Tips To Alleviate Back Pain

Unfortunately many people suffer from daily back pain originating from a variety of causes. While it may not be possible to completely relieve the pain, the tips in this article will help you to better manage your pain and lessen it as much as possible.

Before seeing the doctor it is important to document what activities aggravate and relieve the pain. This information will often help the doctor to diagnose the cause of your back pain and develop a plan of treatment. There are many causes of back pain such as injuries, mechanical problems such as disc degeneration, infections, and acquired conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

It is also important to take any medication prescribed by the doctor for you back pain. Most doctors will prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) as the first line of treating back pain. Often people will say that it didn't help with the pain and quit taking it because they didn't think it helped any. This type of drug will need to be taken over a period of time before getting much relief as it works by reducing inflammation which in turn causes pain. Another type of drug commonly used to treat back pain is muscle relaxants. They allow the muscles to relax which allows them to heal. Steroids are another type of drug used to treat back pain and it's very important to take them as directed as you must get a certain level of it accumulated in your body in order to get some pain relief. Narcotics are used to treat back pain when nothing else works and it is important to take them as the doctor ordered them.

Your doctor may recommend exercise as one of the initial treatments of back pain. Often the doctor will refer you to physical therapy to be evaluated and to develop an exercise people. Many people mistakenly believe that it's best to rest your back when pain is felt but rest can actually undermine the healing process. Exercise will help distribute nutrients to the soft tissue and discs which will accelerate healing. Exercise will also help strengthen the back muscles which reduce the re-occurrence of back pain.

You may find other things besides exercise and medications to relieve your back pain. There are many other alternatives things that can be used to relieve back pain. Often a heating pad or ice pack will help to relieve back pain. Most people prefer one over the other; stick to whichever feels the best to you. There are also many other alternative treatments such as acupuncture, TENS Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation) units, chiropractic treatment, capsaicin cream and massage therapy. Surgery is always a last resort in treating back pain.

If you notice any change in your level of pain, have trouble controlling your bowel or bladder, or have weakness in your leg it is important to seek medical attention immediately as this may be a sign of more serious back problems requiring immediate treatment.

As stated in this article there are many causes of back pain but you do not have to suffer pain endlessly with these conditions. If you follow the above tips you can reduce your pain to a much more tolerable level.