Conditions We Treat
Low Back Pain
What is Low Back Pain?
If you have low back pain, you’re not on your own!
Back pain is a common problem experienced by heaps of Australians. About 1 in 6 Australians reported back problems in 2014–15. That’s nearly 4 million people.
Back pain usually comes on quickly (acute back pain), but then improves or goes away within three to six weeks. However, it can come back, with some people going on to develop more persistent pain (that lasts for more than three months).
Back pain can have a big impact on your life including getting in the way of daily activities, family life, work, recreation and social activities.
There’s a lot that you, us physios and other healthcare professionals can do to deal with back pain so you can get on with life.
Learning about your back pain and the best ways to manage it is the first step
You can feel back pain anywhere along the spine – from your neck to your bottom.
Sometimes pain can even be felt in one or both of your legs.
Most people feel restricted the way they can bend, lift, sit and walk when they’ve got back pain.
It’s common for people with back pain to feel distressed about their recovery. People with persistent back pain can develop fear of movement and activity (including work), worrying that it will make things worse or increase their pain. Living with persistent back pain may also lead to mood issues, such as anxiety, irritability, frustration and depression.
When you book an appointment with a physiotherapist from The Physio Co to get help with your Low Back Pain, the first appointment will involve your physiotherapist asking questions about you, your general health, your future goals and the symptoms of your arthritis.
They will also likely ask you to show them how you move parts of your body under their instruction so they can properly assess and understand the problem.
It’s likely the physiotherapist will also gently feel and move the injured part of your body too.
After the first 1-2 appointments, once you and your physiotherapist have discussed the likely cause of the problem, the treatment needed and the likely time it will take to improve, you will receive a 1-page plan of what will happen next.
Â
That plan will be a short, tailored and personal plan for you describing the recommended treatment and next steps. Â
Your plan will likely involve 4-12 weeks of treatment before it is reviewed, reassessed and considered if a new plan or updated plan is needed.
It’s super-important that you read, understand and follow your plan.  If you have any questions, please ask your physiotherapist as soon as you can
The treatment you physio recommends will depend on what is affected and any pain.
There is no way of knowing exactly which treatment will work best for you. You will likely need to trial a few different treatments before finding the one that works for you.
When the plan is complete, we will review it together and decide what comes next.