Why Does My Lower Back Hurt and What Can I Do About It?

Back pain can be scary – especially when it suddenly flares up or doesn’t seem to go away. The good news? Most back pain isn’t serious, and with the right approach, it usually improves quickly. As physios, we see people with sore backs every single day, and we want to help you feel confident (not fearful) about getting back to normal.

Lots of reasons, one common story

There isn’t just one cause of back pain. It can come from joints, muscles, discs, nerves, or even tension from stress or fatigue. But the most important thing to know is this: your spine is strong and built to move.

Is it my posture?

Probably not. Research consistently shows no single posture causes or prevents back pain. [1] Some people slouch all day and never get sore; others sit bolt upright and still ache. The key is movement, not perfection.

Try to think of posture like food – variety is healthy. Change positions often throughout the day. Stand up, stretch, walk, lean back in your chair. Your best posture is your next posture.

Is it the way I lift?

You’ve probably heard “lift with your legs, not your back.” But here’s what studies actually show: there’s no single “safe” lifting technique that prevents back pain. [2]

What really matters is load and capacity – how much your body is used to handling. Back pain during lifting often happens when:

• You’ve done too little for too long, so your back’s capacity has dropped, or
• You suddenly lift more than usual, for longer, or in a new way your spine isn’t used to.

For example: imagine you’ve just come back from two weeks relaxing in Noosa. Then on Monday you’re back in the warehouse lifting heavy boxes for ten hours a day. Even if you felt fine before the holiday, your body’s tolerance has dipped. After a few days, your back feels tight and sore not because it’s damaged, but because it’s deconditioned and overloaded.

Could it be something serious?

Thankfully, serious causes of back pain are very rare. Physios are highly trained to screen for “red flags” – things like unrelenting night pain, unexplained weight loss, or nerve symptoms in both legs. If we suspect anything unusual, we’ll refer you to your GP right away.

For the vast majority of people, back pain is mechanical, not medical – meaning it’s related to how your body moves and adapts, not to a disease or structural damage.

What can I do about it?

The best thing you can do is book a physio appointment. We’ll help you find the root cause of your pain and create a plan to build your back’s strength and confidence again.

At your session, we can:

• Assess your movement and lifting habits
• Teach you exercises to restore strength and flexibility
• Offer hands-on treatment for pain relief
• Advise on posture, work setup, sleep positions, and recovery tools (like trigger balls or lumbar cushions)

The bottom line

Don’t wait for your back pain to get worse or “just live with it.” Most back pain improves faster when you address it early and keep moving confidently.

If your back’s been giving you trouble, book an appointment with one of our physios today. We’ll help you understand what’s going on – and get you back to doing what you love.

References

[1] Swain, C. T. V., Pan, F., Owen, P. J., & Schmidt, H. (2020). No consensus on causality of spine postures or physical exposure and low back pain: A systematic review of systematic reviews. Journal of Biomechanics, 102, 109312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.109312

[2] Saraceni, N., Kent, P., Ng, L., Campbell, A., Straker, L., & O’Sullivan, P. B. (2020). To flex or not to flex? Is there a relationship between lumbar spine flexion during lifting and low back pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 50(3), 121–130. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2020.9218