For Healthcare Professionals Where to Buy All about lower back pain You’re not alone. Worldwide, lower back pain causes more disability than any other condition.¹ But don’t despair. Most people start to get better within just a few weeks.² And there are plenty of treatments that can help during this time, so you can stay active and get on with life as normal. What is lower back pain? Lower back pain is when you feel the pain in the part of your back between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your legs.² The pain may be a dull, constant ache or a sudden, sharp pain that makes it difficult to move around.³ You might find that the pain is worse in the morning compared to at night, and it may ease, or get worse, when you move into different positions.⁴ Lower back pain may be acute, where your symptoms last less than three months, or (less often) it can become chronic if they last longer than this.⁵ What causes lower back pain? This can vary. More often than not, you pull your back from something like lifting furniture or twisting awkwardly; the pain isn’t from any underlying disease, but risk factors like obesity and physical inactivity also play a key role. The medical term for this is non-specific back pain.² If you injure your back in this way, the soft tissues become inflamed. This inflammation causes pain, and you might get muscle spasms.⁶ This explains why anti-inflammatory medicines such as diclofenac, the active ingredient in Voltarol, can be effective at reducing back pain.⁷⁻⁹ See the article All about back pain for more details on pain relief for back pain. Less often, back pain is caused by something ‘specific’, such as a problem with a vertebrae (a disc between two bones in your spine) or a problem with a nerve around your spine.² Some things can increase your risk of getting lower back pain. These include:² Obesity.² The extra weight can put a strain on your back.⁶ A sedentary lifestyle where you don’t do any or much physical activity.² This can make your abdominal muscles weak, and your spine less stable.⁶ Your job – if it involves heavy lifting, for example. Stress can also cause muscle tension.² ⁶ Uncomfortable shoes. It’s possible that your shoes might change the affect the way you stand and walk and contribute to back pain.¹⁰ *GSK Global Pain Index Report 2018. p.39 How to treat lower back pain The best approach to dealing with back pain is usually to keep moving so you don’t stiffen up and prolong your symptoms.² Doctors often prescribe exercise as a treatment for lower back pain.² You can do exercises at home too, which may help to ease your symptoms. Back pain busters Learn stretches, exercises, and target your lower back pain with this interactive experience designed by our experts physiotherapists. Please note that by clicking on the "Shop now" and "Share" links above, you will be leaving the Voltarol site and moving to an external website which is independently operated and not managed by GSK. GSK assumes no responsibility for any of these external websites. Pain-relieving medicines Pain-relieving medicines can help you get on with your everyday activities while you recover. There’s a range of pain-relieving medicines out there. To decide which is best for you, it may help to learn a bit about pain, and what happens in your body in the article: Understanding the difference between acute and chronic pain. Voltarol non-medicated Heat Patch is designed to target back and muscle pain, providing up to 8 hours of localised pain-relieving heat.¹¹ The thin, self-adhesive, odourless patch provides effective pain relief and muscle relaxation in a non-medicated, tablet-free format. Voltarol Back and Muscle Pain Relief 1.16% Gel is a topical medicine that works in three ways: it helps relieve pain, reduce inflammation and speed up recovery.⁹ It brings targeted, local relief for pain and swelling (inflammation) in the back and neck.¹² ¹³ The active ingredient in Voltarol is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called diclofenac. Diclofenac works to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis (substances in the body that cause pain and inflammation).⁷ By reducing their amounts, diclofenac helps to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.⁹ Ask a pharmacist or your GP if you would like advice about what would be the best treatment for you. In partnership with your pharmacist or doctor, you can treat your pain to help you get back on track for the active life you want. References ¹ Hoy et al. Ann rheum dis. 2014 ² Back pain - low (without radiculopathy). Nice Clinical Knowledge Summaries. https://cks.nice.org.uk/back-pain-low-without-radiculopathy#!diagnosissub, accessed May 2018 ³ Back pain. NIH. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/back-pain, accessed May 2018 ⁴ Mechanical back pain clinical presentation. Medscape. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/822462-clinical#showall, accessed May 2018 ⁵ Low back pain and sciatica. Medscape. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1144130-overview, accessed May 2018 ⁶ Spinal pain. AaON Surgeons. http://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Spinal-Pain, accessed May 2018 ⁷ Gan TJ. Diclofenac: An update on its mechanism of action and safety profile. Medical Research & Opinion 2010; 26:1715–31. ⁸ Dreiser RL et al. Relief of acute low back pain with diclofenac-k 12.5 mg tablets: A flexible dose, ibuprofen 200 mg and placebo-controlled clinical trial. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2003; 41(9):375–85. ⁹ Zacher J et al. Topical diclofenac and its role in pain and inflammation: An evidence-based review. Curr Med Res Opin 2008; 24(4) ¹⁰ Footwear. Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. https://www.scpod.org/EasysiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=3501&type=Full&servicetype=Attachment, accessed May 2018 ¹¹ Nadler SF et al. Continuous low-level heatwrap therapy for treating acute nonspecific low back pain. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003; 84:329-34. ¹² Predel HG et al. Efficacy and safety of diclofenac diethylamine 1.16% gel in acute neck pain: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disord 2013; ¹4:250. ¹³ Voltarol Back and Muscle Pain Relief 1.16% Gel. EMC: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/8773/smpc. Accessed August 2018. Learn more All you need to know about pain relief Here we explain how different types of pain relief products work, to help you choose the best one for your pain. Pains & Treatments Find out how you should treat your specific type of pain… What is inflammation? Learn all about the processes that cause inflammation, why it happens and how it can make our bodies feel. *GSK Global Pain Index Research 2014, report, p.40 Privacy Policy Terms of Use Cookie Policy Site Map Contact Us Voltarol Back and Muscle Pain Relief 1.16% Gel, Voltarol Osteoarthritis Joint Pain Relief 1.16% Gel (for non-serious arthritic conditions), Voltarol Joint Pain Relief 2.32% Gel and Voltarol 12 Hour Joint Pain Relief 2.32% Gel contain diclofenac diethylammonium, and can be used for muscular / joint pain relief. Do not use on children under 14 years. Always read the label. Voltarol 140 mg Medicated Plaster for relief of pain and inflammation contains diclofenac sodium. Always read the label. Do not use on children under 16 years. ©2021 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare This website is intended for United Kingdom residents only. 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