subject: How To Treat Lower Back Pain [print this page] Lower back pain is a common occurrence in about 80% of the population throughout their lifetime. Most instances are muscle injury and fatigue from bending or lifting improperly, which will heal with rest, ice, and pain relievers. When rest and other home treatments do not work, lower back pain is much more serious and other treatments are necessary.
Generally speaking, only a doctor can discover what kind of treatment lower back pain needs, since diagnosis includes specialized medical equipment and tests, such as x-rays, CAT scans, or MRIs. These tools will help your doctor discover what path of treatment is right for you. Contact your doctor if the pain gets worse, does not improve with two or three days of rest and ice, or if the pain feels like it is moving up and down your body. These signs may point to a serious injury.
There are three ways lower back pain is treated. The first is medically and includes the use of medications, both over the counter and prescription. When using a medical treatment, it is important to follow the doctors instructions accurately since many medications, even those found over the counter, can have long lasting and dangerous side effects.
If medical treatment of lower back pain is not working or the pain is severe, a doctor may recommend some kind of physical therapy either instead of medication or more commonly, alongside medical treatment. Physical therapy can include, but is not limited to, specialized exercises, massage, ultrasound treatments, heat/ice therapies, and others. Depending on the extent of the injury, chiropractic care may be recommended.
As a last resort, once all other treatments have been tried and have failed, lower back pain can be treated with surgery. While no one wants to live with pain, and no doctor wants to see you living with it, other treatments should be tried for at least 3 months before considering a surgical treatment. Be sure to fully understand your surgical treatment by asking the following questions plus any others that you may have:
Why do I need and operation?
What operation are you recommending?
Are there any alternatives to surgery?
How much will the operation cost?
What are the benefits of having operation?
What are the risks of having operation?
What if I dont have this operation?
What kind of anesthesia will I need?
How long will it take me to recover?
How long I will be in the hospital?
If you would like, you can obtain a second opinion on the necessity of having a surgery. Most surgeries are rather invasive and require a fairly lengthy time to recover. Depending on what kind of surgery is recommended for you, you could be healing for weeks or even months.
Lower back pain may not be avoidable, but it can be put off for as long as possible. Exercise regularly, observe proper lifting techniques, keep your body at a healthy weight, and do not smoke. These words of wisdom and common sense may keep your back in working order for many years to come.
