What lumbar pain relief treatments you will need will vary depending on what you are trying to treat as there are many conditions that can affect the lower back area; listed below are therapies that can be used on those who have a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, or Piriformis Syndrome. Treatments vary from medication, epidural lumbar injections, lumbar massages and lower back exercises. While some of these treatments and therapies can be used for all three conditions, not all of them can be.

Epidural Steroid Injection

These injections into the back contain a steroid, a quick acting numbing agent, and occasionally a pain narcotic and this type of treatment can be used in place of oral medications to provide lumbar pain relief. A lumbar injection would be administered in a doctor’s office using a televised x-ray for proper needle placement. A downside to this type of therapy is if your medication is not lasting long enough you may not be able to continue with the treatments as it is best if you do not have more than 3 injections per year.

Epidural steroid injections can be used to treat the following:

-Pinched Nerves

-Herniated Discs

-Piriformis Syndrome

Massage Therapy

A lumbar massage has been shown to be very effective at reducing back pain for some people. It can not only help to reduce your back pain, it can also promote healing by increasing blood circulation to the area affected by the injury. There are many types of massage that can be used such as reflexology, acupressure, therapeutic touch, or deep tissue. If you are at all unsure about what style of lumbar massage would best suit your needs you can speak to your physical therapist or your doctor.

Massage therapy can be used to treat the following:

-Pinched Nerves

-Piriformis Syndrome

Exercises and Stretching

With the help of an experienced physical therapist or your doctor you should be exercising and stretching your lower back muscles, by doing this you can increase the strength and flexibility in that area and you may see a reduction in pain as your lower back is better able to support your body. These lower back exercises and stretches can easily be done in 10-15 minutes and while it might not feel too good at first, if you are performing them properly you should notice a reduction in your pain within a week or two.

In the case of a Piriformis muscle injury this is your best bet at reducing your pain over a long time period. While medications can easily mask your pain they are not something that you can keep using indefinitely. Stretching and exercising this area of your body can help to improve your flexibility, strength and range of motion.

Exercise and stretching can be used to treat the following:

-Pinched Nerve

-Herniated Disc

-Piriformis Syndrome

Medication

There are many types of medication that can be used if you are having lower back pain, and they are not just limited to pain narcotics. Your doctor may also prescribe you anti-inflammatory medicine, anti-muscle spasm medications, and anti-depressants depending on your symptoms and underlying cause for your pain. In the case of over the counter medications some of the more commonly used ones that can be administered to reduce pain and swelling are Advil, Motrin, Aleve, or Aspirin. If you are not experiencing any swelling you be better off using Tylenol as it is gentler on your stomach.

If your pain is very severe, you may need to use pain narcotics or some of the alternatives such as anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-muscle spasms medications, and anti-depressants. You will need to discuss with your doctor what your options are.

Medication can be used to treat the following:

-Pinched Nerves

-Herniated Discs

-Piriformis Syndrome

Rest

A certain amount of rest can be very helpful depending on what your condition is. If you are dealing with a pulled muscle or a muscle spasm by avoiding things that may aggravate the injury you can speed up the healing process. Rest unfortunately does not mean staying in bed for two weeks; in all probability if you where to do this your back pain would increase.

Rest can be used to treat the following:

-Piriformis Syndrome