Chronic Back Pain

Exploring Causes, Associated Injuries, and Effective Treatment Solutions

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Back pain ^[1] can interfere with nearly every part of your life. It can make it challenging to sit through a workday, enjoy physical activities, or even get a good night’s sleep. Whether it’s a dull ache or severe discomfort, back pain can limit your mobility and keep you from doing the things you love. If your back pain isn’t going away, understanding its causes and remedies that may help improve your discomfort.

What Is Chronic Back Pain?

Chronic back pain is diagnosed as lasting more than three months, even after the initial cause has healed or improved.

For some, back pain is temporary and improves with rest or treatment. However, for others, it can become a long-term issue. About 80% of adults in the U.S. ^[2] experience back pain at some point in their lives. Research shows that approximately 20% of acute back pain cases ^[3] progress to chronic pain.

Unlike acute pain, which is usually linked to a specific injury or strain and resolves within a few weeks, chronic pain can linger without a clear cause or be tied to ongoing conditions like arthritis, nerve damage, or spinal degeneration. Chronic back pain can present in different ways, but some common symptoms that set it apart from acute pain include:

Persistent discomfort: The pain may be constant or come and go, but it never fully resolves.
Stiffness and limited mobility: Everyday movements like bending, twisting, or standing for long periods can become difficult.
Pain that worsens with prolonged activity: Sitting, standing, or certain movements may trigger or intensify the discomfort.
Radiating pain or numbness: If nerves are affected, you might experience tingling, numbness, or weakness, especially in the legs.
Disrupted sleep: Finding a comfortable sleeping position can be challenging, leading to restless nights.

What Can Cause Ongoing Back Pain?

Chronic back pain doesn’t always stem from a single injury or condition. In many cases, ongoing pain is influenced by multiple factors that can aggravate or sustain discomfort over time. Understanding these influences can help you manage symptoms and prevent further irritation. Below, we explore specific conditions that may be at the root of your chronic back pain.

Poor Posture And Ergonomics

How you sit, stand, and move throughout the day can have a lasting effect on your back. Poor posture and improper ergonomics put excess strain on the spine, leading to muscle fatigue, stiffness, and chronic discomfort. Sitting for long hours with a hunched back, slouching while standing, or incorrectly lifting objects can all contribute to ongoing pain.

Lack Of Physical Activity

A sedentary lifestyle can make chronic back pain worse. When you don’t move enough, your muscles weaken, your joints become stiff, and your spine loses essential support. Sitting for long hours or avoiding movement due to pain can create a cycle where inactivity leads to even more discomfort.

Repetitive Movements Or Heavy Lifting

Frequent bending, twisting, or lifting can put excessive strain on your back, especially if done with poor form. Such strain can lead to muscle fatigue, joint stress, and long-term spinal issues. Over time, this strain can contribute to chronic pain by causing minor injuries that accumulate or by aggravating existing conditions.

Stress And Emotional Factors

Chronic stress doesn’t just affect your mind—it can also worsen back pain. Emotional tension causes muscles to tighten, especially in the shoulders, neck, and lower back, leading to persistent discomfort. Over time, this tension can contribute to stiffness, reduced mobility, and increased sensitivity to pain.

Smoking And Poor Nutrition

Your lifestyle choices, including smoking and diet, can have a direct impact on chronic back pain. Smoking reduces blood flow to the spine, limiting the oxygen and nutrients needed for tissue repair. This can slow healing, weaken spinal discs, and increase the risk of degenerative changes that contribute to ongoing pain.

Similarly, a diet lacking essential nutrients—such as calcium, vitamin D, and anti-inflammatory foods—can affect bone strength and muscle health. Highly processed foods containing unhealthy fats and added sugars can also promote inflammation, which may worsen pain and stiffness.

Underlying Medical Conditions

Chronic back pain often stems from underlying medical conditions that affect the spine, nerves, or surrounding tissues. These conditions can lead to ongoing discomfort, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Some may develop gradually due to aging or wear and tear, while others result from injuries or structural changes in the spine.

Understanding the medical causes behind chronic back pain can help you take the right steps toward treatment and relief. Below are some of the most common conditions contributing to persistent back pain and how they impact the spine.

Arthritis and joint disorders: These disorders cause inflammation and stiffness in spinal joints, leading to pain and reduced mobility. Conditions like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis contribute to joint deterioration over time.
Disc disorders: Herniated, bulging, or degenerative discs can cause persistent back pain. These conditions reduce spinal cushioning, increase strain, and may irritate nearby nerves, leading to discomfort.
Nerve-related disorders and radiculopathy: Compressed or irritated spinal nerves can cause radiating pain, numbness, or weakness. Sciatica, a common form, results from pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Spinal and vertebral conditions: Structural issues like scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, or spinal stenosis can misalign the spine, compress nerves, and cause chronic pain, stiffness, and mobility limitations.
Post-surgical syndromes: Some individuals experience persistent pain after spinal surgery due to scar tissue formation, nerve damage, or incomplete relief from the initial condition.
Pain syndromes: Conditions like fibromyalgia or complex regional pain syndrome can cause widespread, long-lasting back pain unrelated to structural damage or nerve compression.
Muscle and soft tissue issues: Chronic muscle tension, myofascial pain syndrome, or strains can lead to ongoing discomfort, stiffness, and reduced mobility in the back.

Conditions That Could Be Causing Your Chronic Back Pain

Compass Pain and Wellness takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating chronic back pain, focusing on care that is evidence-based, minimally invasive, and personalized. Whether your pain stems from joint degeneration, nerve compression, or muscle imbalances, our team works to pinpoint the underlying cause and develop a tailored treatment plan that fits your needs.

Below are some of the most common conditions we treat to help you move with greater comfort and confidence.

Failed Back Surgical Syndrome

Failed Back Surgical Syndrome is ongoing or worsening pain after spine surgery, often due to nerve issues or scar tissue.

Lumbar Herniated Disc

A lumbar herniated disc happens when disc material presses a nerve, causing back pain, leg pain, or numbness.

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is spinal canal narrowing that compresses nerves, causing pain, numbness, weakness, or walking issues.

Joint Arthritis

Joint arthritis causes cartilage wear, leading to joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and limited movement.

Arthritis Pain

Arthritis pain comes from joint inflammation and cartilage loss, causing stiffness, swelling, and limited movement.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is disc wear over time, causing back pain, stiffness, and possible nerve compression symptoms.

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction causes lower back, buttock, or leg pain due to joint inflammation or misalignment.

Disc Herniation

Disc herniation is when disc gel pushes out, irritating nerves and causing pain, nerve compression, or radiating discomfort.

Sciatica

Sciatica is sciatic nerve irritation causing sharp pain from the lower back down through the buttock and leg.

Injuries Associated With Back Pain

Back pain often develops from injuries that affect the spine’s muscles, ligaments, discs, or nerves. Whether caused by sudden trauma, repetitive strain, or poor mechanics, these injuries can lead to chronic discomfort and mobility issues. Below are some of the most common injuries that contribute to back pain.

Whiplash: A rapid back-and-forth motion of the neck, often from car accidents, that can strain muscles and ligaments.
Back injury: Sprains, strains, and fractures in the spine can cause significant pain and limit movement.
Neck injury: Damage to cervical muscles, discs, or nerves can lead to stiffness, headaches, and radiating pain.
Spinal cord injury: Trauma to the spinal cord can result in nerve damage, weakness, or even paralysis in severe cases.
Shoulder injury (radiating pain): Shoulder damage, such as rotator cuff tears, can cause referred pain that spreads to the upper back and neck.

Diagnosing The Potential Cause Of The Pain

Identifying the cause of chronic back pain is essential for developing an effective treatment plan. Since back pain can result from multiple conditions, a comprehensive diagnostic approach helps pinpoint the underlying issue. Such an approach typically includes the following:

Physical exam and detailed medical history: A physician will evaluate your range of motion, posture, muscle strength, and pain response, while your medical history helps identify past injuries and contributing conditions.

Imaging tests that reveal key insights: X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans provide detailed images of bones, discs, nerves, and soft tissues, helping detect structural abnormalities or degenerative changes.

Diagnostic injections and nerve blocks: Targeted injections and nerve blocks help identify pain sources and guide further treatment by temporarily numbing specific areas of the body.

Functional and movement assessments: Movement-based evaluations determine mobility limitations, muscle imbalances, and biomechanical issues that may contribute to chronic pain.

Common At-Home Remedies To Ease Pain

Managing chronic back pain doesn’t always require medical intervention. Evidence-based, non-invasive strategies can help reduce discomfort and improve mobility when used consistently. While these methods may not replace professional treatment, they can complement medical care and support long-term pain relief.

Below are some safe and effective at-home remedies to help manage back pain.

Heat And Cold Therapy

Applying heat or cold to your back can help manage chronic back pain by targeting inflammation and muscle tension.

Cold therapy works best within the first 48 hours of a pain flare-up or injury, as it reduces swelling and numbs sharp pain by constricting blood vessels.
Heat therapy helps relax muscles, improve circulation, and ease stiffness, making it beneficial for chronic discomfort.

Gentle Stretching And Yoga Techniques

Incorporating gentle stretching and yoga into your daily routine can help improve flexibility, reduce stiffness, and relieve chronic back pain.

Stretching helps lengthen tight muscles and improve spinal alignment, while yoga promotes relaxation and strengthens core muscles that support the back.
Low-impact movements, such as child’s pose, cat-cow stretches, and seated forward bends, can ease tension and enhance mobility.

Safe Use Of Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers can help manage chronic back pain when used correctly. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen reduce inflammation and relieve mild to moderate back pain. Acetaminophen is another option that helps with pain but does not reduce swelling.

While these medications can be effective, it’s important to follow dosing instructions, avoid prolonged use without medical guidance, and be aware of potential side effects, such as stomach irritation or liver strain.

Optimizing Sleep For A Healthier Back

The way you sleep can affect your back. Prioritizing good sleep habits can help your body heal and reduce chronic back pain over time. Poor sleep posture, an unsupportive mattress, or inadequate rest can contribute to stiffness and discomfort.

To reduce strain on your spine, sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees for support. You can also place a pillow under your knees if you sleep on your back. A medium-firm mattress can help maintain proper spinal alignment, while maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can improve overall recovery.

We Provide Evidence-Based Treatments for Back Pain

Treatment for back pain will always start with a medical doctor appointment and may include physical therapy, massage, chiropractic and interventional pain procedures.

Managing chronic back pain requires a combination of evidence-based treatments, lifestyle adjustments, and proactive self-care. While at-home remedies can relieve, professional care is essential for long-term recovery. At Compass Pain and Wellness, we offer personalized, multidisciplinary treatment plans to help you regain mobility and take control of your pain. If back pain limits your daily activities, seeking expert guidance can be the first step toward lasting relief.

Treatments for Chronic Back Pain at Compass Pain and Wellness may include the following:

For a full list of all treatments we provide, click here.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation help manage chronic pain by reducing stress and promoting emotional resilience.

Massage

Massage therapy eases muscle tension and improves circulation to support pain relief and overall well-being.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture stimulates targeted points on the body to reduce pain, support healing, and restore energy balance.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care improves spinal alignment and joint function to reduce pain and enhance physical mobility.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy improves strength, flexibility, and mobility while addressing pain from injury or chronic conditions.

Medication Therapy

Medication therapy uses tailored prescriptions to reduce chronic pain and improve daily function and comfort.

Trigger Point Injections

Trigger point injections treat muscle knots by relaxing tense tissue and relieving localized pain or stiffness.

Joint Injections

Joint injections deliver medication into affected joints to relieve inflammation and improve range of motion.

Epidural Steroid Injection

Epidural steroid injections reduce spinal inflammation to ease pain radiating from nerve compression or irritation.

Nerve Block

Nerve blocks interrupt pain signals from specific nerves to reduce chronic or procedure-related discomfort.

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Peripheral nerve stimulation sends mild electrical signals to disrupt chronic pain from damaged peripheral nerves.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation targets specific nerves to interrupt pain signals and provide lasting pain relief.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation delivers electrical pulses to block nerve pain and reduce discomfort in the back or limbs.

Intracept

Intracept targets nerves inside the vertebrae to relieve chronic low back pain linked to vertebral endplate changes.

Sacroiliac Joint Fusion

SI joint fusion stabilizes the pelvis to relieve lower back or hip pain caused by joint dysfunction or instability.

Our Providers

Meet our experienced and compassionate team of doctors who specialize in helping you manage your condition. With a patient-centered approach, our doctors work to understand your unique needs and provide compassionate, personalized care. Trust our providers to guide you on your journey to better health and improved well-being.

Dr. Kristi Reed, MD

Dr. Randolph Cribbs, MD

Dr. Carl Balog, MD

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