Lower Back Pain: Causes, Conditions & Exercises

As a chiropractor, low back pain is the most common reason people seek my help. In nearly 20 years of clinical practice, I’ve seen most types. The good news is that most cases can be helped — and even resolved — with the right approach.

Common Patterns of Low Back Pain

Even when back pain starts suddenly and patients say “my back just went”, we can usually look at their lifestyle in the lead-up and understand why it happened. There’s always a cause — or rather, multiple causes — even if it’s not immediately obvious.

1. Postural and Lifestyle Related Pain

These problems develop gradually and are linked to the positions and activities of daily life:

Common causes include:

• Lack of core and postural muscle strength
• Prolonged sitting in poor positions (desk work, driving)
• General lack of movement variety
• Repetitive loading — bending and twisting

These problems often come and go, but gradually become more frequent and persistent if left unaddressed. The cause can be hard to identify because it’s usually a build-up of things over time.

2. Muscle and Joint Overload

This often occurs after lifting something too heavy, doing a new or unfamiliar activity, or a sudden increase in workload. It can start immediately — or craftily appear a day or two later when you’re not expecting it.

3. Disc-Related Irritation

Disc problems are the most common reason I see nerves becoming irritated. Frequent causes include repetitive forward bending, prolonged sitting, improper lifting, and trauma. This can cause pain to travel down into the leg — see the sciatica page — along with pins and needles and numbness. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, please have them checked. See also: Lumbar Disc Bulge.

4. Facet Joint (Joint-Related) Pain

Facet joint irritation is typically one-sided, worse with arching or twisting, and stiff after rest. It occurs when the back is extended too far — common in dancers, gymnasts, or after an awkward landing.

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Why Isn’t My Back Getting Better?

If back pain has persisted for more than six weeks, we call it a chronic problem. Very often it persists because people are still doing the things that caused it in the first place.

Part of what I do as a chiropractor is look at a person’s lifestyle to identify what’s contributing — and encourage positive habits alongside treatment. It’s rarely one big thing. It’s usually a combination: reducing the bad, adding in the good — better movement, better sleep, better diet.

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What Usually Helps Low Back Pain?

1. Gentle, Regular Movement

Spines need to move. Regular changes of position and controlled, gentle movement are the foundation of most recoveries. Avoiding movement entirely is rarely helpful.

2. Progressive Exercise

Your back needs to better tolerate the activities that are aggravating it. This is achieved through progressive exercise — starting with exercises your back can cope with and gradually increasing difficulty over time. See the exercise pages for guided programmes.

3. Reducing Sustained Postures

Prolonged sitting without regular breaks is one of the biggest contributors I see clinically. Small changes can make a significant difference:

• Using a stand-up desk to reduce sitting time
• Having a properly set-up workstation
• Using a lumbar support or ergonomic chair
• Finding an appropriate pillow or mattress for your sleeping position

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Common Conditions

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Exercises for Low Back Pain

Exercises don’t need to be aggressive to be effective. The initial goals are to encourage movement and confidence, stimulate muscles and nerves, improve blood flow, and build control. Simple exercises done consistently often outperform more complex routines.

Want to build long-term strength and resilience alongside your recovery? Explore our Build Long Term Strength programme.

Taking the Next Step

Most low back issues improve with time and the right approach. Your next steps:

1. Explore the conditions pages to understand your specific problem
2. Start the appropriate exercises for your stage of recovery
3. Check out tools and products that may support your recovery