Left Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain impacts so many of your life’s activities. If you have left lower back pain, you may wonder about its significance and seriousness. Does left-sided pain mean something specific? Fortunately, the most common cause of left lower back pain is muscle strain. Most muscle strains heal over just a few weeks, and physical therapy can reduce the pain in the recovery process.
But there are other causes of left lower back pain. So let’s look at them more closely to determine when to consult a doctor, make a physical therapy appointment, or treat it yourself at home.
Muscle Strain
The most common cause of left lower back pain is an injury to tendons, ligaments, or muscles that support your spine. Usually, you’ll remember an event like:
- Falling
- Vehicle accident
- Sudden twisting movement
- Uneven weight distribution, like carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder
- Poor posture
- Heavy lifting
- Sports Injury
You’ll likely feel sore and stiff, have spasms or experience stabbing pain. Fibers in muscles stretch, triggering pain and inflammation. Acute, short-term, left lower back pain from muscle strain usually, but not always, comes on suddenly. The severity determines how long recovery takes, which ranges from a few days to several weeks.
If your pain is severe or doesn’t resolve within a week, contact us at FYZICAL in Mechanicsburg, PA, for an assessment by a physical therapist.
Arthritis
Arthritis causes pain, swelling, and inflammation in joints, sometimes including bones and discs in the spine. You may also have swelling, stiffness and reduced mobility. Arthritis is more common in older adults from normal wear and tear. Still, you could experience left lower back pain from arthritis at any age.
Infection
Left lower back pain can also come from an advanced bladder or kidney infection on the left side. Kidney infections are serious if not treated. You would have a constant, aching pain radiating throughout your left lower back. Additional symptoms like frequent, painful or burning urination, fever, and chills, mean it’s time to see your doctor to check for an infection.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are a mineral build up in the urinary tract that can cause intense, sharp pain in the lower back on the side of the affected kidney. You may also have pain in your lower abdomen, groin, and under your ribs. The severe, crampy pain comes and goes. Also, watch for bloody urine.
Smaller stones pass without treatment, but larger stones need surgery or shock wave treatments to break them up. It’s possible to have stones in both kidneys, most people have stones in one kidney, so the pain tends to be one-sided. If you suspect kidney stones, call your doctor.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis makes painful lesions grow outside the uterus, causing low back pain, intense cramping during menstrual periods, and pain with intercourse. About 1 in 10 women deal with painful periods, fatigue, back pain, and even infertility from endometriosis. Pain may be felt in the lower back, abdomen or pelvis, sometimes radiating down into the legs.
Other symptoms of endometriosis include:
- Heavy periods, often with lots of clots
- Fatigue
- Extreme menstrual cramping
- Abdominal pain
- Trouble getting or staying pregnant
- Pelvic pain
- Intestinal cramping
- Painful bowel movements
- Pain during sex
- Bloating
- Spotting or bleeding between regular periods
If you suspect you may have endometriosis, see your health provider for a diagnosis and to learn about your treatment options.
Stress Fractures in the Lower Back
Repeated physical activities like weight lifting, rowing, tennis, or gymnastics can strain the bones in the spine, resulting in stress fractures. There’s likely to be pain when you touch the area, and over-the-counter pain treatments don’t help. Usually, a stress fracture will heal within 6 to 8 weeks. But if you suspect you have a stress fracture, you should see your family doctor or a physical therapist at FYZICAL in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Pancreatitis
The pancreas makes insulin to manage your blood sugar levels. Pancreatitis is an inflamed pancreas that may flare up suddenly or develop slowly. The pain usually begins in your upper abdomen, then spreads to the lower back. The pain lasts for hours or days with acute pancreatitis, but once the condition becomes chronic, the pain lasts a lot longer.
Other symptoms of pancreatitis:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
Some illnesses, medications and alcohol use increase the risk of pancreatic disorders. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you may have pancreatitis.
Pregnancy
Two out of every 3 pregnant women have lower back pain, usually a deep, throbbing pain on one or both sides of the lower back. As the baby grows larger, many women experience a more generalized muscle soreness in their back. The baby’s weight throws off the center of gravity, so mothers have to compensate, which puts extra strain on the muscles in the back. Posture changes, weight gain, and hormones all add up to more back pain during pregnancy. Call us at FYZICAL in Mechanicsburg, PA, for back pain relief during pregnancy.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
When the joint that connects your hip bones to your lower spine moves abnormally, you end up with pain and inflammation. If your left hip joint is affected, you’ll feel left lower back pain, often with pain in the buttocks or in your upper thigh. Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction can be caused by a fall, unbalanced muscles, a vehicle accident, or develop over time. Call FYZICAL in Mechanicsburg, PA, for a comprehensive assessment and a custom recovery treatment plan.
Herniated Disc
The cushion between the vertebra in your lower spine can bulge and compress under stress, usually from trauma or excessive activity. A herniated disc may have no symptoms, but you could have pain and numbness on one side or both sides. You may have lower left back pain depending on which disc is herniated. A sedentary lifestyle, especially for those who are overweight, makes for a greater risk of a herniated disc.
Herniated discs also interfere with your nerves, muscles, or ligaments, which can cause symptoms like:
- Pain over the affected area
- A sense of feeling pressure
- Numbness or tingling in the back or legs or other affected by a nerve
If you think you may have a herniated disc, contact us at FYZICAL in Mechanicsburg, PA, for a comprehensive assessment and a recovery treatment plan.
Sciatica
Sciatica is triggered by inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which starts at the base of your spine, runs into your hips and buttocks, and down your leg. Sciatica usually hurts only on one side, feeling like an electric shock, burning, or tingly. The pain may worsen if you sit or don’t change positions for a long time. Intense, sharp pain that radiates down your leg may also affect your left lower back. Contact us at FYZICAL in Mechanicsburg, PA, for a comprehensive assessment and a recovery treatment plan for sciatica.
Physical Therapy for Left Lower Back Pain
Left lower back pain can often be relieved by physical therapy treatments from FYZICAL in Mechanicsburg, PA. You’ll need to see your doctor for some conditions, but a physical therapist can help with others. Contact us for a comprehensive assessment and a customized physical therapy recovery plan to relieve your left lower back pain.