Back pain can stop you in your tracks. The good news: most back pain gets better, and moving is part of the cure.

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor, and most people will have it at some point. It can hurt a lot without meaning anything is badly damaged. Most back pain eases within a few weeks, and staying active, gentle exercise and a good plan for flare-ups help most. Here you'll find clear, friendly guides for you and your family, including sciatica, treatment options and the rare warning signs that need fast care.

Updated October 1, 2026

In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.

Start here

A short welcome video, and a checklist for the first few weeks.

Low Back Pain: What Now?: why most back pain gets better, and what helps (video, 4:09)

Your first 30 days: a checklist

Keep moving. Gentle walking and your usual daily activities, at a pace you can manage, help more than rest.
Avoid bed rest. If you need to lie down, keep it short and get up and move a little every hour or so.
Try heat: a warm pack or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, for up to 20 minutes at a time.
Ask a pharmacist which pain medicine is safe for you to take for a short time, if you need one.
Learn the emergency warning signs, especially new bladder or bowel problems or numbness around your genitals.
Start a few simple exercises, or ask about seeing a physiotherapist. In many places you don't need a referral.
Don't ask for a scan straight away. Most people don't need one, and it won't speed up recovery.
See your doctor if the pain isn't starting to improve after a few weeks, or if you feel low or worried about it.

Starting exercise safely: a friendly guide for every body: How to start moving more with confidence: whether you need to check with your doctor, how much to aim for, how to build up, warming up, and the warning signs that mean stop. (7 min read)

Understand your back pain

Why backs hurt, what sciatica is, and why a scan usually isn't needed.

Understanding low back pain and sciatica: Why low back pain happens, why most of it gets better, why scans are rarely needed early, and what sciatica really is. A calm, plain-language guide. (6 min read)

Your treatment options

What helps (staying active, exercise, physiotherapy, heat) and what doesn't.

Back Pain: Your Treatment Options: what helps, what doesn't, and why (video, 4:29)

Back pain treatment options: what helps and what doesn't: An evidence-based guide to treating low back pain and sciatica: staying active, exercise, physiotherapy, heat, short-term medicines, manual therapy, psychological approaches, injections and surgery. (7 min read)
Choosing a physiotherapist: what to look for and what to ask: How to find a good physiotherapist (physical therapist) for back, joint or balance problems: checking they're licensed, what a good first visit looks like, signs of quality care, costs and coverage. (6 min read)

Exercises for your back

Two follow-along programs to build a stronger, steadier back. Start gently, and stop if the pain becomes sharp or spreads down your leg.

Before you start: Check with your clinician first if you have a new injury, recent surgery, osteoporosis or heart symptoms. Stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness or chest pain. For chest pain, call 9-1-1.

The McGill Big 3
Three core-endurance exercises, the curl-up, side plank and bird dog, to help your back feel steadier and more comfortable.
Back & core; level: Beginner, with progressions; you'll need: Floor or mat; video, 6:33
Based on the published work of Dr. Stuart McGill
Spine Conditioning Program
Gentle stretches and strengthening for your back, belly and hips.
Back; level: Beginner; you'll need: Floor or mat; video, 6:30
Based on the AAOS OrthoInfo spine conditioning program
Printable program (opens AAOS OrthoInfo)

Living well

Work, lifting, sleep and a plan for flare-ups.

What Exercise Does for Your Body: and how much you really need (video, 4:38)
Why Sleep Matters: what happens while you rest (video, 4:54)

Living well with back pain: work, lifting, sleep and flare-ups: Practical tips for everyday life with low back pain: setting up your desk, lifting with confidence, sleeping better, and making a simple flare-up plan. (6 min read)
Pain during exercise: how much is okay? The traffic light guide: Hurt doesn't always mean harm. Learn the pain-monitoring 'traffic light' that physiotherapists use, so you know when to keep going, when to ease back, and when to get checked. (6 min read)
Strength training basics: getting stronger at any age: A beginner's guide to strength training for adults of any age: why it matters, how often, how many sets and repetitions, choosing the right effort, good form, progressing safely, and simple exercises to start with. (7 min read)

When to get help

Go to emergency now

New trouble peeing: you can't start, can't go at all, or can't control it, and this isn't normal for you. Go to an emergency department now
New loss of control of your bowels, or not noticing when you need to poo. Go to an emergency department now
Numbness or tingling around your genitals, buttocks or anus (the area you would sit on in a saddle). Go to an emergency department now
Sciatica in both legs, or weakness or numbness in both legs that is severe or getting worse
Leg weakness that is getting worse quickly, such as your foot slapping down or your leg giving way
Back pain after a serious accident, such as a car crash or a bad fall
Back pain with chest pain, or with sudden, severe tearing pain in your back or belly

Go to the nearest emergency department, even at night. Don't drive yourself: ask someone to take you, or call 9-1-1.

See your doctor soon

Back pain with a fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell
Back pain if you have had cancer, or you are losing weight without trying
Pain that is constant and getting worse, is worse at night or when lying down, and doesn't ease with rest or changing position
Back pain after a minor fall or lift if you have osteoporosis (thin bones) or take steroid medicines long term
New back pain if you have a weakened immune system or have injected drugs
Morning back stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes that eases with movement, especially if you are under 45
Numbness, tingling or weakness in one leg that isn't improving
Pain that hasn't started to improve after 4 to 6 weeks, or is stopping you from working or sleeping

Call your doctor or clinic the same day or within a day or two.

Problems with peeing or pooing, or numbness around your genitals or bottom, can be signs of cauda equina syndrome, a rare emergency where nerves at the bottom of the spine are squeezed. Go to an emergency department right away, even in the middle of the night. Don't wait to see if it settles, and don't drive yourself: ask someone to take you, or call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Fast treatment can protect your nerves for life. For the second list, call your doctor or clinic the same day or within a day or two.

Back pain warning signs: when to get help fast: Most back pain isn't dangerous. Learn the rare warning signs, including cauda equina syndrome, that mean go to emergency now, and the signs that mean see your doctor soon. (5 min read)

Questions to ask your team

What do you think is causing my back pain?
Do I have any warning signs that need more tests?
Do I need a scan? If not, why not?
Is my leg pain sciatica? What should I watch for?
How long do you expect it to take to improve?
What activities are safe for me right now?

From our guide Understanding low back pain and sciatica.

Go deeper

Written for clinicians and students. More technical material from Hibbert Medical, for readers who want more detail.

Podcast summaries

Rehabilitation podcasts: Rehab specialists and physiotherapists on exercise, pain and recovery.
Exercise science podcasts: What the evidence says about activity, strength and training.
Sports medicine podcasts: Sports medicine clinicians on injuries, tendons and getting back to activity.

Lectures

Acute Low Back Pain: Avoiding Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment: Why most back pain doesn't need a scan, and what does help.
Low Back Pain: A Physiatric Approach: Residency rehab medicine: assessing and treating low back pain.
Chronic Low Back Pain: Evidence-Based Approach: Residency pain medicine: long-lasting back pain and what the evidence supports.
Lumbar Disc Herniation and Sciatica: Residency neurosurgery: sciatica, and when surgery is considered.
Back: Vertebral Column: Medical school anatomy: the bones, discs and joints of the spine.

Seminars

Musculoskeletal Conditions: Clerkship seminar: back pain, knee pain and other common joint problems in family practice.
Musculoskeletal Imaging: Clerkship seminar: what X-rays and MRI can and can't show in joints and bones.

Clinical cases

Acute Low Back Pain: A first visit for back pain, and why a scan isn't always needed.
Lumbar Strain with Paraspinal Muscle Spasm: The most common kind of back pain: a strained back.
Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy: Sciatica from a slipped disc, through one patient.
Cauda Equina Syndrome: The rare back-pain emergency, and why it needs fast care.
Chronic Low Back Pain with Central Sensitization: When back pain lasts, and the nervous system turns the volume up.

Common questions

What causes most low back pain?

For most people, doctors can't point to one single cause. This is called non-specific low back pain. It usually comes from the muscles, joints, discs and ligaments of the back being irritated or sensitive, not from serious damage. Stress, poor sleep, low mood and being less active can all turn the volume of pain up. Only a small number of people have a specific cause such as a fracture, infection or inflammatory disease.

Do I need an X-ray or MRI?

Usually not. Guidelines recommend against routine scans for low back pain, because they rarely change treatment and often show normal age-related changes, like disc bulges, that many people without pain also have. Seeing these can cause worry without helping you get better. Your doctor will suggest a scan if you have warning signs, or if you are being considered for an injection or surgery.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is pain that travels from your lower back or buttock down the back of one leg, often below the knee, sometimes with tingling, numbness or weakness. It happens when a nerve root in the lower back is irritated or pressed, most often by a bulging disc. The leg pain is often worse than the back pain. Most sciatica improves over a few weeks to a few months.

Should I rest or keep moving?

Keep moving as much as you can. Bed rest slows recovery. You may need to do things more slowly or take breaks at first, and that's fine. Hurting doesn't always mean harm, and gentle activity helps your back settle. Build back up towards your normal activities, including work, as soon as you can.

Will my back pain come back?

Back pain can come back, and many people have flare-ups now and then. A flare-up doesn't mean you've done new damage. Staying active, regular exercise you enjoy, good sleep and a simple flare-up plan can make flare-ups less frequent and easier to manage.

Sources for this page

Back to Move Well: the exercise library, starting exercise safely, pain during exercise and choosing a physiotherapist

General information, not medical advice. It does not replace your own care team. If you think you or someone else is having a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 (Canada and the US).

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