How long will it take to get rid of my back pain?
This is very dependant on what is causing your back pain and to an extent, how early you have done something about it! Some back pain can be reduced significantly in one session but then requires upkeep by the way of exercises to get rid of it completely. Some takes that little bit longer to get rid of the pain and may not react well to manual techniques and only reacts to stretches and strengthening exercises.
What are the symptoms for a slipped disc
Slipping a disc is a bit of a misnomer, what happens is the center of the disc is a bit like jelly, this can sometimes make its way to the outer shell and protrude through. When this happens you can experience, numbness or tingling or a weakness in certain body parts. If a disc is only bulging then it can reabsorb, if it has herniated (the jelly center has fully ruptured through and there is no longer an edge left to the outer shell) then it can’t unfortunately make its way back in.
Do I need an MRI to help
An MRI is not the be all and end all when it comes to back pain. As we age, people get natural degenerative change in there spines from relatively early on. Studies have shown that people can have very large disc bulges but be pain free and some people can have next to no bulge and have huge amounts of pain. It can be a helpful tool to show where an injection or surgery could potentially be needed but it is not a first resort.
What painkillers will work best for back pain
This is entirely dependent on your pain. Start off small with paracetamol and ibuprofen. The key is the be consistent. If these don’t work then talk to your GP about other medication that can be used
Can I still exercise with back pain
Yes! Specially targeted exercises and stretches can make your back feel a lot better. No longer is the advise to rest in bed used for back pain. Backs like movement so doing targeted exercises will help the process of healing
Do I need surgery
Not all back pain needs surgery and not all surgeries will cure back pain! This is something to consider very carefully and to also exhaust all other options before considering surgery. The first step is conservative management in the way of exercises and rehab work with a physio. The next stage (depending on what is causing your back pain) is a MRI scan followed by an injection. If the injection works and you become pain and symptom free then you are likely a good candidate for surgery provided the physio work hasn’t been successful.
