Most painful conditions of the spine resolve naturally with appropriate conservative treatment. Over 90% of acute back pain will resolve within a couple of weeks. In some cases, appropriate excercises and manual therapy may help to alleviate the pain whilst the underlying muscle spasm or inflammation resolves naturally. In our practice, we try to exclude conditions that are potentially serious and if clinically indicated appropriate investigations are requested such as an MRI scan. The majority of patients are offerred a comprehensive rehabilitation and education programme in order to treat their symptoms and prevent future recurrences.