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Lower Back Pain

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Expert Assessment and Treatment for Lower Back Pain and Sciatica

Lower back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems and can affect people of all ages and activity levels. It may develop suddenly after lifting or twisting, or gradually due to prolonged sitting, training load changes or reduced strength and movement control.

At Flex Physiotherapy Burgess Hill, lower back pain is assessed and treated using a structured, evidence-based approach. We focus on identifying the underlying cause of your symptoms and delivering the most appropriate combination of rehabilitation and targeted treatment to help you move with confidence again.

You do not need a GP referral and can self-refer directly.

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Common Causes of Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain can originate from joints, discs, muscles, ligaments or nerves. Pain location, stiffness, leg symptoms, response to movement and activity-related patterns all help guide diagnosis.

Lower Back Conditions We Commonly Treat
  • Acute lower back pain and lumbar strain
  • Recurrent or persistent lower back pain
  • Mechanical lower back pain related to posture or loading
  • Lumbar disc bulge or disc herniation
  • Sciatica and nerve-related leg pain
  • Lumbar radiculopathy
  • Facet joint irritation
  • Sacroiliac joint related pain
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Degenerative disc changes
  • Postural and desk-related back pain
  • Lower back pain in runners and athletes
  • Post-surgical lumbar rehabilitation

Management often focuses on restoring strength, movement, balance and load tolerance.

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Sciatica and Nerve-Related Leg Pain

Sciatica describes pain that travels from the lower back into the buttock and down the leg, often caused by irritation or compression of a spinal nerve.

Symptoms may include:

  • Sharp, shooting or burning pain down the leg
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Muscle weakness
  • Increased pain with sitting, bending or coughing

Management focuses on reducing nerve sensitivity, restoring spinal movement, improving strength and gradually building load tolerance.

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Lumbar Degenerative Changes

Age-related spinal changes are common and frequently seen on MRI scans. These may include:

  • Facet joint changes
  • Disc height changes
  • Disc bulging

These findings do not always correlate with pain. Treatment focuses on improving movement, spinal control, strength and confidence rather than imaging findings.

Who We Help with Lower Back Pain

We regularly support:

  • Office workers and desk-based professionals
  • Manual workers and tradespeople
  • Runners and endurance athletes
  • Team sport athletes
  • Active adults wanting to stay mobile and independent
  • Individuals recovering from spinal surgery
  • People managing persistent or recurrent back pain

Our clinicians apply structured, data-driven principles to both competitive athletes and recreationally active individuals.

How Lower Back Pain is Assessed at Flex

Your back assessment is tailored to your symptoms, goals and activity level. This may include:

  • Detailed clinical history and symptom analysis
  • Assessment of spinal movement and stiffness
  • Neurological testing for nerve involvement
  • Strength testing of the trunk, hips and lower limb
  • Functional testing such as bending, lifting and gait
  • Running gait analysis where relevant
  • Advanced strength or force plate testing when indicated

The aim is to understand not just where your back hurts, but why it hurts and what needs to change to support recovery.

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Treatment Options for Lower Back Pain

Treatment is individualised and based on a clear diagnosis. Your plan may include one or more of the following:

Hands-on treatment and rehabilitation focused on restoring movement, strength, control and confidence. Progressive exercise therapy is central to long-term improvement.

Linked Service: Physiotherapy

Manual therapy techniques may be used to reduce pain, improve joint mobility and address stiffness. This can include spinal mobilisations and soft tissue techniques to support rehabilitation progress.

Linked service: Sports Massage

Progressive, supervised rehabilitation delivered in our on-site gym to improve trunk strength, hip control and load tolerance while reducing recurrence risk.

For runners and active individuals, running gait analysis helps identify movement patterns contributing to lower back pain.

Linked service: Running Gait Analysis

Objective testing using force plates and strength assessment to guide rehabilitation progression and return to sport decisions.

Linked service: Sports Physiotherapy and Performance Assessment

Lower Back Pain FAQs

Back pain often develops due to changes in load, prolonged sitting, reduced strength or movement variability rather than a single event.

Disc bulges are common, even in people without pain. Symptoms depend on whether a nerve is irritated. Most disc-related back pain improves with structured rehabilitation.

Most lower back pain does not require imaging. MRI is considered if symptoms are severe, persistent or associated with neurological changes.

Severe unrelenting pain, significant weakness, changes in bladder or bowel control or numbness around the saddle area require urgent medical assessment.

Yes. Most cases of sciatica improve with time and appropriate rehabilitation.

Prolonged rest is rarely helpful. Gradual, guided movement is usually more effective than complete rest.

If pain is persistent, worsening, associated with leg symptoms, limiting work or sport, or causing concern, assessment is recommended.

Book Lower Back Pain Treatment in Burgess Hill

If you are experiencing lower back pain and want a clear diagnosis and structured treatment plan, our team is here to help.

You can self-refer and book directly.

Expert assessment. Integrated care. Lower back pain treatment at Flex Physiotherapy Burgess Hill.