What Are the Conventional Treatments for Low Back Pain?
The most important aspect of back pain is how it impacts your ability to function in your daily life. So, although it’s important to reduce pain, the emphasis of the treatment isn’t only on eliminating the pain, but on improving your ability to function as much as possible in your usual activities. Treatment options include a variety of conservative approaches, such as medications, exercise and physical therapy, and counseling, or they include more aggressive approaches, such as surgery. 1. Medications: The choice of medication depends on whether the pain is muscle and bone pain, nerve pain, or a mixture of both. For muscle and bone pain, the general categories of medications used include: • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen • Narcotic medications or opioids such as codeine or hydrocodone. These do not treat the underlying cause, but rather mask the sensation of pain • Muscle relaxants, such Flexeril or Soma. The U.S. Food and Drug Administr
