Lower Back Pain

Does this sound like you?

Most people have several of these, not all of them.

• Pain across the lower back, often to one side
• Difficulty straightening up after sitting or bending
• Muscle spasm that grips when you move a certain way
• Pain easing with gentle walking and worsening with stillness
• Stiffness that is worst in the morning and loosens within the hour

Why it happens

• An awkward lift, twist or sustained bend — often something unremarkable
• A sudden increase in physical work the back was not conditioned for
• Long periods sitting, particularly with a sustained slump
• Weak or deconditioned trunk and hip muscles
• Poor sleep, stress and low mood, all of which measurably increase pain
• A previous episode — the single strongest predictor of another

What we would do about it

Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.

1. A clear explanation of what is and is not happening, which measurably reduces pain on its own
2. Manual therapy to settle the pain enough to let you move
3. Graded movement started early — bed rest makes recovery slower, not faster
4. Hip and trunk strengthening built up in stages
5. Practical advice on lifting, sitting and pacing
6. Screening for the small number of presentations that do need a doctor