North Shore · Glenfield & Orewa
Back pain that stops you standing up straight, wakes you at night, or has quietly become normal. Four disciplines under one roof means the treatment matches your back rather than whoever you happened to book.
Where to go for back pain
Most back pain clinics offer one kind of practitioner, so that is the treatment you get. At Glenfield you are assessed first, then matched to the approach that fits: hands-on treatment, a strengthening programme, soft tissue work, or needles for pain that will not settle.
Around eight in ten adults get back pain at some point. The good news is that most of it is mechanical — it changes with movement and position — and mechanical pain responds well to treatment, even when it has been there a long time.
You are treated at the first appointment, not just assessed. If your back pain started with an accident, we lodge the ACC claim then and there, and you do not need to see a GP first.
What is causing it
Your symptoms usually tell us which of these it is, and each is treated differently.
The back that goes during a lift, a sneeze or getting out of the car. Painful and frightening, and usually one of the quickest to settle with the right treatment.
Pain that comes back every few months, often with the same trigger. The episodes matter less than what is not changing in between.
Back pain with leg pain, pins and needles or numbness. More on sciatica.
Aches that build through the day and ease when you move. Common in commuters and anyone at a laptop for hours. More on work injuries.
Pelvic and lower back pain as posture and ligaments change. More on pregnancy pain.
Stiffness first thing, pain with standing for long, and the wear that shows on scans of most people over fifty.
Warning signs
Most back pain is safe to treat directly with us. A small number of presentations are not, and they need same-day medical assessment rather than a booking.
Go to an emergency department or call 111 if you have loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the saddle area, weakness that is getting worse in both legs, or back pain with fever and feeling unwell. Also see your GP first if you have unexplained weight loss alongside back pain, or a history of cancer.
Who treats it
The honest answer is that it depends on your back. This is how we decide, and you can be moved between them without starting again.
Hands-on treatment of the spine, pelvis and hips, and the stiffness that builds around a painful segment. A good first choice for recurring back pain and for backs that feel locked.
Physiotherapy for backs means loading and strengthening, movement retraining and a programme that fits your week. The stronger option when weakness or deconditioning is the real driver.
Deep tissue and remedial work for the muscular guarding that comes with back pain, and useful alongside the other two rather than instead of them.
For back pain that has not settled with hands-on treatment, or that is disturbing sleep.
What treatment looks like
No twenty-visit plans sold up front. Four stages, with an honest estimate at the first appointment.
History and examination to establish what kind of back pain this is and to rule out anything that needs a doctor.
Hands-on treatment to reduce pain and guarding, plus advice on staying as active as the back safely allows.
Get the spine, hips and pelvis moving properly again, which is usually where relief becomes reliable.
Strength and habits for the way you actually live — the part that decides whether it is back in three months.
Between appointments
Bed rest makes back pain worse. Movement, even uncomfortable movement, is the single most useful thing you can do, and short walks spread through the day beat one long one.
Sleep matters more than people expect: on your side with a pillow between your knees, or on your back with a pillow under them. Our guide to the correct sleeping position sets it out, and which pillow suits you is worth a read if you wake stiff.
If you sit for work, the problem is usually how long you sit rather than the chair. Get up every half hour — see whether your desk posture is causing your back pain.
Common questions
Anything else? Call 09 444 3231.
Visiting us
| Monday – Thursday | 7:00am – 7:00pm |
|---|---|
| Friday | 7:00am – 6:00pm |
| Saturday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday – Friday | 8:00am – 7:00pm |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Other conditions
Book online at Glenfield or Orewa, or call 09 444 3231 and we will match you with the right practitioner.
