Lower Back Pain Explained: Why It Happens and What You Can Do About It

Let’s be honest, lower back pain is frustrating.

Sometimes it’s a dull ache that never quite goes away. Other times it’s a sharp twinge that stops you in your tracks. Either way, it can feel like your body’s trying to tell you something, but what?

This blog is here to give you clear answers about what’s really going on in your back, and what you can do to fix it.

🎥 Prefer to watch? CLICK HERE to watch the full video explanation.

The 3 Most Common Causes (Explained Simply)

1️⃣ Disc-Related Pain

Your spinal discs sit between the bones in your spine like little shock absorbers. You can picture them like jam doughnuts, soft in the middle, firm on the outside.

Over time, especially with poor posture, heavy lifting, or inactivity, these discs can bulge outward. That bulge can irritate nearby nerves, causing pain in the lower back and sometimes down the leg (sciatica).

Common with:

Desk workers

Heavy lifters

People aged 30+

Anyone with long-standing posture issues

Biomechanically:

When you bend, slouch, or flex your spine repeatedly, the front of the disc compresses, pushing the inner material backward. Over time, cracks can form, and the “jam” begins to migrate outward.

2️⃣ Facet Joint Irritation

Facet joints are the small joints at the back of the spine that allow you to twist, extend, and move freely. But they can become jammed or inflamed, especially with standing too long or excessive extension movements.

Think of them like rusty door hinges, when they don’t move well, everything around them tightens up.

Common with:

Gym-goers who train heavy

Dancers or yoga practitioners

People with exaggerated lower back arches (anterior pelvic tilt)

Biomechanically:

When the pelvis tips forward, the joints at the back compress. Add in poor movement habits and fatigue, and irritation builds over time—leading to sharp, localised pain.

3️⃣ Muscle Strain & Guarding

This is the body’s version of an emergency brake. When your nervous system senses instability, stress, or overload, it tightens the surrounding muscles to protect you.

But if those muscles stay tight too long, they fatigue, spasm, and cause pain of their own.

Common with:

Sudden movements or lifting

Chronic stress

Poor sleep or recovery

Postural fatigue

Biomechanically:

Tension = compression. Muscles that guard the spine restrict natural movement, which feeds back into more stiffness, more pain, and more guarding. If your pain, Keeps coming back, Is affecting your sleep, Shoots into your leg Or just doesn’t seem to improve

…it’s time to get it looked at. Start with a FREE 15-Minute Consultation

If you’re not sure what’s causing your back pain or want clarity on your next steps, we offer a FREE 15-minute consultation no pressure, no obligation.

CLICK HERE to book your free consult and start feeling better today.