Blog: Pain Management Fundamentals: Move Better, Train Pain-Free

How To Fix Painful Low Back Pain In 3 Steps

Could what you've been told about low back pain be based on old science? The rehab world loves neat answers. "Your core is weak" or "You have a disc bulge, so avoid bending." Simple, yes. True? Often not. At Resilience Rehab & Performance, we take a different path. Our Pain Codex method uses the latest research. Importantly, we focus on movement - not rest - as the key to healing. Additionally, you'll learn proven moves that help you get back to what you love.

Hayden Egerton

Hayden Egerton is the founder of Resilience Rehabilitation & Performance and creator of the Pain Codex Model, specialising in pain science, performance rehabilitation, and systems-based solutions for athletes, professionals, and training environments.

April 1, 2025

Could what you’ve been told about low back pain be based on old science? The rehab world loves neat answers. “Your core is weak” or “You have a disc bulge, so avoid bending.” Simple, yes. True? Often not. At Resilience Rehab & Performance, we take a different path. Our Pain Codex method uses the latest research. Importantly, we focus on movement – not rest – as the key to healing. Additionally, you’ll learn proven moves that help you get back to what you love.

Breaking Free from Outdated Low Back Pain Advice

What Low Back Pain Actually Is (And Isn’t)

Most people get low back pain (LBP) at some point. It might feel like an ache, throb, or sharp pain. Furthermore, it can show up in one spot or spread to your buttocks or legs.

Here’s what might shock you: doctors call most back pain “non-specific LBP.” No single part is “broken” – instead, many factors play a role in your pain.

Think about this: a 2022 study looked at elite football players with no pain. Yet surprisingly, 83% showed “problems” on their scans (Carmody et al., 2022). These players had “damaged” backs but nevertheless felt great.

Even more telling, doctors trying to find pain causes from MRIs alone do worse than a coin toss (Hall et al., 2021). Consequently, using only scans to guide treatment rarely helps.

A Typical Low Back Pain Story

Here’s what many weekend warriors go through:

A man sits too much due to work. Meanwhile, stress builds over a big project. Later, he rushes to football training and misses warm-up. He quickly puts on his boots and jumps into a drill. Suddenly, while moving, he feels a twinge in his lower back.

Afterwards, he feels pain when he bends – a grabbing feeling at certain angles. In contrast, leaning back feels better, but not if he goes too far. Overall, the pain stays on his right side with no leg issues.

This is classic non-specific LBP. Although it feels scary, it often clears up with the right care.

Beyond Myths: What Science Shows

Pain science shows us a more complex view. Specifically, pain isn’t just about damage. Rather, it’s a guard system from your nervous system.

Old methods focus too much on “damaged” parts. The Pain Codex, on the other hand, does something else. Initially, we slowly bring back moves your body can handle, then build your strength.

People with back pain often show these patterns:

Flexion issues: Pain while bending forward
Extension issues: Pain while bending backward

The 3-Stage Exercise Approach to Low Back Pain

Instead of random moves, we offer a clear plan. This plan respects your pain while building strength.

The goal isn’t to avoid moving – it’s to find moves your body accepts, then build from there.

Stage 1: Finding Your Baseline

First of all, find moves that don’t cause much pain. Subsequently, these become your starting place:

Gentle Pelvic Tilts

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat
Rock your pelvis back and forth within a pain-free range
Try 2 sets of 10, done 2-3 times each day

Cat-Cow Breathing

Get on hands and knees
When you breathe in, gently arch your back (cow)
When you breathe out, gently round your back (cat)
Stay where it feels safe
Do 10 reps, 2-3 times daily

Modified Child’s Pose

Start on hands and knees
Move back toward your heels only as far as feels good
Hold 20-30 seconds while taking deep breaths
Do this 3-5 times

The goal isn’t to push through pain but instead to find safe moves. As a result, this helps train your body to trust moving again – a key step in healing.

Stage 2: Building Movement Capacity

After finding pain-free moves, slowly add more:

Bridge Progressions

Start with tiny bridges, lifting hips just a bit
Slowly lift higher as you feel better
Next, add short holds at the top
Later, try one-leg versions
Work up to 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Controlled Bending

Stand with hands on a table, bend forward slightly
As you feel better, gradually bend more
Work toward reaching lower spots
Eventually try deadlift-type moves
Aim for 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps

Rotation Work

Begin with seated gentle turns
Move to standing turns
Afterwards, add turns in lunge stance
Finally, try using a ball for turns
Do 2-3 sets of 8 per side

Stage 3: Functional Integration

Lastly, bring these moves into your daily life or sport:

Squat Steps

Start with box squats at a height that feels good
Gradually lower the box height as you gain strength
Work up to full squats, then add weight
Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps

Hinge Growth

Begin with hands on a bench while hinging
Progress to light Romanian deadlifts
Then try standard deadlifts
Work up to 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps

Rotation Power

Start with gentle ball tosses
Subsequently move toward faster turning moves
Additionally, add sport-based turning moves
Build to 3 sets of 6-8 per side

When to Be Careful With Low Back Pain: Our Traffic Light System

While moving helps most back pain, some cases need more care.

So instead of constantly overthinking, you can use our simple traffic light system:

Green Light (Safe to Move)

Pain with exercise that doesn’t stop you
Morning pain doesn’t last more than 4 days
There wasn’t a significant injury mechanism (i.e. it came on gradually/randomly)
None of the symptoms are spreading to legs

Orange Light (Move with Care)

Pain without injury, but still able to do things
Morning pain that gets better once you move
Sleep is fine
No leg symptoms

Red Light (Get Help)

Pain wakes you at night
Numbness, tingling, or odd feelings in back or legs
Leg weakness with back pain
Can’t do normal tasks
Pain goes past your buttock
Fast weight loss with back pain

Special Notes for Different Groups

Young Athletes (Under 16)

Though less common in teens, ongoing back pain needs a check-up. In particular, growth spurts, overuse, hip issues, or genes might play a role.

Weekend Warriors Coming Back

If you’re starting again after time off, build up slowly. Indeed, doing too much too soon often causes back pain.

Those with Stress Issues

Watch for pain that grows with high training loads. For instance, signs include morning and night pain that hurts your sleep. Certainly, this might be a stress injury that needs help.

Using Your Exercise Plan: Key Rules

Follow these tips for best results:

Start with what feels okay now, not what you think you should do
Pick steady, mild work over rare hard workouts
Moreover, slowly add more as you get stronger
Know that some mild aches during progress are normal
Furthermore, how you feel the day after matters more than during the workout

Writing a New Back Pain Story

The Pain Codex Model marks a big shift in thinking about back pain. Specifically, we see pain not as damage, but as a body signal you can retrain.

Through slow steps of safe moves and growing strength, you can beat back pain. In fact, many people come back stronger than before their pain started.

Most people with back pain heal fully.

Your back isn’t broken for good. Instead, it just needs the right plan to rebuild trust in moving and gain strength.

Understanding Chronic Pain: Why It Persists and What Actually Helps

Chronic pain is confusing. It often doesn’t make sense. You might have been told nothing is structurally wrong, yet the pain is real and persistent. Or you’ve tried rest, treatment, and everything in between, but symptoms keep returning. The most frustrating part? The explanations you’ve been given probably haven’t helped you understand why this is happening or what to do about it.

Man with joint pain holding back of ankle

Joint Pain 101: 4 Reasons Your Joints Are Painful

Chronic joint pain can significantly impact athletic performance and quality of life. Unlike acute injuries that occur suddenly, chronic injuries develop gradually over time due to repeated stress on muscles, tendons, and joints. This guide explores the causes, warning signs, and most effective rehab strategies for chronic joint pain and injuries.

load management and readiness in training

Load Management 101: How To Avoid Pain, Injury & Frustration

In the world of athletic performance, the difference between good and great often comes down to one critical factor: load management. At Resilience Rehab, we’ve developed comprehensive models for training, rehabilitation, and performance that embrace a simple philosophy – no fluff, just results. This integrated approach addresses everything from breathing and floor work at the foundational level through to high-intensity plyometrics and sport-specific training at the advanced stages. But before we can effectively implement these systems, we need to understand a crucial concept: athletic readiness.

Man stressed at work. Science-based approaches to stress management in today's fast-paced environment.

Stress Management 101: How To Transform Progress

In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become an inevitable part of our daily lives. Whether it’s work pressure, relationship challenges, financial concerns, or health issues, stress affects us all in various ways. But what exactly is stress, and how does it impact our bodies and minds? Based on the Pain Codex Model, this article delves into the science of stress management, offering insights into how we can better understand and handle stress in our lives.

Send Us A Message

Trusted by Elite, International Athletes

As Seen In:

From Amateur, To International

We’ve worked with athletes from all of these teams

One system. Three Pathways.

Three distinct pathways built on the same performance and rehabilitation operating system.

Performance & Recovery

For individuals who need their body to hold up under real-life load

Performance-focused rehab and coaching for people who want to keep training while restoring capacity, confidence and long-term resilience.

Train Hard Without Quietly Making Things Worse

Stop wondering if today’s session is moving you forward or digging a deeper hole. Train with clear limits so you stay consistent without flare-ups, setbacks or regret tomorrow.

Stop Second-Guessing Your Own Body

Learn what pain actually signals so it stops running your decisions. Move and train with calm confidence instead of constant vigilance and doubt.

Rebuild What Your Body Can Handle

Managing symptoms keeps you stuck playing defence. We rebuild strength, tolerance, and work capacity so your body copes with training, work and life again.

Build Physical Reliability, Not Just Relief

Create a body that holds up under long weeks, pressure and real-world demands. Less managing, less fear, and confidence that this isn’t fragile anymore.

GYMS & CLINICS

For facilities losing members To when pain Or Injury Strikes

An in-house rehabilitation and progression system that keeps injured members training, paying and progressing inside your existing model.

Keep Members Training Instead Of Freezing Or Leaving

Stop losing members the moment pain appears. Keep them active, supported and progressing instead of pausing memberships or sending them elsewhere.

Remove Confusion For Coaches And Members

Replace mixed messages and guesswork with clear, in-class modifications and progressions everyone understands.

Reduce Drop-Offs Before They Become Cancellations

Support members at the first sign of pain, not after frustration sets in. Fewer interruptions means fewer exits.

Turn Injury Moments Into Retention Wins

Handle pain well and members stay loyal. Build trust, consistency and long-term revenue without changing your core offering.

PRACTITIONERS & COACHES

For professionals responsible for other people's bodies

Education, mentorship and CPDs that turn pain science into clear decision-making inside real-world training environments.

Make Confident Decisions Under Pressure

Stop hesitating when pain shows up mid-session. Use clear frameworks so you know what to modify, what to progress and what actually matters.

Bridge Theory And The Gym Floor

Move beyond textbook answers that don’t survive real training environments. Apply pain science without over-medicalising movement or killing momentum.

Handle Pain Conversations With Authority

Explain pain clearly so clients trust the process instead of panicking, resting unnecessarily or shopping for second opinions.

Protect Outcomes - And Your Reputation

Use systems that support long-term results, not short-term fixes. Fewer stalled clients, fewer awkward conversations and more professional confidence.