Dr. Scott Raub tells us that the point of pain isn't always the cause of the pain.
Lower Back Pain: where it hurts is not always where the pain comes from Many patients point to a spot on their back and say “it hurts right here”. But where it hurts isn’t always where the pain is coming from. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true.
A common spot may not be where the pain is coming from
The most common spot patients point to is their buttocks area. It’s actually very rare that the problem is coming from that area. It’s usually coming from the lumbar spine, but the patient is getting referred pain to the buttocks area.
We want patients to continue pointing out where it hurts, but we also want them to be aware that where it hurts isn’t always where the pain is coming from!