No one can seem to find out what’s causing my low back pain. I’ve seen three specialists so far. No one has spent more than 20 minutes with me to even find out what’s wrong. Does this seem right to you?

Studies show that most back pain does not have a known, direct cause. For most patients with low back pain, an underlying pathologic disorder just doesn’t exist. Once the physician has ruled out tumors, infection, or fractures, then it’s time to look for a mechnical cause.

This could be too much load on the facet (spinal) joints from poor posture. It could be instability from insufficent core strength. Core strength refers to strength and coordination of the muscles of the trunk and abdomen.

A fair number of studies have also shown that a large portion of back pain is related to psychosocial factors. Dissatisfaction at work, emotional or psychologic stress, time pressure, and fatigue seem to be common psychosocial links to low back pain.

Physicians are highly trained to take a history and perform a screening exam. Targeted questions and specific tests form the basis of a highly structured diagnostic process. The up-to-date physician
Physicians are highly trained to take a history and perform a screening exam. Targeted questions and specific tests form the basis of a highly structured diagnostic process. The up-to-date physician can complete a quick exam in 10-minutes and won’t really need so much extra time to sort through the variables, determine cause, and establish a plan.