Back Pain Treatment Options
Back pain usually goes away with rest and home remedies. However, medications may be needed if it persists for a long time.
Read more about available treatments and if you are looking for non-surgical options or options that don’t include opioids Carolinas Pain Center is the best place to receive the wide array of treatments available. Our back pain specialists will ensure you receive the most effective options for your current diagnosis after reviewing your MRI findings and any other imaging you can provide.
Lower back pain may be linked to the discs between the vertebrae, bony lumbar spine, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, lower back muscles, abdominal and pelvic internal organs, and the skin around the lumbar area. Pain in the upper back may be due to disorders of the aorta, tumors in the chest, and spine inflammation.
Home remedies:
- Rest
- Ice packs
- Hot compresses
- Comfortable physical activity
Medical treatment:
If home treatments fail to relieve back pain, a physician may prescribe some medications along with physical therapy. Some commonly used medicine to treat back pain are:
- Prescription NSAIDs
- Codeine or hydrocortisone
- Antidepressants, such as amitriptyline
Physical therapy such as applying heat, ice, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation, and some muscle-release techniques also help get rid of back pain.
If simple medications and physical therapy fail to relieve back pain, here are the following options:
- Cortisone injections
- Botox (botulism toxin)
- Traction
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Alternative therapies:
These therapies may be used alongside conventional treatments or separately. These therapies include:
- Chiropractic practices
- Osteopathy
- Yoga
- Acupuncture
- Shiatsu
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
Surgery
Surgical options are utilized only as a last resort. These options are:
- Fusion
- Artificial disc
- Discectomy:
- Partially removing a vertebra
- MILD Procedure
- Vertiflex
References
- Ehrlich G. E. (2003). Back pain. The Journal of rheumatology. Supplement, 67, 26–31. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12926648/
- Bartleson J. D. (2001). Low Back Pain. Current treatment options in neurology, 3(2), 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-001-0051-4
- Koes, B. W., van Tulder, M. W., & Thomas, S. (2006). Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 332(7555), 1430–1434. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.332.7555.1430
- Borenstein D. G. (1996). Chronic low back pain. Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America, 22(3), 439–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0889-857x(05)70281-7
- Koes, B. W., van Tulder, M. W., & Thomas, S. (2006). Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 332(7555), 1430–1434. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.332.7555.1430
- Hong, J. Y., Song, K. S., Cho, J. H., & Lee, J. H. (2017). An Updated Overview of Low Back Pain Management in Primary Care. Asian spine journal, 11(4), 653–660. https://doi.org/10.4184/asj.2017.11.4.653
- Alvarez, J. A., & Hardy, R. H., Jr (1998). Lumbar spine stenosis: a common cause of back and leg pain. American family physician, 57(8), 1825–1840.
- Genevay, S., & Atlas, S. J. (2010). Lumbar spinal stenosis. Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology, 24(2), 253–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2009.11.001
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