Although there are many different types of treatment for back pains, most medical facilities have certain treatments that they tend to use more than others. The US Army medical treatment for low back pain is based on certain guidelines set by the Army Medical Department. Their treatment methods are base on a project they set up called “Implementing Clinical Guidelines in the Army Medical System”. This project was set up to make sure that not only was quality medical care provided to its people, but that it was consistently provided throughout the entire Army health system. The guidelines were set regarding a couple different ailments and low back pain is one of them.
Low back pain affects and temporarily disables more people than almost any other illness in the United States. Low back pain may seem like a minor inconvenience but it can cause more loss time from jobs than any other illness except for colds. The US Army treatment for low back pain was set up to assure the very best of care for everyone afflicted with this painful problem.
Most of the US Army low back pain guidelines are emphasized on acute low back pain, which is low back pain that has been with the patient for less than three months and has occurred within the first six weeks of the first sign of pain. The US Army treatment for low back pain consists of conservative medical treatment, with as few clinic visits as possible. They want the patients to allow a certain amount of time for the acute low back pain to go away on its own.
Another requirement of the US Army treatment for low back pain is that the patients be properly informed and educated on ways to treat them selves naturally, as well as rest and perform only light activity so as to allow their back to heal naturally. X-rays and other imaging tests are not part of the US Army treatment for low back pain unless it appears that there may be more serious problems with the back other than just the pain.
If there are any pain medications given to the patient to relieve the pain, they cannot be in the form of muscle relaxants. The last part of the US Army treatment for low back pain states that that patient should be recommended for physical therapy and other manual manipulations for pain if they are having continuous serious pain and are not responding to other conservative methods. The goal the US Army is trying to attain is to expedite the recovery but with more conservative methods, specifically for acute low back pain.