Home / Conditions / Low back pain

Low back pain

Most back pain comes from muscles and joints, not from damage to the spine. It usually settles. Here is what actually helps.

Do not wait for an appointment

These are uncommon — but they need to be seen now.

  • You cannot pass urine, or you leak urine or stool without knowing
  • Numbness between your legs, around the back passage, or in the area you sit on
  • Weakness in a leg that is getting worse, or you are dragging a foot
  • Fever, or you are losing weight without trying
  • You have had cancer in the past
  • The pain started after a fall or an accident
  • Severe pain that is much worse at night and does not ease when you lie still
Sheet 02 · Back exercisesNeck & backUsually settles in 2–6 weeks

Do this

  • Keep moving. Gentle walking is the single best thing
  • Go to work if you can, even on lighter duties
  • Heat — a warm bag or a hot bath
  • Simple painkillers, taken regularly for a few days rather than only when it is bad
  • Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees
  • Start the exercises on Sheet 02 once the worst has passed

Avoid this

  • Bed rest. More than a day or two makes it worse, not better
  • Waiting until it is completely gone before moving
  • Paying for a scan in the first six weeks
  • Strong massage or forceful manipulation while it is acute
  • A back belt worn all day — it weakens the muscles you need

The questions everybody asks

Do I need an X-ray or MRI?

Almost certainly not — not in the first six weeks.

Scans of the back show wear and tear in most healthy adults over thirty who have no pain at all. So a scan often finds something that was already there and has nothing to do with today's pain — and then that finding frightens people and leads to treatment they never needed. We scan when there is a reason to, and we will tell you plainly if there is one.

Is my disc slipped? Is my spine damaged?

Discs do not slip out of place.

The phrase is old and it frightens people. Backs are strong. Pain does not mean the spine is crumbling, and hurting is not the same as harming.

Will I need an operation?

Very unlikely.

The large majority of back pain never needs surgery. Surgery is for specific problems — mainly nerve compression that is not settling — not for back pain on its own.

How long will it take?

Most people are much better within two to six weeks.

It may come and go for a while after that, and that is normal. It does not mean something has been missed.

Open the exercise sheet

Pictures, how many and how often, and what it should feel like. Free, and printable.

On cost: if we suggest a scan, an injection or an operation, ask us what it costs and what happens if you do nothing. We will answer both. You should never feel pushed into spending money.

Consultation is ₹500 for a first visit and ₹300 for a follow-up, the same at both clinics. For anything else, ask at the desk or on WhatsApp before it is done — we will tell you the exact cost.

Should you come and see us?

A page is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If the pain is not settling, come in and have it looked at properly — bring any X-ray, MRI or CT films you already have.

Nallasopara West

Opposite Patil Hospital

Shop No. 14, Veena Apartment,
Opposite Patil Hospital, near Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir,
S.T. Stand Road, Nallasopara West — 401203

Monday to Saturday
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm  ·  7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Sunday by prior appointment only

Virar East

Opposite Parimal Hospital

Shop No. 7, Damodar Tower,
Opposite Parimal Hospital, Morya Nagar,
Manvel Pada Road, Virar East — 401305

Monday to Saturday
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday by prior appointment only

Ready when you are.

Call either clinic during consulting hours, or send a WhatsApp message any time.