What Causes It and How to Get Relief

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While there’s no one-size-fits-all remedy for sharp lower back pain, there are some common approaches you can try that may help. That’s why your best bet when sharp lower back pain persists is to seek medical attention, says Freid.

“I highly recommend seeing a doctor of physical therapy for a full assessment of your back pain,” Freid says. “They will be able to help you narrow down the root cause of your pain and use interventions like pain management techniques and exercise to help improve your quality of life. They can also help recommend the appropriate medical doctor if they feel like an MRI or X-ray is appropriate, or if you need to see a specialist for a systemic issue.”

Medications for Back Pain

Several types of over-the-counter and prescription medicines may help relieve lower back pain, according to Harvard Health.

These include:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

NSAIDs are available over the counter at lower doses and by prescription at higher doses. They include drugs like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve).

Muscle relaxants

Muscle relaxants act on the central nervous system to reduce acute pain for the short term and are often recommended when muscle spasms are present. They include drugs like baclofen (Lioresal), dantrolene (Dantrium), carisoprodol (Soma), chlorzoxazone (Lorzon), and methocarbamol (Robaxin).

Antidepressants

Even though these drugs aren’t approved to treat back pain, doctors sometimes prescribe them for chronic lower back pain. Some studies have found duloxetine (Cymbalta) effective for relieving lower back pain.

Opioids

Opioids can be addictive and are generally used after other options fail to adequately manage back pain — and doctors try to prescribe them only for short-term use. They include oxycodone (OxyContin) and an acetaminophen/hydrocodone combination (Vicodin).

Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Most medications aren’t that helpful for sharp lower back pain, which is one reason why you may want to first consider options such as spinal manipulation, massage, acupuncture, yoga, or tai chi, says Goertz. “These strategies have similar outcomes, so patients can choose what they think would work best,” she says.

Out of all of these options, physical therapy

can be a smart place to start, says Deirdre Rodericks, MD, a sports medicine specialist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School.

“Physical therapy is a great first step to treating musculoskeletal back pain and developing an exercise program to help prevent flares of back pain,” Dr. Rodericks says. “Generally, I recommend a core strengthening program.”

Depending on the root cause of your sharp lower back pain, treatment may include physical therapy that focuses on exercises to improve strength, mobility, and posture, Freid says. This might be paired with options like electronic stimulation (e-stim) therapy that uses a mild electric current to reduce muscle pain or infrared light therapy to reduce muscle inflammation, Freid adds.

Home Remedies and Lifestyle Adjustments for Back Pain

There are a wide variety of things you can try at home to relieve sharp lower back pain, Goertz says. These can include ice (especially when the pain first begins); heat packs or a hot bath or shower; gentle movements like walking, tai chi, or stretching exercises; and mindfulness meditation to reduce stress.

It might sound counterintuitive, but another thing you can do at home is limit bed rest, according to Harvard Health

. That’s because physical activity is actually good for you, and your muscles can become stiffer when you spend too much time in bed.

“Generally, gentle movement is better for back pain as opposed to bed rest, which was commonly recommended in the past,” Rodericks says. Gentle stretches, yoga, and Pilates can all help.

If your pain persists, other treatment options can include spinal injections and nerve blocks or, in severe cases, surgery, according to NYU Langone Health.

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