Low back pain causes

1. Muscle or ligament strain (most common)

What happens: Overstretching or overloading the muscles supporting your spine.

Common triggers:

• Lifting with poor form
• Sudden return to exercise
• Twisting while lifting
• Sitting too long, then intense activity

Feels like:

• Dull ache
• Tightness
• Worse with movement
• Better with rest

2. Herniated or bulging disc

What happens: The cushion between vertebrae pushes outward and irritates nerves.

Feels like:

• Sharp or shooting pain
• Pain down one leg (sciatica)
• Numbness or tingling
• Worse when sitting

3. Joint problems (facet joint irritation)

What happens: Small joints in the spine become irritated or arthritic.

Feels like:

• Pain when leaning backward
• Stiffness in the morning
• Localised pain (not usually down the leg)

4. Poor core strength / deconditioning

If you've taken time off exercise, this is very common.

When core muscles are weak:

• Lower back muscles overwork
• Posture worsens
• Small loads feel heavy

This often causes:

• Achy pain after activity
• Fatigue in the lower back
• Relief when lying down

5. Less common but serious causes

See a doctor urgently if you have:

• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Severe leg weakness
• Fever with back pain
• Pain after major trauma

These could indicate nerve compression or infection.

If you'd like your back pain properly assessed, call us on 01604 630636.