My Back Hurts But I Don't Want to Take Medication

Back pain can disrupt many aspects of your day and keep you from doing your job or other physical activities. If you can’t tolerate the pain but don’t want to take medications, you can use other strategies.

At New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine, we offer nonsurgical therapies to ease acute or chronic back pain. Our pain management specialist Jose De La Torre, MD, specializes in advanced treatments for back pain and its causes.

Dr. De La Torre also offers resources you can use to rebuild your spine health and prevent additional complications.

Reasons to seek medication alternatives for pain management

There are many reasons that more people are opting for medication-free chronic pain management plans. One of the most common factors that influence a person’s decision to avoid medication is the potential for misuse and addiction.

Long-term use of opioids and other pain-relieving medications can also cause physical symptoms that affect your gastrointestinal health, including nausea and constipation. Additionally, you can experience balance issues or a lack of coordination that increases your risk for falls and other injuries.

You might also benefit from medication alternatives to manage your pain if narcotic pain-relievers make you feel drowsy or cause difficulties with concentration and focus. These issues can interfere with your ability to care for yourself and your family and to do your job safely.

6 medication-free strategies to manage back pain

As a pain management expert, Dr. De La Torre can recommend non-medicated treatments to control your pain based on its underlying cause.

If you aren’t interested in taking prescription medications or the medicines aren’t working well to control your pain, he might suggest:

1.Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

TENS is a noninvasive treatment that uses low currents of electricity to prevent pain signals from traveling to your brain.

2. Physical therapy

Physical therapy is an effective way to strengthen the muscles that support your spine to prevent a worsening of your back pain. Your physical therapist can also teach you exercises you can do at home to keep your back healthy in the long term.

3. Mindfulness techniques

Mindfulness techniques like meditation and breathing exercises can alleviate stress or anxiety that contribute to chronic pain. You might also benefit from working with a therapist to better cope with the impact pain has on your life.

4. Yoga

Yoga poses help build your core muscle strength and also increase the flexibility of your spine. Regular yoga sessions can go a long way to reducing existing back pain and preventing additional pain episodes.

5. Massage

Massage therapy offers many benefits for chronic pain sufferers. Regular massages can improve your overall blood circulation, release tension in your back muscles, and ease inflammation around the spine.

6. Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the placement of fine needles in specific points (meridians) throughout your body.  The needles trigger your body’s natural healing processes and also stimulate your nerves to lessen pain sensations.

Call New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine in Wesley Chapel, Florida, today to learn more about treatment options beyond medications to manage your pain. You can also book an appointment online.