Lower Back Pain Treatment in Austin, TX

Lower back pain is the most common cause of disability in adults under age 45, and by age 50, nine out of ten people have experienced back pain. For older adults, it can become chronic and even limit everyday function. At Whole Body Health, we look at all the factors that could be contributing to your lower back pain, then build a plan to address the cause, not just the symptom.

What Causes Lower Back Pain

Both medical and holistic practitioners generally agree that back pain can stem from several sources, including the lumbar discs, the vertebral and facet joints, the organs, the nerves, and, most importantly, the muscles.

Most disc, joint, nerve, and muscle problems are influenced by everyday factors, such as:

• Posture and prolonged sitting, including poor sitting or standing posture and heavy smartphone or computer use
• Work, household, and recreational activities
• Nutritional and hormonal imbalances
• Psychological stress

We evaluate how each of these is affecting you and which combination is driving your pain.

Muscles Behind Trigger-Point Back Pain

We often use the Travell Trigger Point Treatment approach to identify and treat myofascial pain. Around 15 muscles and muscle groups are primary contributors to lower back pain symptoms, including:

• Quadratus lumborum
• Iliopsoas
• Abdominals
• Longissimus (lumborum and thoracis)
• Iliocostalis (lumborum and thoracis)
• Multifidi
• The gluteal muscle complex
• Piriformis and obturator muscles
• Tensor fascia lata
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Soleus

Any of these can cause local lower back pain or refer pain in a pattern similar to sciatica. Lasting relief depends on effectively reducing the trigger point in the muscle, easing adhesions in the surrounding supportive muscles, and adjusting the lifestyle factors that feed the pattern. These muscles are also influenced by the discs, joints, and ligaments they support.

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