Why Does My Back Hurt? Causes of Back Pain, Chiropractic Care and Exercises That Can Help
Why Does My Back Hurt? Causes of Back Pain, Chiropractic Care and Exercises That Can Help
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit our chiropractic clinic in Burpengary. It may start suddenly after lifting, gardening or exercise, or gradually develop after weeks or months of sitting, driving or repetitive activity.
Back pain can also occur in children and teenagers, particularly those involved in high levels of sport. Growing bodies are being asked to run, jump, twist, lift and train repeatedly, sometimes several days a week. During periods of rapid growth, the body may temporarily have more difficulty adapting to these loads.
One of the most important things to understand is that back pain does not always mean something is seriously wrong.
Pain is an experience involving the brain and nervous system. Information is constantly travelling between your back and your brain as you sit, walk, bend and lift. Pain can be influenced by what is happening in the muscles and joints, but also by things such as previous injury, activity levels, sleep, stress and how sensitive the nervous system has become.¹
Sometimes pain begins after an obvious injury. At other times, repeated strain, fatigue, reduced movement or simply doing more than your body is currently ready for can make the system more protective. With ongoing back pain, the nervous system can sometimes stay sensitive even after the original irritation has settled.
How can chiropractic help back pain?
Chiropractic care can help. Treatment may include spinal manipulation or mobilisation, soft-tissue techniques, movement advice and exercise. Spinal manipulation is one of several recognised treatment options that may help improve pain and function in people with ongoing low back pain.²
At Burpengary Chiropractic Centre, we do not simply focus on the spot that hurts. We look at how your body is moving, where movement has become guarded and what may be keeping the nervous system protective.
What are the best exercises for back pain?
There is no single “best” back pain exercise for everyone. The goal is to find movements that feel comfortable, help restore confidence and can be gradually progressed over time.⁴
Walking is one of the simplest places to start. Gentle pelvic rocking can help restore comfortable movement. Bridging helps strengthen the hips and muscles supporting the back, while bird-dog exercises can improve balance and trunk control. Gentle squats can also help rebuild confidence with bending and lifting.
The key is to start comfortably and gradually increase what you can do.
For many people, recovery from back pain is not about protecting the back forever. It is about restoring movement, rebuilding strength and giving the nervous system repeated evidence that movement can be safe again.
References
Raja SN, Carr DB, Cohen M, et al. The revised International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain. Pain. 2020;161:1976–1982.
Rubinstein SM, de Zoete A, van Middelkoop M, et al. Benefits and harms of spinal manipulative therapy for chronic low back pain. BMJ. 2019;364.
NICE. Low Back Pain and Sciatica in Over 16s: Assessment and Management. Guideline NG59.
Hayden JA, Ellis J, Ogilvie R, Malmivaara A, van Tulder MW. Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021;9.
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard. Sydney: ACSQHC; 2022.
