Back pain can be a real pain for many Americans, as 80 percent will experience some type of back problem during their lifetime, most of the time in their lower back. And because you use your back on a regular basis, keeping it pain-free is essential for having a good quality of life and being able to do the things you need to do, such as going to work. Fortunately, the majority of back-pain occurrences can be remedied within a six week period. Here are some steps to help you take care of and remedy your back pain so you can return to your normal activities and life.

Seek Emergency Care

One of the first things you may need to do when you experience sudden back pain from an injury is to seek immediate treatment from your doctor or primary care physician. But, if your back injury occurs on the weekend or after hours, you still need immediate treatment. You can seek treatment from an urgent care office or emergency room if it is in the middle of the night.

Seeing your doctor for treatment is a great way to find out what type of injury you have and to determine what your options are for healing it. The physician treating you at the urgent care or doctor's office will complete a physical exam and may request an x-ray to check for broken bones in your spine, an MRI or CT scan to take a look at your body's soft tissues and any related damage to them, or an electromyogram to see if the pain is a result of damage to your nerves or muscles.

After your exam, your doctor may refer you to a specialist for additional treatment, such as chiropractic sessions or surgery. The urgent care doctor may also prescribe pain medication to help you find relief until your injury can be remedied.

Follow Up with Appropriate At-Home Treatments

Once you have seen your doctor or specialist, you may be advised to complete your own treatments at home to help heal the injury. Treatments can include resting your back, along with applying ice treatments to the affected area and using over-the-counter medications.

At-home treatments may also include safe physical exercise, such as Pilates and yoga for increasing your back strength, which will help support your back better and prevent repeated injury. Water exercises are also helpful to strengthen your back without further stressing your existing injury. Exercising in water allows your body to float to reduce some excess pressure on your back, and water also creates extra resistance that can help strengthen your muscles.

Try Drug-Free Pain Relief

When you want to find pain relief from your back injury without using prescription pain medication, acupuncture is a great option that is becoming more widely recognized and accepted in the medical community. Acupuncture is an ancient practice that uses thin needles, which are inserted under your skin to activate your body's self-healing mechanism. Your acupuncturist may also use heat and pressure along with needles to active your body's ability to heal. Acupuncture can trigger your body's release of endorphins and affect your body's brain chemistry to have a higher pain tolerance.

At your first acupuncture appointment, you will spend time with a licensed acupuncturist in a consultation to find out where in your body you are experiencing pain. Based on your body's symptoms, they will set up a treatment plan to reduce and eliminate your back pain. Be sure that you select an acupuncturist who is licensed to work in your area and also has been trained and has the proper credentials.