Lower back pain and sciatica physio in Royal Victoria, East London

Yes. Physiotherapy is a good first step for most lower back pain, and you can book without a GP referral. We assess how your back and the muscles that support it move and cope with load, explain what we find, and build a programme around what is driving the pain. If anything suggests you need a doctor instead, we tell you.

For most back pain you can come straight to a physio, with no GP referral needed. See your GP or call NHS 111 first if you feel generally unwell with it, have lost weight without trying, or the pain is severe and getting worse quickly. Call 999 or go to A&E for numbness around your genitals or bottom, changes in bladder or bowel control, or weakness in both legs.

Physio can help with sciatica, which is nerve pain travelling from the lower back or buttock down the leg. We use nerve tension testing alongside movement and strength testing to find what is loading the nerve, then build a programme to settle symptoms and rebuild strength. Sciatica is one of the back pain presentations we treat most often at the clinic.

Not usually. Most back pain can be assessed and managed clinically, and imaging findings do not always match up with someone's actual pain or predict how they will respond to treatment. We will tell you directly if we think a scan would actually change your treatment, or if something needs ruling out.

Generally, no. Prolonged rest tends to make back pain worse, not better, and can make it harder to get moving again. In most cases, staying as active as your symptoms allow, with the right guidance on what to adjust, gets you further than rest does. We will tell you plainly if your case is the exception.

Back pain usually keeps coming back because the actual cause was never identified: treatment addressed the painful area without looking at what was driving it. Weakness or poor movement elsewhere, often the glutes, core or legs, is a common hidden contributor. Our assessment specifically looks for this, so treatment targets the cause, not just the symptom.

The large majority of back pain does not need surgery and responds well to a structured rehab programme. Whether surgery is genuinely the right option depends on your specific diagnosis, and it is a conversation we can help guide you through alongside your GP or a specialist where relevant.

How long lower back pain lasts depends on your specific presentation and how long you have had it. A recent flare-up and years of ongoing pain are different journeys. Some patients see real change within weeks, and others take longer. We will be honest with you about what to expect after your assessment rather than giving a generic timeframe.

Usually yes, with adjustments rather than a full stop. Staying as active as your symptoms allow gets most people further than rest does, and rebuilding strength in the back and its supporting muscles is part of the treatment. We guide what to change and when to add load back, and we will tell you plainly if you need to hold off.

If you hurt your back deadlifting, keep moving as far as your symptoms allow rather than resting completely, and ease off the lifts that aggravate it for now. If the pain is not settling, book an assessment: we test your back, core, glutes and legs to find the weak link, then rebuild your lifting progressively. Go to A&E if you have numbness around your genitals or bottom, or weakness in both legs.

Walking is generally good for lower back pain, because staying active helps more than resting. Prolonged rest tends to make back pain worse and can make it harder to get moving again. How far and how often depends on your symptoms, so we give you specific guidance on what to do and what to adjust after your assessment.

All three treat back pain, and the difference is mainly in the approach. As physiotherapists we start with a full clinical assessment and strength testing, then combine hands-on treatment such as joint mobilisations, massage or acupuncture with a progressive exercise programme. That suits you if you want to understand what is driving your pain and build the strength to stop it returning.

Many people with back pain managed without surgery typically need around 3 to 6 sessions, though it depends on how long you have had the pain and what is driving it. Pain that has been building for years usually takes longer than a recent flare-up. We give you an honest estimate after the assessment rather than selling a fixed block up front.

When back pain returns after treatment, it is usually because the cause was never identified. Our assessment looks beyond the painful area to the glutes, core and legs, and uses VALD testing, gait analysis and capacity testing to find weak links objectively. Your programme then targets what is driving the pain, with progress tracked by testing at every stage.

We are registered with Bupa, AXA, WPA, Cigna and Vitality. Contact your insurer first to get an authorisation code, then book with us and we bill your insurer directly. Some insurers ask for a GP referral before they authorise treatment.