Read on for tips on pain relief for your back pain.
Turn up the heat! A review of studies on heat for back pain found that it does help, at least a bit.
- In one study, heat significantly reduced lower-back pain after five days.
- Try a heating pad, hot towel, hot water bottle, or press-on heating pad from the drugstore.
- Keep in mind that moist heat works better than dry heat.
- Capsaicin, the stuff that gives chili peppers their heat, can also help relieve your pain.
- Over time, applying creams that contain it depletes the body of a substance that transmits pain signals.
- You'll need to use the cream for a week or more before you experience any significant relief, and it may initially cause a burning sensation, but that should wear off in time.
- If your back pain is chronic, by all means try capsaicin, which is an ancient Chinese form of medicine.
- A review of 39 clinical trials found it was significantly effective at relieving pain and improving function, and it increased pain relief when added to other therapies such as ibuprofen, exercise and behaviour modification.
Back trouble is usually the result of weak stomach muscles.
As for acute (as in, it just happened) pain, there's not enough evidence to say how well it works. It may seem counterintuitive to tell you to exercise when your back hurts so much that getting off the sofa seems like a challenge.
But if you have chronic back pain, exercise can reduce pain and improve physical function about as well as commonly used pain relievers. The best exercises seem to be those designed to stretch, strengthen or stabilize your core muscles — the ones that between your hips and the bottom of your ribcage. That makes Pilates a good option, but aerobics also helps.
Any form of exercise seems to work best if tailored for you by a trainer or physical therapist.
Medication
Thanks in large part to heavy advertising by drug makers, people may believe that prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work better for back pain than generic ibuprofen. But a review of more than 50 clinical trials found no difference in effectiveness.
Our advice? Buy the cheapest store brand. Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs (which include naproxen, or Aleve) tend to work slightly better than acetaminophen (Tylenol) for relieving lower-back pain.
Remember, you should always consult your doctor before beginning an exercise routine of any kind of medicine regimen.
