Understanding It
What Lower Back Pain Is
Lower back pain is pain felt anywhere between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the buttocks. In around nine out of ten cases no single structure can be identified as the source, and the diagnosis is described as non-specific low back pain.
That term sounds unsatisfying, but it is actually reassuring. It means serious causes have been ruled out and the pain is coming from the ordinary structures of the back (muscles, joints, discs and ligaments), which are irritated rather than damaged.
Pain intensity is a poor guide to tissue damage. A severe episode of back pain can be caused by something minor, and can settle well.
How does it usually present?
- Aching, stiffness or sharp pain across the lower back
- Pain that eases with movement and worsens with prolonged sitting or standing
- Difficulty bending, lifting or turning over in bed
- Muscle spasm or a feeling of the back "locking"
- Pain that may spread into the buttocks or upper thighs
- Morning stiffness that eases as the day goes on
Pain that travels below the knee, with pins and needles or numbness, suggests nerve involvement: see our page on sciatica.
When to Act
When to Seek Help
See a physiotherapist, osteopath or your GP if pain is severe, is not improving after a couple of weeks, keeps recurring, or is stopping you working or sleeping.These warning features are uncommon, but they warrant medical assessment before hands-on treatment.
Seek emergency care immediately if you develop:
- Loss of bladder or bowel control, or difficulty passing urine
- Numbness around the genitals, buttocks or inner thighs
- Weakness in both legs, or rapidly worsening leg weakness
See your GP promptly, rather than starting manual therapy, if you have:
- Back pain following a significant fall, accident or trauma
- Fever, night sweats or unexplained weight loss alongside the pain
- A history of cancer, osteoporosis, or long-term corticosteroid use
- Pain that is constant, unrelenting and markedly worse at night
- First onset of significant back pain under 20 or over 55
Causes & Risk
What Causes It and Who Is at Risk
Often there is no single trigger. Episodes are commonly associated with a period of unaccustomed activity, prolonged sitting, heavy or awkward lifting, or a run of poor sleep and high stress.
Risk factors include a previous episode of back pain, sedentary work, physically heavy work, low physical activity, smoking, carrying additional weight, and psychological stress. Ageing changes on imaging are extremely common and are found in plenty of people with no pain at all.
How We Help
How Our Team Can Help
Our physiotherapists and osteopaths assess movement, strength, and the specific activities that provoke your pain, then build a plan around getting you moving again rather than resting the problem out.
Physiotherapy
Manual therapy to ease pain and stiffness, graded exercise to rebuild tolerance, practical advice on sitting, lifting and sleeping, and education about what the pain does and does not mean.
Osteopathy
Manual therapy and soft tissue work to ease pain and stiffness, graded exercise, and practical changes to your daily movement and set-up.
Remedial Massage
May be used alongside physiotherapy or osteopathy where muscular tension is a significant contributor.
Where the picture suggests something needing medical review, we say so and refer back to your GP.
Starting Out
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
Your clinician will take a history, screen for the warning features above, examine your movement, and assess strength and nerve function where relevant. You will leave with an explanation of what is likely happening, initial treatment, and a plan you can act on: including what to do if it flares.
Appointments are available at our Roxburgh Park clinic or in your home across our service areas.
Ready to book?
Ready to get started?
Contact inOne Healthcare on 1300 765 456 or submit a referral online. Lower back pain is most commonly managed by our Physiotherapy, Osteopathy and Remedial Massage teams.
info@inonehealthcare.com.au
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Funding we accept.
Medicare
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