what is low back pain?

This may seem like a silly question, but many people’s pain isn’t actually where they think it is. Knowing where you are feeling a sensation in your body without using a reference point is a concept known as proprioception - something that most people struggle with. With that in mind, let’s work out if you have low-back pain.

If you look at the image of a person on this page, the low back is anything coloured in the pink/purple section. For our purposes we will also include the section with 3 holes in the picture, which is known as the sacrum.

If you are not sure whether your pain is officially in the low back, you can do a simple test. First of all, find your sternum by finding the join in the front of your chest. Next, trace a line straight toward your stomach until you feel a change in texture as you move from bone to soft tissue. You may need to use moderate pressure to feel this, but you don’t press so hard that it hurts.

This is the edge of your rib cage. Once you’ve found it, move your hand around your body to the same side as the arm you are using (right hand, right side etc.). Keep the bony, hard texture of your rib cage slightly above your fingers until you reach the centre of your back.

If your pain is at, or below, where your fingers are pressing then it is low back pain. If it is above this line then it is actually mid-back or thoracic pain. Or if you are really out then it’s neck pain!

different causes of back pain

A majority of back pain isn't caused by any medical conditions, but is purely lifestyle based according to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).

The Backto consultation will ask you questions to help you find out if your back pain is likely to be lifestyle based.

Please note: our consultation tool does not offer medical advice and is no substitute for seeing a doctor.

Our consultation is totally free, even if you decide not to use Backto after you’ve answered the questions.

Get started with your consultation here:

what do we mean by lifestyle based pain?

Lifestyle-based pain is rooted in one of four causes:

Stress

Posture

Exercise / activity levels

Mobility

The first 3 categories in this list often feed negatively into the 4th, which can be considered the root cause.

The good news is that, if we can increase your mobility in certain key areas, you will feel an immediate reduction in your discomfort. Relieving pain in this way is the first thing Backto will do for you.

In fact, the National Institute for health and Care Excellence has stated that doctors should advise sufferers to use exercises as treatment, rather than painkillers, to manage their pain. Read more here.