It's encouraging to know, however, that the majority of back pain can and should be treated without ongoing care or surgery. A good rule of thumb when caring for your back at home is to start small, simple, traditional remedies are the best way to go. Most pain can be treated with over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Intermittently applying ice and heat to the affected area is also effective for most people. Total bed rest is more harmful than good, however, because reclining for long periods of time can aggravate the discomfort by making muscles tighter. A better choice than bed rest is to avoid activities that increase your pain, but to maintain activities that do not. Keep moving, if possible, but use common sense when lifting and doing other activities that could worsen your condition.
Left untreated, back pain can increase greatly, so it's important to treat discomfort as early as possible. Failure to do so could eventually cause changes in posture and further muscle aggravation that could worsen the condition.
When a patient treats back pain with home remedies, in the majority of cases recovery takes less than four weeks. If pain persists past the four week point, you should see a doctor. But if your back pain is due to a fall or other trauma, see a physician immediately. It's also crucial to see a doctor when your pain could be due to a more serious illness. Though only one in 200 people has back pain solely as a symptom of something more dangerous, if you experience fever, bowel or bladder difficulties, unexplained weight loss, numbness tingling, or if you have a history of cancer or previous back injury, seek medical help immediately.
