My options
 
There are a number of different ways to manage back pain. Your doctors’ suggestions will depend on the cause and severity of your pain, but it is generally treated in the following ways:  
 
Medicines 
Medicines can provide short-term relief, alleviating pain and inflammation to help speed your recovery. 
 
Three main types of medicine for acute back pain are:  
 

1. Painkillers
2. Anti-inflammatories
3. Local anaesthetics

 
Types of medicine in depth  
 
Physical therapies  
 
Physiotherapy sees human movement as central to the health and well-being of individuals. Physiotherapists will use manipulation, heat, ultrasound and massage to relieve pain. This can help build up the supporting muscles around the spine to improve mobility and functioning.  
 
Osteopathy is a way of detecting and treating damaged parts of the body such as ligaments, nerves and joints. When the body is balanced and efficient, just like an engine, it will function with the minimum of wear and tear. Osteopathy ultimately improves mobility and body function.  
 
Chiropractors specialise in the diagnosis, treatment and overall management of conditions that are due to problems with the joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves of the body, particularly those of the spine. Treatment consists of a wide range of manipulative techniques designed to improve the function of the joints, relieving pain and muscle spasm.  
 
Acupuncturists use tiny needles to relieve pain. Acupuncture practised by members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) can work well alongside other treatment methods and has few, if any, side effects.  
 
You are more likely to be referred to a physiotherapist. You may be referred to an osteopath, chiropractor or acupuncturist, but you often have to pay for these privately.  
 
Emotional support  
Emotional support can help you divert your thoughts away from pain and increase your feeling of control.  
 
Useful equipment  
A TENS machine transmits small electrical impulses to the affected area to reduce pain.  
 
Back and neck supports may help for short periods of time, but full back supports should be avoided as they allow the back muscles to weaken.  
 
Other options  
Occasionally doctors or physiotherapists may recommend traction. This involves being stretched on a special machine to loosen back muscles and reduce pressure on nerves.  
 
Operating on your back should often be considered as a last resort as it is major surgery. Very few people seeking treatment for back pain will end up having an operation.