The type of pain experienced during chronic low back pain isn’t necessarily limited to the low back region. There are three main types of low back pain, which can be experienced alone or in combination, depending on the individual and the nature of their injury:[1]
- Axial lumbosacral pain occurs in the lumbar and sacroiliac regions of the spine. The sacroiliac joints are where the pelvis and spine connect. This is the collective region of the body that most people associate with the ‘low back’.[1]
- Radicular pain is pain that radiates from the back and hip down into the legs.[2] Also referred to as sciatica, this type of pain can be debilitating if it is severe, and is typically experienced as numbness and/or a painful tingling or burning sensation that may radiate as far as the foot.
- Referred pain is pain that has a root cause in the low back (via the spinal cord or nerve roots), but is felt in other parts of the body, such as the legs, hip, or groin.[1] The part of the body affected by referred pain depends on the area of the spine that is affected.