5 Overlooked Causes of Back Pain

From Constipation to Sleep Posture and What You Can Do About Them

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people miss work, avoid activities they love, or reach for pain relief tools. Most of us assume it comes from one place: the back itself. And often, that’s true. Muscle strains, herniated discs, poor posture, and aging joints account for a large percentage of pain complaints.

But what about the pain that doesn’t go away with stretching or rest? Or the kind that seems to flare up with no obvious cause? Sometimes, the source of your discomfort isn’t just structural—it’s systemic. Your body is layered, interconnected, and full of systems that can influence one another. That includes your digestion, stress response, and even hormones.

Here, we’ll look at five often-overlooked causes of back pain—and explore how understanding the whole-body picture can help you take a smarter approach to comfort. 

The Usual Suspect: Mechanical Back Pain

Let’s start with the most common cause of back pain: mechanical stress. This includes things like:

• Muscle or ligament strain from lifting something too heavy

• Bulging or ruptured discs, which can press on nerves

• Arthritis or degenerative disc disease, which both reduce flexibility

• Poor posture, especially while sitting for long periods

If you’ve ever pulled a muscle moving furniture or noticed stiffness after a day hunched over a laptop, you’ve felt mechanical back pain. But sometimes, even when you’re doing everything right—stretching, resting, adjusting your posture—the pain lingers. That’s when it might be time to look at the bigger picture.

 1. Constipation and Digestive Pressure

Can constipation cause back pain? In short: yes.

When your bowels are backed up, pressure can build in the abdomen. That pressure doesn’t stay contained—it can press on nearby nerves, cause bloating, and even lead to referred pain in the lower back. In some people, constipation also causes nausea, cramping, and a general sense of heaviness or discomfort.

The connection makes sense when you consider how tightly packed your abdominal and pelvic cavities are. Everything from your intestines to your bladder to your spine is nestled together, and when one system is under stress, it can affect the others.

Clues it might be related to digestion:

• Lower back pain improves after a bowel movement

• You’re also feeling bloated, gassy, or nauseous

• Pain flares up after large meals or long periods of sitting

What helps with constipation?

• Staying hydrated

• Eating more fiber (especially fruits, vegetables, and whole grains)

• Gentle movement, like walking or yoga

•  Talking to a doctor if the issue is chronic

For those who experience back discomfort as a symptom, Signal Relief patches may offer drug-free support while you address the underlying digestive issue.

 2. Kidney Stress or Kidney Stones

Kidneys are located toward the back of your abdominal cavity, just below your ribcage. When they’re inflamed or obstructed (like with kidney stones), they can cause sharp or throbbing pain that feels a lot like back pain.

Clues it might be kidney-related:

• Pain is one-sided

• You have a fever or chills

• You experience pain or burning when urinating

• There’s blood in your urine

If any of these signs are present, it’s important to seek medical care. Kidney-related pain isn’t something to tough out at home.

But in mild cases, such as dehydration-related kidney stress, you might feel dull back discomfort that responds well to increased fluids and rest. As always, if you’re unsure, get checked out by a healthcare provider.

3. Stress and Muscle Tension

Stress doesn’t just live in your mind—it lives in your body. When you're anxious or overwhelmed, your muscles often respond by tightening. This is especially true in the shoulders, neck, and lower back.

Over time, this constant clenching can lead to soreness, stiffness, and even headaches. And because stress hormones can also heighten your sensitivity to pain, it becomes a double-whammy: your body hurts more and your ability to cope with pain goes down.

Clues it might be stress-related:

• You feel tight or stiff when you wake up or after a long workday

• Your pain level seems to correlate with busy or emotional periods

• You also notice jaw clenching, digestive changes, or poor sleep

What helps:

• Deep breathing, meditation, or gentle stretching

• Talking to a counselor or coach

• Journaling, walking, or quiet time to process emotions

When you’re navigating a stressful season, your body needs extra support. Signal Relief patches can offer a layer of comfort that helps you stay more present and mobile while you work through it.

4. Sleep Posture and Mattress Quality

Ever wake up sore and stiff, even if you went to bed feeling fine? Your sleeping position and mattress might be to blame.

Spinal alignment is critical for recovery, and a sagging mattress or lumpy pillow can push your body out of alignment for hours every night. Over time, this can strain your back, neck, and hips.

Clues it might be your sleep setup:

•  Pain is worse in the morning and eases as the day goes on

• Your mattress is more than 7–10 years old

• You wake up tossing and turning or not feeling rested

What helps:

• A medium-firm mattress that supports natural spinal curves

• Sleeping on your back or side with a pillow between the knees

• Avoiding high pillows that tilt the head unnaturally

While you’re making changes to your sleep environment, a Signal Relief patch can be worn overnight for  pain reduction. For more on the relationship between sleep and chronic pain, see our article here.

5. Menstrual Cycle and Pelvic Inflammation

For many women, lower back pain is a regular visitor during their menstrual cycle. That’s because the uterus, located in the pelvic cavity, shares nerve pathways with the lower back. When it contracts or becomes inflamed, pain can radiate outward.

Conditions like endometriosis or fibroids can amplify this pattern, causing recurring or even chronic lower back pain that doesn’t respond to typical muscle treatments.

Clues it might be cycle-related:

• Pain worsens before or during menstruation

• There’s also cramping, bloating, or pelvic pressure

• The pain follows a monthly pattern

What helps:

• Tracking your cycle to identify patterns

• Applying warmth or gentle compression

• Talking to a gynecologist about underlying conditions

Many women use Jovi as a drug-free way to stay active and comfortable during the more challenging days of their cycle.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

The truth is, your body doesn’t work in isolated systems. When your digestion is off, your back can hurt. When your hormones shift, your muscles can tense. When your sleep falters, inflammation rises.

Back pain isn’t always about your back. It’s about your whole body.

So if your pain isn’t responding to the usual suspects, take a step back. Consider what else might be out of balance. Keep a journal, talk to your healthcare provider, and explore supportive tools that work with your body rather than against it.

Working with Your Body

Back pain is frustrating. But it’s also a messenger. When we take the time to listen—not just to the pain, but to the body as a whole—we often discover new ways to care for ourselves.

From digestion to sleep to stress and beyond, these overlooked causes of back pain remind us that real comfort starts with awareness. Whether your discomfort is rooted in poor posture or part of a more complex body pattern, a Signal Relief patch may offer support so you can keep moving, sleeping, and living more comfortably while you work on the deeper layers.