Are You Experiencing Lower Back Pain?
Check out this video on how back pain is caused.
Understanding Low Back Pain
Your "lumbar spine", or low back, is constructed and built from five bones that are stacked on top of each other with a shock-absorbing disc between each level.
Your low back is very much reliant on its surrounding muscles and ligaments for support. The most common cause of low back pain is "Sprains" and "strains" which are a direct result of these tissues being stretched/worked too hard, too far or too much, in the same way that a rope frays when it is stretched beyond its normal capacity.
The term "sprain" means that the tough, durable ligaments that support bones have been damaged, while a "strain" refers to when your muscles or tendons that move your trunk have been partially torn.
Low back pain from a sprain/strain injury is often described as deep, aching pain that increases with movement like changing positions, or unloading the dishwasher or while twisting to get out of your vehicle. If the injury is more severe and there is significant inflammation in the area, this can lead to more sharp, stabbing pain resutling in not being able to stand up straight or put on your shoes and socks.
More serious low back pain can be related to damage to disc. The discs are cartilage and water pads that provide shock absorption and stability for spine. Discs are injured 2 ways: acute trauma- think about lifting something really heavy from the ground, and chronic repetitive stress like swinging a golf club, having a job that requires constant bending or lifting, or a job that requires hours on end of sitting. Disc related low back pain is most often intense, sharp, stabbing and you can usually find a position that makes the intense pain go away. In some serious cases the disc can rupture resulting in compression of the nerve or spinal cord which leads to pain shooting into the buttocks or down the leg. An easy way to know if you have disc involvement in your low back pain is to cough hard. Does that cause pain? If so, then you are more likely dealing with a disc related problem.
It Is Very Common To Face Back Pain.
The majority of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime, and 70% of those patients can attribute their symptoms to sprain/strain injuries.
Lumbar sprains and strains can often result from sudden or forceful movements like a fall, twist, lift, push, pull, direct blow, or quickly straightening up from a seated, crouched, or bent position. Most commonly, sprains and strains are not the result of any single event, but rather from repeated overloading.
The spine is very good at being able to manage small isolated stressors, but repetitive challenges often can lead to injury in much the same way that constantly bending a piece of copper wire will cause it to break. Examples of stress that can cause lower back pain include bad postures, sedentary lifestyles, poor-fitting workstations, repetitive movements, improper lifting, or being overweight.
Injuries to the disc require excessive amounts of force. Think about impacts from a car accident, slipping on the ice or lifting a bag of softner salt out of your trunk. In more rare cases, discs can be injured by awkard or abnormal movement involving some kind of heavier object. We see this with shoveling heavy snow or gravel, lifting a child out of a crib or moving a heavy potted plant from the table to the floor. Lifting while twisting the trunk is a recipe for a low back disc injury.
Low Back Strains & Sprains Need Early & Appropriate Treatment
Sprain/strain injuries can cause your normal healthy elastic tissue to be lost and replaced with less elastic "scar tissue" as well as lead to future disc injury.
This process can lead to an ongoing cycle of pain, damage to the discs and even result in arthritis. Patients who elect to forego treatment and "just deal with it" are known to develop chronic low back pain in 60% of cases. The best time to begin treatment for low back pain is now!
It is critical to seek early and appropriate treatment like the type we provide. Our approach to treating patients with low back pain begins with a thorough exam including special tests to understand exactly what type of problem and the severity. Most common low back pain cases respond very well to a treatment protocol of chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy and rehabilitative exercises. Relief of that aching, nagging low back pain can often occur within a week with proper treatment.
Chronic low back pain, that is pain that has been present for 3 months or longer, may take a more integrated treatment plan that requires shockwave therapy, more intense rehabilitative exercise programs, nutritional support and peptide therapy. Just like the problem has been there for a while, the recovery process is often much longer.
No matter the cause, severity or chronicity of low back pain, our integrated model of care has treatment options that get results.
Recovering From Lower Back Pain
Depending on the severity of your low back injury, temporary activity modification may be necessary—especially with movements like bending, twisting, lifting, or anything that reproduces pain. However, complete rest is rarely the answer.
Current research strongly supports early movement and guided activity as the most effective approach to recovering from low back pain. Prolonged bed rest can actually slow healing, leading to muscle deconditioning, joint stiffness, and a longer recovery timeline.
At Life Quest, our goal is to keep you moving safely and effectively throughout your recovery.
Phase-Based Protocols for Lasting Results
Recovery Phase of Care
This phase of care begins with chiropractic spinal adjustments. Our providers are trained in classic chiropractic adjusting techinques (Gonstead, Diversified) and instrument assisted techniques (Activator). Spinal adjustments begin the recovery process by restoring movement to the restricted spinal joint. This process decreases stimulation of pain fibers in the nervous system and restores normalized pressure in the joint and disc. In more severe cases, passive therapies like electrical muscle stimulation and ultrasound may be used to modulate pain and inflammation.
Every patient in our clinic participates in a structured, progressive rehabilitation program—both in-office and at home—designed to restore function and prevent future injury.
During the Recovery Phase, our rehab focus is on:
- Reducing muscle spasm and tension
- Improving range of motion
- Restoring pain-free movement patterns
- Rebuilding tolerance to basic activities like walking and sit-to-stand transitions
Once pain is under control, the focus shifts to building stability and control:
- Improving core stability and spinal support
- Enhancing coordination and movement efficiency
- Increasing your ability to tolerate activity for longer periods with less discomfort
Optimization Phase of Care
The second phase is where long-term results are built:
- Strengthening the muscles that support the spine
- Optimizing spinal alignment and function
- Improving durability and resistance to re-injury
- Restoring confidence in movement and return to sport or daily activities
The goal at this point is to get your body to be able to work harder and longer, without limitations.
Performance Phase of Care
The last phase is all about performance:
- Performance based exercise protocols to keep building strength
- Transition from rehab exercises to fitness training
- Periodic chiropractic adjustments to keep your spine and nervous system performing at their best
Why Rehab is Critical for Low Back Pain
One of the biggest misconceptions about low back pain treatment is that once the pain goes away, the problem is solved. In reality, pain relief is just the first step.
True recovery requires:
- Tissue healing
- Joint stabilization
- Movement correction
- Strength development
Without these, patients are far more likely to experience re-injury or recurring flare-ups.
Think Beyond Pain Relief
A simple way to understand this:
If you have a flat tire, fixing the hole isn’t enough—you also need to secure the lug nuts so the tire functions properly.
Low back pain works the same way.
At Life Quest, we don’t just help you feel better—we help you move better, perform better, and stay better.
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