What treatment can your doctor offer for bad back pain?
Answers: If the pain is muscular, the doctor will recommend that you rest. Lie on a firm mattress. Apply heat to the effected area. Take Ibuprophen for the pain and Flexeril or Skelaxin for muscular pain. He may even suggest taking a warm bath with epson salts. Some docs are pretty quick to prescribe Narcotics depending on the intensity of your pain.
The rest serves two purposes: it keeps you more comfortable and also aids in healing.
When you start to feel a liitle less pain, start an exercise program. The best one is Swimming which has been found to be one of the best activities for not only back, but knee and hip pain.
If the pain persists with no relief, then it is time for your doc to order xrays. If you have additional signs like numbness or tingling, he may want to refer you to an Orthopedist and obrtain an MRI.
Physical Therapy is the most common form of treatment. They will often use massage, ultrasound, electric-stim and instruct on how to do strengthening exercises.
Nerve blocks can be helpful if the problem is coming from a disc or it involves the facets (area between the joints). Otherwise, they are ineffectual.
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Depending on what is causing the back pain the doctor can sometimes give medication such as anti-inflammatory medication like Cataflam, muscle relaxers like Skelaxin.
They can also sometimes give nerve blocks which are special injections that are given in to nerves if there is a problem with the nerves around there. They may also recommend things like physical therapy as well.
On the alternative front they may offer things like massage therapy.