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‘Chronic’ back pain – can physio help?

Before we can answer the question ‘can physio help’, we need to understand what chronic back pain is and what causes it.


What do we mean by ‘chronic’?

First of all let’s deal with this word ‘chronic’! We’ve found that people often associate the word chronic with a problem that is either too severe to treat or will never get better. In medical parlance there are two terms that summarise the length of an episode – acute and chronic. Acute pain is often sudden or more urgent pain associated with an injury or trauma that will lessen or stop as healing occurs. When we talk about a chronic problem, we simply mean something that can continue over an extended period of time i.e. a few months. Chronic is the opposite of acute. It doesn’t mean it’s there for good!


What are the common causes of chronic low back pain?

We’ve written a series of blogs on a number of lower back conditions such as spinal stenosis, lumbar spondylosis and spondylolisthesis all of which are capable of causing longer (chronic) episodes of pain.


How can physio help?

Hopefully you’ll be better informed now about why your back pain may not be easily clearing up – so that’s a good start. The good news is that if you have chronic back pain – physio can really help you – here’s why:

– We know a great deal about the mechanisms that causes the pain and how we can alleviate this

– We understand how to offload stresses around the spine thereby reducing painful loading that causes the pain

– We have a detailed knowledge of the most appropriate exercises to optimise the mobility, strength and function of your spine

– We are skilled in manual therapy techniques that will help to alleviate your pain

– We are able to offer lifestyle advice and ergonomic assessment which includes office set-up and appropriate seating

– We can advise on and prescribe suitable medication to provide pain relief for as long as you need it


What exercises should I do for chronic back pain?

Giving generic exercises to patients is a bit like a doctor giving a general medication for all conditions. The truth is the exercises are designed to perform a specific purpose so there is no ‘one size fits all’. So it’s really important to obtain advice from your physiotherapist. That said, we’ve recorded a few videos of exercises that might help you get off the starting blocks and are unlikely to provoke your symptoms. If they do you can always stop and wait to see your physio.


If you are suffering from chronic low back pain, book an appointment today for a comprehensive assessment and bespoke treatment plan from one of our experienced physiotherapists. You can do so by following this link, or calling us on 0114 267 8181.