You should see a doctor right away for back pain if:
- you have developed back pain after major trauma or injury
- you have other symptoms such as fever, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weakness, trouble urinating, or chills
- you have numbness or tingling
- the pain is worse when lying down or during the night
- you have a history of cancer
- you have a history of back pain or injury
- the pain radiates down your leg and knee
- you experience weakness in your legs
- the pain gets progressively worse
Non-medication treatments
- Maintain normal activities.
- Stick with your normal daily activities as much as possible to keep your muscles moving and strong. If you need to rest, limit the time of inactivity to 1 or 2 days.
- Avoid strenuous activities such as heavy lifting or high intensity exercises so you don't add more strain to your back
- Apply a heating pad to your back.
- Heat enlarges the blood vessels and reduces muscle spasms. Try applying heat to the back for 20-minute periods
- Ice packs may also help, but be sure not to leave an ice pack on your skin for more than 15 minutes at a time to avoid getting a frostbite. Wrap a towel around the ice pack before applying it to your skin
If you experience back pain on an ongoing basis, talk to your doctor about what may be causing it and how you can deal with the problem. Some nonmedication treatments might include losing weight (extra weight adds stress to the back), exercising or adjusting your posture.
Over-the-counter medications
Back pain generally goes away on its own without requiring medication. However, there are several over-the-counter options to help you deal with back pain:*
- Pain relievers
- Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, or ASA can be used to help reduce back pain.
- Some acetaminophen and ASA products for back pain contain caffeine or codeine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about which product is best for you.
- Topical analgesics (e.g., Bengay®, Icy Hot®)
- These medications are available as creams, ointments, or patches that are applied to the skin to provide local relief. They contain local anesthetics which soothe a sore back.
- Muscle relaxants (e.g., methocarbamol)
- These medications are used to relieve pain caused by muscle spasms and are often available in combination with a pain relief medication. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if this medication is right for you
What not to do
Here are some things you should not try and why:
- Avoid staying in bed or not moving for several days. Bedrest hasn't been shown to help with the pain and may actually weaken your back muscles if you rest for too long, which can prolong your recovery period.
- Do not give acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin®) to people less than 18 years old because of the risk of developing Reye's syndrome.
* All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®). The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen). A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article lists medications by their common names. For information on a given medication, check our Drug Information database. For more information on brand names, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.
Your symptoms should improve gradually over 2 to 4 weeks.
You should see a doctor if:
- your back pain is severe
- the pain does not start to decrease in 3 days
- you experience any side effects from taking pain medication
