If you have chronic low back pain, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with all the potential sources of your pain. There are three factors to consider:

1) Is there a clearly identifiable anatomic problem that is producing symptoms that match with this lesion? The term I use is a “structural problem”.  If there is an anatomic problem without matching symptoms, it is NOT a structural problem.  A structural example is a ruptured disc with a pinched nerve causing sciatica.

2) Is the source of your pain non-structural? Non-structural problems are injuries to or inflammation of the muscles or ligaments (soft tissues) supporting the spine. By default if you cannot identify a specific structural anatomic problem with matching symptoms your pain is emanating from your supporting soft tissues.

3) What is the state of your central nervous system? This is where pain impulses are received and interpreted.

JYR