--- title: "Back and Neck Conditions We Treat, Haslemere" description: "Physiotherapy in Haslemere for lower back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash, disc injuries and scoliosis. What each one is and how it is treated." canonical: "https://healthflex.co.uk/service-categories/back-and-neck-conditions" --- # Back and neck conditions Backs and necks are the single largest reason people come to see us, and the area where the advice people have already received is most often unhelpful. So it is worth saying the useful things plainly. Most back and neck pain is not caused by damage that needs surgical repair. It is genuinely disabling, which is a different thing from being dangerous, and the two get confused precisely because the pain is so convincing. The great majority of episodes improve, and improve faster in people who keep moving. ## Which section below should I look at If the pain stays in your back, start with lower back pain. If it travels into the buttock and down the leg, often with pins and needles, that is sciatica and it behaves differently. If somebody has told you a disc is involved, or a scan mentions degeneration, read the disc page before you worry about it. Neck pain covers both the morning you wake up unable to turn your head and the stiffness that builds over a busy few months at a desk. Whiplash covers the aftermath of a car accident. Scoliosis is for adults living with an established curve. ## Why it keeps coming back Because the episode gets treated and the reason does not. Pain settles, life resumes, and the strength and movement that were missing beforehand are still missing. That is the pattern behind almost all recurring back pain, and rebuilding those is the part of treatment people abandon as soon as they feel better. ## What treatment actually involves An assessment that establishes what is driving the pain and rules out the small number of causes that need a doctor. Treatment to settle it, which may include hands on work. Then a graded programme to restore movement and build strength. NICE recommends staying as active as you can manage alongside exercise and manual therapy, rather than resting, which is the opposite of what instinct suggests. ## The symptoms that need a doctor today Numbness around the saddle area, loss of control of your bladder or bowel, weakness in both legs, or back pain alongside unexplained weight loss or fever. Any of those needs same day attention from your GP or at hospital rather than an appointment with us, and if you describe them to us we will send you straight there. 5 out of 5 (1 review) - > “I’d had a nagging back issue that just wouldn’t shift, but Martin at Healthflex Physio was brilliant. He took the time to figure out what was really going on and got me back to feeling like myself again. Super knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and genuinely cares. Would definitely recommend!” — Dan Kenny ![Bare back with multicolored highlighted spine, hand on neck and lower back](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealth-flex-Low-Back-Pain.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790156357710&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) ![Woman supports another person's bent knee while they lie on a treatment table in a bright room](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealthflex-sciatica.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790157212124&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL)![Older woman listens as a doctor explains a full spine model in a bright medical office](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealthflex-disc-injury.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790157212389&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) - ![Bare back with multicolored highlighted spine, hand on neck and lower back](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealth-flex-Low-Back-Pain.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790156357710&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) ## Lower back pain 30–45 mins Treatment for low back pain, whether it started with a single awkward movement or has been building for years, and the strength work that stops it returning. * * * £62–£72 [Book online](https://healthflex.connect.tm3app.com/book/physiotherapy)[View Service](/services/lower-back-pain) - ![Older woman listens as a doctor explains a full spine model in a bright medical office](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealthflex-disc-injury.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790157212389&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) ## Disc injury and slipped disc 30–45 mins Assessment and treatment for disc related back and leg pain, and a straight explanation of what a slipped disc is and is not. * * * £62–£72 [Book online](https://healthflex.connect.tm3app.com/book/physiotherapy)[View Service](/services/disc-injury) - ![Woman supports another person's bent knee while they lie on a treatment table in a bright room](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealthflex-sciatica.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790157212124&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) ## Sciatica 30–45 mins Assessment and treatment for pain that travels from the back into the buttock and down the leg, often with pins and needles or numbness. * * * £62–£72 [Book online](https://healthflex.connect.tm3app.com/book/physiotherapy)[View Service](/services/sciatica) - ![Relaxed woman with eyes closed receives gentle neck massage from a person in a blue top](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealthflex-neck-pain.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790157209943&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) ## Neck pain 30–45 mins Treatment for neck pain and stiffness, including the kind that builds at a desk and the kind that refers pain into the shoulder and arm. * * * £62–£72 [Book online](https://healthflex.connect.tm3app.com/book/physiotherapy)[View Service](/services/neck-pain) - ![Man in red athletic top receives assisted shoulder stretch with blue resistance band from therapist](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fhealthflex-stroke-rehabilitation.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1789557522798&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) ## Whiplash 30–45 mins Treatment for neck pain, stiffness and headaches after a road traffic accident or similar sudden movement, with early active rehabilitation. * * * £62–£72 [Book online](https://healthflex.connect.tm3app.com/book/physiotherapy)[View Service](/services/whiplash) - ![Translucent rear torso with glowing orange spinal column against a blue gradient background](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2FScoliosis.jpg%3Fprefix%3Dtenants%252F6a993819fabdf5583928bbf1%26v%3D1790666979562&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_9AoTJrsECXwfDqdp8eaepteJhhKL) ## Scoliosis 30–45 mins Physiotherapy for adults with scoliosis, focused on strength, movement, managing pain and maintaining function rather than straightening the curve. * * * £62–£72 [Book online](https://healthflex.connect.tm3app.com/book/physiotherapy)[View Service](/services/scoliosis) ## Frequently Asked Questions Should I see a physiotherapist or my GP for back pain? For most back pain a physiotherapist is the more useful first stop, because the treatment is assessment, movement and exercise rather than medication. See your GP or go to hospital the same day if you have numbness around the saddle area, loss of bladder or bowel control, weakness in both legs, or back pain with unexplained weight loss or fever. Do I need a scan before treatment? Usually not. NICE guidance advises against routine imaging for common low back pain, because it rarely changes what the treatment should be and frequently shows changes that are present in people with no pain at all. If a scan is genuinely warranted we will say so and write to your GP. How long does back pain take to settle? Most episodes improve substantially within a few weeks, particularly when you stay active rather than resting. Longstanding or recurring pain takes longer and needs the strength work as well as the treatment, which is the part most people skip.