Overview
Back pain is a very common problem, which affects 4 out of 5 of us at some point – A very unpleasant but normal part of life. Fortunately, most back pain is not due to anything serious and rarely needs a scan although multiple factors can contribute to it, including physical, mental and lifestyle aspects. The people who recover quickest due to back pain are those who stay active and get on with life despite some pain.
With the right guidance and support, most people with back pain will recover without the need for medical help. Understanding back pain and what you can do to help yourself get better is an essential part of your recovery.
Watch this short video by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy on how to manage back pain and then look at the other sections for more information.
If you are not sure of the cause of your back pain then click below to complete our Musculoskeletal Symptom Checker to learn about potential causes of your symptoms and the best ways to manage these in the Self Help section.
Once you have tried out the musculoskeletal symptom checker, please complete this one-minute online survey to give us feedback on your experience – Click Here
Is my back pain likely to persist?
Take our one minute test
This quick questionnaire can help you identify how likely your pain is to persist over the next 6 months and whether you may need some extra support. It has been developed by a team of experts from Keele University – Click here for more information about the tool.
The tool has been shown to be very useful for people with common Musculoskeletal pain to profile individual risk of having a poor recovery and to use as a guide in conjunction with support from a healthcare professional if necessary.
Try out the questionnaire for yourself to see how you score and to get further help and advice. It will also be useful to retake the questionnaire after you have learned more key facts about your pain, either from this website or from a healthcare professional, to re-assess in time whether your back pain problem is improving.
| For question 1 – 9, think about just the last two weeks: |
|---|
| Pain intensity 1. On average, how intense was your pain? [where 0 is “no pain”, 10 is “pain as bad as it could be”] |
| Select one of the options for each question below | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| 2. Do you often feel unsure about how to manage your pain condition? | ||
| 3. Over the last 2 weeks, have you been bothered a lot by your pain? | ||
| 4. Have you only been able to walk short distances because of your pain? | ||
| 5. Have you had troublesome joint or muscle pain in more than one part of your body? | ||
| 6. Do you think your condition will last a long time? | ||
| 7. Do you have other important health problems? | ||
| 8. Has pain made you feel down or depressed in the last two weeks? | ||
| 9. Do you feel it is unsafe for a person with a condition like yours to be physically active? | ||
| 10. Have you had your current pain problem for 6 months or more? |
High Risk
This test suggests you have some serious concerns about how well your back will recover.
This may be related to feeling low and anxious generally or by being afraid that you might have done something serious to your back.
It might help to discuss your concerns with a doctor or physiotherapist if things are still not improving over the next few weeks after following the advice and exercise in the Self Help section.
Also, visit the section on Persistent Pain for more information and support.
99 times out of 100 your back pain is not related to a serious condition. Allowing yourself to move normally, without too much worry, will help your back to return to normal. Painkillers often help you to move normally, while your back recovers.
If you are feeling low or anxious, whether this is related to your back pain or not, and you would like further help and information, visit NHS website – Health in Mind.
Alternatively, Click Here for an interactive online self-help programme to help manage symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Medium Risk
This test suggests you may have some doubts about how well your back will recover.
This may be related to feeling low and anxious generally or by being afraid that you might have done something serious to your back.
It might help to discuss your concerns with a doctor or physiotherapist if things are still not improving over the next few weeks after following the advice and exercise in the Self Help section.
99 times out of 100 your back pain is not related to a serious condition. Allowing yourself to move normally, without too much worry, will help your back to return to normal. Painkillers can help you to move normally, while your back recovers.
You might also want to access the Essex Lifestyle Service for further support and help on making healthy lifestyle choices and live healthier lives as this could be contributing to your back pain.
Low Risk
Congratulations! You most likely have the right ideas about your back pain, and feel in control of how you manage your recovery.
We all know an episode of back pain is very annoying, and at times extremely painful. Carrying on as normal and continuing to bend and move your back allows the quickest recovery, and stops your back stiffening up.
Keep going as you are, although read this short leaflet for more information and advice to get better even quicker.
You might also want to access the Essex Lifestyle Service for further support and help on making healthy lifestyle choices and live healthier lives as this could be contributing to your back pain.