Back Pain & Spinal Pain
Expert spinal physiotherapy and manual therapy at Physio Tullamore — helping you understand, manage and overcome back and spinal pain in Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Book a Spinal Pain Assessment in TullamoreExpert spinal physiotherapy and manual therapy at Physio Tullamore — helping you understand, manage and overcome back and spinal pain in Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Book a Spinal Pain Assessment in TullamoreAt Physio Tullamore, our clinicians have a strong academic background and clinical link focusing on spinal manual therapy techniques. Back and spinal pain is one of the most common reasons people seek physiotherapy, and we take an evidence-based, individualised approach to assessment and treatment. Hands-on manual therapy is used to restore range of movement and decrease stiffness, always as part of a wider rehabilitation plan rather than in isolation.
Our manual therapy toolkit includes spinal manipulation, joint mobilisations — specifically the Mulligan and McKenzie techniques — and manual traction. We also place a large emphasis on the work of Peter O'Sullivan, whose Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) approach helps us understand each person's pain in the context of their movement, lifestyle and beliefs. Our clinicians have been trained in pain management by Lorimer Moseley, a world-renowned pain scientist. This pain neuroscience education helps patients understand the complexity of pain, the brain's role in producing and protecting pain, and how pain science education can help you understand and confidently manage your own recovery.
Nerve root compression, or radiculopathy, occurs when a spinal nerve is irritated or compressed, often producing pain, numbness or weakness that travels into the leg or arm. We assess the source of nerve irritation using a thorough clinical examination and combine manual therapy, traction and specific mobilisation techniques with a progressive rehabilitation programme to reduce nerve sensitivity and restore function.
Sciatica describes pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, typically from the lower back through the buttock and down the leg. Our approach combines hands-on manual therapy and mobilisation to address the contributing spinal factors, alongside neural mobilisation, pain education and a tailored exercise programme to help you return to comfortable activity.
Poor posture and sustained awkward positions can place repeated stress on the spine and surrounding muscles, contributing to ongoing back and neck pain. We assess your posture and movement habits, then address contributing factors through manual therapy, targeted strengthening, motor control work and practical advice on adjusting your workstation and daily postures.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that can range from mild to more significant. Our management approach focuses on a thorough assessment of the curvature and its impact on movement, combined with specific exercise therapy, postural re-education and manual therapy where appropriate to support spinal control and reduce discomfort.
The facet joints are the small joints at the back of the spine that guide and restrict movement. Facet joint problems can cause localised back pain, stiffness and discomfort that worsens with extension or rotation. We use joint mobilisations and manipulation to restore movement, combined with strengthening and movement re-education to reduce strain on the affected joints.
The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the pelvis and can be a source of low back and buttock pain. SIJ dysfunction can follow injury, pregnancy or altered movement patterns. Our treatment includes specific mobilisation and stabilisation techniques, motor control retraining and a progressive strengthening programme to restore pelvic and spinal stability.
Lumbar stress fractures, also known as pars defects or spondylolysis, are common in athletes — particularly those involved in extension sports such as gymnastics, cricket fast bowling, dance and throwing events where the spine is repeatedly loaded into extension. Early identification and appropriate management are essential. We have a strong focus on return to play for athletes with these conditions, using a graduated return-to-sport approach that progressively rebuilds spinal control, strength and sport-specific capacity while monitoring symptoms at every stage.
Our clinicians have a strong academic background and clinical link focusing on spinal manual therapy techniques. Hands-on approaches are used to restore range of movement and decrease stiffness, helping you move more freely and with less pain. The techniques we use include:
spinal manipulation
joint mobilisations (Mulligan and McKenzie techniques)
manual traction
Cognitive Functional Therapy (Peter O'Sullivan's CFT approach)
pain neuroscience education (trained with Lorimer Moseley)
Pain neuroscience education helps patients understand the complexity of pain, the brain's role in producing and protecting pain, and how this understanding can reduce fear, build confidence and support recovery. This is a key part of how we help you move from pain and stiffness toward confident self-management.
We don't rely on manual therapy alone. At Physio Tullamore we integrate many of our other treatments into spinal pain rehabilitation, taking a holistic approach that combines hands-on therapy with the other modalities and treatments available at the clinic. Your spinal pain programme may include:
exercise therapy and progressive strengthening
motor control and core stability work
clinical pilates
dry needling
shockwave therapy where appropriate
pain neuroscience education and Cognitive Functional Therapy
postural re-education and ergonomic advice
return-to-sport and return-to-activity planning
By combining manual therapy with these other approaches, we provide a comprehensive spinal pain rehabilitation programme that addresses not just your symptoms but the factors contributing to them — helping you build the capacity and confidence to stay active and well.
Your journey begins with a thorough assessment. Your physiotherapist will take a detailed history and perform a comprehensive physical examination to identify the source of your spinal pain and the factors contributing to it. From this, we establish a clear diagnosis and work with you to develop an individualised treatment plan.
Treatment typically begins with hands-on manual therapy — including manipulation, mobilisation and traction where appropriate — to restore range of movement, reduce stiffness and ease pain. As your symptoms improve, we progress toward self-management and exercise, combining manual therapy with exercise rehabilitation and pain education so you understand your back, build confidence in movement and develop the strength and control needed for long-term recovery.
If you are experiencing back pain, spinal pain, sciatica or a sports-related spinal condition, our experienced clinicians can help. Using expert spinal manual therapy, pain education and an integrated rehabilitation approach, we'll work with you to understand your pain, restore your movement and get you back to the activities that matter. Our clinic is based in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, providing physiotherapy to patients and athletes from Tullamore, Offaly and across the Midlands.
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