5 Common Mistakes You’re Making with Your Low Back Pain—And What to Do Instead
If you’re active and motivated to take care of your body, recurring low back pain can feel defeating.
You’ve tried stretching, foam rolling, resting, strengthening, even getting adjusted… but nothing seems to stick. One wrong movement—or even no movement at all—and the pain flares right back up.
Sound familiar?
The truth is, most active adults aren’t lacking effort.
They’re just following advice that misses the root issue.
Let’s break down the 5 most common mistakes we see—so you can stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress.
Mistake #1: Only Treating the Spot That Hurts
If your care is only focused on your low back—massage, heat, stretching, ice, or even a quick adjustment—you’re stuck treating symptoms, not solving the real problem.
Pain is a signal, not the full story.
And often, it’s your body’s way of compensating for something upstream or downstream—like poor hip mobility, core instability, or faulty movement patterns.
What to do instead:
Get assessed from head to toe. A functional evaluation of how you move, stabilize, and load your body reveals the why behind your low back pain—not just the where. That’s where lasting relief begins.
Mistake #2: Stretching What Your Brain Is Guarding
You feel tight, so you stretch. Again and again.
But the tension isn’t going away—because that tightness might actually be your brain’s way of guarding a vulnerable area.
Your nervous system is smart.
When it doesn’t feel safe, it creates stiffness and tightness to protect you.
What to do instead:
Focus on building stability before mobility. Reinforce control through your core, hips, and spine. When your nervous system feels supported, your body stops bracing—and true mobility improves.
Mistake #3: Avoiding Strength Work Out of Fear
One of the biggest traps we see?
Avoiding training because of pain—and getting weaker in the process.
You’ve probably heard “rest” or “protect your back.” But too much rest leads to muscle atrophy, decreased motor control, and more pain in the long run.
You don’t need to stop moving. You need to move smarter.
What to do instead:
Start with foundational strength—targeting glutes, deep core, and posterior chain. Train with intention and progression. Strength is one of the most powerful tools for long-term low back health.
Mistake #4: Resting for Too Long and Losing Trust in Your Body
Rest feels safe. And in the early stages of injury, it has its place.
But if you’ve been resting for weeks—or even months—and you’re still flaring up every time you return to normal activity, you’ve lost something critical:
Trust in your movement.
Your nervous system no longer feels confident in your movement patterns. And that keeps you stuck in a loop of pain, fear, and re-injury.
What to do instead:
Progressive rehab, movement retraining, and low-grade loading rebuilds your body’s confidence. Don’t just wait to feel better—build a body that moves better.
Mistake #5: Relying on Generic, Cookie-Cutter Care
Quick adjustments, insurance-based PT protocols, and 10-minute appointments might check a box—but they won’t fix a complex, movement-driven issue.
Your goals aren’t generic. Your care shouldn’t be either.
What to do instead:
Work with someone who understands the demands of your sport or lifestyle—who watches how you move, listens to your goals, and builds a personalized plan that integrates chiropractic care, soft tissue therapy, and functional rehab.
The Bottom Line:
Recurring low back pain isn’t just frustrating—it’s draining.
But here’s the good news:
You’re not broken. You’ve just been given the wrong roadmap.
When you stop chasing symptoms and start addressing the full pattern—mobility, stability, strength, and movement—your body starts to work with you, not against you.
If you’re ready to break free of the pain cycle and find the lasting relief you’ve been searching for, we can help.