What causes back pain?
Why you get back pain can have many causes. It often starts with something we do ourselves:
- Our sedentary lifestyle, in the car or in front of the TV or computer are important factors. Like the food we eat and our often stressed life.
- We are created to move, naturally in a reasonable amount. All forms of prolonged sedentary lifestyle as well as excessive exercise are strain on the body.
- Overstraining, and for example heavy lifting, especially without slow adaptation (we want more than we really can and are ready for right then), causes micro damage in the fascia (all-around network of connective tissue) that causes inflammation and pain.
When we start to have problems, the pain in turn leads us try to avoid what hurts, we move less and above all we do not move in balance.
As we move less and in imbalance the flow in the fasciae also comes in imbalance. What is kept still stiffens even more as the flow in the fasciae becomes more viscous and the network of collagen fibers come closer and will be more dense. (read more about the flow in Fascia here). The cells also begin to produce more collagen and the fascia becomes stiffer and less mobile. We protect one body part while others become overloaded and receive increased pressure.
In the lumbar back there is a strong and dense fascia, the lumbar fascia, a so-called aponeuros fascia (see section on fascia), which is to stabilize and maintain spine and musculature. Thus, it is not the spine and musculature that alone keeps us upright, the fascia has a large part in our posture. In case of overwork, micro damage to the lumbar fascia can occur. These micro damage, in turn, causes inflammation, which is the body’s way of healing an injury. When there is inflammation, a cascade of signals between cells and the extracellular matrix is triggered, to create a healing process. Some fibroblasts (cells in the fascia) are transformed into so-called myofibroblasts, which have a contracting capacity similar to smooth muscle cells, to contract the injury, the wound. These myofibroblasts also mean that the fascia thus has a contracting ability and thus can contract – it can then get too high basic tone and become stiffer and less mobile.
The lumbar fascia is also very sensitive as it is richly innervated by various types of nerve receptors and free nerve endings, so-called nociceptors.
As the fascia becomes tighter and less mobile, these are stimulated, both by higher mechanical pressure but also chemically by signal proteins, to signal pain. Which in turn will make us move even less. The flow decreases and the pressure becomes higher, a vicious circle
Back pain can be inflammation in the Fascia
Sources: (Panjabi 2006; Schleip et al 2007; Wight T & Potter-Perigo S, 2011; Langevin et al 2011; Tesarz et al, 2011; Hoheisel et al, 2015; Mense & Hoheisel, 2016; Schleip & Klingler, 2017; Wilke et al, 2017)
- By Camilla Ranje Nordin, Teacher in Fascia & Fascia Treatment
Problems linked to Fascia
Straining – Lumbago
Lumbago follows the same pattern as hyper-extension. We usually have built up tension and stiffness that eventually impair the reaction of the nerves and muscles of the rigid area.
Inflammation and autoimmune inflammation
Inflammation is a very important function for the process of healing infections. Heat and pain occur and the immune system works actively to process bacteria or to heal an injury.
Is your Fascia acidic?
When the food we eat is metabolized, metabolites are formed. The metabolites can be acidic or alkaline, depending on what we eat.
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Hyper-extension
In places where the body has become stiff and numb the nervous system cannot signal the situation as quickly as it should so that we can control our movements.
Inflammation in Fascia causes pain – new discoveries presented in Stockholm
Dr Heike Jäger, Professor Karl Arfors and innovator Hans Bohlin presented the latest research regarding Fascia, inflammation and Fascia treatment in Stockholm, May 2017.
Shock absorption
Thanks to the linked connective tissues, we can absorb a shock throughout the body. A blow to the foot from a stone can thus provide an impact at the end of that connective chain, right up to the base of the skull.
What is back pain?
Explaining various forms of back pain such as Low back pain / Lumbar pain / Lumbago / Crick
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Problems linked to Fascia
Fascia is a system of flexible connective tissue encapsulating everything in the body. If the system is running smoothly, all is fine, but when some parts become stiff, tense or inflamed, there will be consequences.
Lack of Sulphur and Vitamin C
Fascia has different firmness depending on how well the collagen is deposited into the tissue.
Scar tissue
As the body builds scar tissue after damage to the skin, scar tissue build up in the Fascia inside the body when it is damaged. Therefore, we can get a chronic reduction in movement inside after an operation in which the Fascia is sewn together.
Impaired flow and mobility
Fascia that has thickened hardened and has impaired gliding ability causes a lot of symptoms.
Growing interest in Fascia treatment: “Fascia problems are often under diagnosed”
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Hypermobility
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Fascia in Horses – Danish veterinary exploring uncharted territory
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David Lesondak is a structural integrator and a myofascial specialist who has been working for many years trying to explain what fascia is, as well as the benefits you get from treating different problems with fascia treatment. In an interview at the Fascia Research Congress in Berlin 2018, he describes the basics of what fascia is and what challenges it is facing in the strive for recognition in the medical field.
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Can you heal osteoarthritis?
The function of the articular cartilage is to reduce friction between the two articular cartilage surfaces and facilitate sliding when the joint moves, and to absorb the load when the joint is exposed to pressure, compression
Stretching the fascia is vital when recovering from injury
David Lesondak describes how stretching the fascia is vital for rehabilitation from injury at the 2018 Fascia Research Congress in Berlin
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Stress and sugar harms fascia functions
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Frequently Asked Questions about Fascia
On the Fascia Guide FAQ we have gathered the most common questions and answers about Fascia. Is there anything you would like to know? Visit the page and submit your question.
Training for strengthened Fascia
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How do we learn to understand Fascia?
Fascia is a new perspective, a completely new way of looking at the body, a new way of conducting research and a new way of understanding the world. So how do you learn to understand Fascia?
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Fascia Guide Research Database
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The concept of Fascia Lines is a great way to understand how the body functions and how treatment can be optimized to increase mobility and functionality. The main principle is that muscles, no matter what they do individually, also affect tissues throughout the entire body.
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