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The most common causes of back and neck pain are muscle strains and ligament sprains, which can be the result of overexertion, improper lifting techniques, strenuous sports, or a variety of other causes. Given enough time, strains and sprains typically will heal on their own. To ease the pain in the meantime, there are many conservative treatments to choose from.

In fact, what you may not know is that other spinal conditions, such as herniated discs and bulging discs, also can heal themselves over time, so it’s important to work with your doctor to design a plan of nonsurgical treatment before surgery is ever considered.

Designing a Conservative Treatment Plan

• Hot Therapy – when heat is applied to an injury, circulation in that area increases and helps with the healing process.
• Cold Therapy – when cold is applied to an injury, circulation decreases in the affected area and inflammation is reduced, thereby reducing pain.
• Back Braces – braces can add stability to your spine when you suffer from strains, sprains, or degenerative conditions. Braces can be used as a preventative measure when doing strenuous physical activity, or they can support your spine as it heals from an injury.
• TENS – TENS stands for “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation,” which is the method of using a portable electrical stimulator to reduce pain by blocking the brain’s ability to receive pain signals from the nervous system.

Choosing More Targeted Treatment Methods

Conservative, nonsurgical treatments like hot therapy, cold therapy, back braces, and TENS therapy may prove completely effective in managing your back and neck pain. You can also try these treatments in conjunction with others, such as pain medication, yoga, mild massage, and behavior modification. If pain persists, your doctor may prescribe you pain medications like analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Some patients have also found epidural steroid injections to be effective.

If your back or neck pain lasts for longer than three months despite treatment, you might begin to discuss surgery with your doctor. Keep in mind that there are a variety of surgical options, so be sure to get all the facts about both minimally invasive procedures and traditional open spine operations.