Chronic lower back pain is indisputably the number one cause of disability in the working population of the western world. Figures vary, however it is generally accepted that at least three quarters of the adult population will suffer back problems at some stage in their lives.

Chronic low back pain can persist for months, or even years. So the primary aim of most treatments for this condition is not so much to cure it as to reduce the pain to the point where the sufferer can resume normal activities, including work.

This is not the same as pain free. Pain killers may turn out to be the norm for some. Simple aspirin or ibuprofen can be effective, also medications containing acetaminophen as an active ingredient, such as Tylenol and paracetomol.

I'm sure your doctor will advise you, but if you are self treating be aware that aspirin and ibuprofen should not be taken together. Likewise, if you have any allergies or polyps, leave these two medicines alone.

If you are one of the many sufferers of chronic back pain you could consider inversion therapy and inversion tables. This is basically where you are strapped into an inversion table and hung upside down, or at an extreme angle. The idea being to decompress, or stretch the spine to reduce pressure on the discs and nerves.

Many people swear by this treatment, and there are many companies that produce these tables, a quick search on your favourite browser will show them up. It is not regarded by the medical profession as a serious treatment. Which I find surprising, considering the traction treatments they used for years.

Personally I have found inversion to be a very useful tool in the constant battle with back pain. And it has proven successful in treating spinal stenosis, sciatica, pinched nerve, facet syndrome, lower back disc bulge, golf related pain, and degenerative disc disease.

Exercise is something that is often recommended to combat back pain. In the past the usual advice would be for you to lie on a hard surface and rest. Of course whilst you are resting, sometimes for a considerable period, the muscles would weaken from disuse aggravating the problem.

It is now recognised that exercise is one of the best ways to help your back. It doesn't help sudden bouts of back pain, when exercise is usually all but impossible. However it can definitely help control cases such as chronic lower back pain, and could well help prevent future occurrences. Exercise gently as soon as you can stand it. It'll hurt at first, but persevering will work wonders. I speak from experience.

One thing you absolutely want to avoid if at all possible is surgical intervention. Back surgery has a truly abysmal record. It is a fact that sixty percent, yes that's six out of ten back surgeries fail. Back surgery is unique in that it is the only surgery to have it's own syndrome, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS for short). Very often an immediate improvement is noted. Only for the symptoms to return, sometimes quite quickly, and often much worse.

That's not to say there is never a case for surgery, however it should always be regarded as a last resort, and you absolutely should be aware that the odds are against it working for you.

Fortunately there are many alternatives for us to try, and I intend to explore these in a series of articles, of which this is the first.