Unfortunately, an issue that plagues many people in today's world is back pain. If left untreated, back pain can be a condition that leaves people crippled and unable to perform activities of daily living to an effective degree. While back pain can certainly be a major nuisance and impact your daily life, there are a variety of treatments available at your disposal to help your pain. Here are some of the best treatments available for back pain.

OTC (Over-The-Counter)Pain Medications

Over the counter pain medications, commonly in the form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can prove to be an effective alternative to relieve acute back pain. The most common medications administered over the counter include ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. You should only take these medicines under the advisement of your doctor, and be sure not to overdose on any medication as they can cause potentially severe side effects.

Injections

Sometimes, medications alone may not be enough to relieve back pain, and if worse comes to worst, the doctor may inject an anti-inflammatory substance or cortisone, and inject it around your spinal cord. An injection of cortisone can help decrease inflammation and relieve pain. However, you must be advised that the pain relief is not permanent and may peak at around a few months.

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy is a form of treatment is one that is still being extensively studied in regards to the extent that it can help back pain. It is theorized that if stem cells are injected into a herniated disc, stems cells can transform into cartilage cells and thereby alleviate back pain that is associated with discs in the back. The technology holds great promise, but there is still more science needed to fully gauge its effectiveness. If you are interested, enrolling in FDA studies involving back pain can help a great deal. and see if it is right for you. Preliminary reports have been encouraging, but remain inconclusive.

Ice/Heat

Back pain has proven to respond well to extreme temperatures. For 20 minute sessions, application of extreme cold or heat can prove to be beneficial for your back. Localized cooling is able to reduce blood flow to the area and shut down the capillaries that will help ease any localized swelling to the area. In addition, heat has the capacity to loosen up tight muscles, increase circulation and directly deliver oxygen to the area affected.

Exercises

There are specific exercises available that can help you relieve tension in your back. This can help to stabilize the spine and prevent any potential imbalances that can arise as a result. If traditional exercises aren't for you, then you may want to consider yoga as an alternative. It is a great stress reliever, and a lot of tightness in your back can be removed by focusing your muscles and targeting specific areas in your body.

Thinking Positively

Don't misunderstand what this means. The pain is not all in your head and merely having a positive mindset will not make the back pain automatically go away. However, this is more of a preventative measure of amplifying the pain. Increased levels of stress and anxiety have shown to increase back pain. The last thing you need is added pain just because of your mindset. You can combat this by practicing deep breathing exercises, meditation and behavioral therapy. Certain practices yield different results for a variety of people.

As you can see, there are a variety of treatments available to treat your back pain. People respond to certain treatments differently depending on their physical makeup and the body's response to medication. Consult with your physician to see which course of treatment may be right for you.