Lower back pain can be felt anywhere below the ribs and above the legs. The lower back bears most of the body’s weight as it is the connection between the upper and lower body.  Because of this, it is easily injured when you lift, reach, or twist.

Lower back pain is one of the most common medical complaints in the UK. In fact, a significant proportion of the population will be affected by it in their lifetime.

Lower back pain is often caused by overuse, strain, poor posture, slouching or injury. For example, people can often hurt their lower backs by lifting something too heavy, working in the garden, prolonged periods of sitting, driving or playing sports.

Ageing can also lead to lower back pain. Bones and muscles tend to lose strength as we age; which increases the risk of injury and degeneration. The spongy discs between the bones of the spine (vertebrae) may suffer from wear and tear and no longer provide enough cushion between the bones. A disk that bulges or breaks open (herniated disc) can press on nerves, causing back pain.

Common causes of Back Pain

• Postural: Muscles in the back can become tight and strained from poor standing posture or seated posture.
• Osteoarthritis: worn discs, joints in the spine from overuse, being overweight or poor core muscle strength.
• Muscle strain from heavy lifting or a fall
• Disc damage
• Nerve damage
• Referred from other organs for example: kidney, bladder, bowel, uterus, prostate.

Symptoms of Low Back Pain

Symptoms of low back pain normally involve restricted and painful movement or aches. Symptoms in other areas of the body (known as referred pain) can be caused by lower back problems, such as the hips, legs (called sciatica), thighs, groin and buttocks.

Osteopathic treatment is recognised by the NHS and NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)https://www.nice.org.uk as an effective treatment for low back pain.