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Seeing the back of back painSeeing the back of back pain

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Acute low back pain affects four out of five Australians at some time in their lives. Back pain is said to be ‘acute’ if it lasts for less than three months. However, usually, it lasts for a few days or weeks. While, sometimes, very painful initially, low back pain is not usually a sign of serious injury or disease.

Generally, you can manage acute low back pain yourself, so you don’t need to see a doctor. However, visit your doctor if the pain gets worse or you develop unusual symptoms, such as fever, difficulty passing urine, or weakness, numbness or pins and needles in your legs.

X-rays usually don’t help

X-rays only give a clear picture of bones. Acute low back pain is usually the result of the muscles, ligaments or joints in the lower back not moving or working properly. These soft tissues do not show up on X-rays, so X-rays are usually of no use in determining the cause of back pain.

What should I do?

The first priority is to control the pain, so you can get back to your normal activities as soon as possible.

Manage the pain

For most people, using a non-prescription pain reliever containing paracetamol is the safest and most effective option. Common brand names include Herron, Panadol and Panamax. However, paracetamol should not be used if you have liver or serious kidney problems. If you can’t take paracetamol, or if it doesn’t relieve your pain, talk to your pharmacist or doctor about other pain relievers that may be suitable.

Before taking any pain reliever, check the dosage instructions, and follow them. Taking more than the recommended amount won’t give you better pain relief, but it may cause side effects, which could be serious.

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Stay active

Although you may need to take it easy for the first couple of days, the sooner you start moving again, the sooner your back is likely to start feeling better. Avoid staying in the same position or doing the same activity for more than 20–30 minutes.

You don’t need to do any special exercises. Just continue doing your usual activities as normally as possible. Keep moving, even if it hurts at first. If necessary, start slowly and gradually build up over a few days or weeks.

MedicinesTalk is a free quarterly newsletter for consumers written by consumers about using medicines wisely. Subscribe to the hard copy version using our online ordering system, or write to MedicinesTalk, National Prescribing Service Limited, PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.

Date published: 2011-01-17 00:00:00

Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.

References to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS.