You Need To Consider Doing This If Your Left Lower Back Pain Is Not Improving With Exercise
Left lower back pain can feel like a nagging weight that affects everything you do—from bending down to tie your shoes to sitting comfortably at work or driving. Whether caused by muscle strain, poor posture, or an underlying condition, left lower back pain can disrupt your daily life and leave you feeling physically drained and emotionally frustrated.
The emotional toll of left lower back pain is equally profound. The ongoing discomfort, paired with the fear that the pain may worsen or linger indefinitely, can lead to stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness. If exercise hasn’t provided lasting relief from your left lower back pain, it’s time to explore other options that target the root cause and offer true, long-term solutions.
Exercise: A Common Approach to Treating Left Lower Back Pain
Exercise is often recommended as a first-line approach for managing left lower back pain because it strengthens the core and back muscles, improves flexibility, and enhances posture—all essential for spinal health. Gentle stretching, strengthening, and low-impact aerobic exercises can reduce pressure on the lower back, improve alignment, and alleviate discomfort.
While exercise can be highly beneficial, it may not always provide complete relief, particularly if your left lower back pain is caused by more complex issues such as herniated discs, sciatica, or spinal misalignment. For some individuals, the pain persists, leaving them unsure of how to proceed and frustrated by the lack of progress.
Why Getting a Clear Diagnosis Is Crucial
Left lower back pain can result from various causes, and understanding the specific reason for your pain is vital for effective treatment. Here are five common causes of left lower back pain:
- Muscle Strain – Overuse, improper lifting, or sudden movements can overstretch or tear muscles in the lower back, leading to pain.
- Herniated Disc – A slipped or bulging disc can press on nearby nerves, causing sharp or radiating pain in the left lower back.
- Sciatica – Compression of the sciatic nerve can lead to pain that starts in the lower back and travels down one leg.
- Poor Posture – Chronic slouching or sitting improperly can strain the lower back muscles, leading to discomfort.
- Osteoarthritis – Degenerative changes in the spine can cause stiffness, inflammation, and pain in the lower back.
In addition to these common causes, two less common but potentially serious causes of left lower back pain include:
- Kidney Issues – Pain in the left lower back could signal a kidney infection or stone, requiring prompt medical attention.
- Spinal Fractures – A break in the vertebrae can cause severe pain and limited movement, necessitating immediate intervention.
The Need for Imaging to Get a Precise Diagnosis
It’s important to recognize that left lower back pain cannot always be fully diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans are essential to assess the health of the spine, discs, muscles, and surrounding tissues. These tools help healthcare providers identify the exact cause of the pain and develop an effective treatment plan tailored to your condition.
The Pain Relief Clinic: Your Partner in Finding a Clear Diagnosis
At The Pain Relief Clinic, we understand how left lower back pain can limit your movement and disrupt your quality of life. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in offering non-invasive diagnostic services to uncover the root cause of your pain. If exercise hasn’t provided lasting relief, we can arrange for affordable scans, typically within one working day.
Medisave can often be used to help cover the cost of these scans, making them more accessible for you.
We also assist with insurance claims, including accident insurance, travel insurance, and company insurance, ensuring that you can access the care you need without added financial strain.
Once we have a clear diagnosis, we can provide targeted treatments, solutions, and non-invasive technology to help alleviate your left lower back pain and restore your mobility.
Ready to take control of your left lower back pain? Send us a message today to arrange an appointment and take the first step toward lasting relief from left lower back pain.
What To Expect When I Visit The Pain Relief Clinic
A typical visit will involve our doctor first understanding your medical history, concerns and previous experience with other pain treatments.
For patients who have consulted many people but have yet to receive a clear diagnosis, selecting an affordable imaging scan might be recommended to confirm the cause of your pain..
Some patients have already done scans with other doctors for their pain condition but are still not clearly told what they suffer from.
Dr Terence Tan is happy to offer you a second opinion and recommend how best to manage your condition.
We also see patients who already have a confirmed diagnosis from specialist pain doctors, but are "stuck” because treatment options offered are not practical or acceptable.
We can help by discussing options that you might have potentially never been told of.
A common experience is when a patient has already consulted a specialist doctor for pain management and is told to consider orthopaedic surgery which they find too aggressive.
Or they may have seen doctors for their pain and were prescribed painkillers with potential side effects which made them feel uncomfortable.
Many of our patients have also first tried complementary treatments or acupuncture with traditional Chinese pain doctors.
They look for a second opinion after finding any relief experienced from other treatments to be temporary or requiring repetitive treatments, which add up to time and cost.
Especially in such situations, we emphasize using non-invasive medical technology you likely have not been told about .
This can make a big difference to your results.