It’s difficult to tell the root cause of lower back pain without the help of a chiropractor. Pain off to the side of the spine is most often associated with the muscles, while pain in the center of the spine is related to the discs. That being said, discs can bulge and herniate irritating the nerves that exit the spine and control the muscles along the side of the back and down into the legs. Prompt examination by a chiropractor will help determine the source of the pain and stop it from doing further damage.