Edit
Comments
Back Pain Treatment: Medicine
Overview
A multitude of medications are available for the treatment of back pain. Generally, choosing which medication to use depends on whether your pain is muscle and bone pain, nerve pain, or a combination of both.
Muscle and Bone Pain
There are different classes of drugs that your doctor may prescribe to relieve symptoms of muscle and bone pain. These include:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Narcotic medications or opioids
- Muscle relaxants
- Oral steroids
Nerve Pain (Neuropathic)
Nerve pain may result from an injury to a muscle, soft tissue, bones, joints, skin, or other organs. This type of pain is managed by medications that are not originally labeled as pain relievers, but have properties they may help in managing pain. These drugs are called adjuvant analgesics, they help the body reprogram the messages involved in transmitting pain signals: Adjuvants are a diverse group of drugs that include:
Treatments
The Effect of NSAIDs on Back Pain
Most NSAID's work by blocking the action of prostaglandin through out your body, thereby producing pain relief. Our bodies have internal chemicals known as prostaglandin. When you injure yourself, p...
Read more about Back Pain and NSAIDs.
The Effect of Opioids on Back Pain
Opioids are powerful pain relievers prescribed for some patients with chronic lower back pain. The use of these drugs is complicated for both patients and physicians because of the controversy over ...
Read more about Back Pain and Opioids.
The Effect of Steroids on Back Pain
Oral Steroids and Epidural Steroids are considered a treatment option for back pain. Oral Steroids are also effective in the treatment of inflammatory reactions which occur in many health conditions ...
Read more about Back Pain and Steroids.
The Effect of Alpha-2-Adrenergic Agonists on Back Pain
There are alpha-2-Adrenergic Agonists that have shown to to relieve pain, namely: Tizanidine (Zanaflex) and Clonidine (Catapres). This type of agents have long been used for treating various health p...
Read more about Back Pain and Alpha-2-Adrenergic Agonists.
The Effect of Tricyclics on Back Pain
Tricyclic antidepressants are thought to increase neurotransmitters in the spinal cord that reduce pain signals. They do not produce immediate effects, but once the appropriate dose is determined for...
Read more about Back Pain and Tricyclics.
The Effect of Anticonvulsants on Back Pain
Anticonvulsants are medications that are prescribed primarily to treat seizures, but they have been in use for many years to treat certain types of chronic pain. Based on research, the mechanisms res...
Read more about Back Pain and Anticonvulsants.
The Effect of Muscle Relaxants on Back Pain
Muscle relaxants are usually used for acute muscle problems, but they are sometimes incorporated into the treatment of pain conditions that cause painful muscle spasms. They are effective for short-t...
Read more about Back Pain and Muscle Relaxants.
The Effect of Back Surgery on Back Pain
If drugs and other forms of treatment for back pain fail to improve your condition, your doctor may suggest that you consider surgery. Surgery is usually the last resort for the treatment of back pai...
Read more about Back Pain and Back Surgery.
References
- http://www.nationalpainfoundation.org/articles/410/medications
- http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/backpain/BAK_surgery.html