Managing lower back pain
Four million Australians are estimated to be living with lower back pain and understanding how to take care of your pain can sometimes be unclear, but there is support available.
Managing lower back pain
17 May 2025
Four million Australians are estimated to be living with lower back pain and understanding how to take care of your pain can sometimes be unclear, but there is support available.
Although 16% of the Australian population experience lower back pain, there isn’t always a clear cause, and about 8 in 10 people are diagnosed with ‘non-specific low back pain’.
Some known common risk factors include:
- Older age
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Being overweight
- Certain jobs that require heavy lifting, pushing or pulling - this includes the Defence Force
- Mental health can also be a contributor to chronic back pain
The importance of managing lower back pain
While back pain can be seriously painful, it is rarely medically serious. The typical duration of new back pain lasts around 5 days and then improves with a 90% reduction in symptoms in the first 2 weeks.
However, lower back pain has a high recurrence rate, with around 69% of people experiencing a recurrence of back pain within 12 months of the first episode.
By managing your lower back pain and addressing the person’s risk factors, this will help reduce the likelihood of back pain returning and be the strongest predictor for a good outcome.
This includes undertaking regular physical activity and returning to work, even if the exercise or work you do is a little different.
Pain is a multifactorial experience that involves our social, psychological and physical health. While at times it can be a scary experience, it’s important to access support from health professionals to help manage your pain and prevent long term consequences.
Support at Mates4Mates
Our physical rehabilitation team consists of physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, located across our Queensland centres, and they are available to help support and educate you on your lower back pain.
Our mental health team of psychologists, counsellors and social workers are also available both in centre and via telehealth to support any psychological concerns you may be experiencing related to your pain.
For social support, our liaison officers run a range of social connection activities, and with most having a personal connection to Defence themselves, they understand the challenges and injuries that comes with the military.
Together, these teams are here to help navigate your back pain journey with you.
For more information about Mates4Mates services and how we can help to support you, reach out to us on 1300 4 MATES (62 837) for a confidential chat.
Written by Baxter Mahutonga, Mates4Mates Physical Rehabilitation & Wellbeing Services Clinical Lead and Physiotherapist.
