Back pain is a problem suffered by many people on a daily basis. While surgery is a viable option in the relief of back pain, some individuals would prefer to deal with the pain without going through the process, pain, and recovery time associated with surgery.

There are several treatment options available for those who would rather not go through surgery. One of these options includes managing back pain through medication. For minor pain, a doctor may suggest over the counter medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen. If the pain is more severe, they may prescribe prescription strength ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory drug to reduce any inflammation that may be present and to eliminate the pain.

If over the counter or prescription medications don’t work, steroids that are injected are the next choice of doctors in an effort to relieve back pain. The most common form of steroidal injection is epidural. This is the same steroid that is used when a woman is in labor to help minimize the pain that she feels during childbirth. It simply depends on the severity of the back pain as to whether or not steroid injections are made an option.

You can also manage your back pain through therapeutic massage. The key to this and other manual manipulation of the area is to increase blood flow to the region, reduce muscle stiffness, and muscle pain. Massage can be very effective at managing back pain and more and more doctors are employing massage therapists within their offices to help individuals heal from their back ailments.

Lastly, exercise may also be very helpful in managing your back pain. Working the area and muscles in the effected area can help ease the tension and pain in that region. In addition, it is ideal to have a healthy diet so that the body receives the proper nutrition it needs to heal.

As you can see, managing your back pain without surgery is possible. Before ever considering surgery, it is ideal to exhaust all of your non-surgical options first because you never know when you might find the one practice that will relieve your back pain for you.

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