Low Back Pain Treatment

The Back Fitness Programme™

Getting the right low back pain treatment and management can be a bit of a nightmare. There are so many different factors to consider when deciding on the best treatment. Over the years I have noticed a pattern, and I find that most of my patients have a combination of certain things that are contributing to their back problems. Each individual is unique, no two people with back pain have exactly the same combination of things going on. So, if you have lower back pain you need to visit a physiotherapist or doctor to get advice specific to your problem.

I have come up with a simple way to structure low back pain treatment which combines my knowledge of current research into back pain and my experience of having treated countless individuals with low back pain.

I have called this the Back Fitness Programme ™

There are six main principles in this programme for improving lower back fitness and successfully managing simple lower back pain.

1. Reduce or change the postural stresses that your back has to deal with.
   
   
2. Improve your backs flexibility with mobilising and stretching exercises - work on getting a more supple spine.
   
   
3. Ensure that you have strong, supple muscles to help support the spine by following a program of stabilising exercises.
   
   
4. Improve or maintain your cardiovascular fitness levels (the type of exercise that makes you slightly hot and a bit out of breath).
   
   
5. Ensure that you understand a little about pain and have no fear of movement or worries about the nature of the problem – if you fear movement will damage you and that pain is a signal of that damage you are naturally not going to want to move.
   
   
6. Try and get some pain relief, there are lots of suggestions in this section on back pain relief. But remember, pain relief is the means to an end, not the end in itself. Without some pain control you will find it difficult to become more active which is the key message in managing lower back pain.

Each of these steps is outlined in the relevant sections on this web site. This information may help supplement any discussions about back pain you have with your doctor or physical therapist.

Lower Back Pain Toolkit Home Page

Is your back pain acute or chronic?

Do's and Don'ts in the management of acute back pain.

Do's and Don'ts of low back pain treatment - chronic lower back pain.

Page Modified: 11-Jan-2010

Find out about lower back anatomy with an illustrated guide to all the major structures of the lower back.