Lower Back Pain. Causes and Treatment

Lower back pain is probably one of the most common health complaints.

Are you one of those people that seem to have a back that always ‘goes out’ on you for no apparent reason?

Or, have you experienced lower back pain on and off for several years and, despite the repeated treatments, painkillers, or exercises it does not want to go away?

Have you gone to all the stretching or core classes you could find, but none of these seem to really address the problem?

I will never be tired of repeating that pain, wherever it is in the body, is only an alarm bell; it’s the way our body communicates to us that something is out of balance!

Pain is a wonderful guide that is given to us to provide us with some feedback so that we can take action to correct the problem before it gives us further complications.

As described in my previous article: it is impossible to draw a clear boundary between organ systems and biochemical vs. nutritional vs. structural (muscular skeletal system included) vs. neurologic processes. Body structures and their functions are highly interconnected. And the fact that you have lower back pain doesn’t necessarily mean that the back is where the problem is.

Yes, it is true that people who lack stability, mobility, balance, and flexibility in their ankles, knees, and hips may ultimately develop lower back pain due to structural imbalances that cause the lower back to bear excessive or unevenly distributed force.

And, yes, it is true that if you have poor flexibility and mobility in your back, you might experience lower back pain. But where do these structural imbalances come from?

Here are some of the most obvious sources:

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Manual jobs
• Excessive exercise regime
• Traumatic events such as: falls, car accidents etc

Based on my clinical experience and observations, I can say that the very large majority of people suffering from lower back pain do not fall in the above categories! But they are people that have an underlying and more complex set of unbalances that they have protracted for a long time.

Do you suffer from one of these?

• Tiredness
• Sluggish digestion
• Menstrual pain and pre menstrual symptoms
• IBS
• Headache
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Wake up at night to go to the toilet more than once
• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating

If you are wondering what the above indicators have to do with your back pain, well, let me tell you that they are symptoms of a deeper biochemical dysfunction, that is now manifesting as a musculoskeletal pain: lower back pain.

Many people consider the above symptoms as “normal” and something to put up with. Contrarily to common belief, these are signals that the body is sending out, trying to tell you that you are “off balance” and that your body needs help. These are symptoms that you do not have to put up with. You can feel better.

When I see patients, my aim is to get to the root of their health problems and treat them accordingly so that, not only the lower back pain goes away, but their overall health improves too.

For instance, one of the major problems that most people don’t consider is that constipation leads to toxicity and inflammation. In fact, anything that causes toxicity or inflammation can lead to lower back or sciatica pain.

As described in my Ebook that you can download for free, inflammation is a vital part of the body’s immune response. It is the body’s attempt to heal itself after an injury; defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria; and repair damaged tissue.

However, if there is a chronic infection or source of inflammation within the body, the inflammatory process itself becomes problematic. If there is systemic inflammation, the body will break down at its weakest point, which for many is the lower back.

When looking at the source of systemic inflammation, the answer is often found in the gastrointestinal system. Gastrointestinal hyperpermeability (a.k.a. leaky gut syndrome) may actually lead to systemic inflammation. Gastrointestinal hyperpermeability leads to undigested food peptides leaking into the circulation, which causes a subclinical autoimmune and systemic inflammatory reaction, often leading to lower back pain, brain fog, tiredness, joints pain, headaches, etc.

Some other common causes of inflammation are:

• Elevated blood sugar
• Hormonal imbalance
• Autoimmunity
• Infections – viral or bacterial
• Poor detoxification
• Previous surgeries/scars
• Trauma (emotional or physical)
• Food sensitivities

After a thorough analysis of your current health issues, past medical history, lifestyle and diet, and after a comprehensive assessment of how your body is working, I look at where the patterns of unbalance are in your body and treat them accordingly to eliminate the lower back pain, promote a better general wellbeing and, ultimately, a better quality of life for you. Life is better when you feel well!

“…I have in the past tried many health professionals including physiotherapists, podiatrists, etc but I think I was very lucky to find a therapist who was able to offer an alternative therapy, which has suited me so well.

 I would recommend Paola to anyone who like me has had an ongoing injury or health issue which does not seem to be responding to treatments already tried.”

For an individualized, root-cause approach to your lower back pain, get in touch to discuss how I can help you.

Paola Pizzuto, Registered Osteopath
Paola Pizzuto is a registered Osteopath in Edinburgh with a commitment and dedication for helping people to achieve better health.

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