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Pain
Create a plan to relieve your back pain
If you suffer from back pain, you've probably tried one or two ways to ease it. The range of options — from doing nothing at all to having surgery — is quite large. But the abundance of choices also presents a challenge. How do you know which therapy is right for you?
Before you decide on a course of treatment, keep these three things in mind.
- Identifying the type of back disorder you suffer from is the first step in finding how best to treat it. Although options abound, not all are appropriate for your specific back problem.
- Be an active participant in your care. Learn as much as you can about the risks and benefits of the treatments you are considering. Be clear on your treatment goals. Perhaps you don't intend to hike up a mountain, but you do want to go on that long-awaited trip and enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower.
- Don't be afraid to question advice. If a health professional recommends an invasive, experimental, or expensive treatment, consider seeking a second opinion from a physician who frequently deals with your specific condition.
How you decide to manage your back pain will ultimately depend on many things. Taking all these factors into account will help you make a shared decision with your doctor to determine which of the available options are right for you.
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You might also be interested in…
Back Pain: Finding solutions for your aching back
Treatment of back pain has undergone a recent sea change. Experts now appreciate the central role of exercise to build muscles that support the back. This Special Health Report, Back Pain: Finding solutions for your aching back, helps you understand why back pain occurs and which treatments are most likely to help. This report describes the different types of back problems and the tailored treatments that are more likely to help specific conditions.
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