Treatment and Prevention
Anti-inflammatory medications, painkillers, and rest are common treatments for mild to moderate back pain. Surgery, bed rest, and medications have been used to treat severe back disorders without much success. Doctors now know that long periods without exercise can make back disorders worse: lack of exercise weakens the muscles, increases the risk of blood clots, and makes it harder to get back to doing normal activities.
As soon as the most severe pain goes away, back disorders should be treated with daily exercises to improve general fitness, as well as with exercise routines geared to the specific back problem. Your doctor or physiotherapist should provide a personalized exercise routine for back problems. Brisk walking, cycling, and swimming are excellent exercises for people with bad backs. Also helpful are exercises that strengthen abdominal and core muscles, such as sit-ups and planks. A health care professional can also provide instruction about proper lifting techniques to minimize stress on the back.
Your doctor may advise you to lose weight, which may also ease some back problems. Alternative therapies such as massage and acupuncture may help some people with back pain.
Jeffrey Heit, MD, Internist with special emphasis on preventive health, fitness and nutrition, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.