How Common is Low Back Pain?

Low back (lumbar spine) pain is common among individuals of all ages. And chances are, you or someone you know has experienced low back pain at some point. In fact, research has shown that up to 80% of individuals will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work, and low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010. This pain can be centered in the low back, and at times nerves can become irritated, causing symptoms to travel into the buttock or down one or both legs.

So what should you do if you are experiencing low back pain? Seeking early treatment is important, as well as staying as active as possible. Physical Therapists can evaluate your movement patterns, find muscular imbalances, and educate you on ways to stay active without aggravating your symptoms. Although many people feel they need to have imaging (such as an x-ray or MRI) to find out why they are having pain, research has shown that many individuals without low back pain present with findings in their lumbar spine on imaging. This means that an MRI may not provide as much valuable information to guide treatment as you may think. MRI’s, injections, and other treatments are also very costly, and seeing a Physical Therapist first to address your low back pain may save you a significant amount of money.

If you want to know more about how to manage back pain or what exercises can help prevent back injuries, contact us to set up your evaluation with one of our doctors in Cincinnati or Memphis.

Blog post written by Dr. Alexis Hutchison, PT, DPT, OCS