What is the Most Effective Treatment for Back Pain?

Back pain is common in adults and people involved in physical activities. The discomfort can be mild enough to go on its own within a few days or chronic. The common causes of back pain are muscle pull and spasm, nerve irritation, and spinal abnormalities. The treatment options for acute back pain are wide, according to the cause of the pain. In this article, we will discuss the common treatments considered effective for back pain.

The Most Effective Treatment Options for Chronic Back Pain

Back pain is considered chronic if it lasts for longer than a month. It can come and go bringing temporary relief, but dealing with it permanently can be difficult, especially if you don’t know the cause of the back pain. The type of Back pain treatment depends on the severity of pain and the cause of it. If it is due to age, the treatment is different than that of the pain caused due to injury. Here are a few nonsurgical treatments of back pain considered effective.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is the best way of treating back pain. It is one of the treatments that you should try under the guidance of a professional therapist. The same set of exercises are not effective for everyone, and they have to be tailored according to the specific symptoms one is experiencing. The physical therapy for treating back pain includes:

• Retraining posture
• Testing limits of pain tolerance.
• Stretching exercises
• Aerobic exercises
• Core strengthening
• Soft tissues mobilisation

Meditation

Chronic pain strains the body both physically and emotionally. To manage and treat the frustration, depression and to control the pain, one should try meditation and mindfulness. Refer to a rehabilitation psychologist to get recommendations for yoga, meditation and other cognitive strategies. Studies show that cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for both short and long term relief. The therapist target how people think about physical activity and why are they avoiding it. Talk therapy changes the way people with back pain think about being active. People who do CBT have reported a decrease in pain and disability.

Heat or Ice Treatment

Treat the back pain with hot or ice compress as heat or ice packs increase mobility and reduce the symptoms of pain. Place a bag of ice on the tender areas of your back and treat the inflammation. To protect the skin from frostbite, wrap the ice in a towel. Safely use it on the affected area for 20 minutes at a time. After completing days of cold treatment, switch to heat packs. Use a heating pad or warm bath to reduce inflammation. The warmth will penetrate the body and loosen the tight muscles causing pain in your back. Make sure to keep the temperature of the heating pad optimal to avoid the risk of burns.

Try Medication for Back Pain

Medication is a good solution to get instant relief for some time. if you feel chronic pain that is not turning down, try Over Counter OTC pain relievers. These are the best non-invasive treatment option for chronic back pain. Several medications, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen, are effective in reducing pain. However, these medications are less likely to alleviate the symptoms of pain caused due to disc misalignment or nerve compression. Consult your doctor if you are not feeling well even after trying medications.

Exercise to Relieve Back Pain

Many people avoid moving during chronic pain. They should know that exercising and staying involved in physical activities is an effective way to recover quickly from back pain. Few core exercises strengthen the muscles and support your spine. The stronger your muscles become, the less you will feel pain in your back. According to the study, the people who practice adapted yoga poses experience less back pain and disability. Other exercises, such as swimming, walking and running, also treat the back pain efficiently. Being overweight puts lots of pressure on your back, so if you have more than recommended weight, you should try reducing it to avoid back pressure.

Injection Based Treatments

For the treatment of chronic back pain, some types of injection-based procedures are available. These procedures include nerve blocks, epidural steroids, and nerve ablation. When the pain source is known, the professional doctor recommends this treatment. These injections may stop or reduce the pain for a certain period. However, these are not the long-term solution.

Conclusion

Back pain is a common issue in most people. Some experience it due to increased age, while the other reasons could be physical activity, genetic disorder, poor posture and many others. To stop this pain, there are several treatments available. Some of these treatments have been discussed in this article. Hopefully, it will help you find the best and suitable treatment.