Acute back pain is a common ailment that affects many people. However, you may be unsure of the acute back pain meaning. The acute back pain definition relates to a simple muscle strain or sprain, which can signify a more severe problem. If you have acute back pain, it’s paramount to seek treatment as soon as possible.
While most cases of back pain are relatively minor and may disappear after some time, some can become more serious. In most cases, seeing a doctor for acute back pain is the best option for acute back pain management. Scheduling a quick appointment with your primary care physician isn’t convenient in an emergency. In that case, you may want to consider urgent care clinic. You’ll likely get in and out quickly since they are open for longer hours and have shorter wait times than emergency rooms. The centers are available when most doctors’ offices are closed, making them convenient for those who live in areas without nearby emergency room facilities or doctors on call.
If back pain treatments aren’t helping after several days or weeks, then surgery may be necessary to correct any acute back injuries or misaligned bones in the spine.

Although about seven out of every 10 Americans does report lower back pain that interrupts their normal daily activities, approximately half of them do not see a doctor or get physical therapy, medication, or other treatments.

Treatment for lower back pain and generalized back pain that includes physical therapy can total hundreds of dollars every month and is not always covered by insurance. Patients can also get so used to the pain that they despair of the possibility of actually treating it.

And sometimes, back pain can strike at odd hours. Emergency room visits can also be expensive, and doctors do not always stay open beyond regular office hours. Urgent care facilities are usually open earlier than 9:00 am and later than 5:00 pm. They tend to treat a wide variety of symptoms, and top doctors report that over 3 million patients go to the nearest urgent care clinic every week.

Over 20,000 doctors are in the field of urgent care, and their facilities may be able to prescribe medication for lower back pain as well as provide referrals for other treatment options. Patients should be able to ask a doctor any questions they might have while they are in the facility.

Potential patients can find the nearest urgent care clinic either on the internet, in the phone book, or via a patient-to-patient referral. Generally speaking, an urgent care facility is considered to provide service on par with an emergency room and the majority are open seven days per week.

Whether a patient’s back pain is genetic or acquired from an accident or injury, a good urgent care facility should be able to address any immediate injury, prescribe medication, and make arrangements with the patient for any necessary follow-up treatments that may be required. Lower back pain can be a chronic condition and taking steps to treat it may be important for a positive long-term outcome.