for sciatica include anti-inflammatories, pain medication, and muscle relaxants. Many people find physical therapy helpful, while some may require steroid injections or surgery in cases that require more aggressive interventions. 

Sacroiliitis

What is sacroiliitis? The sacroiliac (SI) joint is where the lower spine (the sacrum) connects to the back of the hips (the ilia). Sacroiliitis occurs when one or both SI joints become inflamed. It can cause pain that ranges from a dull ache to a sharp, stabbing pain. Sacroiliitis typically worsens with prolonged standing, taking long strides, climbing stairs, or doing high-impact exercises like running.

Sacroiliitis is often treated with anti-inflammatories, pain medication, muscle relaxants, rest, and alternating ice and heat. Patients often benefit from physical therapy as well. In severe cases, steroid injections, electrical stimulation, or surgery may be required.

Herniated Disc

Discs are rubbery cushions that sit between each vertebra in the spine, from the top of the neck to the bottom of the lower back. A herniated disc (sometimes called a slipped or ruptured disc) happens when the disc is pushed out of place.

What does a herniated disc feel like? It’s often a sharp or shooting pain in the back, sometimes radiating down the leg, accompanied by numbness, tingling or weakness.

Risk factors for disc herniation include age, obesity, trauma, smoking, and jobs that require heavy lifting or prolonged standing. Exercise, good posture, proper lifting techniques, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of herniating a disc and other common causes of lower back pain.

The treatment for a herniated disc ranges from oral medications to physical therapy to surgery, depending on how severe the herniation is and what complications it’s causing.

Degenerative Joint Disease

Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), also called osteoarthritis, is caused by the deterioration of the discs and vertebral bones that form the spine. This condition can cause back pain, stiffness, curvature of the spine, loss of height, and numbness or tingling in the extremities. 

Risk factors for DJD include age, menopause, genetics, previous spinal trauma, and labor-intensive jobs. 

Imaging tools like X-rays or MRIs are often used to determine how extensive the DJD is. DJD can be managed with anti-inflammatory and pain medications, exercise, good posture, and warm compresses. Patients with severe DJD may require surgery.

Tips for preventing lower back pain

The best-case scenario is being able to prevent lower back pain in the first place. While this isn’t always possible, there are some things you can do to help reduce your risk of ending up with an injury:

• Maintain good posture, keeping your back straight and shoulders relaxed 
• Strengthen core muscles by doing abdominal exercises 
• Lift properly by bending at the knees, not the waist, and keeping objects close to your body when lifting
• Stay active regularly, enjoying things like swimming, biking or group fitness classes 
• Maintain a healthy weight with nutrition and exercise, as excess weight puts additional strain on the lower back
• Wear supportive footwear with proper arch support 

At your nearby urgent care center, teams are trained to treat and diagnose many causes of back pain and can refer you to a specialist if needed. Find an urgent care center near you. 

Sources

1. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/low-back-pain-and-complementary-health-approaches-what-you-need-to-know 
2. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db415.htm 
3. https://hpi.georgetown.edu/backpain/ 
4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sciatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20377435# 
5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sacroiliitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350747#:~:text=Sacroiliitis%20 
6. https://www.aans.org/patients/conditions-treatments/herniated-disc/ 
7. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16912-degenerative-disk-disease