Since back pain comes in many different forms, treatment does as well. The most common method of treating back pain is rest and relaxation. While bed rest is only advised for two or three days, relaxation can continue on upwards of six weeks combined with other methods before surgery is considered.
Here is a list of some of the conventional methods used to treat back pain:
Bed rest for 1-2 days
Studies suggest that bed rest alone may make back pain worse and can lead to secondary complications such as depression, decreased muscle tone, and blood clots in the legs. Patients should resume activities as soon as possible. At night or during rest, patients should lie on one side, with a pillow between the knees (some doctors suggest resting on the back and putting a pillow beneath the knees). You should resume activities as soon as possible to help strengthen your back.
Exercise
This may be the most effective way to help speed up your recovery from low back pain and help strengthen back and abdominal muscles. Persons with skeletal irregularities will find that building and maintaining good muscle strength is important to living with less back pain. Often your doctor or physical therapist will provide you with a list of gentle stretching exercises that will help to keep your muscles moving. Any mild discomfort felt at the start of these exercises should disappear as muscles become stronger, but if your back pain is more than mild and lasts more than 15 minutes during exercise, you should stop your exercising and contact a doctor.
Medications
Effective pain relief may involve a combination of prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies. Patients should always check with a doctor before taking drugs for pain relief. Certain medicines, even those sold over the counter, are unsafe during pregnancy, may conflict with other medications, may cause side effects including drowsiness, or may lead to liver damage.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs - Aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen are taken orally to reduce stiffness, swelling, and inflammation and to ease mild to moderate low back pain.
- Anticonvulsants - Drugs primarily used to treat seizures may be useful in treating certain types of nerve pain and may also be prescribed with analgesics.
- Opioids - Codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine are often prescribed to manage severe acute and chronic back pain but should be used only for a short period of time and under a physician’s supervision. Side effects can include drowsiness, decreased reaction time, impaired judgment, and potential for addiction. Many specialists are convinced that chronic use of these drugs is detrimental to the back pain patient, adding to depression and even increasing pain.



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