Back pain relief without medication Exercise, hands-on care and traction that ease pain without pills

Pain medicine has a place, but many people would rather not take pills every day, cannot take anti-inflammatories because of their stomach, kidneys or blood pressure, or want to avoid stronger medicines altogether. The good news is that the treatments with the best long-term evidence for lower back pain do not come in a bottle. This post covers them. Our earlier post on how to fix lower back pain without surgery covers the full range of lower back pain treatment, including injections. Do not stop a medicine you have been prescribed without talking to the doctor who prescribed it.

Why movement works

Most lower back pain comes from strained muscles, irritated joints or a sensitive disc, not lasting damage. If yours started with a heavy lift, see back pain after lifting. Bed rest weakens the muscles that support the spine and makes the back stiffer, while gentle movement keeps blood flowing, eases muscle guarding and calms the nervous system’s pain response. That is why current guidelines recommend staying active as the first step for most back pain.

Exercises for back pain relief without medication

In the first two videos, a patient does a wall squat with an exercise ball behind his back, and in the second he also does a seated rowing exercise with a resistance band on a ball. Exercises like these strengthen the hips, thighs and trunk without loading the spine heavily. A starter set might include:

• Walking: short walks spread through the day, building up the total time
• Wall squats with a ball: slow, controlled, only as deep as is comfortable
• Bridges: lying on your back, lifting the hips to work the glutes
• Bird dogs: on hands and knees, reaching an arm and the opposite leg
• Band rows: for the upper back and posture
• Gentle stretches: knees to chest and hip flexor stretches; see lower back pain for more

A mild ache during exercise is fine. Sharp pain, or pain spreading down a leg, means stop and get checked. For step-by-step instructions and how to progress, see our lower back pain exercises.

Hands-on physical therapy

The first video starts with a physical therapist working hands-on on the lower back of a patient lying face down. Manual therapy, including joint mobilization and soft-tissue work, can ease stiffness and muscle spasm enough to make exercise easier. Kinesiology taping is sometimes added for support. A therapist also looks at how you bend, lift and sit and adjusts the plan as you improve. Physical therapy is offered at our Brooklyn and Staten Island offices.

Traction when a disc or nerve is involved

The third video shows a patient strapped on a traction table while an animation shows the discs being gently decompressed. Lumbar traction uses a controlled pull to take pressure off the discs and nerve roots, and it may help some people with a herniated disc or sciatica, usually combined with exercise. Read more about spinal traction and decompression and our post on mechanical spinal decompression.

Everyday habits that ease back pain

• Heat: a heating pad or warm shower for 15 to 20 minutes eases stiffness; some people prefer ice in the first day or two after a strain (see cryotherapy benefits)
• Sleep: on your side with a pillow between the knees, or on your back with a pillow under them
• Sitting: get up and move every 30 to 45 minutes, and keep the screen at eye level
• Lifting: keep the load close, bend at the hips and knees, and avoid twisting
• Stress and mood: stress and poor sleep make pain feel worse; relaxation, breathing exercises and regular activity help
• Weight and smoking: losing extra weight and quitting smoking both help backs

When drug-free care is not enough

If pain lasts beyond a few weeks despite exercise and therapy, keeps coming back, or travels down a leg with numbness, a pain management physician can look for the source and discuss other options. Our guide to chronic back pain treatment covers them. Go to an emergency room or call 911 for back pain with loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin, sudden leg weakness or fever.

Related care at Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance

Back pain physical therapy near you

Physical therapy and lumbar traction are offered at two Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance offices. For back pain treatment in Brooklyn, physical therapists Zoya Reznik, DPT, OCS and Maggie (Yi) Zhang, DPT, with physical therapist assistants Dennis Furman, PTA and Leila Nahmoud, PTA see patients at our Brooklyn physical therapy office on Shell Rd, near Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Gravesend and Bensonhurst. If you need a back pain doctor on Staten Island or a therapist close to home, our Staten Island physical therapy office on Richmond Rd, where physical therapists Victoria Lynn Kain, DPT and Nicholas “Nick” Ursini, DPT practice, is convenient to Great Kills, New Dorp and Midland Beach.

Would you like a physician to examine your back first? Ashley Marcus, MD sees patients at our Brooklyn office, Jake Stephen, DO at our Staten Island office, and Yuri Gordin, MD at the Precision Care Spine & Pain Center in Midtown Manhattan, a direct trip from Spanish Harlem, Washington Heights and Harlem; for a back pain doctor in Midtown East, start there. Physical therapy and traction are not offered at the Midtown Manhattan office. Searching for a back pain doctor near me? Request an appointment or call the office closest to you.

Questions patients ask

Educational only, not medical advice. These videos and this article explain common problems and treatments in general terms. They are not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. Results vary from person to person. See a qualified clinician about your own symptoms, and call 911 or go to an emergency room for an emergency.

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