Lower Back Pain

Overview

Lower back pain is pain felt between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the buttocks. In around nine out of ten cases no single damaged structure can be identified, which is why doctors call it "non-specific" or "mechanical" back pain. The pain comes from the joints, discs, ligaments and muscles of the lumbar spine reacting to load, posture or sudden movement rather than from any serious disease.

It affects people of all ages. We see students who have spent months hunched over a laptop, office workers who sit for eight hours a day, parents lifting toddlers, and gym-goers who added weight to a deadlift too quickly. Most episodes settle within a few weeks, but it is common for pain to come and go over the years, and some people develop a longer-lasting, "grumbling" back that flares with stress, poor sleep or inactivity.

The good news is that the lumbar spine is strong and well designed to move. Evidence consistently shows that staying active, understanding what is happening, and getting the right hands-on and exercise-based care leads to better outcomes than rest.

Causes and risk factors

• Prolonged sitting, especially slumped on a sofa or at a desk without breaks
• Lifting, twisting or bending awkwardly, or lifting more than you are used to
• Weak or deconditioned trunk and hip muscles
• Sudden increases in training load (running, weights, HIIT classes)
• Poor sleep, stress and low mood, which turn up the body's pain sensitivity
• Previous episodes of back pain
• Being overweight, smoking and general inactivity

How we may be able to help

Your first appointment is a full assessment. We take a history, watch how you bend, sit and walk, test the movement of each lumbar segment, check your hips, and examine your nerves to rule out anything more serious. We then explain what we have found in plain language.

Treatment usually starts in the same session. Our physiotherapists use manual therapy and joint mobilisation to ease stiff segments and guarded muscles, then build a progressive exercise programme so you can keep the improvement. Where a quick, controlled spinal adjustment is appropriate, our chiropractor can provide manipulation; many people find this helps them move more freely.

For tight, tender bands of muscle in the lower back and buttock, dry needling can be added by our physiotherapists. Interferential therapy may be used to settle pain and muscle spasm in the early, sore phase. If your posture appears to be a driving factor, a 3D posture scan gives measurable data on pelvic tilt and spinal alignment to guide your plan.

What you can do at home

• Keep moving: short, frequent walks are better than lying down
• Change position every 30 minutes if you sit for work or study
• Use heat (a hot water bottle or warm shower) for 15–20 minutes to ease muscle tension
• Try gentle movements such as knee rolls or cat-cow stretches within comfort
• Protect your sleep and manage stress — both change how much pain you feel
• Avoid bed rest beyond a day or two; it tends to slow recovery