Common Medications Used for Back Pain
August 19, 2010 by Backs Pains
Filed under back pain symptoms
There are a variety of medications being used to help reduce back pain. Your doctor will choose the ones he believes will work the best for you based on the type of back pain that you have. He will also have to take into consideration your overall physical condition and whether or not you’re already on any type of medication.
You doctor will review your medical history and listen to you as you describe the type of pain you’re having. He will then give you a physical and perform any test necessary to help determine the cause of your problem. Once all of this is done, your doctor will decide which medication he feels will be the most beneficial for you.
Sometimes it may be necessary to try different types of medicines until the one that is best suited for you is found. You could have an allergic reaction to certain medicines or the most common medications used may not be effective for your particular problem. The more information you provide, the easier it will be for your doctor to find the right treatment.
Some of the most common medications used for back pain are listed below:
• Muscle Relaxants are often used to relieve pain in the back, neck and shoulders. They make it possible for the person to move and exercise or do the physical therapy needed to help improve their condition. They can be used alone or in combination with anti-inflammatory medications.
• Inflammatory Medicines such as Ibuprofen, Diclofenac and Naproxen are used to reduce the inflammation and swelling that often occurs when a person is suffering with pain in their back. They are believed to help a person recover from the pain faster than they would if they did not take them.
• NSAIDS or COX-2 Inhibitors help to reduce inflammation and they are often used for lower back pain. However, these are only given to adults because it can cause Reye’s syndrome in teens.
• Acetaminophen is considered to be a very effective non-prescription medication that can be used and they have few side effects. The most commonly known acetaminophen is Tylenol.
• Oral Steroids are very powerful anti-inflammatory medicines that can be used for lower back pain but they are not meant to be used for long periods of time. Normally, they are only used for one or two weeks.
• Spinal Injections are sometimes used as an alternative to surgery for people with severe pain in their back, when other treatments were not effective.
Normally, physical therapy is combined with medication to help you recover from your back pain faster and to help your body heal.
You should never take medication that is not prescribed to you by your physician. Taking medicines that are not prescribed for you can be dangerous. You could have an allergic reaction to the drug or when combined with other medicines that you may be taking, it could cause serious medical problems.




