If you have low back pain, you know how painful it can be! It may just be little twinges of pain, or it may be very painful. The amount of the pain does not necessarily correspond to the amount of the damage to the back.

Treatments After A Diagnostic Evaluation Of Lower Back Pain

The goals of treatment are many: to reduce the pain as soon as possible; the restore the ability to do everyday activities; to cope with any residual pain; to be aware of any possible side effects of the treatment. Most people also want to use non-surgical methods of treatment if at all possible, though sometimes surgery is warranted (In less than 10% of cases)

Sometimes heat therapy is very useful, especially for acute low back pain. For some people, moist heat works best, like in a spa or hot bath. For others, the low heat that stays warm for a while (for example, a heat wrap that can be warn for 4-6 hours) is best. For still others, cold therapy is very effective. Your diagnostic evaluation of your lower back pain won’t be able to tell you which will be best for you, but try each until you feel some relief.

Medicines can be helpful in dealing with back pain. If you’ve gone to your primary care physician for a diagnostic evaluation of your lower back pain, he or she might have prescribed something for your back pain. Generally, the ones prescribed are muscle relaxants, narcotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen. In the studies performed, there was no benefit found to have injection therapy with corticosteriods. Sometimes herbal analgesics are effective, and are worth consideration.

Exercise is a very effective approach to helping with back pain, whether or not you’ve had a diagnostic evaluation of your lower back pain. It can be most effective under the direction of a physical therapist, but even without a pro at your side, the stretching and exercise is often key to recovery, especially for chronic back pain.

Massage therapy can help with recovery, as can Body Awareness Therapy courses, like the Fedenkrais Method.

Chiropractic care or acupuncture have been shown to help some, though not as much as the methods mentioned above.

Using proper ergonomics and lifting techniques in the work place and at home have also been found to be very effective in preventing future back pain.

Surgery is usually a last resort, but can be appropriate if you have scoliosis, spinal stenosis, lumbar disc herniation or degenerative disc disease, or a compression fracture. See your primary care physician if that is your situation.

Anyone with a diagnostic evaluation of lower back pain can do things to help their back heal. It is valuable to know what will work for you and your back, and to what works.