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If you've had back pain that hasn't changed or has gotten worse over the last six to eight weeks, then a medical exam is needed to rule out a more serious problem. The presence of any additional symptoms such as nausea, painful bowel movements, or blood in the stool also warrants a visit to the doctor.
But if you are troubled by a simple backache from stress, overuse, or fatigue, then a variety of steps can be taken. Oral analgesics such as ibuprofen can work very well. However, you may not need the antiinflammatory properties offered by ibuprofen. If pain control is all you need, then a simple pain reducer such as tylenol may be all that's necessary.
Modalities such as heat and cold can also be used judiciously. If there's no injury and the back pain is linked with stress and muscle tension, then heat may be the best approach. A heating pad is often used but people fall asleep on them and suffer burns easily.
The new low-level heat therapy from heatwraps may be the best option. These units are wrapped around the abdomen just below the waist. They apply continuous heat to the low back area for up to eight hours. You can even combine the use of an oral analgesic with heat therapy.
Some people respond better to a cold pack applied to the painful area. With noninflammatory, mechanical backpain, you can experiment to find out what works best for you (heat or cold). Keeping cold on for more than 20 minutes is not advised and hard to do anyway. Most cold packs warm up and lose their cooling capacity.
Once you see what works for you, then combine the use of oral analgesics, heat or cold, and exercise. Exercise (even just walking) is still the best treatment for back pain of any kind.
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