In order to understand the causes of back pain, it is important to realize that the body works as an integrated, as opposed to an isolated, unit. Lower back pain can be the result of neck or spinal misalignment, weak core muscles, or even foot problems. Think of the spine as a long heavy chain. At the end of the chain is the head, which, believe it or not, is the heaviest part of the body.

Imagine what happens to the rest of the chain, when the head is not properly lined up with the spine. A head and neck alignment that is either too far forward, back or to one side or the other will make it difficult for the spine to maintain a correctly stacked alignment. Once the spine deviates from its correct position, the spinal discs are pressed together, which in turn can cause back pain.

Inactive core muscles can also be the cause of back pain. By core muscles, we are not referring to the external layer of abdominal muscles used in crunches. The core muscles are your lower, deeper abdominals. Ground breaking research performed at The University of Queensland in Australia has demonstrated a profound connection between poor core activation and back pain.

Foot problems and misalignment resulting from improper footwear are another cause of back pain. Tight calf muscles, along with excessive internal or external movements of the feet can affect how the body transfers its weight with each step. This influences the alignment of the pelvis, causing it to be too far forward, back or aligned to one side. Once again, the resulting pressure on the discs contributes to back pain. Why suffer from back pain? BetterPosture.com has the solution to your back pain problems.