Back pain, explained
Back Pain
Shift Spinal Health · Adelaide
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek care, and one of the most mishandled. The key is that the same pain can come from very different places. Here is what that means, and how we approach it at Shift.
Where We Start
Back pain is a symptom, not a single diagnosis.
Almost everyone deals with back pain at some point. The mistake is treating it as one condition with one fix, because the same ache in the same spot can come from a disc, a joint, the surrounding muscles and soft tissue, or gradual wear that has built up over years. What is driving yours changes what actually helps.
That is why care at Shift starts with a Spinal Health Assessment rather than a generic treatment. Once we understand what is behind your back pain, the plan can be matched to it, rather than applying the same approach to everyone who walks in with a sore back.
What Sits Behind It
The usual drivers of back pain.
Back pain often has more than one contributor. These are the common ones, and several link through to their own pages if you want to read further.
Disc-related
A bulging or herniated disc pressing on a nerve, which can also refer pain down the leg as sciatica.
Joint-related
Irritation of the small facet joints of the spine, often felt as localised pain that flares with certain movements.
Wear and change
Age and load-related changes such as degenerative disc disease or a narrowing of the canal in spinal stenosis.
Muscle and soft tissue
Strain, tightness or deconditioning in the muscles that support the spine, often stirred up by posture, load or a sudden movement.
Knowing The Difference
When back pain needs urgent care.
Most back pain is not an emergency. A small number of signs mean you should seek urgent medical care straight away rather than wait for an appointment.
Seek emergency care now if you have
- Loss of control of your bladder or bowel
- Numbness around the saddle area (inner thighs, groin, buttocks)
- Rapidly worsening weakness in one or both legs
These can signal a rare but serious problem that needs immediate assessment at a hospital. Back pain that follows a significant injury, or that comes with fever or unexplained weight loss, also warrants prompt medical review. If in doubt, treat it as urgent.
The Evidence
Surgery is rarely the first step.
For most people, back pain settles without surgery. The widely accepted approach is to work through conservative, non-surgical care first, staying gently active rather than resting up and waiting, and reserving surgery for specific situations that do not respond or that involve progressive nerve signs.
That is the space Shift works in: structured, non-surgical care delivered as a program you build over time. And if surgery ever does look like the right option for you, we will say so and refer.
How We Work
The Shift approach to back pain.
Care at Shift is structured and active. It starts with understanding the driver, then works on both settling symptoms and rebuilding the strength and control that support your spine.
Assess first
Everything starts with a Spinal Health Assessment. A clinician examines your spine, talks through your history and goals, reviews any imaging you have, and works out what is actually driving your back pain.
Chiropractic care and Smart Decompression
Depending on what suits your case, your care may involve chiropractic care, the MT Core Smart Decompression, or both. The MT Core is a computer-guided table Shift was the first in South Australia to bring here. More on Smart Decompression.
Build strength alongside
Care here is active. Guided rehabilitation is part of the same program, phased in as you progress, using our rehab gym and app so the work continues between visits.
Track with the Shift Score
Your progress is measured with the Shift Score and re-checked every 4 weeks, so change is something you can see rather than take on faith.
Is It For You
Who this suits.
Our structured program, Rebuild, is built for people who:
- Have persistent or recurring back pain, not a one-off tweak
- Have already tried other things without lasting change
- Are considering surgery, or want a genuine alternative to explore first
- Want to take an active part in their recovery, not just be treated
- Prefer a clear, structured path over open-ended visits
Not everyone who comes in needs the full program. Chiropractic care and the MT Core Smart Decompression are also available for more general back problems, once a clinician has confirmed at your assessment that they are safe and appropriate for you.
Questions
Back pain, answered.
Yes. Shift Spinal Health provides assessed, non-surgical care for back pain at two Adelaide clinics, Allenby Gardens and Malvern. Depending on your assessment, care may involve chiropractic care, the MT Core Smart Decompression, or both. Everything starts with a Spinal Health Assessment.
Back pain is a symptom, not a single condition. The same pain can come from a disc, a joint, muscle and soft tissue, or gradual wear, and the driver decides what actually helps. An assessment works out what is driving yours before any treatment is recommended.
For most people, yes. Guidelines generally support conservative, non-surgical care first, focused on staying active, easing symptoms and building the strength that supports the spine. Surgery is reserved for specific situations, and is rarely the first step.
It varies with the driver and how long it has been there. Many acute episodes ease over weeks, while more persistent or disc-related back pain can take longer. At Shift, progress is tracked with the Shift Score and re-checked over time rather than promised to a fixed date.
Most back pain does not need imaging to begin, and scans often show changes that are common and not the source of pain. Imaging is used when there are nerve symptoms or other signs to check. If a scan is useful in your case, we will guide you.
Start Here
A full assessment of your spine and your history, a conversation about what you want back, and where it makes clinical sense, your first MT Core Smart Decompression session so you experience the equipment. If your back keeps flaring or holding you back, this is where you find out what is behind it.