Back pain can affect almost every part of everyday life.
It can make sitting at work uncomfortable, disturb your sleep, stop you exercising or leave you second-guessing movements that used to feel completely normal.
At Summit Physio, we help you understand what may be contributing to your back pain and build a clear plan to help you move forward.
Back pain can appear suddenly or develop gradually over time.
For some people, it follows a specific movement, lifting something heavy or a sporting injury. For others, there isn’t one obvious moment when it started.
That’s why we don’t believe in treating every person with back pain in exactly the same way.
Your symptoms, movement, lifestyle, work, previous injuries and activity levels can all be relevant when deciding the best way forward.
Back pain can present differently from person to person.
There isn’t one single cause of back pain.
Symptoms may be influenced by a range of different factors, including:
Sometimes several factors can contribute at the same time. Our role is to assess what appears relevant to you and explain it in a way that makes sense.
Physiotherapy can help you understand what is happening and identify the steps that may help you move more comfortably and confidently.
Your treatment plan may include:
If certain movements feel stiff or restricted, we may use exercises or hands-on treatment to help improve movement.
Building strength around the back, hips and wider body can help prepare you for the demands of everyday activity, work and exercise.
Hands-on treatment may be appropriate for some people and can be used alongside rehabilitation.
Your exercises will be selected around what we find during assessment and progressed as your confidence and ability improve.
We can help you understand what you can continue doing, what may need to be modified temporarily and how to gradually build activity back up.
Understanding back pain can be an important part of recovery. We'll explain what we find, what we recommend and why.
We don't just focus on the area that hurts. We look at your movement, strength, activity and the way the problem is affecting your life.
You'll leave with a clearer understanding of what we've assessed and what we recommend.
Your treatment plan is based around your symptoms, starting point and goals.
The aim is to build confidence in your body rather than make you afraid of movement.
Choose the Summit location that works best for you.
Wrightington Hotel & Country Club
Moss Lane
Wigan
Greater Manchester
WN6 9PB
Walking can be a useful form of gentle activity for many people with back pain.
How much is right for you depends on your symptoms and how your body responds.
Often, yes.
You may not need to stop training completely. Sometimes it’s more appropriate to modify certain movements, loads or exercises while keeping you active.
Your physiotherapist can help you decide what is suitable based on your individual assessment.
Sudden back pain can feel alarming, especially if it happens during lifting, exercise or a normal everyday movement.
The intensity of pain does not always reflect the severity of an injury. A physiotherapy assessment can help establish what may have happened and what you should do next.
Recurring back pain may benefit from looking beyond the latest flare-up.
We may consider factors such as:
• Strength
• Mobility
• Activity levels
• Training load
• Work demands
• Confidence in movement
• Previous rehabilitation
The goal is to help you build a more sustainable approach rather than simply waiting for the next episode.
Physiotherapy may help some people with persistent or recurring back pain.
Treatment can focus on movement, strength, activity, confidence and helping you understand how to manage the problem more effectively.
There isn’t one perfect posture that prevents back pain.
Staying in the same position for long periods can be uncomfortable for some people, but posture is usually only one part of a much wider picture.
Regular movement is often more useful than trying to hold yourself in one rigid position all day.
It can for some people, particularly if you remain in one position for long periods.
Rather than trying to find one “perfect” sitting position, it can be more helpful to vary your posture, move regularly and build enough strength and capacity for the demands of your day.
Not always.
Sciatica usually refers to symptoms associated with irritation of the sciatic nerve and can involve pain, tingling, numbness or weakness travelling into the buttock or leg.
Most back pain does not require emergency treatment.
However, seek urgent medical assessment if back pain is accompanied by symptoms such as:
• New loss of bladder or bowel control
• Numbness around the saddle or genital area
• Significant new weakness in both legs
• Severe pain following major trauma
• Feeling systemically unwell with unexplained severe back pain
If you are unsure, contact an appropriate healthcare professional.
Back pain doesn’t have to stop you doing the things that matter to you.
Start with an assessment, understand what may be contributing to the problem and build a clear way forward.
