One of the most common things we hear from patients is, "I didn't even do anything. My back just started hurting."

But in many cases, the pain did not truly come out of nowhere. It may have felt sudden, but the problem was often building quietly for months, years, or even decades.

In this episode, we talk about why pain can seem to appear suddenly, how the body compensates before it complains, and why arthritis, posture changes, old injuries, joint wear, muscle weakness, and movement patterns can build up long before symptoms finally show up.