What are the treatment options for non-specific low back pain?

Non-specific low back pain is pain in the lower back without a single confirmed structural cause such as a fracture or a major nerve disorder. Muscles, joints, discs, movement habits, stress, sleep, and physical demands can all influence symptoms. The absence of one named cause does not make the pain imaginary; it means treatment is guided by symptoms, function, and examination findings.

Physiotherapy can identify movements that aggravate symptoms and build a plan for mobility, trunk strength, and confidence. Exercise therapy uses progressive, controlled loading; clinical Pilates may help with coordination and body awareness. Manual care, including chiropractic adjustment or osteopathy, may be used for selected people as part of a broader active plan. An anti-inflammatory medication may help some people, but a pharmacist or clinician should check allergies, stomach or kidney problems, pregnancy, and other medicines before use. Staying gently active is generally more useful than prolonged bed rest.

Get urgent medical help for new difficulty controlling your bladder or bowel, numbness around the inner thighs, or progressive weakness in a leg. Prompt assessment is also needed with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, major trauma, or severe pain that is constant and worsening. Otherwise, arrange review if pain is limiting work, sleep, walking, or daily tasks.

Ask which movements and activities are appropriate, whether medication is safe with your health history, and how to progress exercise. You can also ask whether hands-on care is suitable and which symptoms should trigger urgent review.