Why your back hurts
The spine is built for movement, not for eight hours in one position. The most common causes of back pain I see:
- Long hours of sitting – stiff hips, too little movement during the day and a forward-leaning posture at the computer.
- Overload – lifting, moving house, gardening, a new training plan started ‘full throttle’.
- One-sided strain – carrying a child on one hip, a bag over one shoulder, sports like golf, tennis or rowing.
- Stress and poor sleep – they increase muscle tension and sensitivity to pain.
What helps most in the long run is spinal stabilisation and back school – learning how to sit, lift and move so your back copes with an ordinary day without pain.
How I work
- Initial assessment – we talk about where and when it hurts, what makes it worse and how you move during the day.
- Diagnosis – by looking, movement and touch.
- Manual therapy – manual release of muscle chains in their wider context.
- Targeted exercises – targeted exercise for strength and long-term relief.