Recently, medical professionals have been able to establish concrete treatment plans for people experiencing chronic back pain. Chronic back pain used to be something that people had to get used to without hope for improvement. Many people didn’t know how to manage their back pain in a way that was feasible so they just had to deal with the pain every day. Every day can be more manageable with the right treatment. Chronic back pain is described as back pain that is persistent, lasting more than three months. Although the duration of the pain may be the same, everyone’s back pain is different. Your body may not react to treatments in the same way as another person.
Most of the initially recommended treatments for chronic back pain are centered on physical behaviors. Physical therapy is something that is used to manage chronic back pain. Physical therapy treatments emphasize strengthening and stretching the back muscles through exercise and conditioning. The use of ice or heat packs can also help to manage pain. Pain treatment through exercise is great because it promotes muscular activity that is needed to help muscles prevent further injury. Other techniques that are physical include electrotherapy, massage therapy, osteopathy and hydrotherapy. For some people all that might be needed is a change in lifestyle and habits. People that consistently subject themselves to strenuous physical activities and contact sports will have trouble with managing chronic back pain. The way that you sit down and lift heavy objects could have a lot to do with your chronic back pain.
Taking medications are another choice if you prefer a treatment that requires less physical activity. There are some people that have chronic back pain that literally prevents them from doing activities that involve muscular exertion. If this sounds similar to your situation, medications could be more appropriate. Starting with pain relievers that are the least addictive is ideal because you don’t want to become dependent on these drugs in a way that is unhealthy. Many doctors recommend analgesics like acetaminophen. Tylenol is a very popular over the counter analgesic. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also referred to as NSAIDs are great for reducing the inflammation of muscles caused by various musculoskeletal conditions that contribute to chronic back pain. There are people that manage their chronic back pain by using medications that are potentially hazardous because of their addictive nature. Narcotics are controlled substances that can be used for chronic back pain management. They should only be taken in recommended doses and this treatment method should be closely monitored by a physician for your safety.
When all else fails, surgery might be what you need to treat your back pain. Surgical procedures like a rhizotomy or a formanotomy could be what you need to jumpstart the healing process. Injections and implanted devices could possibly be a solution. For any surgical procedures you can expect to have an intensive healing process after the surgery. You could also face complications due to the type and location of these procedures.
