Why Your Low Back Hurts (When It Might Not Be the Back’s Fault)
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek care from chiropractors and physical therapists. But what most don’t realize is that low back pain often isn’t a low back issue at all.
In fact, the source of pain is frequently found somewhere else entirely — in the way your body moves, stabilizes, and compensates.
The Low Back as a Compensator
Your body is a team. Each area has a role:
Hips are built to generate power and move with freedom
The core is built to stabilize and transfer load
The thoracic spine (your upper back) is built for rotation
When one part of that system gets stiff, weak, or uncoordinated, another area will step up to get the job done. And more often than not, your low back is the one doing the extra work.
This is where many common back pain problems begin. Your back becomes the overachiever, overcompensating for other areas — until it finally reaches its limit.
Common Movement Patterns That Lead to Low Back Pain
Here are some of the most frequent causes we see behind chronic or recurring low back pain:
1. Hip Mobility Restrictions
When your hips can’t move well — especially into flexion or rotation — your back is forced to make up the difference. This shows up during squats, deadlifts, or even while walking.
2. Weak or Uncoordinated Core Muscles
The core’s job is to stabilize the spine during movement. If it’s not doing that job effectively, your back muscles end up working overtime to provide support — often leading to tension, fatigue, or injury.
3. Lack of Thoracic Spine Mobility
If your upper back is stiff and unable to rotate, your lumbar spine (which isn’t designed for much rotation) has to rotate more than it should — which can lead to irritation or strain.
Why Local Treatment Doesn’t Always Solve the Problem
Foam rolling, stretching, or getting your back adjusted might give short-term relief — but these approaches usually don’t address the root cause of the issue.
That’s because pain is just the output. The actual dysfunction is often found in the input — how your body moves, compensates, and distributes force.
To truly resolve low back pain, we need to look at the full system.
A Better Approach to Treating Low Back Pain
At Momenta Chiropractic, we take a full-body approach to back pain. That means we assess how you move — not just where it hurts.
Our goal is to figure out:
What’s not moving well?
What’s working too hard?
What patterns have developed over time that are keeping you stuck?
By restoring mobility where it’s lacking, building strength and control where it’s needed, and improving the way your body works as a system, we can help reduce back pain and prevent it from coming back.
What You Can Do Next
If your low back keeps flaring up — even with rest, stretching, or massage — it’s time to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.
Start by asking yourself:
Where is my body overworking?
And where might it be underperforming?
Back pain is rarely just a back issue.
The solution is rarely just a stretch or a quick fix.
The answer is often found in restoring balance and function to your whole body.
If you’re stuck and want help finding a real, long-term solution - click the link below to schedule your Discovery Call today!
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