Back pain is so common, that 8 out of 10 people experience severe back pain at least once in their lifetime. Those who do, are also more likely to suffer from recurrent episodes. 

Where is the pain coming from?
The simple answer to this actually very complicated question is that no one really knows!
The long answer is that a pathology of the discs, facet joints, muscles or ligaments are often blamed.  Very often rightfully so, however the majority of people have abnormalities in these structures without experiencing any pain! Then, to complicate things even further, it's also common to have pain without having any detectable abnormality!

We use and abuse our bodies on a daily basis. One could say that we were meant to. As we have evolved we should be adapted to it right? To a certain degree, yes, but everyone agrees that our habits have changed dramatically over last hundred years. We certainly haven't evolved to sit for 10 hours a day, or perform repetitive movements for hours, days and years on a production line!
Any prolonged activity, inactivity or a position causes problems on multiple levels. Painters use their dominant arm performing repetitive movements for hours a day, electricians, sculptors, musicians spend hours with their spines in very awkward positions. Programmers, drivers, office workers spend hours sitting… All these activities strain, shape and misshape our spines. Some muscles grow bigger, others get tight or shortened. Our bodies can deal with quite a lot, but one day, the bucket simply fills up and something will give. The last straw is often something small, like lifting a pen from the floor.
Pain can be sudden, sharp and agonizing, or just a gradual ache for years.
Various structures tend to get injured more than other. Everyone knows the "slipped disc" diagnosis, which is rather incorrect as disc can't "slip". Bulging disc pushing on spinal nerves is more accurate description. Usually, it is only the outer layer of the disc which gets injured causes pain. In more severe injury this disc pushes on the nerve roots or spinal cord itself.
Very often it is just a muscle sprain or muscle "knots" causing the pain.
Sometimes the joints at the back of your spine called facet joints, locked up. Sometimes they get inflamed after years of overload due to faulty alignment, movements and weak supportive muscles.

What can Chiropractic do for you?

Chiropractic and most other manual therapies have one thing in common - they aim to restore normal movement and function of the joints or muscles, thus creating an environment where the body can heal itself. Our bodies have amazing self-healing abilities if we give them a chance.
Movement is the key. Life is movement...
Move It or Lose It!!

Branislav