Anthony Abbruzzese is a retired chiropractor from Columbus, Ohio and during his days practicing as a chiropractic physician, patients would often present with severe arthritic pain, dozens of empty medicine bottles, and frustration like no other. Treatment for back problems depends on a number of factors including the findings of diagnostic tests. Anthony Abbruzzese states "In many cases, medications to relieve pain and inflammation, slow bone loss or even slow or halt the progress of inflammatory disease are an important part of a back treatment plan. Depending on your diagnosis, medical treatment may include one or more of the following medications, or, physical therapy, massage, chiropractic rehab."

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs):

Including more than a dozen different drugs, some of which are available without a prescription, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to help ease arthritis pain and inflammation. They may also be useful for relieving back pain from muscle strain and other causes. By far, most are taken orally. Recently, however, new topical preparations, such as Voltaren Gel and Pennsaid, have been approved.

Analgesics:

Analgesics are among the most commonly used drugs for many forms of arthritis and other causes of back pain. Anthony Abbruzzese, a retired chiropractor from Columbus, Ohio, states "Unlike NSAIDs, which target both, pain and inflammation, analgesics are designed purely for pain relief. For that reason, they may be safe for people who are unable to take NSAIDs due to allergies or stomach problems, for example. When taken as directed, analgesics also are an appropriate, and possibly safer, choice for pain not accompanied by inflammation. He went on to say that during his years of practice, Biofreeze worked best as a natural analgesic."

Topical Rubs:

Anthony Abbruzzese, a retired chiropractor in Columbus, Ohio states "If back pain is in the soft tissues, you may find relief from an analgesic salve, rub or balm available over the counter under trade names such as Aspercreme, Ben-Gay, Capzasin-P, Eucalyptamint, Icy Hot and Zostrix. Although these topical preparations, which work through a variety of active ingredients, are usually used on peripheral joints, such as the knees or hands, you might find them useful - and safe - for back pain."

Muscle Relaxants:

Anthony Abbruzzese, a retired chiropractor in Columbus, Ohio, further states "These are drugs used to ease muscle spasms. For back pain relief, they are often prescribed along with NSAIDs. Commonly prescribed muscle relaxants include cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), orphenadrine (Norflex) and carisoprodol (Soma). Muscle relaxants may cause drowsiness, so they may be helpful if back pain keeps you awake at night."

Corticosteroids:

These quick-acting drugs, similar to the cortisone made by your own body, are used to control inflammation. If inflammation is due to a systemic inflammatory disease, such as polymyalgia rheumatica or rheumatoid arthritis in the back, your doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroids. If inflammation is limited to an inflamed joint in the spine, your doctor may inject a corticosteroid preparation directly into the inflamed joint.

Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs:

Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) work slowly to modify the course of inflammatory disease. Different DMARDs may be useful for a number of different forms of arthritis that may affect the spine, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.