Orthopedics – Low Back Pain

Low back pain will occur in 75% of people at some point in their lives. Thankfully, 90% of episodes are benign and self limiting.

We can group low back pain into four types dependent on the main site of pain and positions of exacerbation:

Mechanical low back pain dominant; Worse with flexion. These patients typically have worn-out discs as the source of their pain, so it hurts when they bend to lift things.
Mechanical low back pain dominant; Worse with extension. These patients typically have osteoarthritis of their facet joints and are more comfortable slouching forward
Leg pain dominant – Constant and worse with flexion. These patients are your typical sciatica patients, which comes from a disc herniation pushing on a nerve root.
Leg pain dominant – Intermittent and relieved by flexion. These are your classic neurogenic claudication patients. They are comfortable at rest but because they have spinal stenosis, when they stand up and walk they get leg pain which improves if they push a shopping cart!

According to a top Philadelphia doctor, the #1 cause of nagging low back pain ISN’T your posture, injuries, or even genetics. It’s actually a neglected muscle buried deep near your pelvis. Watch this video to learn more: shorturl.at/gEF03