When To See Your Doctor About Your Back Pain

Back pain is common, and for most people, it will usually improve over a few weeks without the need for treatment. Pain in the lower back is the most common, although you may have pain anywhere from your neck to your hips. In most cases, back pain has no serious cause and will get better without medical help. However, sometimes, you do need to seek help. Here is some advice about when to see your doctor about your back pain.

 

How To Relieve Back Pain

If you’re struggling with back pain, there are some things you can do to reduce your pain and speed up your recovery.

• Stay as active as you can and try to keep up with your daily activities. Resting for too long can make the pain worse, so try to keep moving.
• Try exercises and stretches. Walking, swimming, yoga, and pilates can help.
• Take anti-inflammatory painkiller, like ibuprofen.
• Use hot or cold compression packs. You can buy packs from a pharmacy, or make your own out of a hot water bottle or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth.

Remember that your pain will get better. People who are able to stay positive despite back pain usually recover faster. Don’t sabotage your health by getting down.

Getting Help And Advice

For most people, back pain will get better by itself within a few weeks or months, so you might not need to see your doctor or Chiropractor. You should seek help for your back pain if:

• Your back pain doesn’t show any signs of improvement within a few weeks.
• Your pain is stopping you from doing your day to day activities.
• Your back pain is very severe or it gets worse over time instead of better.
• You’re worried about the pain or are struggling to cope with it.

If you decide to see your doctor about your back pain, they will ask about your symptoms, examine your back, and talk you through any possible treatment options or further investigations to find the cause of the pain. Your doctor might refer you to a specialist or a physiotherapist for more support.

You might want to reach out to a physiotherapist directly rather than starting with your doctor. Some will take appointments without a referral from a doctor if you ask.

Treatments For Back Pain

A doctor, chiropractor, or physiotherapist might suggest some other treatments if your pain won’t improve with self-help measures alone. These treatments might include:

• Exercise classes that will strengthen your muscles and improve your posture.
• Manual therapy treatments, like manipulating the spine, or massage, that will be done by a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or osteopath.
• Psychological support, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This can be very helpful if you are finding it hard to cope with pain.

Some people might choose to see a therapist for manual therapy without seeing a doctor first. If you want to do this, you might need to pay more for treatment. Surgery is usually only considered in a very small number of cases, where more serious back pain is caused by specific medical conditions. Be sure to see your doctor about your back pain if you don’t get relief.