I had a back injury at one point years ago that lasted 9 months. The pain was really very bad at times, it was in pain daily ranging fom about a 4 to an 8 consistently. It affected my work, I had to wear a back brace, no heals, I wasn’t supposed to lift more than 10 pounds. I went to physical therapy for several sessions. Once in a while I took ibuprofen, but fairly rarely. I believe what finally cured me was living with my MIL for three months. She cooked, cleaned, and did my laundry the entire time. My back finally rested. My injury was muscular, I didn’t have any disc damage. The physical therapist also had shown me how to not twist or strain my back, which I think definitely helped, and I still try to use those recommendations. The doctor also was right about limiting to ten pounds when lifting something to avoid strain, and letting the muscles heal. I do think it would have been better to take ibuprofen, or a similar drug like Alleve, or even aspirin immediately when I felt the pull for a few days (I had lifted something heavy) and try to avoid longer term pain. Those drugs relax the muscle and halt inflammation. A few years ago I was in a bad accident, damage to discs in my neck, and additional shoulder injury. It will never be completely healed. Maybe there is a surgery, but I’ve never pursued anything like that. I try to be careful not to be in a position that hurts my neck, or to do motions that hurt a lot, but I do exercise my shoulder to keep the range of motion, I just have trouble with fast movements. I don’t take medication for it. If bad pain did flare up I would treat it at minimum with ibuprofen for a few days. I’d even consider a muscle relaxer, I hate muscle relaxers, but the effect on the muscle is so profound I think it is therapeutic. I feel it can really help heal. I took them for a few days one time when I was in the most excruciating pain of my life, and I feel it did help heal me much more than waiting it out, or some other treatment. I only took it once a day for about three days during a week’s time. This was following, and related too, the accident that damaged my neck and shoulder.