Back pain is often more than just a "bad spine"—it’s usually a sign that your pelvis, shoulders, and lower back aren’t moving together properly. Let’s break down how these areas contribute to pain and what you can do about it.
1. The Pelvis: Your Body’s Foundation
Your pelvis is like the base of a building—if it’s unstable or misaligned, everything above it suffers.
- Pelvic Tilt & Back Pain: If your pelvis tilts too far forward (anterior tilt), it forces your lower spine to arch excessively, straining muscles and joints. If it tilts backward (posterior tilt), it flattens your spine, reducing shock absorption.
- Hip & Pelvis Connection: Tight hip muscles (like the hip flexors or glutes) can pull your pelvis out of place, leading to lower back stiffness or pain.
- Walking & Sitting Habits: Slouching, uneven standing, or poor walking patterns can gradually misalign your pelvis, causing long-term stress on your back.
How We Help: We assess your pelvic alignment and teach exercises to restore balance, easing pressure on your spine.
2. The Lower Spine: Shock Absorber of Your Body
Your lumbar spine (lower back) is designed to bend, twist, and support weight—but only when working in harmony with your pelvis.
- Disc Pressure: Poor posture or weak core muscles increase pressure on spinal discs, leading to bulges or nerve irritation.
- Muscle Imbalances: Weak abdominal muscles or tight hamstrings force your lower back to overwork, causing fatigue and pain.
Our Approach: We strengthen core stability and improve spinal mobility to reduce strain.
3. The Shoulders & Upper Back: The Overlooked Culprit
Your shoulders and upper spine affect your lower back more than you think!
- Rounded Shoulders: Slouching pulls your upper back forward, forcing your lower back to compensate.
- Thoracic Stiffness: A rigid mid-back makes your lumbar spine move excessively, increasing wear and tear.
What We Do: We improve shoulder mobility and upper back flexibility to take stress off your lower spine.
How Physiotherapy Fixes the Problem
Instead of just treating pain, we find and correct the root cause—whether it’s a misaligned pelvis, weak core, or stiff shoulders. Through:
Manual therapy to realign joints
Targeted exercises to strengthen weak areas
Posture & movement training for long-term relief
Ready to Move Without Pain?
If your back pain stems from poor biomechanics, we can help! Book an assessment today to start your recovery.
How Physiotherapy Fixes Biomechanical Back Pain: Pelvis, Spine & Shoulders
If you’ve ever wondered, “Why does my back still hurt even after resting?”, the answer often lies in hidden imbalances between your pelvis, spine, and shoulders. Here’s exactly how physiotherapy tackles these issues—beyond just temporary relief:
1. Pelvic Misalignment? We Restore Balance
The Problem:
A tilted or rotated pelvis (from sitting, pregnancy, or injury) forces your lower spine into unnatural positions, straining muscles and joints.
How Physio Helps:
- Hands-On Adjustments: Gentle mobilizations or manipulations to realign your pelvis.
- Muscle Rebalancing: Stretches for tight hip flexors/glutes + strengthens weak stabilizers.
- Movement Retraining: Teaches you how to stand, walk, and sit without twisting your pelvis.
Example: A patient with anterior pelvic tilt (arched back) gets custom exercises to relax overworked hip flexors and activate sleepy glutes.
2. Lower Spine Overworking? We Take the Load Off
The Problem:
Weak core muscles or stiff joints make your lumbar spine bear too much weight, leading to disc pressure or muscle spasms.
How Physio Helps:
- Core Activation: Targets deep abdominals (transverse abdominis) to support your spine.
- Joint Mobilization: Eases stiff spinal segments with hands-on techniques.
- Ergonomic Fixes: Adjusts your workstation or lifting habits to reduce strain.
Example: For a bulging disc, we might use McKenzie exercises to centralize pain + teach hip-hinging to protect your spine during daily tasks.
3. Shoulders & Upper Back Stiffness? We Free Them Up
The Problem:
A hunched upper back (from phones/desks) forces your lower back to over-move, creating wear-and-tear.
How Physio Helps:
- Thoracic Mobility Drills: Foam rolling, stretches, and rotations to loosen stiffness.
- Posture Reset: Teaches scapular retraction (“shoulder blade squeezes”) to unround shoulders.
- Breathwork: Diaphragmatic breathing to relax tight rib muscles pulling on your spine.
Example: A desk worker with mid-back stiffness gets seated thoracic rotations and a posture-correcting brace (temporarily) to retrain muscle memory.
The Bigger Picture: Your Personalized Plan
We don’t just treat pain—we rebuild your body’s movement system:
- Assessment: Find which areas are stiff, weak, or overworking (e.g., video gait analysis, muscle testing).
- Hands-On Treatment: Soft tissue release, joint adjustments, dry needling (if needed).
- Targeted Exercises: Prescribe only what your body needs (no generic YouTube routines!).
- Prevention: Tips to avoid flare-ups long-term (e.g., sleep positions, shoe choices).
Real-Life Results:
“After years of back pain, I learned my pelvis was tilted and my core was ‘asleep.’ My physio gave me 3 specific exercises—no more pain in 6 weeks!” – Sarah, 42
When to See a Physio
Come in if you notice:
Pain that worsens with sitting/bending
One hip higher than the other
Shoulders rounding forward
“Locking up” after standing too long
Ready to Fix the Root Cause?
[Book a Biomechanical Assessment] – Let’s get your pelvis, spine, and shoulders working as a team again!