What Does a Physio Do When She Hurts Her Back? 😅
So… plot twist: I hurt my low back while gardening in the summer.
When I told my neighbour, she laughed a little — not in a mean way, more in a “wait, YOU? The physio?” kind of way. And honestly, I get it. It does sound ironic that someone who treats back pain for a living ended up with back pain herself.
But here’s the truth: physios are human too. Accidents happen. Heavy pots happen. And backs don’t always appreciate them 😄
The only real difference? I might be a bit more prepared to deal with it.
After lifting a very heavy garden pot (lesson learned), I sprained my low back and wow — it was painful. Sharp, stabbing pain every time I bent down, rolled in bed, sat, or walked. Not fun. My poor back muscles and ligaments were clearly not impressed.
So here’s what I did to help things heal as quickly as possible:
Support & Protect
I wore a low back support belt (similar to what weightlifters use). It helped keep my back in a neutral position and provided gentle compression, which calmed down irritated nerves and reduced the pain.
Rest (Yes, Really)
I gave my back a break. I avoided things that made it worse — bending forward, twisting, long walks, and sitting for too long. While I don’t believe rest is helpful long-term, it is important when an injury is fresh. Those first few days of not pushing through allowed my muscles to settle and recover faster.
What I Didn’t Do
This part surprises a lot of people: I didn’t stretch my back or get a massage. Even though those can be great later on, doing them too early — while the tissues are still irritated — can actually make things worse. Sometimes the best move is to… not move too much.
After about four days of this, my back was already about 90% better, and I was moving normally again 🎉
Once the pain fully settles, I’ll slowly ease back into gentle stretching and progressive strengthening — because strong backs are happy backs.
So yes, physios get injured too. And no, we’re not immune to heavy garden pots. But with the right approach, healing doesn’t have to take forever 😉
Mia Dang, PT, is a pelvic physiotherapist with extensive supplementary training in pelvic floor physiotherapy and perinatal care