Kinnear Chiropractic

Lower back pain: when to rest and when to move

A sore lower back is one of the most common reasons people come to see us. What you do in the first few days matters more than most people realise.
A chiropractor's hands resting on a patient's lower back during treatment

1. Keep moving, gently

Most simple back pain settles within a couple of weeks, and it settles faster if you keep moving. Short walks, little and often, are better than lying still. Avoid the things that clearly make it worse, but do not avoid everything.

2. Heat helps more than you would think

A hot water bottle or a warm bath relaxes the muscles that have tightened up around a sore joint. Twenty minutes, a few times a day, is plenty.

3. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees

It keeps the pelvis level and takes the twist out of the lower back. On your back, a pillow under the knees does the same job.

4. When to see someone

If the pain has not eased after a week or two, keeps coming back, or is stopping you working or sleeping, get it looked at. An assessment tells you what is going on and what to do about it.

5. When to see a doctor straight away

Numbness around the groin or bottom, trouble passing urine or controlling your bowels, weakness in both legs, or back pain after a fall or with a fever. These need urgent medical care, not a chiropractor.

This article is general information, not medical advice.