Low Back Pain & Sciatica
Evidence-based spinal rehabilitation to get you back to sport, work, and life without the guesswork
More than 80% of people experience back pain, but you don’t have to be part of the percentage that stays in pain long-term.
Mitchell Robinson
MSK Physiotherapist
We’ve spent countless hours researching spinal mechanics, treating chronic disc issues, and guiding athletes and lifters from debilitating back pain back to high-performance training and a pain-free life.
Reclaim Your Movement Freedom
Our goal is to move you beyond short-term relief and toward long-term resilience, ensuring you stay bulletproof against future flare-ups.
Solving the Puzzle: Assessment & Loading
Effective back rehab isn’t just about “stretching”; it’s about identifying movement compensations and building tissue capacity. If you want to return to lifting, running, or playing with your kids pain-free, a structured approach to loading is not optional; it’s mandatory.
Objective Testing: Beyond “Where it Hurts”
We don’t rely on guesswork. Using objective data, we track your trunk stability, hip strength, and limb symmetry to see how your body supports your spine. This data-driven approach ensures your recovery is fast, targeted, and safe.
What’s Included in Our Spine Program?
- Nerve Root & Sciatica Management — neural glides, specific unloading positions, and hands-on therapy to settle peripheral nerve sensitivity.
- Movement Retraining — addressing “protective guarding” and helping you find safe ways to bend, lift, and twist early in the rehab process.
- Kinetic Chain Assessment — evaluating ankle, hip, and thoracic mobility to ensure the lower back isn’t doing all the heavy lifting.
- Objective Posterior Chain Testing — using dynamometry to measure the strength of your glutes, hamstrings, and core to support your lumbar spine.
- Progressive Loading Pathway — a step-by-step gym or home program to rebuild your confidence in heavy or explosive movements.
- Pain Education & Desensitisation — evidence-based tools to lower your nervous system’s “alarm” response and reduce chronic sensitivity.
Trusted by Mango Hill Runners & Lifters
Mitch is absolutely amazing! He is so friendly, respectful, and genuinely kind. He really takes the time to listen and makes you feel comfortable and supported throughout the whole process. You can tell he truly cares about his clients and wants the best outcomes for them. I always feel heard and well looked after. I couldn’t recommend Mitchell highly enough! an outstanding physio!
- paige (from nics google acc sorry nic x)
What The Evidence Shows
Modern spinal science tells us that the back is a robust, resilient structure, not a fragile one.
- Scans aren’t everything: Research consistently shows that “disc bulges” and “wear and tear” are incredibly common in people with zero pain. We treat the person, not just the image on a screen.
- Movement is medicine: Bed rest is no longer recommended for back pain. Early, controlled movement is the single most effective way to resolve symptoms and prevent recurrence.
- Physio leads the way: The latest clinical guidelines recommend structured, physio-guided exercise and manual therapy over medication or surgery for the vast majority of back pain cases.
How We Help You Decide
Rather than rushing to injections or surgery, we assess your spine against key clinical criteria:
- Nerve vs. Mechanical Pain: Is your pain driven by a sensitised nerve root (sciatica) or localised joint/muscle strain? Knowing the exact driver dictates the treatment path.
- Scan Results (in context): If you have an MRI or X-ray, we match the findings to your actual clinical symptoms—because structural “damage” often doesn’t equal pain.
- Your Sport & Lifestyle: A powerlifter needs a vastly different spinal rehabilitation strategy than an endurance runner, a tradie, or a desk worker.
- Movement Patterns: We identify if you are excessively bracing, avoiding flexion, or moving with fear, and build strategies to correct these compensatory patterns.
Re-builders vs. Rest-ers
- Re-builders: Use structured loading to build tissue capacity, returning to activity stronger and more resilient than they were before the injury.
- Rest-ers: Rely entirely on prolonged rest and passive treatments, leading to muscle deconditioning, stiffness, and a much higher chance of future flare-ups.
Whichever path you’re on, Abound Physio uses objective data to ensure your back gets the muscular support it needs to stay healthy for life.
When Can I Return to Lifting & Sport?
At Abound Physio, we combine strength and conditioning expertise, objective measurement technology, and advanced spinal management to build a rehab program focused on one thing: getting you back stronger, faster, and more resilient than before your injury.
Beyond Timelines: Criterion-Based Clearance
Return-to-sport decisions shouldn’t rely on arbitrary timelines (e.g., “rest for 6 weeks”). Biological healing doesn’t guarantee physical readiness. At Abound Physio, we use criterion-based testing: you progress only once your spine shows the strength, movement quality, and psychological readiness for load.
The evidence is compelling — returning before restoring adequate posterior chain strength and movement confidence carries a significantly greater risk of re-injury.
Abound’s Return-to-Activity Testing Battery
Passing your tests is the green light to begin transitioning back to full sport and heavy lifting. We guide you through:
1
Objective Strength Testing
Using objective dynamometry, we measure your exact force output across muscle groups—including your glutes, hamstrings, and lumbar extensors.
- Core & Trunk Capacity: assessing your spine’s ability to resist unwanted forces under load.
- Absolute strength targets: we track posterior chain strength relative to body mass to ensure you have the raw capacity to support your spine.
2
Functional Movement & Load Tolerance
We run a battery of functional movement assessments to analyse how you transfer load through your spine, hips, and lower body:
- Lifting & Hinging mechanics: high-speed video analysis checks for efficient load distribution and movement strategies to avoid protective guarding.
- Fatigued-state testing: since back injuries often flare up when muscles tire, we test your core and pelvic control after a fatigue protocol.
3
Psychological Readiness & Confidence
Confidence matters as much as strength — fear of movement (kinesiophobia) is the leading reason people with back pain avoid the activities they love.
- Subjective readiness: tracked using validated tools to measure confidence in your back and readiness to load.
- Reactive drills: we progress to dynamic and reactive drills to shift your motor control from conscious “guarding” to natural, automatic movement.
The Graduated Return-to-Activity Pathway
Passing your clinical benchmarks is the green light to transition back to your goals. We guide you through:
- Symptom Modification: strategies to calm down nerve and tissue sensitivity.
- Mobility & Movement Retraining: restoring pain-free range of motion.
- Progressive Loading: rebuilding strength through the core, hips, and posterior chain.
- Sport/Life Specific Integration: introducing dynamic, high-demand tasks specific to your lifestyle.
- Full Unrestricted Return: back to the gym, field, or daily life without hesitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually, no. In fact, many scans find “abnormalities” like disc bulges that have absolutely nothing to do with your pain, which can lead to unnecessary fear and medical interventions. Our clinical assessment is highly accurate at identifying the source of your pain. If we believe a scan is necessary for safety or diagnostic clarity, we will refer you for one immediately.
Yes. Research shows that most disc-related sciatica cases resolve naturally with conservative management. By using specific neural unloading strategies, mobility drills, and targeted strengthening, we help take the pressure off the nerve root and allow your body to heal and desensitize.
Recovery times vary based on how long you’ve had symptoms and the severity of nerve involvement. Simple back sprains often settle within 2 weeks, while more complex disc or nerve issues can take 6-12+ weeks to build robust capacity. At Abound, we don’t just stop when the pain goes away — we stop when you’re stronger than you were before!
Your next chapter begins with us
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Find Us
Shop 7 Capestone Village
67 Capestone Blvd, Mango Hill 4509
Contact Us
P: 0468 054 699
E: info@aboundphysio.com
F: 07 5547 5777
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Proudly serving Mango Hill, North Lakes, Rothwell, Deception Bay, Griffin and Kallangur. Conveniently located near Westfield North Lakes / Mango Hill Train Station.
Disclaimer
Every body is unique, and so is every recovery journey. While the team at Abound Physio is dedicated to supporting your health, mobility, and wellbeing, specific results will vary from person to person and cannot be guaranteed. Please speak with one of our qualified physiotherapists for advice tailored to your individual needs.