Chronic low back pain is pain that has lasted longer than 3 months. As low back pain continues beyond 3 months, it becomes vitally important that you develop skills for managing and coping with chronic pain so you can avoid getting into a cycle of sleeplessness, inactivity, irritability, depression, and more pain.

Chronic pain often requires both psychological counseling and medical treatment, because pain has a wearing effect on both the mind and the body. Seek out a cognitive-behavioral therapist who can teach you stress management and pain control skills. Look for a "back school" program and at least one type of health professional who specializes in spinal care. The most successful programs are usually those that combine exercise, activities to increase your function, and techniques to help you manage pain.4 Depending on your condition, you can start taking charge of pain by continuing with home treatment measures and using one or more of the following treatments:

#1 - Rest - but just a little
If your back hurts, take a rest. Lie down and avoid overusing your back muscles for a while. This doesn't mean stay in bed for a week. In fact, too much rest can make your back pain worse. After a short break, get up, move around, and stretch. You'll find it actually helps reduce that nagging backache.

#2 - Medications
Today, there are a wide variety of medications to choose from to treat back pain. Some drugs relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and relax muscle spasms. Many are available over-the-counter at your local drug store or pharmacy. Other medications require a doctor's prescription.

• Acetaminophen to reduce pain and/or medicines that reduce pain swelling, and irritation, including ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) and naproxen (such as Aleve or Naprosyn). These medicines usually work best if you take them on a regular schedule instead of waiting until the pain is severe.
• Prescription pain medicine or muscle relaxants for a short time, to help break the pain cycle.
• Antidepressants, to treat chronic pain. This type of medicine not only treats depression but may have an additional effect on chronic pain.
• Anesthetic or corticosteroid injections, to block pain sensation or reduce inflammation.

#3 - Cold/Heat therapy
Cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain. Cold therapy may be recommended immediately following a sprain or strain. Apply cold to your back using cold packs, ice cubes, iced towels/compresses, or take a cool bath.

Apply heat to your aching back by using a hot compress, a dry or moist heating pad, or hydrotherapy (hot bath). Heat therapy can help decrease muscle spasms, relax tense muscles, relieve pain, and can increase range of motion.

A good general rule if you are unsure whether heat or cold would be better is does it make your back feel better when you apply it? If you feel better then it is working. Remember, never apply cold or heat/hot therapies directly on your skin - wrap it in a towel first.

#4 Complementary Therapy

See: Complementary Treatment

#5 - See Your Doctor
The most important thing to remember about periodic bouts of back pain is that if they occur more and more frequently, increase in duration (more than a few days), or the pain starts to interfere with your usual activities, it's time to see your doctor. It could be more than just a minor strain.