- Limited bed rest (no more than two days).
- Either acetaminophen for pain, or oral anti–inflammatory drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen) for pain and inflammation.
- A brief course of muscle relaxants or prescription pain relievers (if necessary).
- Alternating hot and cold compresses to ease any local inflammation.
- Chiropractic therapy, techniques that include spinal manipulation to help correct the alignment of poorly functioning vertebrae.
- Acupuncture, a type of needle therapy that some believe can redirect the flow of energy away from painful pathways.
- Biofeedback, using carefully monitored, mild electrical impulses to teach patients to recognize muscle tension and to learn to relax.
- Lumbar back supports, such as a back brace or corset, seat wedges, or pillows.
- Massage therapy for Back Pain.
- Surgical treatment of low back pain is usually a last resort for a herniated disk, painful motion of one vertebra in relation to another, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis. When loss og nerve function is progressive and severe, or when diagnostic tests have identified correctable structural problems as the cause of especially troublesome symptoms, surgery is usually considered an option. The common surgical procedures used to relieve low back pain are: Laminectomy, the surgical removal of the bony arches of one or more vertebrae to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Diskectomy, the surgical removal of all or part of a herniated disc compressing a nerve root. Spinal fusion, the surgical joining of two or more vertebrae.
Patients whose back pain is due to pyelonephritis are typically treated with two weeks of antibiotics. Patients whose back pain is related to more serious disorders of the vertebrae or spinal nerves are usually referred to a specialist, often either an orthopedic surgeon or a neurologist. Then, depending on the underlying cause of the patient's back pain, the specialist will explore additional medical and surgical options.