Lower Back
Pain Treatment Options
Back pain treatment
can be helpful at
alleviating these
potentially
debilitating
symptoms. Often, the
initial treatment of
back pain consists of
some simple steps. If
these treatments are
not adequate in
relieving your back
pain, then other
treatments may be
necessary. Learn
about the most common
treatments for back
pain, as well as
alternative
treatments, and
surgical treatments
for back pain
.Treatment of low
back pain usually
begins with a few
basic steps. Before
beginning any back
pain treatment
program, be sure you
know your diagnosis,
and discuss the
treatment plan with
your doctor. There
are some conditions
that cause back pain
and require immediate
treatment. For most
cases of back pain,
the first treatments
are as follows:
Rest
The first step in the
treatment of low back
pain is to rest the
spine. Because most
cases of back pain
are due to muscle
strain, it is
important to avoid
further irritation to
the spine and the
muscles that surround
the spinal column.
Bed rest is fine, so
long as this only
lasts two to three
days. Prolonged bed
rest can actually
lead to more
persistent back pain.
Once the acute back
pain eases, avoid
lifting, twisting,
and physical
exertion.
Anti-Inflammatory
Medications
Anti-inflammatory
medications, or
NSAIDs, are helpful
in treatment of both
back pain and the
associated
inflammation.
There are both
over-the-counter and
prescription NSAIDs,
and both work well in
the treatment of back
pain. Side-effects of
NSAIDs include
problems of GI
bleeding, and these
medications should be
avoided in patients
with stomach ulcers.
Heat Application
Applications of heat
packs help ease much
of the discomfort
associated with
muscle spasm causing
low back pain.
Patients can use
heating pad, hot
water bottles, or
even a hot bath to
help ease the muscle
discomfort that often
causes low back pain.
Exercises
Strengthening of back
muscles is probably
the most important
step in treatment of
most causes of back
pain. By increasing
strength and
flexibility of back
muscles, weight is
better distributed,
and less force is
placed on the spine.
These simple measures
often lead to
resolution of the
symptoms of low back
pain. If not, you
should certainly be
under the direct care
of a physician to aid
in the treatment of
your condition. There
are further steps in
the treatment of low
back pain that can be
considered:
Narcotic Pain
Medications
Narcotic pain
medications are
excellent at
relieving pain, but
these can be
dangerous, addictive
medications. These
medications include
Percocet, Vicoden,
Oxycontin, and
others. Using
narcotic medications
must be under close
supervision, and only
for a limited period
of time. prolonged
use of narcotic
medication can be
dangerous.
Muscle Relaxers
Muscle relaxing
medications can be
very helpful in the
treatment of some
types of back pain.
Muscle relaxers are
sold under the trade
names of Flexeril,
Soma, Valium, and
others. These
medications help to
relieve muscle spasm,
but may also make
patients quite
drowsy.
Physical Therapy Back
exercises, as listed
above, are the focus
of physical therapy.
However, there are
other modalities that
can be used in the
treatment of back
pain if the exercises
alone do not help.
Modalities include
aquatherapy,
ultrasound,
electrical
stimulation, and
others.
Epidural Steroid
Injections
Epidural steroid
injections are an
option for back pain
treatment and
inflammation around
the spinal nerves. An
epidural steroid
injection is
performed using an
x-ray to guide the
medication to the
area adjacent to the
inflamed spinal
nerve.
Spine Surgery
Usually a step when
extensive efforts at
conservative back
pain treatment fails
to relieve symptoms.
Read on to learn
about
different types of
spine surgery and the
types of back pain
these treatments may
help.
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