Pain Management

All About Managing Your Back Pain

By Jarrett Kruse

Getting a handle on your pain is critical if you’re going to make it through a long course of treatment. Seeing an acupuncturist or chiropractor may be your strategy for pain management, or you may opt for a program of pain management with medication. If you choose to use medication, you may be more comfortable with over the counter medication than you are with prescription medication for long-term care, as it generally produces fewer side effects. You’ll want to discuss your options for back pain relief with your health care provider. If you choose a course of pain management without medication to relieve neck or back pain, you may find other options beside acupuncture or a chiropractor, such as physical therapy or a TENS unit.

A number of options exist for back pain management. Consult with your health care professional to choose the right one. Here’s a brief summary of some of the most common options available to you:

  • Prescription medication; Doctors usually prescribe one of three types of medication or any combination of them:anti-inflammatory drugs, pain killers, and muscle relaxers.
  • Over-the-counter medication. The same three categories of medication are available in drug stores in less concentrated form. Your health care provider or pharmacist can help you choose the right one or combination.
  • Physical therapy: Most good physical therapists include a program of exercises for the patient to perform at home. By strengthening the muscles included in surrounding the area of pain, you can relieve many of your symptoms.
  • Chiropractics: Many people feel relief from a realignment of their spines by a skilled chiropractor.
  • Acupuncture. This ancient Chinese method of treatment has proved successful for many patients. The acupuncturist inserts needles into particular points in the body, redirecting energy.
  • TENS unit. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A ‘TENS unit’ is a small, battery-operated device your doctor can give you that sends electrical impulses to certain parts of the body to block pain signals.