Surgical treatments for back pain are usually the last options chosen, and they are most common in cases with definitive diagnoses. Home remedies to treat pain symptoms and some of their causes are generally more effective at alleviating acute and chronic pain. This may be due to the elusive nature of back problems. The Cleveland Clinic reports that only 20 percent of cases referred to physicians receive specific diagnoses for the origins of spinal pain.
Activity Management
Any back problem makes movement more stressful and difficult, and movement, in turn, strains the back muscles further. The Cleveland Clinic encourages two days of bed rest following a serious injury, muscle spasms or resurgence of chronic pain from an old back injury. Immobilization, however, quickly weakens muscle, tendon and ligament tissue. A return to normal activity should take place in increments after two days, starting with gentle stretches of the affected area.
Pain Medications
Inflammation and swelling accompany back pain after an injury or in chronic conditions. The University of Maryland (UM) Medical Center suggests nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to calm all of these symptoms.
Aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be effective in the short term. Physicians may prescribe muscle relaxants for patients who experience cramping or spasms.
Temperature Therapy
More enduring acute and chronic pain relief can be found through hot and cold therapy with reusable gel packs. Temperature therapy doesn’t carry the risk for side effects that NSAIDs can cause in the long term, and it provides instant relief.
The UM Medical Center recommends using ice packs for a day or two for acute back pain, and adding alternate hot packs thereafter or for chronic back problems. Applications should last for up to 20 minutes, several times a day. Gel packs can be chilled in the refrigerator and microwaved for heat to produce a comfortable and effective temperature for topical therapy.
Physical Therapy
Returning to fitness from a moderate to severe muscle strain requires graduated exercise to prevent a relapse and to strengthen muscles. The Cleveland Clinic notes that physical therapy shortens recovery time by targeting exercise to individual needs. Workouts at home should supplement this remedy.
Chronic pain caused by back problems that can’t be cured, such as those arising from bone deformity or degeneration, can be alleviated with physical therapy. The American Physical Therapy Association reports that professionally guided exercise combined with spinal manipulation and NSAID remedies is especially effective in cases of disc deterioration that cause ongoing back pain.
