Condition library
Lower back pain: what's causing it and what helps?
Most lower back pain is not caused by serious damage and improves significantly within a few weeks, especially if you stay gently active rather than resting in bed. It usually comes from a combination of the muscles, joints, discs and nerves of the lower back becoming sensitised, often after lifting, a sudden movement, a long period of sitting, or a change in activity. At Glasgow Sport & Spine Clinic in Glasgow (G40), back pain is assessed and treated with hands-on treatment and a specific exercise plan.
Common causes
- Non-specific back pain — the most common type. No single structure is “broken”; tissues are irritated and the nervous system is on high alert. Very painful does not mean serious.
- Muscle strain or spasm — often after lifting, gardening, sport or an awkward twist.
- Facet joint irritation — pain often worse bending backwards, twisting or standing for long periods.
- Disc-related pain — can be worse sitting and bending forward; may cause leg pain if a nerve is involved (see sciatica).
- Load and lifestyle factors — sudden increases in training, long hours at a desk, poor sleep and stress all make back pain more likely and slower to settle.
Seek urgent help — call 999 or go to A&E — if you have back pain with:
- numbness around the genitals, buttocks or inner thighs (“saddle” area)
- new difficulty passing urine, loss of bladder or bowel control, or not knowing when your bladder is full
- new weakness or numbness in both legs
- sexual dysfunction that has come on with the back pain
These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs emergency treatment.
See your GP or call NHS 111 promptly if you have:
- back pain with fever or feeling generally unwell
- unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer
- constant pain that is not affected at all by position or movement, or severe pain at night
- back pain after a significant fall or accident
How it's assessed
A first appointment (60 minutes) covers your history, how the pain behaves, a movement and neurological examination, and a working diagnosis. Guy will tell you if anything suggests you need a GP referral or imaging instead of treatment.
How it's treated at Glasgow Sport & Spine Clinic
Treatment is chosen after assessment and may include:
- hands-on soft tissue treatment, including Active Release Technique (ART) and instrument-assisted soft tissue work (IASTM)
- joint manipulation or mobilisation (HVT), only where appropriate and with your agreement
- dry needling (acupuncture)
- movement and exercise rehab informed by McGill spine biomechanics, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilisation (DNS) and Postural Restoration (PRI) — the exercises are the part that keeps the pain from coming back
UK clinical guidelines recommend exercise as the core treatment for low back pain, with manual therapy used alongside exercise rather than on its own. That is how sessions here are structured.
How many sessions?
Acute (recent-onset) back pain can often be improved within one or two sessions in the first 7 to 10 days, combined with home-care advice. A big part of that is education: identifying the everyday movements and tasks that seem harmless but, repeated, keep re-triggering and inflaming the problem, and how to avoid or change them while it settles. Longer-standing back pain is assessed individually, and a plan is agreed with you at the first appointment.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I rest with lower back pain?
- Short periods of rest are fine when pain is severe, but bed rest generally slows recovery. Gentle walking and normal activity, within comfort, usually help.
- Do I need a scan for back pain?
- Most people don't. Scans often show age-related changes that are also common in people without pain. Imaging is useful when red flags are present or symptoms aren't improving as expected.
- Is it a slipped disc?
- Discs don't “slip”. They can bulge or herniate, but this is common even in people with no pain, and most disc-related pain settles without surgery.
- Can you treat back pain in older adults?
- Yes. Treatment is adjusted to the person — manipulation is not used where it isn't suitable, and exercise is pitched to the individual.
About the practitioner
Guy Murray, BA, BOst (Hons), HDip NMT, is the sole practitioner at Glasgow Sport & Spine Clinic, Suite 1.4, Redtree Business Suites, 33 Dalmarnock Rd, Glasgow G40 4LA. He has treated musculoskeletal pain and sports injuries in Glasgow since 2008, for patients ranging from office workers and older adults to professional athletes. He was the first practitioner in Scotland to be certified in full-body Active Release Technique (2011) and the first in the UK to complete the Postural Restoration Institute core courses, and trained directly under Leon Chaitow. Treatment sessions combine assessment, hands-on treatment and a home rehab plan.
Appointments: 07584 284854 · guy@glasgowsportandspine.co.uk · Monday–Friday, 10:00–18:30 · Book an appointment · Treatments and prices
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your symptoms, see your GP or call NHS 111.