Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek physiotherapy, and one of the most treatable. Whether your pain is recent or has troubled you for years, physiotherapy can help you understand what is driving it and give you a clear path back to moving freely, often without needing surgery.
Persistent back pain can make you fearful of movement, which often makes the problem worse. The good news is that most lower back pain is not caused by serious damage, and it responds well to the right combination of hands-on treatment, targeted exercise, and understanding what your back actually needs.
Physiotherapy can help with:
When to see a doctor urgently. Seek urgent medical care for numbness around the groin or back passage, loss of bladder or bowel control, severe pain after a fall or accident, or back pain with fever or unexplained weight loss. These are uncommon, but they need prompt assessment.
Back pain has many causes: muscle or ligament strain, stiffness or irritation in the spinal joints, disc-related problems, weak core muscles, long hours of sitting, and poor posture at a desk. In many cases, no single serious cause is found, and the pain is driven by a mix of factors that physiotherapy is well suited to address.
A careful assessment guides safe treatment. We:
Most back pain does not need a scan, and imaging often shows normal age-related changes that are not the cause of the pain.
We take your history, examine your movement, and screen for the small number of signs that need a doctor.
Manual therapy to ease pain and improve how your spine and surrounding muscles move.
A programme to build core stability and strength where you need it.
Practical changes for sitting, working, and lifting.
We explain why hurting does not always mean harm, which helps you move with more confidence.
For most back pain, staying gently active helps more than resting in bed. These are common starting points, and you should ease off anything that sharply increases your pain.
Short, regular walks help more than long periods of sitting or lying down.
Slow knee rolls and pelvic tilts can ease morning stiffness.
Gentle bridges and core activation build support for your spine.
Break up long sitting, and set up your desk to support your back.
Hurting is not always the same as harming, but stop and seek advice if pain is severe, spreading, or comes with the warning signs above.
Less pain and stiffness. The freedom to sit, stand, and move without dreading it. A stronger, more resilient back. And the tools to manage flare-ups yourself, so you are not dependent on constant treatment.
For most back pain, guidelines recommend staying active and structured physiotherapy before considering injections or surgery. Pain relief may help you keep moving in the short term. Surgery is reserved for specific problems, such as nerve compression that does not settle, and is not needed for most back pain. We will always be honest about what is realistic for you.
Most episodes of non-specific lower back pain improve over a few weeks with the right approach, while long-standing or recurring pain usually needs consistent work over a longer period. Recovery varies from person to person, and we will give you an honest estimate after your assessment rather than a guaranteed timeline.
To reduce flare-ups over time:
Questions
Usually not. Most back pain does not require imaging, and scans often show normal age-related changes that are not the cause of the pain. We will tell you if a scan is genuinely needed.
Yes. Chronic back pain often responds well to a structured programme of exercise, manual therapy, and education, even when it has been present for years.
For most back pain, staying gently active is better than bed rest. We will guide you on the right balance for your situation.
Often, yes. Physiotherapy can help many cases of leg pain from an irritated nerve. We will assess your symptoms and advise honestly.
Certain warning signs, such as loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, or unexplained weakness, need urgent medical attention. We screen for these and refer you promptly if needed.
Gentle walking, mobility drills, and simple core work are usually safe starting points. The best exercises depend on your assessment, so we give you a plan suited to your back rather than a generic list.
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You do not have to arrange your life around your back. An assessment will identify what is driving your pain and show you a clear, realistic way forward.