Mechanical Back Pain in Corona, California
Studies suggest that 80% of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Annually, 50% of the working population reports back pain, with 15-20% of Americans seeking treatment for it each year. Additionally, 2% of the U.S. population suffers from either temporary or chronic disability due to low back pain. Workplace injuries related to back pain result in $100 billion in lost wages, productivity, and medical expenses.
What is Mechanical Back Pain?
Mechanical low back pain can result from chronic or sudden trauma, including falls, motor vehicle accidents, twisting motions, prolonged poor posture, mental stress, fatigue, and conditions like disc extrusion (herniated disc), degenerative disc disease (arthritis), aging, congenital defects, and poor flexibility.
While rare, more serious causes—such as infections, hormonal imbalances, fractures, systemic diseases, or tumors—require medical intervention and fall beyond the scope of this discussion.
Acute low back pain is characterized by activity intolerance caused by lower back or leg-related symptoms lasting less than 3 months. On the other hand, chronic low back pain refers to pain or issues that persist for more than 3 months. Regardless of the underlying cause or the duration, mechanical low back pain often leads to damaged soft tissues, which can irritate nerves and result in pain.
It’s important to recognize that pinpointing the exact cause of low back pain can be nearly impossible. You might be experiencing pain, but the exact source may remain unknown. The pain could be due to muscles, ligaments, discs, tendons, joints, or other connective tissues—all of which can produce similar symptoms. Typically, the pain might appear on one side of the back or across the back, and may radiate into the buttock or thigh. Muscle spasms are also common.
Medical research shows that x-rays are rarely useful in diagnosing the cause of low back pain, except in cases of severe trauma. Even MRI scans are not always helpful. In fact, studies show that two-thirds of people with disc abnormalities on an MRI experience no pain, and one-third of people with disc bulges are completely pain-free. Healthcare professionals often refer to low back pain as a “pain in search of a pathology,” meaning medical tests are often inconclusive, or they may even result in a false positive. The root cause could be any number of structures.
Treating low back pain without knowing the exact cause might seem challenging, but we do understand that mechanical low back pain is often caused by damaged soft tissue. This damage stimulates pain receptors called nociceptors, leading to pain. The goal of treatment, therefore, is not just to mask the pain but to promote healing of the affected soft tissues, which will ultimately eliminate the pain.
To achieve this, a customized treatment program is developed based on your individual needs. This might include approaches like rest, physical therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises, manual therapy, and activity modification. By focusing on healing and restoring function to the soft tissues, we aim to improve mobility and prevent future pain. The key is a personalized approach tailored to your unique situation, which helps speed up recovery and reduce the likelihood of recurring pain.
Low Back Pain Treatment
Treating low back pain involves a few key strategies to facilitate healing and prevent further damage:
Protecting the Damaged Soft Tissue
The first step is to protect the damaged area by resting and positioning the body in a way that reduces strain on the low back. It's important to avoid activities that exacerbate the pain while allowing the tissues to heal. Pain management techniques will be discussed by your physical therapist to help alleviate discomfort. Bed rest is generally only necessary for 1-3 days, as longer periods of rest have not been shown to provide additional benefits.
Increasing Circulation and Mobility
Promoting blood flow to the affected area is essential for healing. This helps deliver the necessary nutrients and repair cells (fibroblasts), as well as removes inflammatory waste products. Gentle movement such as walking, and performing pain-free range of motion, stretching, and strengthening exercises can increase circulation, speed up healing, and prevent tissue from weakening due to immobility.
Correcting Underlying Dysfunction
Often, low back pain stems from issues such as muscle weakness, poor posture, and poor flexibility. Addressing these dysfunctions with progressive strengthening exercises, flexibility routines, and education on proper posture and body mechanics is key. This helps reduce stress on the low back and supports proper healing, preventing future episodes of pain.
By addressing these three areas, a comprehensive treatment plan can effectively reduce pain, promote healing, and improve the function of the low back.
Your physical therapist will equip you with the necessary tools to address your dysfunctions and design a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. However, it’s important to understand that simply eliminating the pain is not the end of the recovery process. To fully recover from low back pain, the following steps are crucial:
Strengthening Muscles
After the pain subsides, your muscles must be strengthened beyond their original state to prevent future problems. This typically takes around 12 or more weeks of consistent effort to rebuild strength and endurance in the affected muscles.
Improving Flexibility
Flexibility needs to be progressively enhanced, which may take several weeks of dedicated stretching and mobility exercises. This helps improve range of motion and reduces the risk of injury.
Incorporating Proper Posture and Body Mechanics
Learning and practicing proper posture and body mechanics is essential to prevent recurring pain. This takes time and repeated practice, as it involves making these habits part of your daily routine.
Your therapist will guide you through each of these steps, ensuring that you don’t just recover from pain but also strengthen and educate your body to prevent future episodes of low back pain. Consistent effort and practice are key to a full recovery and long-term relief.
Download Your FREE Low Back Pain Guide
If you are struggling with low back pain and aren’t sure where to start, our free pain report is the perfect first step. This resource explains common causes of back pain, outlines simple strategies to ease discomfort, and shows how physical therapy can help restore movement and prevent future issues.