Should you rest a sore back?

A day of taking it easy is fine. A week on the sofa usually makes it worse. Here is what to do instead.

When your back suddenly locks, lying down feels like the only sensible choice. For the first day that is perfectly fine. After that, most backs recover faster when they keep moving, even if it is uncomfortable.

Pain is not a reliable measure of damage. The large majority of sudden low back pain comes from nothing serious and improves within a few weeks. What does slow recovery is fear of moving, and the stiffness that comes with it.

What helps

Short walks, several times a day, starting with five minutes.
Changing position often, rather than finding the one perfect chair.
Going back to work and normal routines as soon as you reasonably can.

When to call a doctor straight away

Contact your doctor or the emergency services at once if you have numbness around your groin, cannot control your bladder or bowels, or have weakness in a leg that is getting worse. These are rare, but they should not wait.

If the pain is no better after two or three weeks, or keeps coming back, that is a good moment to book a visit.