S2 E8: S2 Ep 8 – Why “5 Exercises to Fix Your Back Pain” Rarely Work
Thanks for joining me for the latest episode of the Pain Free Living podcast where I’m flying solo (though Clare’s never far away!).
In this episode, Bob explains that low back pain isn’t a diagnosis — it’s a symptom. It can be caused by strained muscles, irritated joints, bulging discs, a narrowed spinal canal (stenosis), sacroiliac issues, or even referred pain from internal organs like the abdominal aorta. Unless you know the true cause, it’s very difficult to choose the right exercises, and the wrong ones can delay recovery or even make things feel worse.
You’ll also discover why the online “gurus” and influencers might get great results for themselves, but that doesn’t mean their routine is right for you. Each spine tells a different story and what’s safe for one person might aggravate another’s condition, especially if nerve or disc involvement is missed.
Bob also highlights when your back pain might be serious. While even the most acute back pain is temporary and harmless, Cauda Equina Syndrome is a rare but urgent condition requiring immediate medical attention. Warning signs include numbness around the buttocks, bowel or bladder changes, and altered sensation in the groin area. If these symptoms appear, call NHS 111 or go straight to A&E as early action can prevent permanent damage.
This episode is all about replacing any fear and frustration with understanding. Don’t worry, you don’t need to fear movement or give up exercise as the key is finding what works for your body, based on a proper assessment and a tailored plan.
Remember the next time you see “5 exercises guaranteed to fix your back pain” in your socials, why they might not work.
🔑 5 Key Takeaways
- “Low back pain” is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
- There are many potential causes of low back pain, each needing specific care.
- Social media fixes can delay proper treatment or worsen symptoms.
- Cauda Equina Syndrome is rare but serious — know the signs and act fast.
- Individual assessment by your GP or qualified therapist is the most reliable route to recovery.
🔗 Helpful Resources
NHS Guidance on Back Pain – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/
NHS 111 Service – https://111.nhs.uk/
Cauda Equina Syndrome Information UK – https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/cauda-equina-syndrome
👣 Find out more and stay connected
😎 Learn more about Bob’s story → https://bit.ly/BobsOsteoStory
🤩 Find out more about Clare’s work → https://www.clareelsby.com/
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🎙️ Connect with us on socials & podcast platforms → https://linktr.ee/Painfreeliving
Note: This podcast provides general information for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not replace professional assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek qualified healthcare advice if you have back pain, new or worsening symptoms, or any concerns about your health before starting exercise or self-care routines.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Pain Free Living Podcast with me, your host, Bob Allen.
Speaker A:This is a solo episode because Clare's having a day off and actually she's not.
Speaker A:She's over there, she's smiling at me.
Speaker A:But anyway, yes.
Speaker A:So today I'm going to talk about why five exercises or seven exercises or 10 exercises to fix your low back pain generally don't work.
Speaker A:Before we talk about why they don't work, first thing to let you know is that low back pain is not what we call a diagnosis.
Speaker A:Low back pain is a symptom.
Speaker A:So it's a term that gets thrown around a lot in the same way that sciatica gets thrown around a lot.
Speaker A:Sciatica just means irritation of the sciatic nerve and again, doesn't actually tell you what causing the irritation of the sciatic nerve.
Speaker A:So it's not particularly useful in the same way that talking about low back pain is not particularly useful.
Speaker A:You may not realize this, but there are a significant number of different, different causes of low back pain, including things like muscle strain.
Speaker A:We all know that one, pick something up that's a bit too heavy and your back goes lets you know that it's not a good thing to do.
Speaker A:So low back feels a bit sore.
Speaker A:You can also irritate joints.
Speaker A:You can also irritate discs, which again can cause low back pain.
Speaker A:And I'm looking at my list here because there are so many different factors that can cause it.
Speaker A:There's a thing called stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal, so you've got your vertebrae once it's on top of the other and then there's a hole which the spinal cord runs through.
Speaker A:Now that space can get a little bit narrowed.
Speaker A:You can get like bony overgrowth.
Speaker A:There's different reasons for why, but spinal stenosis, again can cause spinal pain.
Speaker A:You've got cancer.
Speaker A:So if you can have cancer growing in the spinal spinal column, that can cause low back pain.
Speaker A:We've also got referred pain.
Speaker A:So there's a major blood vessel that runs along just in front of the spine called the abdominal aorta.
Speaker A:Now if you could get thinning of the aorta walls, that can cause the blood vessel to expand and that again can cause some nerve compression.
Speaker A:There is the sacroiliac joints.
Speaker A:I could go on.
Speaker A:There are lots of different causes of low back pain and unless you identify which of those things are causing the low back pain, you may have a problem with doing exercises you've just got off the Internet.
Speaker A:Now, we all know that the socials are there are all kinds of gurus and backed specialists who will say, if you do these five exercises that will fix your back pain, a lot of the time it won't.
Speaker A:Sometimes it does.
Speaker A:Those exercises usually work for the person that's showing you how to do them.
Speaker A:But unless they know what's specifically causing your low back pain, a therapist, they can be more painful, B, they can make things worse, not often, but they can make things worse.
Speaker A:And C, they can make no difference at all.
Speaker A:Which means you're losing time doing exercises where if you did the right exercises or saw the right therapist, you get it resolved.
Speaker A:So take every 5, 7, 10 exercises to fix your low back pain with a huge pinch of salt.
Speaker A:Because sometimes they will, but a lot of the time they won't.
Speaker A:They will get lots of clicks and views for the people that are showing those exercises.
Speaker A:But actually, will they make a difference?
Speaker A:Potentially not.
Speaker A:Key things to know are that low back pain is rarely serious.
Speaker A:If it's related to cancer, if it's related to an abdominal aortic problem, then yes, it is and it needs to be addressed.
Speaker A:But there are certain symptoms that you can look for which will indicate what's causing the problem.
Speaker A:And if your therapist does a detailed case history, then they will know or have a very good understanding of what's causing your pain and they will advise appropriately.
Speaker A:The one thing which I would say, if you are getting low back pain, the one thing that's always a medical emergency is a condition called cauda equina syndrome.
Speaker A:You may have heard of it, you may not.
Speaker A:The spinal column stops around L3, quite low down in the back, and then after that, the nerves kind of fan out in what's called a horse's tail, which is.
Speaker A:Hence the equine are part of the.
Speaker A:Part of the condition.
Speaker A:So if those nerves can affect the bladder, they can affect the bowel, it can affect the genital area.
Speaker A:So cauda equina syndrome is where you get compression of the cauda recliner.
Speaker A:Now, that is always a medical emergency.
Speaker A:So symptoms to look out for are things like if you get any kind of numbness around the bum, if you have any problems when you're going to the toilet, whether you're having a weira poo, if you.
Speaker A:If you have incontinence, if you have erectile dysfunction, I'll list all the symptoms in the show notes so you can have a look through them.
Speaker A:If you have a combination of those symptoms, if you're in the UK, dial 111 and talk them through the symptoms and they will make a decision.
Speaker A:If they decide that you have sufficient symptoms, they will send you straight to A and E. The problem with cord requirement is if the longer it lasts, the more potential damage it can do and it can cause long term damage.
Speaker A:So to avoid that, like I say, call 111 or get.
Speaker A:In fact, yeah, don't see a GP if it's urgent, get it sorted out.
Speaker A:If there is any call compression going on, what they will do is they will give you an MRI scan just to confirm what's happening and then they will operate and reduce that compression.
Speaker A:Again, like I said, it's a medical emergency.
Speaker A:If you get it wrong, nobody's going to complain too much because if it's right, then it can make a significant difference to your quality of life.
Speaker A:So like I said, I'll put the link in the show.
Speaker A:Notes to the symptoms that you need to look out for if you have those symptoms.
Speaker A:111 or get yourself to A E or get somebody to take you, depending on how bad it is.
Speaker A:I've digressed a little bit, but that in a nutshell is why those exercises you see on the Internet occasionally work, but most of the time don't because they are.
Speaker A:They work for the person that's showing them to you.
Speaker A:But a lot of the time your symptoms are not gonna be the same as theirs.
Speaker A:So take all of that Internet stuff with a pinch of salt obviously, apart from this podcast.
Speaker A:Cause this is absolutely spot on and really good.
Speaker A:Really good.
Speaker A:So that's it for this one.
Speaker A:I will see you at the next one.
Speaker A:If you liked it, got something good, got some useful information from it, tell all your friends.
Speaker A:If you didn't like it, don't tell your friends.
Speaker A:Make it our little secret.
Speaker A:And that's it for now.
Speaker A:And I'll see you on the next one.