Management of Backache
Terms you should know
Acute pain (generally severe, but short-lived): Acute back pain usually lasts from one to seven days.
Sub-acute back pain usually lasts from seven days to seven weeks.
Chronic (long-lasting or occurring often) : Chronic back pain usually lasts more than three months.
Flexed position : Forward bending position.
Neuromuscular : Related to nerves and muscles.
Analgesics : Pain relieving medications.
Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) : Medications that reduce inflammation as well as pain.
In most cases, people recover from episodes of acute lower back pain in three weeks to three months. But for those who don’t recover, chronic back pain can be a significant cause of inconvenience and suffering. Therefore, the goals for treatment of acute back pain are :
1. Reduce recovery time.
2. Prevent development of chronic pain.
To achieve the above goals, one or more of the following treatments are required: rest, medications, physical therapy, training for development of proper posture, weight loss, spinal manipulation, acupuncture, and stress management. If there is no response to these treatments then surgery is considered.
All patients should remember, it is the doctor’s job to relieve pain, and the patient’s job to keep exercising and maintaining good posture.
