Back pain can be very stressful especially when it prolongs for weeks or months. Majority of the time the pain will eventually fade away within a short duration of several weeks or at most several months. There are very many types of treatment that can be prescribed by the doctor to treat your back pain as well as some home-made remedies that have been proved to be effective. Sometimes the simple treatment procedures that can be carried out at home might not prove to be very effective and an individual will have to consider other complex treatment procedures like surgery. After long sessions of using the simple treatment procedures without any significant improvement, it might be time to consult your physiotherapist. The most commonly used treatments for back pain include stretches and back exercises, the use of hot and cold packs, pain medication, manual therapy and surgical procedures.
Stretches and back exercises
In as much as possible, it is essential to maintain the routine of your daily activities despite the back pain. Staying active makes it possible for your body to recover faster as compared to when the bed rest is taken. It might be tough at first to continue with your normal activities with the excruciating pain but with time the intensity of the pain decreases. Pain medication might be ideal to help you in regulating the pain if it is too much. Stretching and simple back exercises can also be essential when trying to minimize the back pain. Exercise and stretch as often as possible at home. Consult your physiotherapist to give you an insight into the most ideal exercises to try out if you are having trouble deciding on what will be best for your back. The regular stretches and exercise will be important in ensuring that your back stays healthy and strong. The most popular activities that people indulge in are Pilates, walking, yoga and swimming.
Pain medication
There are those painkillers that are readily available in any outlet stores and do not require one to have a prescription such as ibuprofen. These are NSAID (Non –steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) that can effectively kill the pain on your back. These drugs are however not suitable to be used by every individual which is why the advice of a pharmacist is essential or reading the leaflet before taking the drug. There are other types of painkillers that are ideal for individuals who cannot take NSAIDs like codeine. Codeine should, however, be used for very few days since when used for a long period of time it can become addictive. Paracetamol is another painkiller that can be used but it is weak and therefore needs to be used in combination with other strong medication like codeine.
Hot and cold packs
During the initial stages of back pain taking a hot water bath or placing a bottle of hot water on the back helps in relieving the pain. Placing an ice pack or a bag containing frozen items relieves the pain on the ailing part for a short while. The cold or hot packs should never be placed directly on the skin but rather wrapped with a piece of clothing first to avoid cold or hot burns.
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