Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments facing Americans, and the causes of it are often very difficult to determine. While some traumatic injuries, such as falls or crashes, can easily contribute to a low back disorder, much more common are feelings from pain from overuse, or a nebulous, unidentifiable soreness. One possible cause of such chronic low back pain issues is a muscular or myofascial problem.

Myofascial problems arise when trigger points are present in the soft tissues of the body. These can include tendons, ligaments, and muscles that connect to various joints and each other. The most likely cause of trigger points is overuse of a muscle in a way that contributes to stress and pain. With even greater degrees of overuse, trigger points can become chronic, with pain lasting for months or years.

The pain from a trigger point can be related to a decrease in blood flow to certain tissues. A shortage of energy exists in the muscle, which then leads to the tissues contracting. A decrease of calcium going to the tissues, along with the energy shortage, lead to the contraction of the muscle, which then leads to an increased demand by those tissues on the body's metabolism.

Biochemical substances can be released from the tissues at the trigger point. These substances can send signals to the pain receptors at that area, causing a low level of constant pain. The substances can also include chemicals that encourage inflammation around the area. One of the purposes of inflammatory substances in the body is to signal that that part of the body should not be used until the danger of further injury has passed.

Because of these trigger points, and the release of substances that cause pain and inflammation, the central nervous system can become permanently sensitized. Such issues as chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis can be linked to such an oversensitizing of the nervous system. From a small amount of pain at a trigger point, pain can be referred to other areas of the body, as well as causing problems in the brain and spinal cord.

This is one of the best arguments for receiving treatment from a chiropractor who is able to manipulate the soft tissues of the back and release trigger points. Massage, another service offered by many chiropractic clinics, is also encouraged as one way to increase blood flow to trigger points and allow them to release. If such chronic muscle contractions can be relaxed and release, the body may experience a lower degree of pain in many areas.