How long lower back pain last




















The complex structure of your lower back means that even small amounts of damage to any part of the lumbar region can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. Pain in your lower back is usually a symptom of stress or damage to your ligaments, muscles, tendons or discs. In some cases, if a nerve in your back is pinched or irritated, the pain can spread to your buttocks and thighs. In most cases of back pain your back will heal itself, and staying active and continuing with your usual activities will normally promote healing.

Back pain will usually last from a few days to a few weeks. Pain that lasts longer usually clears up after about six weeks. However, in severe and persistent cases of back pain, it is important to seek medical advice so that a correct diagnosis can be reached and appropriate treatment given. Treatment for back pain will usually depend on the underlying cause of the condition. For example, pain that is caused by some types of arthritis may be treated using specific medicines.

The symptom of lower back pain is a pain or ache anywhere on your back, in between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the legs. The majority of cases of back pain usually clear up quite quickly. However, if you experience back pain together with any of the following symptoms, visit your GP as soon as possible:. Ask your GP for advice if your back pain has developed gradually and has got increasingly worse over several days or weeks.

Back pain can also be triggered by everyday activities at home or work, and by poor posture. For example, back pain may be triggered by:. The bulging or rupture of one or more of the intervertebral discs can sometimes cause serious back pain. This results in the inner jelly-like material nucleus pulposus pressing on the spinal cord or nerve roots, which run next to the disc.

The pain will usually be in your lower back, but you may also experience pain in you buttocks, thigh, calves, feet and toes, due to irritation of the sciatic nerve, which runs down both legs. Occasionally, the pain is also accompanied by pins and needles, numbness and weakness.

Intervertebral discs tend to dry out and weaken with age, or following an injury. This results in the discs becoming less flexible, which means they do not cushion the vertebrae as well as they did before.

This is a common cause of stiffness and pain, particularly in the elderly. It also tends to be worse early in the morning. Your GP will be able to diagnose back pain by discussing your symptoms with you and conducting a physical examination. Usually, there is no need for tests, such as X-rays or scans, when diagnosing back pain. If you have simple back pain, tests are not always helpful because they often do not show anything unusual. For suspected disc problems, X-rays or a computerised tomography scan CT scan may be required.

Your GP may suggest having a magnetic resonance imaging MRI scan, that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of your body, in order to provide more accurate information about the soft tissues in your back.

In some cases, blood tests or a myelogram a special kind of X-ray using an injected dye may be needed. Chiropractic and osteopathy are similar disciplines. Both osteopaths and chiropractors can diagnose by visual inspection and feeling by hand palpation. Chiropractors also rely on X-rays, blood and urine tests and MRI scans for diagnosis.

Physiotherapists are trained to diagnose problems in the joints and soft tissues of the body. Physiotherapy for back pain provides a wide range of treatments to relieve pain, promote relaxation and restore movement. They include manipulation, mobilisation and massage. Exercise may also be used to increase general fitness or to strengthen muscles that support the spine. However, most people with lower back pain experience mild pain and have occasional bouts of pain that are more severe.

This can make it difficult to determine whether their back pain is acute or chronic. Most cases of acute back pain can be treated using self-help techniques. These are discussed below. Over-the-counter OTC painkillers: Paracetamol is usually recommended to treat acute lower back pain. If paracetamol proves ineffective, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAID such as ibuprofen may be used instead. Stronger painkillers: If your back pain symptoms are severe, your GP may prescribe a mild opiate-based painkiller, such as codeine, which can be taken in combination with paracetamol or a NSAID.

Muscle relaxants: If your back pain symptoms are very severe, your GP may prescribe a muscle relaxant such as diazepam. Diazepam can make you feel very sleepy, so do not drive if you have been prescribed this medication. After your course of diazepam has ended, you should wait at least 24 hours before driving. Diazepam will also make the effects of alcohol worse, so you should avoid alcohol while you are taking the medication.

Diazepam has the potential to be habit-forming, and can cause a number of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when coming of the medication. To minimise these effects, your GP will not usually prescribe more than seven days worth of the medicine. While bed rest may provide some temporary relief from your symptoms, prolonged bed rest will make your symptoms worse.

Your back pain may be so severe that you need to have some time off work. However, if this is the case, you should aim to return to work as soon as possible. While you may not feel any immediate benefit, research has shown the people who continue to work during an episode of back pain recover quicker than people who stay at home.

Back pain is one of the most common reasons why people visit a health care provider. The good news is that the pain often goes away on its own, and people usually recover in a week or two. Many people want to stay in bed when their back hurts.

For many years, getting bed rest was the normal advice. Research suggests that if you can find comfortable positions and keep moving, you may not need bed rest at all. Research shows that:. Long bed rest can lead to slower recovery. Staying in bed for any prolonged period can make you stiff and increase pain. With bed rest, you lose about 1 percent of your muscle strength each day.

This specialist may recommend meditation, yoga, tai chi and othercognitive and relaxation strategies to keep your mind from focusing on pain. Some diets are highly inflammatory, especially those high in trans fats, refined sugars and processed foods. Consult with your doctor to see if your diet could be contributing to your chronic back pain and how you could change it. Maintaining a healthy weight could also help lessen your back pain by reducing the pressure on your spine.

Take a break when mowing the lawn, or make several trips when carrying groceries. Take note of the activities that worsen your pain and avoid them if possible. Not only could this help your back feel better, it could also prevent the underlying condition from advancing. Another important lifestyle change to try is giving up smoking.

Nicotine is scientifically known to accentuate pain and delay healing. These conditions tend to cause additional symptoms, such as numbness, weakness or a tingling sensation, and they're treated differently from non-specific back pain. It's difficult to prevent back pain, but the following tips may help reduce your risk:.

These problems could be a sign of something more serious and need to be checked urgently. Page last reviewed: 14 January Next review due: 14 January How to relieve back pain The following tips may help reduce your back pain and speed up your recovery: stay as active as possible and try to continue your daily activities — this is 1 of the most important things you can do, as resting for long periods is likely to make the pain worse try exercises and stretches for back pain ; other activities such as walking , swimming , yoga and pilates may also be helpful take anti-inflammatory painkillers , such as ibuprofen — remember to check the medicine is safe for you to take and ask a pharmacist if you're not sure use hot or cold compression packs for short-term relief — you can buy these from a pharmacy, or a hot water bottle or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth or towel will work just as well Although it can be difficult, it helps if you stay optimistic and recognise that your pain should get better.

But it's a good idea to get help if: the pain does not start to improve within a few weeks the pain stops you doing your day-to-day activities the pain is very severe or gets worse over time you're worried about the pain or struggling to cope If you see a GP they will ask about your symptoms, examine your back and discuss possible treatments.

Treatments for back pain from a specialist A GP, specialist or physiotherapist may recommend extra treatments if they do not think your pain will improve with self-help measures alone. These may include: group exercise classes where you're taught exercises to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture manual therapy treatments, such as manipulating the spine and massage, which are usually done by a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath psychological support, such as cognitive behavioural therapy CBT , which can be a useful part of treatment if you're struggling to cope with pain Some people choose to see a therapist for manual therapy without seeing a GP first.



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