Low Back Pain
Low back pain can turn simple things - sitting through a meeting, lifting the shopping, sleeping through the night - into hard work. We start with an accurate diagnosis, then build a plan that gets you moving with confidence again.
Your care, at a glance
The questions worth asking any clinic — answered up front.
Who you'll see
Low-back pain is our director's research field: Dr Steve Saunders completed his PhD on motor control of the lumbo-pelvic region. Craig has co-led professional workshops on lumbopelvic management, and Laura uses real-time ultrasound for deep trunk muscle assessment. Persistent or complex cases can be booked with Steve by phone.
How we assess it
Detailed history and physical examination, screening for the rare presentations that need medical referral, then — where useful — real-time ultrasound assessment of deep trunk muscle recruitment and objective strength and control testing.
How we treat it
Graded, individually-dosed exercise as the backbone, with hands-on therapy to settle symptoms, retraining of trunk muscle control where testing shows it's needed, and a plan aimed squarely at your goals — not generic rest advice.
When you progress
- Return to your specific tolerances: sitting, lifting, walking, sport
- Measured improvements in trunk and hip strength and control
- Standardised outcome questionnaire scores tracked over time
- A self-management plan you can run without us
The evidence behind this approach
International evidence, summarised in the 2018 Lancet Low Back Pain Series, supports active, exercise-based care over rest and passive treatment for most low back pain. How pain changes trunk motor control — and how retraining helps — is an active research field (Hodges, J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2011) and the subject of our director's own PhD and peer-reviewed publications.
Why it happens
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a physio: research suggests more than 80% of us will experience it at some point. The good news is that it is rarely a sign of serious damage. Most episodes come from a combination of factors, such as a sudden increase in load, long periods in one position, reduced strength and conditioning, poor sleep and stress.
What often makes things worse is misguided advice. Blanket rules like 'never bend your back' or 'rest until it settles' can lead people to avoid the very movements they need to recover. Different types of back pain respond to different types of movement, which is why an accurate assessment matters so much.
How we assess it
Your first appointment starts with a conversation, not a treatment table. We take a detailed history - how your pain began, what aggravates and eases it, what it is stopping you from doing - and screen for the small number of cases that need medical follow-up first.
From there we look at how you actually move: your spine, hips and trunk, your strength, and your neuromuscular control, along with the risk factors that may have contributed. This tells us which pattern your pain fits and which exercises are likely to help rather than flare it. Scans are rarely needed, and if we do recommend one we will explain clearly why.
How we treat it
Treatment is built around graded exercise, carefully matched to your pain pattern and progressed as you improve - often from simple home exercises through to gym-based strength work. Hip and trunk strengthening, mobility work and movement retraining form the core of most programs, supported by our exercise therapy approach.
Hands-on treatment has its place too. Manual therapy, mobilisation and dry needling can help settle pain and get you moving sooner, but we use them to support your rehab, not replace it. Education runs through everything: understanding what is actually going on takes much of the fear out of back pain.
Why movement beats rest
Decades of research point the same way: for most low back pain, staying active leads to better outcomes than rest. Prolonged rest lets muscles decondition and often leaves the back more sensitive, not less, while structured, progressive treatment reduces the likelihood of an episode becoming an ongoing problem.
That does not mean pushing through everything. It means finding the right starting point - sometimes a surprisingly gentle one - and building up in a way your back can tolerate. That is the judgement an experienced physiotherapist brings.
Getting back to what you love
Whether your goal is returning to running, getting through a work day comfortably or lifting your grandkids without bracing yourself first, your program is built around it. We have used the same evidence-based approach with elite athletes and everyday Adelaideans since 1990 - the science does not change, only the starting point and the goal.
Book online through HotDoc at our Adelaide CBD or Edwardstown clinic. No GP referral is needed, and HICAPS is available for on-the-spot private health claims.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral to see a physio for low back pain in Adelaide?
No. You can book directly with us online through HotDoc at our Adelaide CBD or Edwardstown clinics, or call (08) 8410 5666. HICAPS is available for on-the-spot private health fund claims.
Should I rest or keep moving with low back pain?
For most low back pain, staying gently active leads to better outcomes than bed rest. The key is finding the right level and type of movement for your particular pain, which is what our assessment works out.
Do I need a scan before starting physiotherapy?
Usually not. Most low back pain can be assessed accurately in the clinic, and scan findings often do not match symptoms. If your assessment suggests imaging would change your management, we will arrange it and explain why.
How long does low back pain take to get better?
Most episodes improve significantly within weeks, though this varies with the type of pain and how long you have had it. After your first assessment we will give you an honest outline of what to expect.