Why low back pain is so common (and what to do about it)
- magdasportstherapy
- Aug 14
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 15
Choosing the topic for my second blog post was one of the easiest decisions I’ve made recently!
Because really… who among us doesn’t know what low back pain feels like?
That dull ache when you get out of bed.
The stiffness after a long drive.
The twinge when you bend to tie your shoes…
As a sports therapist, my work always comes back to one thing: how the body moves and adapts.
Nowhere is that more true than with the spine.
I have seen it in my patients over the past year and a half - and the research backs it up.
Deyo and Weinstein (2001) found that around 70% of adults in Western countries will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Miyamoto, Costa and Cabral (2013) reported that nearly 40% of those cases will progress to chronic pain.
Why is low back pain so common?
The truth is, our modern lifestyle isn’t exactly spine-friendly.
Often, it’s the result of… everyday life.
The most common causes are linked to how we live, and we live in a time where it’s hard to avoid things like:
Sitting for long hours
Little or no regular movement
High stress levels
Stress and your spine — the hidden connection
Let’s start with stress, because it’s not always obvious that the two are connected — but they are.
High stress and low back pain can feed into each other in a big way.
Buscemi and colleagues (2019) found that stress-related mental health issues can actually predict chronic low back pain.
And it goes both ways — Schneiderman, Ironson and Siegel (2005) and Gatchel et al. (2007) showed that chronic pain can significantly raise stress levels by constantly activating the body’s stress response, limiting daily activities, and exhausting coping strategies.
Here’s something I’ll repeat often here — body and mind are one. When we work on improving one, we always have to take the other into account.
Movement matters (and it doesn’t have to be the gym)
Of course, stress isn’t the only everyday factor.
The other big one is movement — or rather, the lack of it.
And it’s not just office work. Think about how many hours we spend looking down at our phones, curled up on the sofa watching Netflix, or simply not moving throughout the day. All of these moments add up — and your spine feels every single one of them.
Let’s be honest — after 8 hours in front of a computer or after a busy day in a physical job, not many of us are thrilled at the idea of “training”. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to throw on a fancy gym set, lace up high-tech trainers, down a protein shake, and head to the gym.
I mean — if that’s you, great, keep going!
But for everyone else, small, gentle changes can make a huge difference.
Think of it like this: your spine loves movement the way plants love water. Without it, it stiffens and starts complaining. So, let’s water it — even just a little. 🌿
How to help yourself
1. Change positions often
Your back loves variety. Try not to stay in the same position for more than 30–40 minutes — even if it’s just standing up to refill your glass of water. Many back care guidelines highlight this as one of the simplest ways to prevent stiffness.
2. Check your environment
Do you have a chair that supports your lower back, a screen at eye level, and a mattress that’s not sagging? These small changes can make a big difference to your spine over time.
3. Stress relief
Since stress can play a big role, even a few minutes of deep breathing, meditation, or a walk outside can make a difference.
4. Gentle core & glute activation
Strong, supportive muscles take pressure off your spine — this can be as simple as a few glute squeezes or a light plank variation. These aren’t just ‘fitness’ exercises — they’re foundational rehab tools I give to my patients to support spinal stability and reduce the risk of flare-ups.
Make friends with stretching
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