Back pain can have a profound affect on many areas of your life. For example it may affect getting dressed, walking up and down stairs, picking up a child, doing odd jobs around the house, or just getting a decent night's sleep. Chronic back pain (pain lasting longer than 3 months) can also lead to significant stress. It is important to follow your healthcare professional’s advice on coping with, and treating back pain.
Your healthcare professional may start you on medication, but ultimately coping with back pain depends on you. Your ability to make healthy lifestyle changes, manage stress and balance rest and activity will play a key role in battling the pain and limitations that can come with back pain.
Non-drug therapies form an important part of your treatment. These can include:
- ● Exercise – e.g. walking or swimming
- ● Stretching
- ● Physical therapies – such as physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, or osteopathy.
- ● Pain management techniques - relaxation, meditation, visualisation
Work with your healthcare professional to find the combination of treatments that best suit you and your condition.
While there are many ways that you can prevent and relieve back pain without any medications, analgesics (pain relieving medicines) often form an essential part of an overall back pain treatment plan. You should consult your healthcare professional to determine the most appropriate analgesic. The most common medicines used in back pain are:
- Oral dose pain relievers such as paracetamol are widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies. Make sure that you always read the label and follow the instructions provided. If at any time you are unsure, you should consult your pharmacist or other healthcare professional.
- Creams, gels and ointments These can be rubbed into the skin and usually contain either an anti-inflammatory medicine or active ingredients that relieve pain by warming or cooling the skin. Creams, gels and ointments can be taken in combination with oral analgesics, to provide extra pain relief.
- Prescription medications These are usually the next step if simple analgesics, creams, gels and ointments have failed to relieve your pain. Your healthcare professional is best placed to determine what product, its strength and dose frequency is right for you.
Even though some of these medicines are available over-the-counter from pharmacies and supermarkets, always talk to your healthcare professional or pharmacist before taking any medicine. It is important to discuss:
- Any other medicines you are taking (either on prescription or bought over-the-counter) because some medicines should not be taken together
- Any health problems that you have because some medicines can affect other health problems such as stomach ulcers.
