Management of Backache
Long-term Outlook
Most cases of acute lower back pain improve quickly – within a few days, or sometimes within a few weeks. Sprains and strains of muscles and ligaments usually respond well to conservative treatment without any significant long-lasting effects. With simple treatment, up to 90 per cent of people with acute back pain improve within one month and up to 60 per cent improve within a week. Even severe back pain due to a herniated disc often resolves within six weeks, as the protruding disc begins to shrink. In less than 5 per cent of people the pain persists and becomes chronic. Surgery is rarely required.
It is not uncommon for a person to experience more than one episode of back pain. Whether the pain will recur or not depends in large part on the causative factors and the precautions observed by the patient.
