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Back and Shoulder Pain

Got Back Pain? Muscles Cause Pain In Your Back – Here’s How

Last updated:
9 July 2026
One comment
Written by
Kathryn Merrow
,
Neuromuscular Massage Therapist
This article was reviewed for accuracy by 
Linda Hayes
, BSc Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine.

In This Article

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Upper back pain, mid-back pain or lower back pain all have the same most common cause:  Your muscles.

Muscles are the most frequent cause of back pain.  And that’s good news!  Why?  Because muscles can be “released” or treated and get back to their normal healthy state.

Here’s more about muscles:

  • Muscles move bones.
  • Muscles can get “trigger points.”

Your muscles don’t usually act all by themselves; they pull all the other parts of your body into the act.  Why?  Because all of your parts are attached.  That means ALL of your body should be assessed to figure out WHY you are having pain in your back.

If you’ve had your back pain for more than just a couple of days, the CAUSE of your pain is most likely NOT where it hurts.

You have to get to the cause to get rid of the pain.

Sometimes back pain is caused by other issues, like gall bladders or infections, but most often the cause is muscular.  And, if you have a chiropractic adjustment and it doesn’t hold–well, it’s your muscles pulling your bones back out of alignment.

Remember:  Muscles move bones.

Here’s another cause of back pain:  Trigger points are crabby areas of muscle that “fire” into other parts of your body–they cause pain elsewhere.  That’s why sometimes you try to press or massage where it hurts but it won’t relax.  It CAN’T relax because the cause–the trigger–is elsewhere.

Important If you lose the ability to control your bowels or bladder along with your back pain, get to the emergency room or your doctor right away. Otherwise, you can look to your muscles as the cause of your pain.

Nerves can be pressed on (they hate being pressed on!) by bones OR by muscles.  Since muscles move bones, it’s possible to get rid of both nervy pain (sciatica) and muscular pain by treating the muscles.  🙂 If you release or relax the tight muscles or the muscle that’s in spasm (contraction) that allows pressure to be removed from the nerve.

When you understand how your body works and why you have back pain, you will have a very good chance to get rid of it with do-it-yourself treatment.

You have a smart body; it wants to be well.  It just needs a little (or a lot) of help from you right now.

Learn what you need to know.  Do what you need to do.  Get rid of your back pain. 🙂

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A note from Kathryn: I am not a medical doctor. I am someone with a lot of experience and training in how bodies get pain and how they get rid of it. The information here is educational and based on my 40+ years as a neuromuscular therapist. If your pain continues, gets worse, or you are worried about it, please see your doctor or a specialist. Your body is worth it.
About the writer
Kathryn Merrow is a neuromuscular therapist with more than 40 years of experience helping people find the causes of their muscle pain and release it naturally. Known as The Pain Relief Coach, she teaches simple, logical ways to understand your body so you can get rid of pain instead of just managing it. Pain is a symptom. Kathryn helps you treat the cause.
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