When to seek urgent help:

The majority of people with back pain can manage or resolve their symptoms with exercises and advice and in some cases may require physiotherapy treatment.

Resources and information provided on this page will help you with routine issues and offer advice and exercises for some conditions. You can also self-refer for Physiotherapy and get advice from a clinician HERE.

However, rarely, back pain symptoms can be caused by something more serious and it is important for you to know when to seek help.

Urgent help – If you experience any of these symptoms seek advice from your GP or call 111:

• The pain you are experiencing is getting worse, severe or different to that you have experienced before
• Pain that spreads from your back in a band around your body
• Odd feelings in your legs with a feeling of unsteadiness
• Difficulty walking and heaviness in your legs
• Back pain that stops you sleeping at night or gets worse when you lie down
• Fever or chills since the onset of your back pain

Emergency help: If you experience any of these symptoms attend your local accident and emergency department on the same day:

• Loss of feeling or pins and needles between your inner thighs or genitals
• Numbness in and around your back passage or buttocks
• Altered feeling when you use toilet paper to wipe yourself
• Increasing difficulty when you try to urinate
• Leaking or difficulty when you try to stop or control the flow of urine
• Not knowing when your bladder or bowel are full or empty
• Loss of sensation when you pass urine or stool

See also: Serious Spine Conditions