Why Your Lower Back Hurts: 7 Common Causes and What to Do
7 Common Causes of Lower Back Pain (And How Chiropractic Helps)
Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people miss work, skip activities they love, and struggle through daily life. In Kenosha, WI, Dr. John Murphy has been treating patients with lower back pain for over 30 years — and the same root causes come up again and again. Understanding what’s driving your pain is the first step toward getting lasting relief.
1. Muscle Strain and Ligament Sprains
The most common cause of lower back pain is a muscle strain or ligament sprain. This happens when muscles or ligaments in the lower back are overstretched or torn — often from lifting something heavy, making a sudden awkward movement, or simply overdoing it during yard work or sports.
Symptoms: Aching or stiffness in the lower back, muscle spasms, and pain that worsens with movement.
Chiropractic spinal adjustments help restore proper alignment, reduce muscle guarding, and speed up tissue healing. At Murphy Chiropractic, we often pair adjustments with dry hydrotherapy to relax muscles before treatment, which makes the adjustment more effective and comfortable.
2. Herniated or Bulging Disc
Between each vertebra in your spine sits a disc — a cushion-like structure that absorbs shock. When the outer layer of that disc cracks or bulges outward, it can press on nearby nerves, causing sharp or burning pain that may radiate into your legs.
Symptoms: Deep ache in the lower back, shooting pain down one or both legs, numbness, or tingling.
Spinal decompression therapy — especially the PROTEC Floating Manipulative Therapy offered at Murphy Chiropractic — is highly effective for herniated discs. By gently decompressing the spine while you sit upright, it reduces intradiscal pressure and allows the disc to heal naturally, without surgery.
3. Sciatica
Sciatica isn’t a condition in itself — it’s a symptom. It occurs when the sciatic nerve (the longest nerve in your body, running from your lower back down each leg) gets compressed or irritated. A herniated disc, bone spur, or tight piriformis muscle are the most common culprits.
Symptoms: Shooting or burning pain down one leg, weakness in the leg or foot, and pain that worsens when sitting.
Chiropractic adjustments, targeted stretches, and spinal decompression are among the most evidence-supported conservative treatments for sciatica. Many Kenosha patients who came to us ready to consider surgery have found significant or complete relief through chiropractic care.
4. Degenerative Disc Disease
As we age, the discs between our vertebrae naturally lose water content and elasticity. This is called degenerative disc disease (DDD). It doesn’t always cause pain, but when it does, it can be chronic and unpredictable.
Symptoms: Dull, achy lower back pain that can flare up with prolonged sitting or bending, often felt worse in the morning.
Chiropractic care won’t reverse disc degeneration, but it can significantly reduce the pain and stiffness associated with it by keeping the spine mobile, improving alignment, and reducing nerve irritation. Many patients with DDD in Kenosha maintain a comfortable quality of life with regular chiropractic maintenance visits.
5. Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal canal narrows — usually from bone spurs or thickened ligaments — putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. It’s more common in adults over 50 and is often associated with arthritis.
Symptoms: Pain, numbness, or cramping in the legs when walking or standing, usually relieved by sitting or bending forward.
Chiropractic care can provide meaningful symptom relief for spinal stenosis by reducing joint inflammation, improving spinal motion, and taking pressure off compressed nerves. Our PROTEC seated therapy is particularly well-suited for stenosis patients because it decompresses the spine in a position that naturally opens the spinal canal.
6. Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
The sacroiliac (SI) joints connect your spine to your pelvis. When these joints become misaligned or inflamed — from injury, pregnancy, or uneven leg length — they can cause significant lower back pain that’s often mistaken for a disc problem.
Symptoms: Pain in one side of the lower back or buttocks, sometimes radiating to the thigh, that’s worse when climbing stairs or standing on one leg.
SI joint dysfunction responds extremely well to chiropractic manipulation. Dr. Murphy uses specific adjustment techniques to restore proper SI joint mechanics, providing relief that many patients struggle to find with conventional medicine.
7. Poor Posture and Prolonged Sitting
This one is increasingly common in Kenosha and everywhere else: sitting at a desk all day, looking at screens, and moving too little causes the muscles and ligaments supporting the spine to weaken and tighten. Over time, this creates a cumulative strain that can develop into chronic pain.
Symptoms: Gradual onset of aching or stiffness, usually worse by end of the day or after prolonged sitting.
The good news is that postural-related back pain often responds quickly to chiropractic care combined with simple lifestyle changes. A few targeted adjustments combined with ergonomic coaching can make a dramatic difference.
When Should You See a Chiropractor?
If your lower back pain has lasted more than a few days, is interfering with your daily activities, or is accompanied by leg pain, numbness, or tingling — don’t wait. The sooner spinal problems are addressed, the easier they are to resolve. Chronic back pain that gets ignored often becomes much harder to treat over time.
At Murphy Chiropractic in Kenosha, we see new patients for same-week appointments. Dr. Murphy will take a thorough health history, perform a physical examination, and develop a personalized care plan — no referral needed.
Getting Back to Your Life Without Lower Back Pain
Whether your back pain came on suddenly after lifting something heavy, built up slowly over years at a desk, or has been with you since an old injury, there’s a good chance chiropractic care can help. Dr. Murphy has helped thousands of Kenosha residents get out of pain and back to doing the things they love — and he can help you too.
Murphy Chiropractic, S.C. | 3535 30th Ave, Suite 201, Kenosha, WI 53144 | (262) 697-7463
