4 Exercises for Lower Back Pain Laura Williams Bustos, MS, ACSM EP-C Understanding lower back pain Lower back pain can be a true nightmare. If you've ever been laid up with an acute low back injury, or you've been plagued with ongoing, chronic pain, you know how it can take over your life. It can prevent you from even standing up or sitting down without experiencing a jolt of agony. The thing about back pain, though, is that the source can be a bit elusive. There are a slew of causes, including everything from a pulled muscle or bulging disc to arthritis, kidney infections, or even a tumor. And sometimes there's no obvious or single cause for the inflammation and resulting pain. (These are the everyday habits that are damaging your spine.)