Welcome to the latest in our series of blogs on pain management. For past articles on pain management please click here https://patienttalk.org/?tag=pain-management.
In this article we are focussing on back pain and the treatment of back pain. Our hope is that our
readers will share their stories giving others in similar situations some ideas and solutions which can help them overcome back pain.
What are the causes of back pain? Well, they are very varied. They can range from bad posture and over-exertion of certain muscles (say through sport) through to medical conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis. Whiplash injuries may also cause severe back pain.
Typical treatment can involve:-
- In the short term patients can be offered pain killers such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. In some cases muscle relaxants such as Diazepam might also be prescribed.
- The use of hot water bottles or ice packs on the affected area of the back.
- Relaxation exercises and changes on sleeping posture.
- Regular exercise – the advice is to keep moving.
- In more severe cases of back pain surgery may be required.
- Some people with back pain find that alternative treatments such as acupuncture may help.
There are of course many other treatments for back pain employed such as TENS machines (https://patienttalk.org/?p=304) and we would love it if you could share your experiences. You might find the following questions helpful in formulating your responses:-
1) What was the cause of your back pain?
2) How did you treat your back pain?
3) How effective were these treatments for back pain?
4) How did back pain change your life?
5) What one piece of advice would you give to somebody who has just started to suffer from back pain?
Please feel free to use the comments box below to tell your back pain story or answer the above questions. We are confident that our readers will find you contribution really useful.
Many thanks in advance