Common symptoms
- Pain or stiffness in the lower back
- Pain on bending, lifting or sitting long
- Pain spreading to the buttock or leg
- Muscle spasm and difficulty standing straight
Common causes
- Long hours of sitting and poor posture
- Lifting with poor technique
- Disc bulge or degeneration
- Weak core and hip muscles
How physiotherapy helps
- Assessment to find the pain source (joint, disc, muscle or nerve)
- Manual therapy and spinal mobilisation
- Core and hip strengthening
- Posture, ergonomics and lifting advice
- Electrotherapy for pain relief where useful
When to see a doctor urgently
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Numbness around the groin or inner thighs
- Increasing weakness in the legs
- Back pain with fever or unexplained weight loss
Frequently asked questions
Can a slip disc heal without surgery?
In most cases, yes. The majority of disc bulges improve with physiotherapy, activity changes and time. Surgery is only needed in a small number of cases.
Should I rest completely?
Usually not. Long bed rest tends to slow recovery. Gentle, guided movement is better — we will show you what is safe.