There are new guidelines for treating low back pain. The important thing to do with lower back pain is to treat it with heat. It is important to stay away from drugs. You can also try massage, or acupuncture to help cure it. If you are going to take drugs for it, then you should take anti inflammatory drugs.
Key Takeaways:
- The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends in an evidence-based clinical practice guideline published today in Annals of Internal Medicine that physicians and patients should treat acute or subacute low back pain with non-drug therapies such as superficial heat, massage, acupuncture, or spinal manipulation.
- If drug therapy is desired, physicians and patients should select nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or skeletal muscle relaxants.
- Pain is categorized as acute (lasting less than four weeks), subacute (lasting four to 12 weeks, and chronic (lasting more than 12 weeks).
“Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for all physician visits in the U.S. Most Americans have experienced low back pain.”
