Lower back pain- Why its so difficult

Lower back pain is difficult. 100 people can come see me with the exact same diagnosis on an X-ray or MRI and I could have 100 different symptoms. Some people will experience years of chronic, debilitating pain where some people may have just woken up today with a stiffness in their back. But if the findings are the same, how can we have such varying circumstances?

Well, it’s because all our backs are different. We use it differently. It also looks different and different tensions are put on it for different reasons. A labourer who pours concrete everyday for the last 10 years versus an office worker who sits all day may have the same problem on paper, but the different environments will play a big impact on the symptoms. It’s also important to understand that 50 office workers can also have 50 differing symptoms, which makes this puzzle more, puzzling.

That’s why for me it’s more than back pain. It’s about understanding the person, their hobbies, their lifestyle, their exercise regiment, do they have kids, pets, the list goes on. Because the truth with lower back pain is that it’s multifaceted and understanding how we use it is critical in finding the solution.