It's tempting to stay on the sofa when your back hurts, but prolonged rest can actually slow your recovery. Your back needs gentle movement to stay mobile and to keep the muscles around your spine strong. Even a short walk around the block is better than lying still all day.
1. Resting too much
It's tempting to stay on the sofa when your back hurts, but prolonged rest can actually slow your recovery. Your back needs gentle movement to stay mobile and to keep the muscles around your spine strong. Even a short walk around the block is better than lying still all day.
2. Relying on painkillers alone
Pain relief has its place, but it doesn't address the reason your back hurts. If you're reaching for ibuprofen every day without understanding what's driving the pain, you're just managing the symptom. A proper assessment can help you understand what's going on and give you a plan to actually fix it.
3. Avoiding exercise completely
We understand the instinct — if it hurts, don't move it. But for most types of lower back pain, staying active is one of the best things you can do. That doesn't mean hitting the gym hard. It means finding movements that feel manageable and gradually building up. We often give patients specific exercises tailored to their back, so they know exactly what's safe.
4. Focusing too much on posture
If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, getting up to move around is far more important than focusing solely on your posture. Whilst good ergonomics can help, such as a screen that's too low, a chair without proper support, or sitting for hours without a break can all keep your back pain going. Small changes — like adjusting your screen height or setting a reminder to stand up every 30 minutes and move around — can make a surprising difference.
5. Waiting too long to get help
A lot of people put up with back pain for weeks or months before doing anything about it. By that point, your body may have started compensating — changing the way you move, tightening up in other areas — which can make things harder to resolve. The earlier you address it, the quicker it usually responds to treatment.
So what should you do about it?
If your lower back pain has been hanging around and you're not sure what's causing it, we can help. At Thrive Osteopathy, we'll take the time to understand what's going on, explain it clearly, and give you a plan that works around your life — whether that's hands-on treatment, exercises, or a combination of both.You can read more about how we treat lower back pain, or book an appointment online.