I woke up one morning with a sharp pain in my lower back. After a long treatment history my doctor finally found that I had a bulged disk in my back. He sent me to physical therapy and that seemed to do the trick.

I tried a lot of different things it was finally the physical therapy that helped.

historic treatment description

I herniated a disk in my L5-S1 space. After being diagnosed, I was initially treated with pain medications and physical therapy. I also iced my back several times a day. The ice and meds made it feel the best. Physical therapy was good to learn how to do proper exercises in order to prevent pain in the future. I use a back brace when riding my horse, but I don't think it makes much difference other than making me sit up straighter. One of the best things I have done is changing my sleeping position and getting a better supportive mattress. I was told that sleeping on your stomach makes your back weak and less stable, so I sleep on my back. I wake up a lot less sore when this is accomplished. Pilates classes help keep my core strong, but I have to make sure I only do exercises that are good for my medical condition and not everything the instructor asks. Massages are really nice when my back tenses up from pain to help alleviate muscle spasms.

Sleep on back
massage on occasion
Pilates once a week

For over twenty years now, I have had incredible lower back pain. I fell off the back of a hook and ladder fire truck and caused me to have slipped discs. I had surgery on my back but it still hurt. I have tried every pain medicine out there, but it wasn't until I had gotten frequent massages and constant use of heat on my back after work till the pain was alleviated some. I am not one hundred percent, but my back pain is tolerable with heat and massages.