---
title: Back pain? Think ‘circuit breaker,’ not ‘lightbulb.’
description: Back pain is caused by many different things. My assessments determine if back pain is from a structural source, emotional source, or nutritional source.
---

[Sinett Solution Blog | Dr. Todd Sinett](https://www.drsinett.com/blog)

# [Back pain? Think ‘circuit breaker,’ not ‘lightbulb.’](https://www.drsinett.com/blog/back-pain-think-circuit-breaker-not-lightbulb)

 Written by [Dr. Todd Sinett](https://www.drsinett.com/blog/author/dr-todd-sinett) | Nov 4, 2020 2:22:34 PM

I often get bewildered looks when a patient complains of lower back pain, and I start to examine their neck, shoulders, and feet. The patient thinks that since they are suffering from lower back pain, the problem lies in their lower back. However, more often than not, this is not the case.

I like to use the analogy of the lights going out. There could be a localized problem within the lightbulb itself, but it’s more likely that you blew a circuit breaker. Think of an electrical problem that overrode the system and caused power outages in multiple areas. Back pain is just like a circuit breaker. Most people aren’t experiencing pain in just one specific area, like a lightbulb, but are likely having pain in multiple areas, like a circuit breaker.

A cause of the “circuit breaker of back pain” could be stress, poor posture, or digestive upset. If you don’t fix the underlying circuit breaker issue, you will constantly be replacing the bulbs. I have three guided resources to help determine what could be causing your back pain. Click here to take my [structural assessment](https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Structural_Assessment?hsCtaTracking=e37e0731-6d44-45c4-a379-cd86bcad46f4%7C4e856d8c-5ccf-494b-b1bf-54ccdd59e6c2), here to take my [emotional assessment](https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Emotional_Assessment?hsCtaTracking=18c2f251-f520-47e4-bc35-1148a3036c81%7C031e07ed-a4d2-47d9-b19a-dee9c8354457), and here to take my [digestive assessment.](https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Digestive_Assessment?hsCtaTracking=c99cd644-0379-422c-ab0c-89f8fc819d74%7Cc9dcc68d-f1a7-47af-b6ed-7f4dca82aa53)

Eastern cultures that created [acupuncture](https://truwholecare.com/what-is-acupuncture-this-is-exactly-how-acupuncture-changes-your-body/) views the body as having energy sources. This is an approach that I certainly subscribe to! This shift in approach can really make a difference in understanding your back pain's causes and solutions.

[View full post](https://www.drsinett.com/blog/back-pain-think-circuit-breaker-not-lightbulb)

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