Back Pain Relief & Treatment

Often, shoulder, back and neck pain are interlinked - and although you may feel symptoms (pain!) in only one area, it has resulted in a tensing and knotting of the muscles in your shoulders, neck and lower and upper back. 

All this tension can cause tiredness and irritability, as well as the annoying feeling that you're getting old and your body is starting to give out (even if you're not!).

What causes it?

Whether it's your upper back, shoulder or neck - the cause is not always clear, sometimes even to the doctors.  The symptoms are easy to spot, but the cause can be elusive.

Back pain medication available

You only have to go to the pharmacy counter to see that there are dozens of remedies that can provide relief.  If you've been suffering from chronic (ongoing and persistent) back pain, do ask the pharmacist for advice.  If there aren't any pills that they can recommend, they made advice that you consult your own doctor to get to the root cause of your discomfort.

If your doctor or GP has already prescribed you pills for relaxing your back muscles, taking one of these at the first symptoms can help prevent the problem getting any worse.

What to use for backaches

If this is your first experience of back pain, a little gentle rest together with some over the counter medication may help relieve it.

If you suffer with a persistent back problem, you may already have tried some of the more traditional neck and back pain remedies.  Whatever remedy you try, ensure that you continue to take it easy at home for at least 24 hours, and try some of these neck and remedies which work as well for lower and upper back pain:-

1. Applying a hot water bottle or ice back (or bag of frozen peas!) to the affected area can provide swift relief of your discomfort
2. Use an over the counter pain reliever to provide relief from pain to allow you to relax and allow those muscles to unwind
3. If you can, either sit or lie down with your back well supported

You may also find that lying in a warm bath allows you and your muscles to relax and might make it easier to move if you've suffered from particularly bad spasms.

If you have a partner or friend who can offer gentle massage, just a few minutes may provide most welcome pain relief for your upper back and neck area.

If you are suffering from back and leg pain, treatment required may be different- check out Alissa's story of how she finally discovered the cause of her nightly discomfort.

You can find further information on remedies and/or exercises for pain in shoulders and upper back, on our exercise pages.

Acupuncture

In recent research, it was found that acupuncture is "significantly more effective" than sham acupuncture or no treatment in people with chronic back pain.  However, the overall effectiveness of acupuncture compared to other forms of care was questioned, as was it's ability to treat acute back pain.  In one trial the effectiveness of acupuncture was significantly worse than that of massage.   For the most recent information on this form of treatment, check out the Acupuncture Today website.

Home Treatment for Sciatica

Most people treat sciatica with pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications.  Combining this kind of treatment with the hot water bottle/ cold ice pack as well as moving on to stretching and strengthening exercises will usually offer some relief from the discomfort.  However, as this addresses only the symptoms, it is important to determine the cause of the discomfort, which may mean a visit to the doctor, chiropractor or osteopath.  If you prefer natural healing or alternative remedies, there are options available through popular companies such as Native Remedies.

Once the initial pain has subsided, many people testify that sciatica exercises can help strengthen and stretch the muscles to reduce the risk of further recurrence.

Stretching

Proper stretching of the muscles along with active exercise can help to maintain the normal range of movement and provide relief for muscles that are often suffering disuse atrophy (shrinking muscles from lack of use) or are in spasm from inappropriate posture or nerve irritation.

Pain Management

For persistent, chronic pain it may be appropriate to ask your doctor to refer you to a pain management course which is designed to help you reduce the level of drugs that you take and help you understand how you get back your life.

Other Causes

There are many possible causes to back and leg pain treatment - check out Alissa's story of how she finally discovered the cause of her nightly discomfort and found a simp

Further Info

Check out these useful resources:-

Back Pain eBook - download our free report on causes and prevention of lower & upper back pain

First Street - offer an innovative product called SpineWorx

Footsmart - lower body health experts that keep you moving in comfort 

No More Back Pain - fed up with his back problems preventing him from taking holidays or playing with his kids, writer  Alan Boswell, studied physiology to discover a way to life a normal life free from back pain

Lose the Back Pain - proven system for preventing most back discomfort

Strenthen your Abs, eliminate low back pain - strengthening your abs can reduce or eliminate discomfort and problems