Acute Low Back Pain

By Ibrahima Diallo, PT, DPT

What is acute low back pain? It is pain in the low back in the center, on either side of the low back, or sometimes all the way across the low back. “Acute” is a word that refers to the amount of time you have experienced your symptoms. Someone with pain less than 10 days is generally considered “acute.”

New research by physical therapists at Baylor University has shown that special mobilization techniques helped 72% of the people in the study improve 50% or more. Physical therapists perform these types of mobilization techniques and can provide you with significant relief from low back pain.

So if you have a sudden onset, or acute episode of low back pain, give your physical therapist a call. They might be able to provide you with 50% or more relief in just a couple of visits.

Sciatica is a term that describes pain radiating down the back of your thigh and leg where the sciatic nerve is located. Think of it as a “catch all” term that describes pain that may be caused by any number of structures in the body.

There are several anatomical structures in the body that can cause this referred pain. Pinched nerve roots in the low back (called radiculopathy), the sacroiliac joint, a pinching of the sciatic nerve deep in your bottom (piriformis syndrome), and referred pain from your low back discs, are just some of the possibilities. It is important that you contact a physical therapist or call your own doctor. A physical therapist can evaluate you and send you to the appropriate doctor who can make a diagnosis.