Back pain is one of the most common reasons people in Solihull and Birmingham visit a physiotherapist, affecting everyday activities from sitting at a desk to lifting the kids or going to the gym. If your back pain is stopping you from living life normally, the right physiotherapy can help you move with confidence again.
How Common Is Back Pain in Birmingham?
Back pain is a major health issue across the UK, and Birmingham is no exception. Public health data estimates that around 15% of Birmingham’s population lives with back pain, with tens of thousands experiencing severe, long‑lasting symptoms that affect work, sleep and quality of life. National figures suggest that roughly 8 in 10 adults will have back pain at some point.
For many people, this pain is preventable and treatable with early assessment, good education and a structured rehabilitation plan.
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Common Causes of Back Pain in Solihull & Birmingham
While every person is different, we tend to see similar patterns in clinic:
- Long hours sitting at a desk or driving, often with poor posture.
- Repetitive lifting, bending and awkward manual handling at work.
- Sports and gym training errors (too much, too soon, too heavy). Or sometimes just bad luck/trauma.
- Age‑related changes such as joint stiffness and disc degeneration.
- Reduced general fitness and de‑conditioning after illness or time off.
Local guidance and our experience highlights that back pain is often not caused by serious damage, but more often by strain, stiffness and prolonged inactivity. That means movement, strength and confidence are usually part of the solution!
When Back Pain Needs Physiotherapy
We’d encourage you to seek physiotherapy if:
- Back pain has lasted more than 2–3 weeks and isn’t improving.
- Pain is affecting walking, work, sleep or sport.
- Pain keeps flaring up again and again.
- They feel worried about movement and are starting to avoid activity.
Symptoms that require urgent medical review (via GP, 111 or A&E):
- Difficulty controlling bladder or bowels.
- Numbness around the saddle area.
- Severe, unexplained weakness in the legs.
How Physiotherapy Helps Back Pain
At Achieve Health’s clinics in Solihull and Birmingham, back pain treatment focuses on helping you understand your pain and then building a personalised plan to get you moving again. Evidence‑based physiotherapy for back pain typically includes:
- Thorough assessment: Understanding your history, lifestyle, goals and and full physical assessment. This includes Gait assessment and biomechanical analysis.
- Hands‑on treatment where appropriate: Soft‑tissue techniques, joint mobilisations and manual therapy to reduce pain and stiffness in the short term.
- Individualised exercise rehabilitation: Targeted mobility work, core / trunk strength, hip and glute strengthening, plus graded exposure back to the activities you care about.
- Education and reassurance: Explaining what is (and isn’t) going on, so you feel confident to move rather than fearful about damage.
- Lifestyle and load management: Simple changes to activity, work set‑up and training plans to keep your back healthy long term.
Simple Back Pain Self‑Help Tips (That Physios Actually Recommend)
- Keep gently active: Short walks, light mobility and changing positions regularly often help back pain settle quicker than bed rest.
- Pace, don’t push: It’s normal to feel some stiffness or mild discomfort when increasing activity; sharp or worsening pain means you should ease off and adjust.
- Try basic exercises: Pelvic tilts, knee‑rolls, supported bridges and gentle nerve / hamstring glides can all be introduced gradually. Link to reputable exercise libraries so patients can follow along safely.
- Use pain relief wisely: Over‑the‑counter medication and heat / ice can make it easier to stay mobile, but should sit alongside—not replace—rehab.
Why Choose Achieve Health for Back Pain Physiotherapy?
Support for every type of back pain:
From office‑related stiffness to sciatica, gym injuries and post‑surgery rehab, the team has experience in both elite sport and everyday conditions.
Local experts across Birmingham, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield:
Achieve Health is a multi‑disciplinary clinic providing expert physiotherapy, rehab and performance care across the region, with no long NHS wait times.
Evidence‑based, movement‑first approach:
Your physios combine manual therapy with progressive exercise, education and coaching so patients don’t just get short‑term relief—they gain long‑term resilience.
Useful Links and References
- Achieve Health – Physiotherapy & Wellness in Birmingham, Solihull & Sutton Coldfield
- Solihull Physiotherapy Experts – Achieve Health Solihull
- Physiotherapy in Birmingham – Achieve Health
- Back pain – NHS
- Back and spine – NHS Birmingham and Solihull
- Birmingham City Council. Musculoskeletal calculator – Birmingham back pain data. Birmingham City Council; 2014. Available from: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/7908/birmingham_back_pain.pdf [accessed 2026‑02‑13].
- NHS. Back pain. NHS; 2025 Oct 21. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/ [accessed 2026‑02‑13].
- NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB. Back and spine. NHS Birmingham and Solihull; 2014. Available from: https://www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/health-information-and-advice/policies/back-and-spine [accessed 2026‑02‑13].