Lower back pain treatment
There isn’t one treatment that works for every type of lower back pain. The right approach depends on whether your pain is linked to the joints, nerves or muscles supporting the spine. At OS Clinic, our pain management consultants identify the likely source of your symptoms before recommending a targeted treatment plan.
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Lower back pain treatment at a glance
- Consultant-led assessment to understand the likely source of your pain
- Treatment tailored to joint, nerve or muscle-related symptoms
- Options may include targeted injections, radiofrequency treatment and implants
- Designed to reduce pain and make movement, sleep and daily life more manageable
- Specialist treatments for persistent back pain and sciatica
- Clear guidance on the benefits, risks and alternatives before treatment begins
- Ongoing follow-up and rehabilitation where needed
Benefits of lower back pain treatment
Depending on the cause of your symptoms, treatment may help to:
- Reduce pain travelling into the back, buttocks or legs
- Make everyday movement and exercise more manageable
- Support physiotherapy and rehabilitation
- Improve sleep and daily function
- Reduce reliance on some pain medicines
Results vary, and treatment may not remove pain completely. Your consultant will explain what you can realistically expect.
How we assess lower back pain at OS Clinic
Your consultant will ask where the pain starts, whether it travels into your legs and what makes it better or worse. They’ll also ask you about any numbness, tingling or weakness, as well as treatments you’ve already tried.
During your appointment, your consultant will examine how your back moves and check your strength, reflexes and nerve function. They may also look at any scans you’ve already had or arrange an MRI if more detail is needed to guide your treatment.
Your consultant may also suggest a small injection to numb the area around a nerve. This can help show whether that nerve is contributing to your pain and support diagnosis.
Back pain treatment options at OS Clinic
Facet joints are the small joints at the back of the spine. If these joints are thought to be contributing to your pain, your consultant may recommend:
- Lumbar medial branch block – an injection of local anaesthetic around the nerves that carry pain signals from the facet joints. If your pain eases for a short time, it can help confirm that these joints are involved
- Radiofrequency ablation of the lumbar medial branches – a treatment that uses heat to interrupt pain signals from the affected nerves. It may be considered if a medial branch block has provided helpful temporary relief
- Radiofrequency and ablation techniques – these may include standard thermal radiofrequency (which uses heat), cooled radiofrequency (which uses cooling to control the area being treated), or cryoablation (which uses very low temperatures) to interrupt pain signals
Your consultant will talk you through the options and recommend the approach that best suits your symptoms.
Sciatica is pain caused by an irritated or compressed nerve in the lower back. It often travels into the buttock or leg and may also cause tingling, numbness or weakness.
Treatment options may include:
- Caudal epidural steroid injection – where an anti-inflammatory medication is placed around the spinal nerves through an injection at the base of the spine
- Transforaminal epidural steroid injection or nerve root injection – medication is injected close to a specific irritated nerve as it leaves the spine
- Pulsed radiofrequency treatment of a nerve root – short pulses of energy are used near the affected nerve to help change how pain signals are sent
These treatments aim to calm irritation around the nerve. Any relief may be temporary, and results vary from person to person.
The multifidus muscles are deep muscles that help support and control the lower back. If they aren’t working as they should, they may contribute to ongoing pain.
ReActiv8 is a small implanted device that stimulates the nerves controlling these muscles. The aim is to help the muscles work more effectively over time. It may be considered when physiotherapy and other non-surgical treatments haven’t brought enough relief.
Neuropathic pain is pain caused by changes or irritation in the nervous system. It may feel burning, shooting or similar to an electric shock.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) uses a small implanted device to send mild electrical signals near the spinal cord. These signals can change how pain messages are processed.
It may be considered for patients with persistent back and leg pain, including those who have or haven’t had previous spinal surgery. You’ll normally try out the device temporarily first, so you can see whether it helps before deciding on a permanent implant.
In some people, persistent lower back pain may come from the areas where the spinal discs meet the bones of the spine. These areas are known as the vertebral endplates.
Basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses radiofrequency heat to stop a small nerve inside the spinal bone from sending pain signals.
OS Clinic offers specialist pathways for lower back pain treatment. Your consultant will talk through your symptoms and MRI results with you, then explain which route might be best for you.
Lower back pain treatment
The most suitable option depends on the pattern and likely source of your symptoms. For example:
- Pain from the small joints in the spine may respond to a medial branch block or radiofrequency ablation
- Sciatica, pain that travels from the lower back into the leg, may be treated with an epidural or nerve root injection
- Pain linked to poor function in the deep back muscles may be suitable for ReActiv8
- Persistent nerve pain may be treated with spinal cord stimulation
These treatments are only suitable for selected patients. Your consultant will discuss the possible benefits, risks and alternatives before you decide how to proceed.
Your care is led by consultants experienced in interventional pain management, who use specialist procedures to diagnose or treat pain.
You’ll benefit from:
- Careful assessment before treatment is recommended
- Access to injections, radiofrequency treatments and implanted therapies
- Clear information about the benefits, risks and alternatives
- Coordinated treatment, follow-up and rehabilitation
Each step is considered carefully, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
A specialist assessment can help clarify what’s causing your symptoms and which treatment options may be appropriate. At OS Clinic, your consultant will explain the next steps clearly and build a plan around your needs.
