How to Relieve Back Pain Fast: Medications
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Do you want to know how to relieve back pain fast? Back pain is a common condition that ranges from a mild muscle aching to a stabbing, burning, or shooting sensation. Sometimes, pain radiates from the back through the buttocks to the leg, causing sciatica. Certain body movements like bending, twisting, standing, walking, and lifting can worsen back pain.
Research shows that nearly 65 million people in the US have reported episodes of back pain. Among them, 16 million adults experience chronic or long-term back pain, affecting their quality of life and day-to-day activities.
Another study highlights that back pain is the 6th most common condition in America. Over 8% of the country’s population suffer from lumbar spine (lower back) pain. Lower back pain is considered the leading cause of physical disability in adults.
Check out this related video about how exercise can also relieve back pain:
How to Relieve Back Pain Fast
Back pain ranges from mild to severe. For instance, if you feel increased weakness in your legs, severe stomach pain, high fever, and experience loss of bowel or bladder control, it means you have severe back pain.
Certain organs such as colon, pancreas, uterus, and kidneys are located near your lumbar spine. Problems in these organs can lead to discomfort and pain in your lower back. The question is: how to relieve back pain fast?
Back pain Plano TX – Medications
How to relieve back pain fast? The first line of treatment is over-the-counter drugs, such as naproxen and ibuprofen. These are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that produce analgesic effects on the muscles in your spine and relieve discomfort or pain.
Another drug prescribed by doctors to relieve back pain Plano TX is Tylenol. Although it is not an NSAID, it can provide back pain relief Plano TX. NSAIDs has a unique course of action in the body. It blocks cyclooxygenase, an enzyme in the body that makes prostaglandins.
The reduced production of prostaglandins means relieving discomfort, inflammation, and pain in your back muscles. Although NSAIDs can provide pain relief, they produce side effects, such as:
- Indigestion
- Headaches
- Stomach ulcers
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Allergic reactions
It is crucial to avoid long-term use of NSAIDs because it can cause severe kidney problems, ulcers, and affect the liver. If you have severe back pain, you can take prescription-only NSAIDs, such as Relafen, Mobic, Diclofenac, or celecoxib.
Physical Therapy
There are various types of back pain, such as herniated discs, muscle injury, compressed nerves, osteoporosis, and muscle strain. Health professionals recommend physical therapy for both short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) back pain.
How to relieve back pain fast with physical therapy? Research shows that physical therapists use passive modalities, such as heat or ice packs, TENS units, ultrasound, and iontophoresis techniques to provide back pain relief Plano TX.
For instance, heat therapy can effectively reduce back pain because it increases blood flow and provides more oxygen and nutrients to your back muscles and joints. The circulation of blood helps repair damaged muscles, relieves discomfort, stiffness, pain.
You can also treat acute back pain with cold therapy or ice packs. After heat therapy, your therapist will use ice packs to lower your body temperature to constrict the blood vessels, reduce inflammation, and cause an analgesic effect. Moreover, we are not talking about physical therapy exercises because they don’t immediately treat back pain.
Surgery for Back Pain
Although medications, physical therapy, and steroidal injection can relieve back pain Plano TX, if your symptoms persist, it is time to consult a qualified surgeon at the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas (MINT).
How to relieve back pain fast with surgery? Well, there are two types of back pain surgeries: open back surgery and minimally invasive procedure. Open-back surgery leads to various complications.
These are reactions to anesthesia, infection, bleeding, blood clots, stroke, herniated disk, heart attack, and nerve damage. Research shows that nerve damage can cause paralysis, loss of bowel, and sexual dysfunction.
On the other hand, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery or MISS at MINT is a procedure that requires the surgeon to make a tiny incision in the back to reach the area of concern. MISS is much better than open-back surgery because it does not lead to complications. The purpose is to spare muscles, ligaments, tissues, and nerves in your back and relieve pain Plano TX fast. Benefits of minimally invasive surgery at MINT are:
- Less anesthesia
- Less post-operative pain
- Tiny incisions and less scarring
- Less muscle and soft tissue damage
- Lower risk of infection and blood loss
- Less hospital time
- Faster recovery after the procedure
The Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas (MINT) has qualified surgeons with many years of experience treating back pain Plano TX. We have a state-of-the-art facility with the latest equipment and tools. So, if you ask how to relieve back pain fast, the answer is to take medications, undergo physical therapy, or choose MIS surgery if your back pain persists. Contact us today!