This fact sheet below gives you what you can expect if you have problems with back pain. In addition, it lets you know when it to seek guidance from a health professional and when you should become concerned.
Useful facts
➢ What's lower back pain?
Low back pain describes soreness, tension and stiffness in the lower back, in many instances with no particular underlying cause.
✓ Do I need any medical treatment or operation? - Back pain usually gets better without operation or medical treatment when a ‘slipped disc’ is responsible.
✓ Will I need additional evaluations? - You’re not likely to need X rays or some other evaluations.
Exactly what do I do myself to get better – Now and later on?
✓ Back exercises - Straightforward back exercises, enhancing your position, yoga and the Alexander Technique can be helpful (see http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Back- pain/Pages/Prevention.aspx).
✓ Stay active as far as possible, even if you’re uncomfortable. This won’t hurt your back, and it is possible to anticipate to get better. Remain positive and keep going out to do things you love.
✓ Painkillers - ‘Rub-on’ (external) treatments and pain killers like paracetamol and ibuprofen are effective generally. More powerful medications, like codeine, are an added choice when more straightforward ones will not be working.
Seek immediate medical advice if you find any of the next warning signals, which might indicate that your back pain might be due to a more serious underlying state:
➢ Pain getting worse - you've intense pain that gets worse rather than better.
➢ Feeling unwell - You feel really unwell from your own back pain.
➢ Chest pain - you've got back pain that goes upward into higher regions of your torso.
➢ Harm - Your pain began after a serious harm (including a fall or an accident).
➢ Slumber issues - you've nighttime pain that changes your slumber.
➢ Walking issues - You’ve become unsteady on your own feet since your back pain began.
➢ Strange senses - You feel numb or notice ‘pins and needles’ in the region around your underside (the ‘saddle place’), your genitals, or both of your legs.
➢ Pee issues - You can’t keep your pee in.
➢ Bowel issues - You lose your bowel management