5 Reasons Why Low Back Pain Is So Common

An active life is a healthy one, and nothing can sideline you faster than low back pain, which affects millions of Americans. With prevention in mind, here are a few reasons low back pain is so common.

As orthopedists, the SOAR Spine and Orthopedics team understands better than most the incredible value of an active life where pain, especially spine-related discomfort, doesn't plague you.

Unfortunately, low back pain has become a leading cause of disability around the world and affects 619 million people. Worse, experts predict that this number will jump to 843 million by 2050.

Closer to home, the numbers don’t improve much — about 39% of adults in the United States reported back pain.

With an eye toward prevention, we want to review some of the primary reasons why low back pain is so common and what to do if it develops.

Drivers of low back pain

When we discuss your lower back, we’re referring to your lumbar spine, sacrum, and coccyx areas. Here, we review a few factors that drive low back pain, some of which you can change and others you can’t.

1. Location matters

Low back pain is common because this area of your body not only provides foundational support, it also enjoys a wide range of motion. Given this high level of mobility and supportive role, your low back is more vulnerable to injury and wear-and-tear.

2. Carrying too many pounds

When you carry extra pounds, much of the burden falls on areas like your lower back, which can prematurely wear down and stress this area. Unfortunately, about 74% of adults in the US are overweight, which includes 43% who tip the scales into obesity.

3. Lack of strength in your lower back

All around your lumbar spine are large muscle groups that make up your core. If these muscle groups are weak, it places more pressure on your lumbar spine, which is a fast track to low back pain.

4. Straining your lower back

If you spend much of your day sitting, standing, or lifting heavy objects regularly, you’re placing more strain on your lower back.

5. Aging and your back

There’s not much that we can do about this last risk factor. As you age, degenerative changes can occur in your lower back, such as facet joint arthritis and degenerative disc disease.

When low back pain strikes

Given that some of the drivers of lower back pain are hard to avoid, it also means that even a solid prevention plan can’t entirely eliminate the threat of lower back pain.

The good news is that should you develop low back pain, we have an arsenal of treatment options that include:

Our goal in offering such a wide range of options is to ensure that each patient can move through life without dealing with low back pain.

We invite you to contact our spine specialists at the Santa Clara or Redwood City, California, office today if you have more questions about preventing low back pain or need help with an existing problem. You can also book an appointment online.