FAQs – Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is the most common reason people visit a chiropractor – and one of the most common conditions we see at Dynamic Chiropractic. Whether your pain came on suddenly or has been building for years, this page answers the questions we hear most often.
Q: What causes lower back pain?
Usually one of a few things: prolonged sitting and the posture that goes with it, SI joint problems, disc issues (bulges or herniations), muscle imbalances built up over time, or an injury from sport or lifting. The reason the cause matters is that treatment needs to target the actual source – putting heat on a disc problem and a muscle strain does very different things.
Q: I have lower back pain on one side only – what does that mean?
The SI joint – where your sacrum meets your pelvis – is a common culprit. It can also be a hip flexor issue, a disc irritation on that side, or something as simple as sitting with a wallet in your back pocket for years. Worth getting assessed rather than guessing, because the treatment for each one is quite different.
Q: Can lower back pain cause hip pain?
Yes, frequently. The SI joint sits right at the junction of your lower back and hip, so when it’s irritated, you often feel it in the buttock or hip rather than the back itself. Hip joint problems can do the same thing in reverse. We always look at both regions together – treating one while ignoring the other rarely works.
Q: What are the best exercises for lower back pain?
Dr Stuart McGill at the University of Waterloo spent decades studying exactly this. His Big 3 – the Modified Curl-Up, the Bird Dog, and the Side Plank – build spine-supporting endurance without compressing the discs. Beyond those, oblique work like woodchops, bicycle crunches, and mountain climbers adds the rotational stability that most lower back rehab programs skip.
Q: How can I tell if my lower back pain is serious?
Most back pain is mechanical and gets better. But some symptoms need medical attention straight away: loss of bladder or bowel control, weakness or numbness spreading down both legs, back pain after significant trauma, or unexplained weight loss alongside the pain. If you’re seeing any of those, go to an emergency department. If you’re just not sure, call us and we’ll help work out whether you need imaging or a GP visit first.
Q: What is the sacroiliac (SI) joint and why does it cause so much pain?
It’s where your sacrum – the triangular bone at the base of your spine – meets the wings of your pelvis. It takes a lot of load during everyday movement, and when it gets stuck or inflamed (from prolonged sitting, pregnancy, leg-length differences and so on), it produces deep, achy pain in the lower back and buttock that’s easy to mistake for a disc problem. Adjusting the SI joint directly tends to give pretty quick relief.
Q: Will chiropractic help my lower back pain?
For most mechanical lower back pain, yes – the evidence is genuinely good. Disc problems, SI joint issues, and posture-related pain all respond well. We combine adjustments with soft tissue work and give you exercises specific to what we find, because getting out of pain and staying out of pain are two different problems.
Q: How long does lower back pain take to resolve?
Sharp onset pain – the kind where you moved wrong and now can’t stand up straight – usually settles within 4–6 sessions. Chronic stuff that’s been building for months or years takes longer. We’ll be straight with you about timeframes once we’ve seen what’s going on.
Q: Can sitting at a desk all day cause lower back pain?
It’s probably the most common thing we see. Sitting for hours compresses your lumbar discs, tightens your hip flexors, and essentially turns your glutes and core off. The spine then has to cope without its main support system. We see it every day in people who work in the CBD.
Q: What are the best posture habits to protect my lower back?
Get up and move every 45–60 minutes – a timer actually helps. Don’t stand with all your weight through one hip. If you carry a wallet in your back pocket, switch to a front pocket or a bag. Screen at eye level. And do some actual core work outside of work hours – not crunches, but spine-safe stuff like the McGill exercises.
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If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.
