19/10/2026
Just because your back stops hurting doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready to go back to doing everything you were doing before.
Here’s why.
When your back starts playing up, your immediate priority is understandably to get rid of the pain.
You rest, stretch, take painkillers, or try a few exercises you found online.
Maybe you even come and see us!
Eventually, things settle down.
You can bend over again.
Get out of bed without wincing.
Return to the gym.
Life feels normal.
So you stop doing the exercises, stop thinking about your back and carry on as before.
Cancel that physio session because the pain has stopped.
Until…
A few weeks later, your back goes again.
Sound familiar?
Pain relief is important. But it isn’t the whole picture.
The other part is building your capacity to cope with the demands you’re placing on your back.
That might mean...
Building strength....
So your back can tolerate lifting, training and everyday activities.
Gradually increasing your activity rather than jumping straight back into everything once you feel better.
Improving your tolerance to the things that previously aggravated your symptoms (that might be sitting, bending, running or lifting weights).
Understanding your flare-ups (so you don’t automatically assume you’ve damaged something every time your back feels sore).
The goal isn’t to spend the rest of your life protecting your back...
Or coming to physio every week.
Quite the opposite.
It’s to build a back that you trust, that can handle the demands of your life, and that you’re less worried about when you feel the occasional niggle.
And that takes more than simply waiting for the pain to disappear.
Being pain-free is a great milestone.
But being stronger, more capable and more confident is what helps you move forwards.
Hope this helps!
The Perform Ready Team
PS. Need some help with your back (or something else)?
Just shout!
