Most Common Medications For Back Pain!

It is quite shocking to know how common lower back pain has become among people between the age of 30 and 50. When you look into the causes, you see it can be brought by muscle pulls or spasms, irritation in the nerves, or other abnormalities associated with the spine including slipped disc, and spinal stenosis. So, according to the cause, lower back pain can be sudden and acute, chronic and frequent. 

Lower Back Pain And Medications!

You just need to treat lower back pain as per the particular cause, if you want to get relief from it. Even though there are some natural remedies that you can follow to tackle lower back pain at home, you may see nothing works as it is already too late to give you sudden results. In that case, several medications are available, and you can seek them to have significant relief. 

Here are a few common medications which you can start taking to reduce lower back pain. 

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

If you seek a doctor’s help to manage chronic lower back pain, Acetaminophen will be his very first choice to help you out. It is the most common drug used for lower back pain as it stops the pain process. Even though it is widely used, it cannot be taken for reducing inflammation. 

When compared to other drugs, Acetaminophen is gentler to your stomach. Besides, it can also be used to relieve various kinds of pain as well as pain after surgeries. However, it is important to take the right dosage of Acetaminophen as taking it in higher amounts can cause liver damage. So the everyday dosage of Acetaminophen should not exceed more than 3,000 mg. 

NSAIDs (Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Motrin)

You can buy NSAIDs or Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without any doctor’s prescription. They are usually used as alternatives to Acetaminophen. It can help you relieve pain, swelling as well as fever. Even though you can get them without the doctor’s prescription, it would be better to seek medical advice to get details of its proper dosage. This is because the inaccurate dosage of NSAIDs can cause an array of issues like kidney damage, heart problems nausea, diarrhea, heartburn, and stomach pain.

Muscle Relaxants 

Muscle relaxants are another choice for doctors to prescribe against lower back pain. They can relieve muscle spasms and pain from both your neck and back. Doctors usually give them along with acetaminophen or an NSAID, as it can bring better results. 

The common muscle relaxants that you can use against lower back pain are: 

• Cyclobenzaprine
• Metaxalone
• Tizanidine
• Methocarbamol
• Carisoprodol
• Baclofen

Antidepressants

When your lower back pain has closer connections with neuropathy and spreads down your led, you can choose antidepressants. However, they cannot give you any rapid relief. You just need to take them for several weeks to see a big difference in your back pain. Besides, its regular intake can cause drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, and constipation. 

Have a look at the most preferable choices of antidepressants for doctors to treat lower back pain. 

• Doxepin
• Clomipramine
• Desipramine
• Nortriptyline
• Imipramine
• Amitriptyline

Opioids

Opioids can bring you instant relief from lower back pain if it is milder and short-term. Besides, research shows that it usually provides short-term relief only. At the same time, regular use of Opioids has several risks including hormonal changes and dependency. Due to all these, doctors usually don’t prescribe them to manage chronic and long-term lower back pain. But, just in case you need to tackle Opioids, your doctor will suggest other therapies, exercises, or lifestyle changes along with its consumption. Also, you will be monitored by the doctor to be assured that you are responding positively towards these drugs without inducing any harmful effects. 

Some other risks related to the regular intake of Opioids are nausea, sexual dysfunction, depression, etc. 

To conclude

The medications to tackle lower back pain are widely available and some of them can even be bought without a doctor’s prescription. However, it is important to watch out for their dosage as excess amounts of these drugs can cause a variety of side effects. This means it will be always better to start taking them as per the directions given by your doctor. With his right supervision, you can get the desired results without ending up with adverse effects. If you find no medications or home remedies that can help you get rid of lower back pain, your doctor is more likely to suggest therapies or even surgeries give you relief. Since surgeries are riskier, doctors often proceed with it only as a last resort.