Back pain can leave you caught between two worries: doing too much and making it worse, or doing too little and losing confidence in movement. A useful plan should help you make everyday decisions, not just give you another list of exercises.
Here are five questions to take into an assessment, with the reasons they matter.
1. How could exercise help my back?
For many episodes of low back pain, staying active and returning gradually to usual activities are recommended. Prolonged bed rest can delay recovery. Activity should reflect your symptoms and circumstances; the aim is a manageable return to daily life, not a promise that one exercise will remove all pain.
Start the conversation with a real task. Sitting through a meeting, picking up your child and returning to the gym are different goals. Ask how the proposed activity connects with yours.
2. What if an exercise hurts?
Tell your clinician what you feel during the exercise and afterwards. Ask what response is acceptable for your situation, how to adjust the activity and which changes require a review. Do not push through unfamiliar or worsening symptoms simply because an online programme says to finish the set.
It helps to describe the movement, the amount you did and how long the change lasted. “My back hurt” gives less useful information than a short account of what happened.
3. Why does my back pain keep returning?
Back pain can recur, and it is not always possible to identify one exact cause. A fresh assessment should consider your symptoms, health, daily demands and concerns. Recurrence does not automatically prove that your spine is damaged or that you failed at rehabilitation.
Bring what you learned from previous episodes: what helped, what was difficult to maintain and whether this episode feels different. Ask for a plan that includes what to do during a flare-up and when to seek further help.
4. Do I need a scan before starting?
Routine imaging is not recommended for uncomplicated low back pain. A clinician considers whether there are signs of a specific or serious cause and whether an investigation would change care. Ask what question a scan would answer in your case. Read Australia’s Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard.
5. When is medical care more urgent than a physio booking?
New problems controlling your bladder or bowel, numbness around the groin or genitals, or severe or worsening leg weakness need urgent medical assessment. Other concerning changes—including fever, unexplained weight loss or pain following a significant injury—also need medical review. Do not wait for a routine physiotherapy appointment to discuss these symptoms. Healthdirect explains when to seek care for back pain.
Your first assessment should leave the next step clearer
For routine care, Enhanced Physio offers a free initial physiotherapy assessment at Runcorn or Southport, or by telehealth. Bring relevant reports and a short list of the activities you want help with. Ask what the assessment suggests, what you can do between visits and what later treatment would cost.
Book Free Physio Assessment. Other services and later treatment may have different fees; booking terms apply.
General information, updated by Enhanced Physio on 2 November 2026. It does not replace individual medical advice.