August 31, 2026
Why your low back pain keeps coming back
Rest, stretching, and the foam roller treat the symptom. Here's what actually drives recurring low back pain and what to do about it.
The pattern
It flares. You rest. It settles. You go back to normal. It flares again. If that’s familiar, the problem usually isn’t your back. It’s a capacity problem: your back can handle less than you ask of it, and every time you return to full load without rebuilding, it complains.
What rest gets wrong
Rest lowers the demand, so pain drops. It also lowers capacity, so the gap that caused the flare gets wider. This is why people who “take it easy” for a month often feel worse the first week back.
What actually works
- Find the driver. Hips that don’t extend, a trunk that can’t brace, a job that keeps you in one position all day, a lifting pattern where the spine does the hips’ job.
- Load it gradually. Hinge patterns, loaded carries, controlled rotation, progressed every week.
- Keep the things you love. Golf, lifting, and pickleball are part of the plan, not a reward at the end.
When to get help
Pain that runs down a leg, numbness, weakness, or a flare that hasn’t settled in two weeks. Those are the ones that respond fastest when treated early, and the ones most likely to become chronic if you wait.