Back problems

This information may be useful if you have a new back problem. If you've been diagnosed with a back condition, or you've had back surgery recently, follow the advice of your doctor or other health professional instead.

Back pain is common, and it often starts for no obvious reason. The spine is strong, so back problems are rarely caused by any serious disease or damage.

Back problems can cause a range of symptoms, including:

• stiffness
• muscle spasms
• hot, burning, shooting or stabbing pains in your back and sometimes into one or both of your legs or feet
• pins and needles, numbness or weakness, likely due to nerve irritation

In many cases, a new back problem, or a flare-up of a long-standing one, should begin to settle within 6 weeks without the need to see a doctor or other health professional.

For most back pain problems, you won't normally need an X-ray or MRI scan.

Back pain can sometimes come on so suddenly and so severely that you end up on the floor, in too much pain to move. If this happens, there are techniques you can use to get back on your feet safely and in relative comfort.

Only try this if you feel well. Other symptoms, such as stomach or abdominal pain, can point to other conditions, and you should discuss those with a healthcare professional.

To get up safely from lying face down:

• Bend your stronger knee and slowly raise it and your upper body to a crawling position
• Move towards a chair that can be used for support
• Pause for breath
• Support yourself on the chair with your arms
• Move your stronger leg forward from a kneeling position
• Lean forward and use the chair to support you as you straighten both legs, starting with the strongest

To get out of a chair safely:

• Ease yourself forward to the edge of the chair
• Brace your tummy muscles
• Use the arms of the chair to help you stand up
• If the chair has no arms, push on your thighs for a bit of extra support

To get into bed safely:

• Feel the bed at the back of your legs
• Brace your tummy muscles
• Sit down slowly, pushing on your thighs for a bit of extra support
• Support your body with the arm closest to the top of the bed and use your other arm to slowly lower yourself down
• Roll onto the side you feel most comfortable

To get out of bed safely:

• Roll onto your tummy and edge yourself towards the edge of the bed
• Let the leg nearest the edge drop towards the floor and start to push up with your hands
• Walk your hands down the bed towards your hips and raise yourself up
• Carefully bring your other leg towards the floor and stand up

Alternatively:

• Roll onto the side you feel most comfortable
• Support your body with the arm closest to the bed and use your other arm to slowly start to raise yourself up
• Carefully bring your other leg towards the floor and stand up

A back problem can sometimes cause hot, burning, shooting or stabbing pains that travel into one or both of your legs. You may also feel pins and needles. Irritation of the nerves can be the reason for this.

Cauda equina syndrome is a rare but serious back condition, and it can leave you with permanent damage or disability. If you develop it, you'll need to be seen by an emergency specialist spinal team.

Phone a doctor or the 16263 health line if:

• there has been a new, significant trauma within the last 7 days, for example a fall from height or a direct blow to the back

You have experienced a new onset of the following symptoms:

• loss of feeling or pins and needles between your inner thighs or genitals
• numbness in or around your back passage or buttocks
• altered feeling when you use toilet paper to wipe yourself
• increasing difficulty when you try to urinate
• increasing difficulty when you try to stop or control your flow of urine
• loss of sensation when you pass urine
• leaking urine or a recent need to use pads
• not knowing when your bladder is either full or empty
• inability to stop a bowel movement, or leaking
• loss of sensation when you pass a bowel motion
• change in your ability to get an erection or ejaculate
• loss of sensation in the genitals during sexual intercourse

Contact your doctor if:

• you have back pain that stays the same and doesn't ease after you've followed the self-care advice
• the pain doesn't change whether you move or not
• the pain is worse at night

If your doctor's chamber is closed, call a doctor or the 16263 health line.

Most back problems start for no obvious reason, but back pain can be influenced by:

• staying in one position too long
• lifting something awkwardly
• a flare-up of an existing problem
• doing more activity than you normally would

If you have back problems, keeping active is an essential part of your treatment and recovery. It's the single best thing you can do for your health. Exercise can really help your back and reduce the pain you feel.

Read more about keeping active.

• Keep up your current level of fitness. Even if you have to change what you normally do, any activity is better than none.
• Look after the strength and flexibility of your other muscles and joints.
• Take steps to stop the problem coming back.
• Aim for a healthy body weight.

• don't brace yourself or hold yourself still, because your back is made to move
• don't sit down or rest for too long, because resting in bed doesn't help back pain and often makes it harder to get going again

If you have to sit or rest, change your position regularly and find one that eases any pain in your back or legs.

Doing specific exercises can help your recovery. They may feel hard at the start, so just do what you can and build it up over time.

Exercises to help with back pain

Your posture doesn't have to be perfect with a back problem. What matters more is that you move often, so you don't stay in one position for too long. Moving around like this helps you get better and return to your normal activity levels.

Two things can help to reduce the pain of back problems:

• pain medication, which can help you move more comfortably, and that in turn can help your recovery
• heat or ice packs

Never place ice or heat directly on your skin. Use a barrier, like a towel, to protect your skin from a burn.

How long you use ice depends on the painful area, but generally it's up to 15 minutes, leaving a few hours between treatments.

Stop treating the area with ice or heat, and seek advice from a medical professional, if you notice more redness, discolouration or blistering of the skin.

If you have any problems with circulation or sensation, you shouldn't use ice or heat as a treatment for back pain.

It's easy to start worrying about everything that could be wrong with your back. But research has shown that most back pain settles with time. Staying as active as you can helps you cope better, and you'll get back to your usual activities more quickly.

If you have a back problem, try to stay at work, or go back as soon as you can while you recover. You don't need to be free of pain and other symptoms before you return.

Following this advice, you should see your back improve gradually over time. The biggest change in your symptoms usually comes within the first couple of weeks, and most back problems should have improved within 6 weeks.

If your back problem hasn't improved within 6 weeks of following this advice, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor about your symptoms. Find out how to access MSK services in your area.

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