Key Insights For Lower Back Pain Relief

Last week, I treated several individuals of varied ages who complained of low back pain. One example in particular prompted me to pause and reflect: the gentleman was in his early 30s, fit and healthy, working a manual job, but hard to rest at the end of the day since his back pain was at its worst. Unlike instances involving trauma, this case, like many others we see on a daily basis, ranging in age from 20 to 80+, was characterised by a long-term breakdown of the body initiated by muscle inhibitions. I want to emphasise the similarities between these cases, the underlying mechanisms of muscle inhibition, and the tissue healing processes guided by Wolff's Law and Davis' Law.

Individuals experiencing back pain often range from those in sedentary jobs like office workers, to moderately active positions like teachers or retail workers, to highly physical occupations like in trades and construction, as well as elite athletes. Despite their various backgrounds, all of their cases had one thing in common: no recent trauma. Instead, their pain worsened over months or years, with debilitating episodes that took days to subside. Muscle weakness and inhibition were common findings during initial consultations, particularly in the core and around the hips and pelvis, leading to poor posture and altered biomechanics.

A recurrent theme among these individuals was the presence of muscle inhibitions caused by errors in the communication that occurs between the brain and nervous system, and the body. Reduced activation of specific muscles, particularly in the low back, pelvis, and upper legs, triggered compensation mechanisms in other areas of the body. When specific muscles fail to provide joint stability or allow joints to move appropriately, other muscles must work twice as hard to allow the body to function normally. Inhibited core and gluteal muscles, for example, can overload the lumbar spine causing pain and dysfunction. Compensatory muscles like your hip flexors which include your quadriceps and psoas', as well as your low back muscles, will be working harder than necessary and could lead to additional pain via cramping, inflammation, or fatigue.  Over time, these imbalances can induce structural changes and degeneration in the challenged tissues, involving muscles and tendons, as well as surrounding ligaments, cartilage within joints, the bones of the joints themselves, and vertebral discs. This emphasises the importance of treating the underlying root causes.  Addressing them early, even before breakdown occurs enough to cause pain and symptoms, can allow avoidance of pain in the first place, and is encouraged as a form of preventative treatment.

Managing persistent low back pain requires an understanding of how tissues heal and adapt. According to Wolff's Law, bone tissue adapts to the stresses it is subjected to by remodelling itself over time to become stronger in response to mechanical stress. This could take as little as 3-6 months or as long as two years. Healing time is affected by a variety of factors, including age, health status, and bone type. Conversely, a lack of adequate load can cause bone resorption and weakness.

Similarly, Davis' Law applies to soft tissues like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. It claims that these structures adapt in response to mechanical forces placed on them. Appropriate stress promotes strength and flexibility, whereas insufficient or excessive stress can cause degeneration or injury. Healing durations vary based on tissue type and the level of stress and/or injury, ranging from 2-4 weeks to 6-9 months.

These Laws and tissue healing time frames influence how long it takes for pain and symptoms to subside. When will they begin to "feel better?" is a question we hear often from clients. After several weeks, many people report significant improvements in pain and functionality; for others, it may take longer. It all depends on what someone is presenting with, how long they've had symptoms, which tissues are impacted and how long they take to heal, as well as their overall health and vitality test results.

When addressing low back pain, it is important to consider the detrimental impacts of muscular inhibitions and the resulting implications for the musculoskeletal system. Understanding the concepts of Wolff's Law and Davis' Law can help you understand why your pain and symptoms exist and when they may alleviate.  We take a holistic approach to low back pain management, focusing not only on symptom relief but also on addressing underlying muscle imbalances and encouraging tissue adaptation and healing through a combination of adjustments and treatments from both our clinical and myofascial teams, as well as personal ownership and improvement of one's own health. 

Make an appointment with one of our highly trained clinicians for a consultation if you or someone you know is currently experiencing low back pain and would like to understand the causes behind it. This will allow us to identify the underlying mechanisms that are contributing to this condition and develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs in order to get you back to doing the things you love to do in life.