How the Different Parts of the Back Work Together or Cause Pain

One of the problems that many people have with their back is a lack of flexibility in the certain parts and a lack of stability in other areas of the back. Essentially, the spine is made up of two distinct regions, called the lumbar (lower) spine and the thoracic (upper) spine. Each of these regions of the body have different roles to play in maintaining an overall healthy back.

The lower back is designed primarily for stability. If the joints of the lower back are not stable, there can be a loss of balance and chronic pain in the area. There is a very small amount of flexibility in the lumbar spine, due to the high amount of flexibility and mobility of the joints directly above and below it. Especially due to the high mobility of the hip joint, the lower back must be stable to maintain overall balance.

In contrast, the upper back is built to be very mobile. Humans are able to bend over, move side-to-side, and perform various rotational movements with their upper spine. This makes the thoracic spine region very mobile and permits us to make very specialized movements and transfer energy to or from other joints through this area of the body. The stability of the lower back supports this greater mobility of the upper back.

Problems arise when people attempt to get more flexibility out of their lower back or have a lack of mobility in the upper spine region. The body always tries to maintain a balance between stability and mobility, and if there is a lack of mobility in either the hip or the thoracic spine, the lumbar spine's ability to stabilize will be sacrificed for more range of motion.

When the lower back is forced into a greater range of motion than it is designed for, acute or chronic back pain will be the result. With a lack of mobility in either of the surrounding joints, the lower back will have extra stress placed on it, which can lead to a degeneration of the discs. And if the upper back is lacking in necessary mobility, it may develop its own problems and painful areas.

Unfortunately, a misunderstanding of the function of the back has caused many people to rely on stretching or yoga in order to increase the flexibility of the lumbar spine region, which is almost exactly the opposite of what is necessary. Chronic back pain may not respond well to such treatments to increase flexibility in a series of joints that are built to be very stable and have a low range of motion.

Alternatively, people with lower back pain should first address the issue causing the pain through soft tissue work, chiropractic adjustments, massage, or spinal decompression therapy. Then, they should focus on creating mobility in the upper spine, while focusing on the strength and mobility of the hips and allowing the lower spine to assume its role as providing a stable area in the core of the body.