The nerve-rich facet joints on the back side of each spinal bone are a common cause of back pain. The discs between spinal bones can be a source of back pain, too. Trauma can cause the soft, pulpy material in the middle to bulge or herniate, putting pressure on delicate nearby nerves. Once you know the cause, you have several choices. One approach is bed rest.
Physical therapy is another option.
Another choice is to numb or cover up the pain with drugs. While drugs can offer temporary relief, they can't correct functional problems of affected spinal joints. The most drastic measure is surgery. While there may be times when surgery makes sense, it's expensive, risky and more than half of all back surgeries fail. More and more people are choosing chiropractic care first.