Sudden Lower Back Pain

Sudden lower back pain typically represents a problem that has been in existence for a long time prior

The exception of course is some sort of trauma caused by an accident but that is the exception rather than the rule.

Pain as a symptom does not present itself until the body is about 35% of impaired. This means that symptoms other than pain that are easier to ignore do present themselves but most people do not attach enough importance to them or think that they will go away.

Lower back pain could be preceded by symptoms such as tingling, leg numbness and muscle weakness.

Pinched Nerve

Sudden lower back pain is primarily caused by one of two things. A subluxation commonly known as a pinched nerve is one of the most common causes of lower back pain. Most people are left or right handed and are also stronger on their dominant side.

sudden lower back pain, pinched nerve in lower back, severe lower back pain, sharp back pain

When we use our back muscles the stronger muscles on the dominant side over power the weaker muscles on the opposite side of the spine. These muscles connect to and help stabilize the spinal column. The stronger muscles pull on the vertebrae and move them out of alignment. This narrows the foramen or whole through which the nerve root passes creating a pinched nerve in your lower back.

The narrower nerve opening makes it easier for various postures and twisting to force the vertebrae to contact the nerve root. Each nerve root contains over 300,000 individual nerve fibers so while the symptoms can be varied a pinched nerve is one of the most common low back pain causes. The nerves in your lower back control everything in your lower body most of which you are not even aware of.


Over 90% of the functions in our body are autonomous. These could be relatively trivial functions such as controlling the growth of your toe nails to very important functions such as dictating the blood supply to your leg muscles.

When the nerve root pressure is mild your body will project milder symptoms such as numbness, tingling or muscle weakness. If you are really tuned into your body you may notice other things such as it being harder to urinate, pass stool or experience the loss of some coordination.

While some people will be compelled to investigate the cause for these milder symptoms most will either ignore them or seek a common remedy to cover up the symptoms. They may get a laxative if they cannot pass stool or call themselves clumsy if they feel especially uncoordinated.

When enough pressure is placed on the nerve root you will be disrupting enough important functions that the body determines that a pain signal is needed to make you aware of the problem. If ignored and the pressure continues to increase the pain signal will become stronger. So sudden lower back pain is a bit of a misnomer. While the onset of pain may seem sudden it is the result of a problem that has been steadily growing over a significant period of time.

Pinched Nerve Treatment


A chiropractic back pain specialist is specifically trained to treat spinal subluxations causing sudden lower back pain. When they adjust the spine they are moving the vertebrae in the direction of correct alignment. The muscles and ligaments that keep the spine aligned will adapt to the misaligned vertebrae over time.

Over longer periods of time the muscles and ligaments will have lengthened and shortened, depending on what side of the spine they are on, to adapt to the twisted vertebrae.

When the chiropractor adjusts the spine they are working against the muscles and ligaments that have adapted to the misalignment. While they will allow a certain amount of re-alignment it will not all happen in one treatment. This is why several treatments are often necessary for a long term chronic problem.

Bulging and Herniated Discs

Sudden lower back pain can also be caused by a disc problem such as a bulging disc or herniated disc if the nucleus has pushed through the outer wall. Protruding disc is the correct medical term but herniated disc is the term that most people are familiar with. Other terms such as torn, ruptured and slipped disc is also used.


A herniated disc is initiated by a trauma that tears the root system that anchors the disc to the vertebrae above and below. The nucleus in the middle of the disc serves as a shock absorber for the spine and acts like a bubble in a level. When you bend over the nucleus shifts away from the middle of the disc and is held in place by the annular fibrotic rings. When you straighten your spine the nucleus returns to the middle.

When the root is system is torn the disc becomes unstable which allows the vertebrae to compress the disc at too severe of an angle which then tears the annular rings. This allows the nucleus to push further towards the outer wall of the disc than it should. The disc the begins to bulge encroaching on the nerve canal. Eventually the nucleus will push through the last annular ring and breach the outer wall of the disc resulting in a herniated disc and severe lower back pain.

Sudden lower back pain will flare up when someone bends over or moves such that force is applied at just the right angle to push more of the nucleus material against the nerve root. Once again this is the culmination of a problem that has been a long time in the making.

Herniated Disc Treatment

Many doctors will try to reduce the painful symptoms by prescribing pain killers, steroid injections, massage, physical therapy, TENS units, etc. These are all incorrect because they only try to cover up the symptoms which will fail in the long run. As a last resort doctors will recommend lower back surgery which also does not solve the problem.


The only treatment at this time that cures the problem is non-surgical spinal decompression. Spinal decompression tractions the spine using computers to follow a logarithmic curve which allows the body to accept the treatment.

The decompression removes the force of gravity which is what the body wants. When the forces of gravity are temporarily removed from the disc the body begins to draw the nucleus back into the disc. Eventually the torn disc heals and the roots grow back firmly anchoring the disc to each vertebra.

If your sudden lower back pain could be the result of either a pinched nerve or herniated disc I encourage you to get an accurate diagnosis to solve the problem. As mentioned earlier you have already had symptoms that have been ignored so you have a problem that is only getting worse. Please do not procrastinate.

Educational Videos

These 3D animations with voice-over are to help you better understand your condition and the possible course of action to treat it.

The simple to use interface will allow you to see and hear the explainations of many conditions, inculding their treatments. The Amazing Spine area will explain the human spine and each vertebrea's affect on the internal organs and nerves.

To your better health!

If you haven't found what you are looking for just use the Custom Google search box below which will search just this site. Can't remember where that study on Spinal Decompression was discussed? Just type "spinal decompression study" into the box.

Learn more about your spine...

Pinched Nerve in Neck Symptoms

Chronic Shoulder Pain

Causes of Upper Back Pain

Chronic Back Pain Causes

Severe Lower Back Pain

Pinched Nerve in Back

Sciatica Symptoms

Protruding Disc in Back

Bulging Disk in Back

Chiropractic Back Pain Specialist

Treatment for Herniated Disc by Spinal Decompression

Spinal Decompression Clinics

Return from Sudden Lower Back Pain to

Causes of Lower Back Pain

Return from Sudden Lower Back Pain to Home for

Back Pain Causes and Relief

New! Comments
