How to Stop Back Pain and Ease

Stiffness with 9 Simple Tips

A guide to relieving a stiff and achy back, pointing you in the right direction for how to
relieve stiffness, get off pain killers and get back to the things you enjoy!

Will Harlow
BSc MSc MCSP Cert. MA

Over-Fifties Back Pain Specialist & Clinic Owner – HT Physio

Published Author – The 7 Steps to Overcome Sciatica (2018), Thriving Beyond Fifty (2020)

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Who this guide is for:
• Health conscious, active individuals over 50 who don’t want to go back to
their doctor for their back pain again, just to be told to “take more pain killers”.

• Those who have been told to “just rest it” but still haven’t seen any
improvement.

• Those who don’t want to miss another round of golf or their favourite hobby
again because of back pain.

• Those who don’t want to miss work over their back pain.

• Those who feel they have been let down by the NHS system; forced to sit on
long waiting lists or given generic treatment… and are still no better.

• People who have been told “it’s just due to your age” (even if it was your
doctor who said this!)

• Those who have seen another healthcare professional in the past… and left
disappointed by ineffective treatment.

• Those who may have been given a sheet of exercises from another physio
and told to “get on with it!”

• Those who are proactive and want to DO something to help themselves!

Contents:

1. What causes back pain?

2. How common is it?

3. Why me?

4. Our 9 Expert Tips to Stop Back Pain!

5. How long will it take?

6. What to do next

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Hi!
My name is Will Harlow and I am the clinic owner
and back pain specialist at HT Physio, a small
private physiotherapy service in Farnham.

Our mission is to help people over fifty to live free

from pain killers, avoid unnecessary surgery
and get back to enjoying life again, without the
constant torment of back pain.

I started HT Physio because I became so

frustrated with the “rest it and accept it” advice that
people in my area were being given by doctors and
other healthcare professionals – so you won’t find
anything like that in this guide!

I wrote this short guide to help you make the right decision about how to get rid of
back pain in a natural way… and stop it from coming back!

I hope you find this guide book useful. If you have any questions or need further
advice, please do not hesitate to get in contact for a chat about your injury!

You can request a free telephone consultation HERE. I’m always happy to provide
friendly advice over the phone to people who are serious about getting better!

If you’d prefer to write to me, you can email me directly here: Will@ht-physio.co.uk

I wish you all the best for a swift recovery!

Will Harlow
Back Pain Specialist & Clinic Owner

HT Physio

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 What Causes Back Pain?
There are more causes of back pain than I would be able to count, but most of them
ARE treatable.

We used to think back pain was always due to damaged structures in your back
through either injury or ‘wear and tear’; however, recent studies have shown that this
isn’t necessarily the case!

Some people have a completely ‘normal’ looking back (as observed on an MRI
scan… yet still have terrible back pain.

Equally, some people have backs that look really painful on a scan… yet have no
pain!

We now know that the brain has a large role to play in how we feel back pain,
especially for people who have suffered for a long time. However, for most people,
muscle tightness, stiff joints in the back and disc problems are the underlying cause
of their back pain.

It is also true that it is difficult to know who to believe when listening to advice for
your back. You may have heard people mention terms before such as ‘slipped disc’
but often these words conjure up an image far from the truth.

If you asked your well-meaning family members and friends for advice, you’d likely
get many different suggestions for how to help your back… with a lot of them being
completely contradictory!

Usually, the underlying cause of back pain isn’t serious – but it can be stubborn to
get rid of without the right kind of help.

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 How Common Is Back Pain?
It’s really important that you know the following: Back pain will affect 8 out of 10 of
the population at some point in their lives, so you’re not alone!

Most of these cases do improve on their own but if your back pain isn’t shifting after
4 weeks, it’s a good idea to get some help. Similarly, if you develop any sudden
weakness in your legs, problems with your bladder and bowel function (where you
cannot pass urine, or you become incontinent), or numbness around your bottom,
you should seek medical help immediately.

Around 5% of people with low back pain may also have sciatica, which is another
way of saying ‘pain that spreads down the back of your leg’.

Less than 1% of low back pain is caused by something serious, so try not to worry!

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 Why Has This Happened To ME?
Don’t worry – often, you haven’t done anything wrong to cause your back pain.

You may have injured your back with a twist or by lifting something awkwardly, but
with these types of injuries the truth is that it’s often not that one “lift” or “twist” that
did the damage. The problem is usually as a result of many months of stress or
strain on the lower back, which “suddenly” gets to the point where it becomes
painful. It’s your back’s way of saying “I can’t take any more!”.

If your back pain isn’t improving within a few weeks, you may have developed a
“faulty movement pattern” where your muscles have become chronically seized
up. This “faulty” movement will exacerbate the problem, and some people can end
up in a vicious circle. This is why it’s so important to seek personalised advice and
good treatment as soon as you can after developing back pain.

You may be worried about bending forward or twisting, and this fear of movement
can even make your pain worse when it leads to a muscle spasm.

Luckily, for most people, the pain you feel in your back when you bend or twist is
unlikely to be the result of any lasting physical damage!

The problem with back pain is that it’s really difficult to know when it’s OK to push on,
or when you should stop and rest. It’s also difficult to know whether to use heat, ice
or even YouTube exercises for pain relief.

I’m sure you’ve been told a few different things by friends and family members
already, but their advice might have been contradictory. Maybe you even tried some
YouTube video exercises, but they made you feel 10 times worse??

If you are suffering from persistent back pain, you should consider asking for
professional help from someone who can help you distinguish the difference
between the times when it is OK to push on through pain a little bit, or when you
should stop and change exercise or activity.

That being said, there ARE some things you can do today to help your back – read
on to see my best advice for dealing with back pain!

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 Our 9 Expert Tips to Stop Back
Pain

#1 - Unless it’s the First 3 Days After Injury…

Rest is Usually a Bad Idea
If your friends, family, or worse, GP have told you to rest to help your back, this will
be very unlikely to help.

The reason for this is the following fact:

The Less You Move Your Back, the Stiffer it Gets!

Usually, for our clients at HT Physio, we see a clear correlation of more back
stiffness = more pain. Keep it moving as much as you can within a comfortable
range.

The exceptions to this include if you injured your back in the last 3 days, or if you’re
suffering from a REALLY bad day of back pain; then rest might be a good idea until
the pain settles.

But if you’ve suffered for longer than 3 days, resting further will do more harm in the
long run than good.

And if resting hasn’t helped improve your symptoms so far, yet MORE rest is unlikely
to help any further! The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over
- and expecting different results!

Walking is a great way to keep active, without putting too much stress on your back.

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The latest government guidelines have stated that walking is one of the best
exercises you can do for your back. Get out for a walk, keep active and try not to
take days off work if you can help it!

#2 – Use a Towel to Help You Sit Comfortably

For many people with back pain, sitting can be a real problem. Their back starts to
ache and nag at them after sitting for longer than 15 minutes, making watching a
film, eating dinner and driving anywhere difficult.

Often, back pain when sitting is simply down to a problem with posture.

When we sit in certain ways, we put pressure on the joints, discs and muscles in our
lower backs, making back pain more likely.

Luckily, there is a great trick you can put into action using just a small towel to
help prevent back pain when sitting.

This trick will be especially useful for people who find that they stand in the following
posture, which we call “swayback”:

Excess pressure
exerted on discs
Short, tight abs can cause this
type of posture in many people!

Although there isn’t anything “harmful” about standing in this way (many people do
so naturally), if you develop back pain, this posture can make sitting uncomfortable
for you.

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The solution is the following: Take a small towel, roll it up so it is around 4-6
inches in diameter, and place it behind the small of your back to support the
natural curve of the lower back.

Looking at the image above, you can see how in the posture we talked about there is
no natural curve in the lower back (1st picture), whereas when a rolled towel is
placed at the lower back the curve returns, and the spine looks more “aligned” again.

You don’t even need to invest in an expensive lumbar support – a towel will do just
fine! Try this trick today for some back pain relief the next time you sit for longer than
10 minutes.

If this solution makes your pain worse rather than better, stop right away.

#3 – Learn When to Use Ice, and When to Use

Heat!
When back pain strikes, you’ll probably get at least one person telling you to use ice
to calm the pain down. You’ll probably also get at least one other telling you to avoid
ice and use heat instead!

This can be very confusing and one of the most common questions we get asked is
when to use ice and when to use heat.

To answer this properly, let’s first look at how ice and heat work to help back pain.

Applying ice to an injury is the number one thing you should be doing right after you
roll your ankle or sprain your knee. This is because the cold from ice helps to
“narrow” the small blood vessels around the injury, meaning less bleeding and less

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swelling occurs. Ice is also nature’s pain killer, as the cold can dampen down the
pain receptors in that area meaning some of the pain disappears.

Applying heat to an injury may also be a good idea in some cases. Heat is great for
muscle pain, as it helps to relax tight muscles and improve movement in the
same way that stretching or a massage works. Heat also helps to bring blood flow
to the injured area and can even encourage healing.

So, when is it right to use ice and when is it right to use heat for back pain?

My advice would be the following: If you are suffering from a dull, achy, stiff lower
back that takes a long time to “get moving” in the mornings, I would recommend that
you use heat. This will help by freeing up the tight muscles and stiff joints in the
lower back and improve your movement, making you feel suppler. Applying heat in
the morning is a great tactic to help you start the day with only minimal back pain.

If your pain is sharp and shooting, or you have leg pain (commonly called “sciatica”) I
would recommend that you use ice on the painful area. If you have back and leg
pain, I would start by icing the leg first and then trying the back after. I recommend
ice in this instance because sharp, shooting pain is often caused by inflammation to
a nerve in the lower back and ice can help to calm this inflammation down.

However, there is no real “right or wrong” when it comes to ice or heat. You should
stick to whatever you feel gives you the greatest pain relief and freedom of
movement in the lower back.

If you are using ice, I would recommend wrapping a bag of frozen peas or ice cubes
in a towel and applying this to the painful area for 15 minutes at a time. After 15
minutes, take the ice off and let the area return to a natural skin temperature before
applying again. There is no limit to how many times you can do this.

If you are using heat, I would recommend that you get a hot water bottle and repeat
the instructions above.

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#4 – Consider Getting a Massage or Other
Hands-On Therapy
Alongside exercise and keeping active, hands-on therapy (such as joint
manipulation, massage, stretching - some of our favourite techniques at HT Physio)
provided by a qualified expert has been shown to be seriously effective at reducing
back pain in study after study.

Usually carried out over a series of appointments, hands-on techniques can help
individuals with back pain by breaking down stiffness, calming hyper-sensitive
areas and helping improve movement and mobility.

You may not get this type of therapy on the NHS dependent on which physio you
see; this is because the NHS only allows appointments for patients every 3-4
weeks… Far too little to make this type of treatment effective!

(Plus, you run the risk of being treated by a student in NHS clinics who can often do
more harm than good when it comes to hands-on treatment.)

We personally like to use a combination of massage to loosen tight muscles, joint

mobilisations to ease away stiffness, and manipulation to return any lost movement.

However, everyone is different and there is no “one size fits all” approach to
treatment! An expert will be able to make the right choice on which technique to use
to help you best.

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#5 – Choosing the Right Exercises Comes
Down to ONE Golden Rule!
Your back is inherently strong and stable, held together by tough structures at every
angle. Even though it may not feel like it sometimes, moving your back with gentle
exercises is usually safe.

There is one golden rule you must observe when choosing exercises for back pain:

Exercises for Your Back Must NOT Be Painful!

When you persist with a painful exercise, all you are doing is making your back
muscles tighter, flaring up any inflamed areas and making the nerves super
sensitive!

Avoid painful exercises at all times; if an exercise becomes painful halfway through a
set, stop!

A great gentle exercise to start you off is a very gentle lower back stretch you can do
from a chair. You should only persist with this one if it is pain-free.

With this exercise, you’ll be bending forwards whilst sitting in a chair. Only go as far
as is comfortable. Stop before you get to pain, then come back up. If that felt OK,
repeat it a few times over.

Start off sitting in a chair. Slowly Continue as far as you feel able,
bend forward, using your hands running your hands down your shins
on your knees as support. until you reach your feet. Slowly come
back up and repeat. 13 | P a g e
As simple as that, you’ve taken the first steps towards getting your back more
mobile! If you’re not sure about how to do this one or have any questions, contact us
for some free advice.

#6 - Often, this Position can Provide Rapid

Relief for Back Pain
Although we can’t ‘prescribe’ you this exercise without a proper assessment, a lot of
our clients find the position below to be very relaxing for their back and relieve a
good deal of their symptoms.

It works by helping the tight muscles in the lower back to slowly relax, allowing more
freedom of movement and less stiffness.

If this exercise causes you any pain, be sure to stop it immediately and seek an
alternative instead - we’d be more than happy to help you choose the right exercises
in one of our assessment sessions if you need some help.

Lie on your back on your bed (or floor if you prefer). Bend your knees and bring
first one, then the other knee up to your chest, clutching them in tightly with your
hands. You should feel a gentle stretch in your lower back. Hold for 30 seconds,
repeating up to 5 times.
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#7 – Here’s a Secret: Back Pain is Often NOT
“Just Due to Your Age”… Even Though Your
Doctor Told You It Is!

Back pain can be due to age-related changes, but most often it is due to the
stiffness and “faulty movement patterns” that have resulted from a “vicious
circle” of less movement and more stiffness/pain.

In most cases, with the correct hands-on techniques and a bit of work on movement
patterns, a skilled expert can help you get back to doing the things you enjoy again,
with significantly less limitations than before.

In 2019, we shouldn’t have to just accept back pain!

Ask questions about what you can do for YOUR back. Don’t accept “rest and pain
killers” as advice for your back pain – this is outdated and usually does more harm
than good!

Nine out of ten times, when someone comes to us after having been told they have
to accept this pain due to their age, we can help them become more mobile and
independent.

You can click here to request a chat with a back pain expert about YOUR back for
some free advice on how to get better!

#8 – An MRI Scan Might Be a BAD Idea!

Unless you have pain radiating into your leg (which may be caused by something in
your back irritating a nerve), an MRI scan probably won’t be able to show you what’s
causing your pain.

It’s easy to think that due to the advancements in medical science, our scans and
fancy equipment can identify the cause of every symptom; unfortunately, this is not
the case!

MRI Scans are great; but they don’t show the “cause” of the pain – they usually just
show wear and tear that was likely there BEFORE you had any pain!

A recent study proved this; the researchers showed that 93% of people WITHOUT
back pain STILL had some age-related deterioration in their lower backs!

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Nowadays, we only really order scans when we expect something serious to be the
cause of someone’s pain, or we feel a nerve root is compromised.

Other than that, the recent research is showing scans to be less and less useful for
back pain. Your physiotherapist should be able to advise you whether you require an
MRI scan, so always ask if you’re not sure.

#9 – Use Shock-Absorbing Shoes to Protect

Your Back
Did you know that your choice of footwear can significantly affect the force that goes
through your back as you walk or run?

Shoes that provide cushioning for the heel can reduce the force that transmits
through the legs and back by up to TWENTY times!

While high heels or flats might look great, they don’t provide much protection for the
back when walking.

For best results, choose shock absorbing running shoes. Our clients report the “Nike
VaporMax” range to provide the best cushioning when walking. Your best bet is to
head to a sports shoe shop and ask to try on some different pairs. Be sure to walk a

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few lengths up and down the shop and trial a few pairs before making a buying
decision.

Nike VaporMax Trainer – note the air-cushioned sole and heel; great
for reducing force through the lower back!

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 How Long Will It Take Me to Get
Better?
That depends. On average, at HT Physio we would expect to be close to achieving
our goals within 4-8 weeks from the time someone comes in.

For some, this will happen sooner and for some this will take longer.

We should be able to give you some idea of how long it will take on your first
session. (We currently offer free 30-minute discovery sessions and will provide you a
likely prognosis in these as part of our service)

Reasons Why You Might Be Let

Down by the NHS…
Did you make an appointment to see your GP, only to be told to “just rest it” and take
painkillers that make you feel “not yourself”?

If so, you’re not alone when it comes to bad experiences in the NHS…

A lot of our clients go to an NHS physio clinic, having waited up to 12 weeks for an
appointment, only to be told they should “just accept it as a part of getting older!”

Because painful backs are so common, unfortunately not everyone is able to get the
time, care and attention they need from the NHS. Physio’s in the NHS system are
also unlikely to offer hands-on treatment. This isn’t their fault – they simply aren’t
given the time they need to make this treatment worthwhile to you.

At HT Physio, we work in a different way.

We base your personal treatment plan on YOUR goals, whether you want to get
back to gardening, carrying the shopping or simply being able to wash yourself
without having to stop due to the annoying pain in your back!

We also specialise in and truly value hands-on treatment (and so do our clients!)

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If you’d like to hear about some of the ways we can help you get off pain killers,
avoid risky surgery and get back to the things you enjoy, read on for our suggested
next steps.

What to Do Next…
If our person-first and goal-orientated style has resonated at all with you, here are
three of our recommended next steps for finally getting rid of that back problem:

Option #1 – Schedule a 100% Free Telephone

Consultation with a Back Pain Expert

If you’re stuck for what to do next about your back problem, get some
free, actionable advice over the phone from a back pain expert!

Click to request a completely free telephone consultation to have all your

questions answered, with absolutely no obligation to book an
appointment.

Or visit: https://ht-physio.co.uk/request-free-telephone-consultation/

Option #2 – Schedule a 100% Free Discovery

Session

If you need some help but you're a little sceptical after having
unsuccessful treatment elsewhere in the past, book a 100% Free
Discovery Session where you can meet one of our back pain experts in
person and see how we are different.

We can show you who we are and how we work and help you make a
decision about your back pain.

Click HERE to schedule a 100% free discovery session (with no obligation

to book a paid appointment)

Or visit: https://ht-physio.co.uk/discovery-session/

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 Option #3 – Schedule a Full Evaluation with a
Back Pain Expert
If you are ready to go ahead and book, we’d love to hear so we can start
you off on your journey to getting better!

If you would like to go ahead and book a full 1-hour evaluation

(including first treatment session), click HERE to request more information
about cost & availability at our practice!*

* Please note: Our paid evaluation slots fill up fast, so act soon to minimise
your waiting time for an appointment.

A Quick Message from Will Harlow at HT

Physio!

I hope you’ve found some of the information in this guide useful for your back, and
that you feel better very soon!

Remember, most back pain can be helped!

If you’ve enjoyed our guidebook and 9 recommended tips, I’d love it if you let us
know! You can get in touch through email or on our website.

You can email me directly at: Will@ht-physio.co.uk

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this mini-guide and I hope you recover
quickly and easily!

Yours in good health,

Will Harlow BSc MSc MCSP Cert.MA

Back Pain Specialist & Clinic Owner – HT Physio

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***Disclaimer: This guide book is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice. This guide is for
informational purposes only. This guide book provides only suggestions to help those with low back
pain and neither the author, nor HT Physio can be held responsible should the advice not have the
desired effect. Anyone with worrying symptoms or symptoms listed above (not exhaustive) which
might suggest serious pathology should disregard this booklet and seek medical advice immediately.
The reader assumes full responsibility for any adverse outcome upon following advice from this
booklet and neither the author nor HT Physio can be held responsible for any adverse outcomes
should the advice be carried out in an irresponsible fashion by the reader. ***

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