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One of the most common things I hear in the treatment room is “I wish I had got this sorted earlier”!

With years of experience in ending back pain I am never surprised by what some people have tried when attempting to end their back pain before coming to see me.

To save you making these same mistakes I have decided to share with you the 5 most common mistakes people make when trying to end back pain.

1. Rest
A lot of people I see think ‘rest’ is the solution to getting rid of back pain.
But when you’re told to ‘rest’, rest doesn’t mean laying on the sofa watching your favourite TV series back to back all day long.
It means not doing ‘too much’.
I’m not saying rest isn’t important – it is! The problem with too much rest is that it makes your joints tight and stiff. Try to do low-impact exercises that don’t put too much strain on your back.
For example walking, swimming or yoga.

2. Procrastination
Yes! Probably the biggest mistake of all is putting off the decision to see a specialist back pain expert.
It is easy for life to get in the way of taking care of your self sometimes but often it can be the other way round.
By that I mean, your back pain is more likely to be getting in the way of your daily life and slowing you down.
This is because the longer you spend with back pain and putting up with it the more chronic the symptoms become.
The most common reason for putting off the decision is fear and uncertainty about who to see and what is the best solution.
My advice is to reach out and learn about what people can offer you so that you are in control.

3. Sleeping on the wrong mattress
If you’re mattress is older than 5 years then you are making this mistake!
My advice is to invest as much as you can into finding the most comfortable one for you, we spend a third of our lives in bed so it’s well worth buying the best you can for the health of your spine.
It is impossible to say which is the right mattress for you without a proper assessment.
Having the wrong mattress is one of the key reasons why people wake up feeling stiff in the morning.

4. Using exercises from YouTube
Exercises not helping?
Generic, off the shelf exercises which are found on YouTube or from a friend are very unlikely to be tailor made to your specific problem.
Any good physiotherapist worth his salt should be able to prescribe laser specific exercises that relieve pain and are tailored to getting you better.
Hands on treatment is often needed to reduce joint stiffness and ease pain which is another reason why using generic exercise programmes does not work.

5. Not seeing a back pain expert
When seeking out help from a medical professional to help with ending your back pain there are many options to choose from.
My tip would be to always choose someone who has undergone specialist training in dealing with back pain.
Seeing a chartered physiotherapist with specialist knowledge on the science of back pain and the necessary hands on skills will mean you get a specific diagnosis and fast access to the treatment you need.
So there you have it, the most common mistakes people make when trying to end back pain.
At this stage you are entitled to a free discovery session with me where we can explore the causes of your back pain!