A client JW (36 year old female) was referred to Focus Pilates with a Prolapsed Disc of the lower lumbar spine (lower back). The pain in her lower back was so great that it radiated down the front of her thighs. She was unable to sit and turn in bed without pain, and this severely affected her work and sleep. After attending Physio-Pilates sessions twice weekly for two weeks she reported being able to sit at work and turn in bed without pain.

In the first session a full assessment was carried out with the aim of identifying the contributing factors of her prolapsed disc. The symptoms she reported by the patient were quite severe, she was having radiating pain down her legs with all spinal movements, including bending forward, backwards, side bending and rotation.   All of these movements originated from her lower back.

During the assessment it was found that she had reduced mobility of her hip joints and her thoracic spine (upper back) which caused her to have excessive movement in her lumbar spine.  This meant that she could not stabilise the lower part of her spine with her deep core muscles meaning any movement of her spine would likely aggravate her condition.

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Most of us spend more than eight hours a day sitting at hour desks. Our back is not designed to be in a sitting position for a prolonged period of time. We have designed some exercises below that you can do while sitting at your desk to relieve your back.

Set up

Sit up tall with your back against the back rest of your chair, both feet flat on the floor and equal weight on both sit bones. Gently contract your abdominals keeping a long torso.

Note: These exercises are designed to move and loosen your upper back. You should not have any pain with these exercises. If you do, modify your hand and shoulder position or discontinue the exercises and seek professional advice.

The human back is an amazing piece of engineering. It connects our brain to the other parts of our body and enables us to move freely and comfortably. For most of us it can also be the cause of a lot of pain and discomfort.

Many of us suffer from back pain whether that be minor niggling aches and pains or something more serious which inhibits our movement and day-to-day activities. As back pain effects so many of us we thought we should give you more information on this extraordinary part of the body and explore ways you can ensure your back stays strong and healthy to carry you through your life.

Our Physiotherapist Alph Tranne explains the complex nature of the back and how physiotherapy and Pilates may just be the thing you need to build strength and mobility in your back.

What symptoms to people usually suffer from if they have back pain?

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