Back Basics: What to Know About Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain is distinct from the short-term sore back you might have after helping your friend move furniture. Most experts define chronic back pain as back pain that has lasted for three months at a time.

Some people experience a bout of chronic back pain that subsides after a few months and then returns.

Causes of chronic back pain are often difficult to identify, and many clinicians refer to the condition as “chronic nonspecific back pain.” If you deal with nagging back pain that keeps you from enjoying the activities of daily life, see a specialist for an evaluation and a plan to manage the pain.

Treatment of chronic back pain falls into two categories:

 

1. Noninvasive: Noninvasive strategies for managing chronic back pain can include limited rest, physical therapy, different types of pain medications, acupuncture and chiropractic care.
2. Invasive: Surgical options for managing back pain should be a last resort after noninvasive treatments have failed. Surgery for back pain may involve fusing parts of the spine together, or surgically applying heat to specific nerve pathways to block pain.

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