The many faces of Low Back Pain

As a Physical Therapist I see people with so many types of back pain. There is the classic pain across the low back that is a low grade nagging pain. There is the pain that is much more severe with radiating pain down the leg either along the back side of the legs as far as into the heel, but typically along the back of the thigh into the knee. Or the radiating pain that wraps around the hips and deep into the groin along the front of the thigh and can go as far down as into the toes. Pain has been described to me in so many ways as "sharp", "dull", "aching", "nagging", "like a toothache", "deep", "radiating", "stiff", "tight" and "just pain". Some people have pain bending forward, others bending back. Some people have pain only when they are sleeping and feel better when they are moving around. Other people only have relief when they are sleeping. Some people have pain when they are sitting, others get relief from sitting. Some people can control their back pain by walking, others can barely walk to the bathroom because it is so painful to stand upright. Every person I treat has a very individual form of pain, manifesting itself in unique ways. There are common trends in back pain, but what I see in every person who complains about back pain is that the pain is interrupting normal day to day movement! The other common trend, is that every version of low back pain can be improved with strengthening of the lumbar stabilizers. I have seen it time and time again with my patients. It takes time for a strengthening program to take effect, but it does work. So my message to people who suffer from low back pain is get the help you need to interrupt your low back pain so it stops disrupting your day to day life!