Lower back pain can originate from many different sources. The clue is very often the type of pain being experienced. A shooting pain often radiating down the leg often means that the nerve is being pinched, on the other hand if it is a dull aching type of pain it would most often mean that the joint is possibly involved. Pain which is localised and can become worse when pressed on. The source of the pain will, for obvious reasons, change the treatment plan and focus completely.