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Pain in Lower Back? Self Diagnose Your Lower Back Pain

There’s something very frustrating about pain in lower back. We know it’s there, but we can’t see it and we have no idea why it’s there. Our body is a complex set of muscles, bones and ligaments, which makes diagnosing the cause of pain in the lower back – Very difficult. We try to rest, apply heat, or cold, and start popping pain killers, hoping it will go away forever. But…First thing to understand is that most of the time, it just won’t go away on its own. When you feel pain in the lower back, your body is signaling that there is a problem that should not be ignored. Left untreated, low back pain will gradually become worse. The best way of permanently eliminating it is finding the root cause for it and treating it.

Taking all sorts of pain killers is NOT going to help you and it will only temporarily relieve lower back pain. The root cause will still be there and the back ache will return as soon as the medication wears off.

 This flow chart (from FamilyDoctor.org) will help you diagnose the source of your lower back pain. When you find the probable cause, see the links to find out more about natural and alternative treatments to finally get rid of it and get back to your active pain-free life.

Start here:

1. Did your pain begin after a fall or injury or when you lifted an object?	No	Go to Question 5.*
Yes
2. Do you have numbness or pain extending down your leg?	Yes	You may have SCIATICA, caused by a bulging disc, or a HERNIATED DISC.		If your pain is severe, if you have lost feeling or movement, or if you have lost control of your bladder or bowels, see your doctor or go to the emergency room right away.
No
3. Are you over 60 years of age or do you have arthritis, and are you having severe pain with any movement?	Yes	You may have a FRACTURED SPINE.		EMERGENCY Call an ambulance right away. Do not try to drive to the emergency room, and try to move as little as possible.
No
4. Do you have pain when twisting, bending or even sitting?	Yes	Your pain may be from MUSCLE SPASM, a PULLED MUSCLE or a HERNIATED DISK.
No
*5. Do you have pain that comes and goes that may have started in your teen years?	Yes	You may have SPONDYLOLISTHESIS, when one vertebra in the spine slips over another, or SPONDYLOSIS, a type of arthritis.
No
6. Do you have a fever?	No	Go to Question 8.**
Yes
7. Do you have blood in your urine and one-sided back pain along with burning during urination?	Yes	You may have a kidney infection such as PYELONEPHRITIS. You may also have KIDNEY STONES, which can start a kidney infection and may cause pain, blood and painful urination without a fever.		URGENT See your doctor right away.
	No	You may have a viral illness such as the FLU.		Use analgesics such as acetaminophen to reduce fever and use over-the-counter cold medicines to treat other symptoms. See your doctor if your symptoms don’t improve or if they get worse.
**8. Is your back stiff and sore in the morning and are other joints stiff, sore, swollen or red?	Yes	You may have ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS, a form of arthritis that affects the spine. Other forms of ARTHRITIS can also cause back pain.
No
9. Are you pregnant?	Yes	PREGNANCY causes stretching of the ligaments around the uterus and pressure on the lower back.		Apply mild heat to the back only. See your doctor if the pain continues or if fever or bleeding accompanies the pain.
No
10. Is the pain centered in the lower spine and do you have pain down your leg?	Yes	You may have a HERNIATED DISK or SPINAL STENOSIS.		If your pain is severe, if you have lost feeling or movement, or if you have lost control of your bladder or bowels, see your doctor or go to the emergency room right away.
No
For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.

**This tool has been reviewed by doctors and is for general educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. The information in this tool should not be relied upon to make decisions about your health. Always consult your family doctor with questions about your individual condition(s) and/or circumstances.

The Number One Cause of Pain in Lower Back (Your Doctor Won’t talk about it)

 Most of us have heard about the most common causes for lower back ache, right? Pulled muscles, muscle spasms, sciatica, herniated discs, bulging discs, arthritis etc.

Those are indeed true, but let’s go a little further and ask ourselves what do all of these condition have in common?

What they have in common is their root cause – The number one cause of pain in lower back –Is Muscle imbalances.

Your doctor will probably not mention muscle imbalances because conventional medicine doesn’t go a little further like we just did, it usually focuses on the pain, instead of what’s causing it.  Bad advice for back pain is everywhere. Even a cliche like “you have to strengthen your back” could end up causing you more damage and worsen your pain. To prevent that, you must first understand what muscle imbalances are and how easily you can spot them and “fix” them to finally and permanently stop your lower back from hurting.

Let me show you how simple it is to recognize your own muscle imbalance patterns and how “fixing” them will eliminate the pain in your lower back – Without medication or surgery. This short video explains it – Do yourself a big favor and watch it right now.

The Healthy Back Institute is actually the only online program that has developed a home solution for treating these muscle imbalances. Their system (which I highly recommend) is called  “Lose The Back Pain system”. Maybe you have heard about it, but if you haven’t, I urge you to at least check out how it can naturally eliminate the pain in your lower back for good, giving you all the tools to do it yourself at the privacy of your home. Check it out - Right here.