Low Back Pain: The Condition That Almost Ended My Career
By Dr. Ian Laxdal, MD, FRCSC, BMR-PT
Clinical Advisor, Better Beyond Rehab
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek healthcare. It affects athletes, office workers, parents, tradespeople, and healthcare professionals alike.
For me, it almost ended my career
During my second year as an orthopedic surgery resident at the University of Manitoba, I developed severe low back pain. At the time, I was working 80–100 hours per week, spending countless hours standing in the operating room, covering overnight call shifts, attending clinics, teaching, conducting research, and trying to balance life with a young family at home. My wife and I had a one-year-old daughter, and another baby on the way.
I was exhausted, physically deconditioned, and in pain nearly every day.
The pain became so severe that I questioned whether I could continue in surgery. Between operating rooms and clinics, I would spend time stretching my back and legs, using a foam roller, applying heat, and trying every self-treatment strategy I could think of. Some evenings I would eat dinner lying on the floor because sitting was too uncomfortable.
I took anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, and Tylenol regularly. Nothing seemed to provide lasting relief.
Back Imaging
Eventually, I underwent an MRI that showed a small disc herniation at the L5-S1 level. Finally, I thought, I had found the answer.
But something didn't add up.
How could such a small finding create so much pain and disability?
As both a physiotherapist and a physician, I knew that spinal imaging often doesn't correlate perfectly with symptoms. Many people have disc bulges or herniations without pain, while others experience significant discomfort despite relatively minor imaging findings.
Yet despite all my education and training, I felt stuck.
Was Surgery the Answer
A spine surgeon even discussed the possibility of disc replacement surgery if my symptoms continued.
I began to wonder whether surgery was my future or whether I needed to leave the profession altogether.
Physiotherapy
Then I saw a physiotherapist.
That appointment changed everything.
For the first time in over a year, I felt hopeful.
Instead of focusing on avoiding movement, I learned that my back was not fragile. I learned that pain did not necessarily mean damage. Most importantly, I learned that the solution was not endless stretching or rest, it was gradually rebuilding strength, confidence, and function.
The muscles around my back, hips, and core had become weak and deconditioned. Stretching alone was never going to solve the problem.
With guidance and a structured rehabilitation plan, I slowly returned to normal movement. I built strength, increased my activity levels, and regained confidence in my body.
The process was not immediate.
It took time.
But over the following year, I stopped needing pain medication. I stopped stretching every hour. I stopped worrying that every movement would make my back worse.
Hope
Today, I am completely pain-free and have been for more than eight years.
I finished my orthopedic surgery residency, completed a pediatric orthopedic fellowship, and now work in a busy pediatric orthopedic practice at Children's Hospital in Winnipeg.
Looking back, that experience profoundly changed how I view pain, rehabilitation, and recovery.
It is also one of the reasons I became a Clinical Advisor at Better Beyond Rehab.
I know firsthand how frustrating, exhausting, and discouraging low back pain can be. I also know how life-changing the right guidance can be.
Sometimes all it takes is one visit with the right physiotherapist to change the trajectory of your recovery and in my case, my entire career.
If you are struggling with low back pain, know that there is hope. Movement is often part of the solution, not the problem. With the right assessment, education, and rehabilitation plan, many people can return to the activities they love without surgery.
You do not have to navigate it alone.
Written By: Dr. Ian Laxdal
