Are medicines such as painkillers and muscle relaxants good treatments for a painful back?
While certain chemicals may improve comfort, they have little or no effect upon healing. No person or chemical substance can go inside the spine and rebuild spinal components to their fullest capacity. Chemical substances (medicine) may provide temporary pain relief immediately following an injury by reducing inflammation and lessening the intensity of pain. But, if taken for more than three or four days following injury, painkillers’ relieving effects actually prolong recovery because pain is masked while exercise is postponed. As naturally encountered pain intensity decreases, increasing physical activity speeds recovery. Only exercise can build back muscles, re-hydrate discs, and bring about full restoration of spinal function. While painkillers have their place, the devastation of addiction is everpresent. Use caution and prudence whenever putting any chemical substance into your body.
