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Common Causes of Back Pain

By: Kyra Corradin, PT, DPT, YTT

Back pain — it’s like the common cold of the fitness world. Almost everyone will experience it at some point. But before you panic, take a deep breath and relax. This doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a life of limping and waddling.

First things first: should you see your PT or PCP? The answer is it depends. Pain can come from a lot of places — an accidental twist (hello, picking up a box wrong), overuse (goodbye, good form), or even something unrelated, like kidney stones. If your pain comes on suddenly and doesn’t seem linked to any activity, or if you’re dealing with fever or weird bathroom changes, call your primary care doctor. Otherwise, your friendly PT is probably your best bet.

Common Causes

1. Ligament Sprain/Muscle Strain

This is the “overstretched rubber band” injury. If you lift something awkwardly or twist wrong, your back might give you a little warning. This kind of pain typically hangs around for 10-14 days. Rest is important, but not too much! A bit of movement helps, and exercises like glute bridges, cobra pose, and core strengthening can speed things up.

2. Disc Injury

Ever heard of a “slipped a disc”? It's not as dramatic as it sounds. Discs in your spine can bulge or even herniate, usually from bad lifting form or age. The pain can be quite sharp, and sometimes it even radiates down your legs. But fear not! Even in severe cases, most people improve with physical therapy, and surgery is rarely needed.

3. SI Joint Pain

The SI joint is the connection point between your sacrum (the bottom of your spine) and your pelvis. It needs to be a very stable area. So, if it gets irritated, it can cause pain in your lower back and butt. Pain usually gets worse with sitting, standing, or moving in general (so basically life). Thankfully, physical therapy can help by strengthening the muscles around the joint and improving flexibility and your hip and low back.

Chronic back pain: what’s going on?

You know the kind of low back pain that gradually creeps up over time, and you're not really sure where it came from? Or pain that fluctuates on and off, but you can't quite get a handle on it? This type of pain can be much harder to diagnose. It could be your body saying, “Hey, we need a break from all that sitting!” A sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, weak muscles, or tight hips can all contribute to chronic pain. Or, conversely, it could be your body requesting a break from a repetitive exercise you’re doing a lot of (I’m looking at you, distance runners!). But don’t worry — physical therapists are trained to ask the right questions and perform a thorough examination of strength and range of motion to uncover the exact causes of YOUR pain. There is no one-size-fits-all diagnosis! After diagnosis, PTs can prescribe tailored stretching, strengthening, and mobility drills to help turn things around.

Bottom Line:

Back pain is annoyingly common, but it doesn’t have to be your forever companion. Whether it’s an acute injury or the result of too much time spent hunched over your phone, physical therapy can help you get back to doing what you love — lifting, running, or just bending down to tie your shoes without groaning. Your PT will tailor a plan based on your symptoms and goals, so don’t just live with it — fix it!

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