I have lower back pain - should I stop exercising?

Jul 30, 2024

3 min read

Lower back pain is incredibly common (in 2020 it was estimated around 10% of the worlds population suffered from lower back pain that year alone[1]!) Around 70-80% of people experience back pain at some point in their lives[2], and therefore suffering from back pain is not unusual. But is it something to worry about?

Less than 1% of patients presenting to primary care with back pain have a serious condition (spinal cord compression, traumatic fracture, infection or cancer[3]), and so in most cases back pain is not something to be concerned about, however that does not mean that the pain is not disabling! So if the pain is unlikely to be something serious, how do I get better?

Firstly it is important that you know what is wrong with your back. The NHS has some great guidance on what symptoms are concerning and whether to see your GP, call 111 or attend A & E[4] (see links below), and a physiotherapy assessment is a great place to start if you do not have any urgent symptoms needing immediate review. Once you have been assessed, you will either be referred on for further investigation (if there are concerning symptoms) or given treatment. Most back pain is defined as ‘non-specific’, meaning that there are a number of things that could be influencing your symptoms and we cannot necessarily distinguish between which is contributing to the pain, and the main not be one specific 'source' of the problem[5]. So if we don’t know what is causing the problem, how do we treat it?

The good news is that provided there are no serious concerns with your back, the best treatment approach is an individualised one. This means that it is more important that we create a treatment plan that is appropriate for you rather than the tissues in your back[5, 6, 7]. Exercise is a cornerstone of treatment and bed rest is not recommended[4, 6], and research has identified that whilst intensive core stability work is an effective treatment for back pain, this approach is not always essential and that other forms of exercise can be just as effective[8] further supporting an individualised approach to management.

So if I have lower back pain – should I stop exercising? Well assuming have been assessed and there are no concerning symptoms – no! A good quality assessment will look at what your goals are and make an exercise and treatment plan specific to you and your back. For some people that may include core stability work with a personal trainer, for others it could be as simple as a graded walking plan. It really depends upon what has caused the issue and what your body needs. So what are you waiting for? If you have back pain that is stopping you from doing what you love, get yourself an assessment and get moving!

If you have any back pain or other symptoms please check the NHS guidance at the following links and follow the advice relevant to your symptoms: Health A to Z - NHS (www.nhs.uk) ; Back pain - NHS (www.nhs.uk)