What Is The Difference Between Mechanical And Inflammatory Back Pain?
As an executive mum, juggling a high-stress job and family responsibilities can take a toll on your body, particularly your back. Back pain can stem from various causes, and understanding whether it’s inflammatory or mechanical can be crucial for effective management. In this blog lets discuss the difference between these two types of back pain and how you can identify them.

Back pain is a common issue for many, especially for busy executive mums who often neglect self-care amidst their hectic schedules. Back pains are classified in many ways and one of the simpler ways of doing so is to divide them into the categories of Inflammatory and mechanical back pain. They both have their distinct causes and symptoms.

Inflammatory back pain is often caused by conditions like ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis, etc. This type of pain is associated with inflammation in the spine and is typically characterized by the following features:

  • Morning Stiffness: Inflammatory back pain typically causes stiffness and pain that is worse in the morning or after periods of inactivity. This stiffness usually lasts for more than a few minutes to a few hours.
  • Improvement with Movement: Unlike mechanical back pain, inflammatory pain tends to improve with physical activity and exercise.
  • Chronic Nature: Inflammatory back pain often persists for more than three months and can gradually worsen over time.
  • Systemic Symptoms: Other symptoms may include fatigue and general feelings of being unwell, which are not usually present with mechanical back pain. 

    Here is a video explaining inflammatory back pain: 



Mechanical back pain, on the other hand, is more common and is often due to musculoskeletal issues such as muscle strains, ligament sprains, or degenerative disc disease. Key features of mechanical back pain include:

  • Activity-Related Pain: Mechanical pain typically worsens with physical activity and improves with rest. Lifting heavy objects, prolonged sitting, or standing can exacerbate the pain.
  • Localized Pain: This type of pain is usually localized to the lower back and may radiate to the buttocks or thighs but rarely below the knee.
  • Short Duration: Mechanical back pain often lasts for a few days to a few weeks and tends to improve with conservative treatments like rest, physical therapy, or over-the-counter pain relievers.
  • Absence of Systemic Symptoms: Unlike inflammatory back pain, mechanical back pain is not associated with systemic symptoms such as fever or tiredness.
To summarize, lets consider Sarah, an executive mum, who wakes up every morning with intense stiffness in her lower back that lasts for over an hour. Despite her busy day, she finds that her back pain improves slightly after her morning jog or yoga session and a hot shower. She also notices occasional fatigue and tiredness, due to inflammatory back pain.

Emma, another executive mum, experiences sharp lower back pain after lifting her toddler or sitting for long hours at her desk. Her pain worsens with physical activity but subsides with rest. She has no other symptoms and finds relief from her mechanical back pain with stretching and over-the-counter pain medications. 

If you are not sure about the cause of your back pain click HERE  to get a free guide on "What is the Source of your Back Pain?"

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MEET SWATI

 
Hi there! 
I am Swati, an Executive Mum Power Coach & Certified Posture Expert

I help mums of young kids working in high-stress executive jobs manage back, neck, and nerve pain, even with low energy, brain fog, and little time to spare. My proven system delivers real relief without stealing hours from your already packed day. The result? More productive professionals at work and guilt-free mums who can be fully present with their kids, instead of being sidelined by pain.



My passion comes from personal experience. I’ve been where you are: in pain, overwhelmed, and exhausted. After two pregnancies in three years, juggling my kids, housework, and a demanding job, I was stuck in a constant cycle of back and nerve pain. The physical load of motherhood added strain to my spine and joints. Meanwhile, adrenal fatigue left me drained, even after 10–12 hours of sleep.

Everyday tasks became a struggle. I was forgetful, foggy, and low on energy. Even as a trained physiotherapist and posture expert, I couldn’t escape my own pain. I stood all day at work, spent evenings on the laptop, rocked my kids to sleep, sat through endless meetings, traveled frequently ... I’ve been through it all.

I kept my pain hidden at work, afraid to speak up. I felt like a fraud, someone who coached others on relief strategies but couldn’t find relief herself. I loved my job and my children, but I couldn’t give 100% to either. Pain was holding me back.

One New Year, I made a resolution: to get healthy, not just fix pain, fatigue, or weight. I focused on reducing inflammation, healing my adrenal fatigue, and reclaiming my energy. Slowly but surely, the pain faded. I lost weight, my brain fog cleared, and my energy skyrocketed. Today, my pain is nearly gone. I feel stronger, clearer, and more in control than I have in years.
And now, I want that for you.

I combine professional expertise with lived experience to support other mums like me, those with young kids, high-stress jobs, and no time for complicated health programs. I’ve helped hundreds of women reduce spinal and joint pain, lift their energy, and clear the mental fog that holds them back.

If any of this resonates, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. I got you, mommy!

Let’s get you feeling strong, confident, and fully present at work and at home.
Are you ready to start? Curious about how this works? Just ask.

Let's DO THIS!
xx Swati
** Executive Mum Power Coach **

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