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by Answerbag Staff on October 20th, 2009

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What are the treatments for chronic back pain other than narcotics?

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  • by Kit Tunstall on October 20th, 2009

    Answerbag Experts

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    Professionally Researched. (What's this?)

    Back pain can be caused by injury, diseases or degeneration due to aging. It becomes chronic when the pain is recurring or doesn't let up. Long-term back pain requires a sound management plan to avoid reliance on narcotics, which can be addictive and even ineffective for some degrees of pain.

    Pain Medicine

    Pain medicine is a newer medical discipline that studies the prevention, diagnosis, evaluation and treatments for pain. Finding a doctor specializing in pain medicine is a good start for dealing with chronic back pain.

    Conservative Treatments

    First options for pain relief include physical therapy, exercise and medications like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Advil to reduce inflammation and block pain.

    Alternatives

    Alternative treatment options include seeing a chiropractor, massage therapy or acupuncture. Herbs like skullcap, turmeric, willow bark, St. John's wort, angelica, cayenne and boswellia can reduce inflammation and offer some pain relief.

    More Solutions

    If the pain continues, more invasive options are available, such as corticosteroid injections or implanting a pump that administers longer-lasting opiod drugs, like Opana, on a regular basis.

    Surgery

    If other options don't work, your doctor might offer surgery to repair the injury, fuse the spine or laminectomy, a procedure performed on nerve roots in the lower spine to relieve pressure and ease pain.

    Source

    Spine Health

    Back.com

    Mayo Clinic

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