Occasionally, pain may be referred—felt in one region due to a disorder or injury in another. Untreated acute pain may evolve into more serious conditions.

• Chronic low back pain is defined by persistence beyond three months. It is often progressive, with causes that can be multifactorial and challenging to identify. Both men and women are equally affected, with prevalence highest between 30 and 50 years of age. This pattern is influenced by natural aging processes and sedentary lifestyles characterised by insufficient or irregular physical activity. The likelihood of low back pain due to disc pathology or spinal degeneration increases with advancing age.

Common Sources of Back Pain

• Sprains and Strains: Injuries to muscles, tendons, or ligaments occur when loads exceed tissue tolerance, resulting in tears. This injury triggers inflammation, causing swelling, nerve compression, and pain.

• Osteoarthritis of the Facet Joints (Facet Syndrome): The facet joints link adjacent vertebrae and contain nerve endings beneath their cartilage surfaces. Degeneration or trauma—such as whiplash—thins this cartilage, irritating nerves and causing pain.

• Disc Herniation: The intervertebral disc comprises an outer annulus fibrosus and an inner nucleus pulposus. Weakening or tears in the annulus can allow the nucleus to protrude, pressing on nerve roots. This may result in radicular pain radiating down the leg (lumbar) or arm (cervical), accompanied in severe cases by sensory and motor deficits.

• Annular Disc Tears: Small fissures between collagen rings in the annulus provoke inflammation and deep spinal pain, typically aggravated by twisting motions.

• Spinal Stenosis: Arthritic bony growths and ligament thickening narrow the spinal canal, compressing the spinal cord and causing neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle wasting in the lower limbs.

• Compression Fractures: Vertebral body fractures, resulting from trauma or spontaneous collapse due to osteoporosis, cause acute pain and spinal instability visible on imaging.

• Ankylosing Spondylitis: An inflammatory disease leading to fusion of spinal vertebrae and sacroiliac joints, resulting in restricted neck movement and a stooped posture.

• Arthritis: Osteoarthritis causes wear and tear in weight-bearing joints, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition affecting joints including the spine.

• Other Pathologies: Tumours, renal disease, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and prostate enlargement may refer pain to the lower back.

​Q: How is Back Pain Diagnosed?

Accurate diagnosis involves a comprehensive assessment, recognising that back pain often arises from multiple factors. At Corrective Spinal Rehab, our diagnostic approach includes:

• Detailed medical history review.

• Postural analysis to detect imbalances and deviations from optimal alignment.

• Photographic posture documentation from anterior/posterior and sagittal perspectives.

• Digital screening and weight distribution measurement to evaluate pressure asymmetries.

• Spinal mobility testing to identify segments with restricted, excessive, or abnormal movement.

• Neurological examination to assess nerve function and detect disruptions.

• Use of a nervoscope to locate spinal segment inflammation.

Common Symptoms of Low Back Pain

• Symptoms vary but commonly include:

  • Sharp, shooting, or stabbing pain.

  • Pain radiating to the buttocks and down the leg.

  • Diffuse muscle aches along the back.

  • Pain exacerbated by specific movements or activities.

  • Relief of pain when reclining or lying down.

Effective Treatment Approaches

• Our approach emphasises pure hands-on manual spinal correction techniques combined with spinal mobilisation and heat/infrared therapy to alleviate musculoskeletal (mechanical) back pain.

• Non-surgical spinal flexion and distraction therapies are particularly effective for conditions such as disc herniation, facet joint syndrome, and spinal stenosis.

Therapeutic goals include:

1. Increasing intervertebral disc height.

2. Reducing intradiscal pressure.

3. Alleviating nerve root compression.

4. Stopping nerve irritation, thereby relieving low back and radicular leg pain.

5. Expanding the size of the spinal nerve foramina by up to 28%.

6. Restoring normal joint ranges of motion for improved spinal mobility and pain-free function.

If you have any questions or wish to schedule a consultation with our multidisciplinary expert team, including Licensed Physiotherapists, Doctors of Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, and Osteopathy, please contact us at Corrective Spinal Rehab. Together, we provide advanced, evidence-based care tailored to your individual needs.