Most back pain disappears within days or weeks and does not need medical intervention. In some cases, however, you should seek advice from your GP or other qualified healthcare provider.
As explained in the ‘First aid for back pain’ section, there are a number of things you can do to speed up recovery and prevent re-occurrence. Most people find that their back pain disappears spontaneously within days or weeks. There are however a few occasions where you should ask your GP or other qualified healthcare provider for advice. For example when:
- You experience any other symptoms together with your back pain, such as weight loss, generally feeling unwell, a fever, altered sensation in your lower body, incontinence or muscular weakness in your lower body.
- Your pain is persistent or you experience increasingly more pain and discomfort.
- Your pain is too severe to manage.
- You have had a recent trauma or injury to your back.
If in doubt, you should always consult an appropriately qualified healthcare professional and BackCare is not able to advise on any individual case. You could also consider contacting NHS Direct (0845 4647 or www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk). NHS Direct’s website has more information available on when you should urgently seek medical help, see: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=234§ionId=10