Low back pain is one of the most common, nagging health problems that you may experience during your lifetime.  In fact, it is estimated that eight out of ten people will experience some type of painful spinal condition during their adult life.

Low back pain may indicate a problem within the structural elements of the spine itself, the vertebrae, discs, and muscles, or may be the result of other conditions in the body.

The lower back consists of the five vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine as well as parts of the pelvis, sacrum, coccyx, and hip joints.  Vertebral bodies can be thought of as blocks of bone, whose chief function is to bear weight and provide a strong protective covering over the spinal cord, which together with the brain forms the central part of the nervous system.  The discs, also known as intervertebral discs, can be thought of as shock absorbers, but they also function to allow the spinal segments to move.

There are many causes of lower back pain.  General low back pain may arise because of an imbalance of the bony framework of the spine or its muscular supports.  More painful and acute episodes of lower back pain, which may be accompanied by pain and a feeling of numbness that extends into the leg, occur because a nerve in the spine is being pinched or compressed.  Frequently this is the result of a piece of a disc pressing against the nerve, commonly referred to as a "slipped disc."  The lower spine may be disturbed by common activities of daily living, such as sitting , bending, twisting, lifting, or may be injured by a specific event such as an accident at home, at work, or in your car.