Back pain is one of the most common reasons why people visit the doctor. The good news is that the pain often goes away on its own, and people usually recover in a week or two. Many people want to stay in bed when their back hurts. For many years, getting bed rest was the normal advice. But current studies recommend no bed rest at all and stress that staying in bed longer than 48 hours not only won't help but it may, in fact, actually delay your recovery.

Staying in bed won't help you get better faster.

Research shows that:

• Lying down longer than a day or two day isn't helpful for relieving back pain.
• People can recover more quickly without any bed rest.
• The sooner you start moving, even a little bit, or return to activities such as walking, the faster you are likely to improve.

Long bed rest can lead to slower recovery.

Staying in bed for any prolonged period can make you stiff and increase pain. When you don't move and bend, you lose muscle strength and flexibility. With bed rest, you lose about 1 percent of your muscle strength each day. And you can lose 20 to 30 percent in a week. It becomes more difficult to return to any activity.

What can I do for the pain?

Hot or cold packs often help. Some people can get pain relief from non-prescription analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). But no medication should be taken for an extended period of time.

When should I see a doctor?

You should see your doctor right away if:

• You have severe continuous back pain that lasts longer than 48 hours.
• You have severe continuous back pain and fever.
• You have back pain with accompanying pain, numbness or weakness in one or both legs or feet. Your leg symptoms are more disabling than your back symptoms.
• You have back pain and the onset of numbness in your private/genital region or changes in your ability to control your bladder and bowel function.

Conditions: Lower-Back Pain

Treatments: Bed Rest, Exercise, Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory, Advil (Motrin), Naproxen (Aleve), Tylenol