Low back pain (lumbar pain) is an increasingly common condition that many people experience at some point of their life. The pain is at the level of the involved muscle group and related ligaments and/or tendons; it is often accompanied by a reactive spasm or stiffness that is felt especially during movements. Muscles and ligaments pull and stretch, or even develop internal small tears. Acute lower back pain is transient and appears suddenly after an abnormal or incorrect movement; while chronic pain is that which is unhealed and persists beyond three months.

The pain is generally caused by repetitive injury to the muscles, tendons or ligaments of the back. This is often due to repetitive erroneous movements, lifting heavy objects, increase in body weight, abnormal posture for prolonged periods, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of exercise. Smoking and excessive intake of alcohol/caffeine are additonal risk factors.

• Dull achy pain
• Muscle stiffness and spasms (sometimes felt as local swellings)
• Tenderness when area is touched
• Difficulty and limitation during movements
• Pain often times radiates and travels to the buttocks, groin or legs

As causes of lower back pain are variable, and may originate from variant structures of your lower back; treatment depends on the exact cause of your pain. The first step to successful treatment is accurate diagnosis. If the pain becomes nagging or interferes with your normal, lifestyle or daily activities, you will need to consult.

At ECC we focus on endoscopic and innovative minimally-invasive treatment options for chronic low back pain so that our patients can regain their healthy, pain-free lives as quickly as possible. The goal is to alleviate the pain especially for patients that may have failed other traditional treatment modalities and have not experienced relief from more conservative at-home treatments, physiotherapy or simple bed rest.