The spine is made up of a network of structures: the vertebrae, discs, ligaments, muscles and nerves. The lumbar spine withstands a great amount of strain during movement. A lumbar spine injury may take the form of a muscle strain; a disc injury or a lumbar sprain may occur in which the ligaments are torn and the joint is injured. A lumbar spine injury leads to low back pain and loss of function.

The most common symptoms of a lumbar sprain or strain are:

• Pain in the lower back and upper buttocks or legs
• Low back muscle spasm. 
• Pain with activities and generally goes away with rest.

Factors that contribute to lumbar spine injuries are:

• Sudden forceful movement. 
• Lifting a heavy object improperly. 
• Twisting the back. 
• A ruptured disc.

Other factors that contribute to lumbar spine injuries are: 

• Lack of conditioning. This can cause the back to 'give out' during physical exercise or work activities. 
• Obesity. Excess weight leads to poor posture which puts strain on the muscles, causing injury

The overall goals of physiotherapy are to provide relief from the symptoms, normalize joint and soft tissue mobility, and establish an effective exercise program for you. The physiotherapy evaluation looks at the progression of symptoms, mechanism of injury, posture and prior level of function. A physical examination will assess active range of motion (AROM) of the spine and all extremities, strength, symmetry and tension signs. Treatment may involve pain management, manual therapy and positioning; stretching exercises to gain symmetry, posture correction, training in body mechanics, strengthening and core stability conditioning to return you to normal daily activities.