Back pain is common and it is rarely as serious as it feels. Most episodes settle well with the right assessment, hands-on treatment and a plan to stop it returning.
Around four in five people experience low back pain at some point. It can be alarming, particularly when it arrives suddenly after an ordinary movement but the overwhelming majority of episodes are mechanical, not sinister and respond well to treatment.
The pain you feel is not a reliable measure of tissue damage. Backs are strong and a severe spasm can come from a relatively minor strain. What matters is identifying which structures are irritated, calming them down and rebuilding tolerance so the episode does not become a pattern.
Low back pain is treated as physiotherapy, which most extended health plans cover without a referral. If your back pain followed a car accident or a workplace injury, ICBC and WorkSafeBC both fund treatment. Call us with your plan or claim details and we will help you check.
Back pain presents differently from person to person. Any combination of these is worth having assessed, particularly if it is not settling on its own.
Across the lower back, often worst first thing in the morning.
A catch or stab when bending, lifting or twisting.
Comfortable in motion but pain returns after sitting a while.
A sense of the back tightening up or “locking”.
Symptoms that spread into the buttock or down the leg.
Difficulty straightening up after sitting for a while.
A small number of back presentations need immediate medical attention rather than physiotherapy. Go to emergency or contact your doctor straight away if you experience:
Most episodes have a mechanical explanation. Finding which one applies to you is what shapes the treatment plan.
The most common cause by far. Muscles, joints and ligaments become overloaded through lifting, prolonged sitting or a sudden awkward movement.
Most commonA bulging or irritated disc can refer pain into the buttock or leg. It sounds alarming but most disc injuries settle well with conservative treatment.
The small facet joints of the spine or the sacroiliac joints at the pelvis, can become restricted and inflamed.
Backs that are not loaded regularly lose tolerance. Pain then appears with activity that used to be unremarkable.
Long days at a desk or behind the wheel place sustained load on the same structures without a break.
Once you have had back pain, recurrence is common unless strength and movement habits change.
We take a full history and assess how your spine, hips and pelvis move together. We also screen for the small number of causes that need medical attention rather than physiotherapy.
You get a plain-language explanation of what is driving your pain, what it is not and roughly how long recovery should take. Understanding this alone reduces a great deal of worry.
Manual therapy, soft-tissue work and, where appropriate, needling to reduce pain and restore movement so you can start exercising comfortably.
Progressive exercise to rebuild tolerance, plus practical changes to how you sit, lift and move so the episode does not simply repeat.
Most acute episodes improve substantially within two to six weeks. Long-standing back pain takes longer and usually needs a strength-building phase but it still improves in the great majority of cases. Your physiotherapist will give you a realistic estimate after your assessment rather than an open-ended plan.
Your plan is built around your assessment. Depending on what we find, treatment may draw on a combination of these.
Joint mobilization and soft-tissue release to reduce pain and restore movement through the lumbar spine and hips.
Graded strengthening for the back, hips and trunk, progressed as your tolerance improves.
Fine-needle release for the deep muscle guarding that often accompanies a back episode.
Occasionally used where associated tendon or gluteal pain has become chronic.
Practical guidance on lifting, sitting, sleeping positions and how much activity is safe.
Structured progression back to work, the gym or your sport without provoking a relapse.
Hands-on assessment and treatment to assess factors contributing to your pain and movement limitations.
Learn more
Supervised exercise programs that rebuild strength and confidence.
Learn moreOur friendly team is happy to help. Reach us during clinic hours. We are open 8:00am to 8:00pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and 9:00am to 6:00pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Book an appointmentKeep moving within comfort. Prolonged bed rest slows recovery for almost all back pain. Gentle, regular movement is one of the most effective things you can do in the first few days.
Usually not. Imaging rarely changes treatment for typical back pain and scans often show age-related changes that are not the source of symptoms. We will tell you if we think imaging is warranted.
Most acute episodes improve substantially within two to six weeks with the right treatment and activity. Long-standing pain takes longer but it usually still improves.
No. The goal is to settle the episode, then build enough strength and confidence that you do not need us. We will tell you honestly when that point arrives.
In most cases yes and it is an important part of recovery. Your physiotherapist will show you what is appropriate now and how to progress it safely.
Book an assessment and get a clear explanation, hands-on treatment and a plan to stop this becoming a pattern.