How to Manage Chronic Back Pain? 

Living with chronic back pain can slowly take over your life. What may have started as an occasional ache can turn into daily discomfort that affects how you sit, walk, sleep, and focus. You might find yourself planning your day around pain — avoiding certain movements, worrying about flare-ups, or feeling worn down from trying treatment after treatment without lasting relief. 

In Singapore, chronic back pain is a common struggle. Long hours at a desk, daily commuting, caregiving responsibilities, and natural age-related changes in the spine can all place ongoing strain on your back. When pain persists for months, it’s not just physically draining — it can also feel frustrating and unsettling, especially when you’re unsure what to do next. 

Chronic back pain does not always mean you have to live with discomfort indefinitely. With careful assessment and a structured, personalised approach, some people experience reduced pain, improved movement, and greater confidence in daily life — often without surgery, depending on their condition and response to treatment. 

This article helps you understand why chronic back pain persists, how it is assessed, what treatment options are available in Singapore, and when it may be helpful to seek specialist care. 

 

What Is Chronic Back Pain and Why Does It Persist 

When back pain lingers for months, it can feel confusing and discouraging. You may have expected it to settle with rest or basic treatment, so when it keeps returning, it’s natural to worry about your mobility, your work, or how long you can keep coping this way. 

Back pain is considered chronic when it lasts longer than three months or keeps coming back despite initial care. Unlike short-lived pain, chronic back pain usually means there is an underlying issue that continues to irritate your muscles, joints, discs, or nerves. 

Common contributors include: 

• Muscles or ligaments that haven’t healed fully 
• Age-related disc changes that reduce cushioning in the spine 
• Arthritis affecting the small joints in your back 
• Nerve irritation, such as sciatica 
• Repeated strain from posture, work demands, or caregiving 

You may have tried exercise, massage, or medication and felt some relief — only for the pain to return. This often happens because the true source of your pain has not yet been clearly identified. 

 

Why Chronic Back Pain Should Not Be Treated as One Condition 

Chronic back pain isn’t just one problem. It can come from different structures in your spine and surrounding tissues, which is why treatments that help others may not work for you. 

For example: 

• Muscle-related pain behaves differently from nerve-related pain 
• Joint inflammation needs a different approach from disc problems 
• Reducing inflammation alone may not help if nerve irritation is the main issue 

Understanding where your pain is coming from is key to lasting relief. Scans such as MRI or X-rays can be helpful, but they work best when combined with a physical examination and a clear understanding of how your pain feels and behaves. 

Treating scan findings alone without matching them to your symptoms may lead to limited improvement. A personalised assessment helps ensure treatment is focused on the real source of your pain, not just what appears on imaging. 

 

First-Line Management for Chronic Back Pain 

Most chronic back pain care begins with conservative measures. These steps form the foundation of long-term improvement and help protect your back from further strain. 

Lifestyle and Activity Adjustments 

In Singapore, prolonged sitting is a major contributor to back pain. Office workers, drivers, and caregivers often place repeated stress on the lower back. 

Helpful changes may include: 

• Improving your workstation ergonomics 
• Taking regular movement breaks 
• Avoiding prolonged static postures 
• Modifying activities that consistently trigger pain 

Small adjustments, done consistently, can make a meaningful difference over time. 

Physiotherapy and Exercise 

Physiotherapy focuses on: 

• Strengthening your core and back muscles 
• Improving flexibility 
• Correcting posture and movement patterns 

Many people benefit from guided exercise. However, if pain persists due to inflammation, joint wear, or nerve irritation, physiotherapy alone may not be enough. 

Medications 

Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications may provide temporary relief for some people. However, long-term use can carry side effects and does not address the underlying cause of chronic back pain. 

If your pain continues despite these measures, further assessment is often recommended. 

 

What to Do When Chronic Back Pain Persists 

You may consider specialist assessment if: 

• Your pain has lasted for several months despite treatment 
• Pain disrupts your sleep, work, or daily activities 
• Pain radiates to your hip or leg 
• Your movement becomes increasingly limited 

A pain specialist focuses on identifying the exact source of your pain and guiding you toward targeted back pain treatments that aim to reduce discomfort while preserving normal movement. 

 

Minimally Invasive Treatments for Chronic Back Pain 

If your back pain hasn’t improved with lifestyle changes, physiotherapy, or medication, you may benefit from targeted, minimally invasive treatments. These options aim to reduce pain at its source while helping you stay active and avoid open surgery. 

Myospan Injections 

Myospan injections are designed to calm irritated tissues, reduce inflammation, and interrupt ongoing pain signals. By easing pain at its origin, these treatments may help you move more comfortably and participate more confidently in rehabilitation. 

Depending on what’s causing your pain, options may include: 

• Coreflex injections to ease muscle spasm and inflammation 
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) prolotherapy to support healing of weakened ligaments or tendons 
• Myofascial pain injections for tight muscle knots linked to posture or strain 
• Peripheral nerve blocks for nerve-related pain 

These treatments are selected carefully based on your assessment findings and are often part of a broader recovery plan tailored to you. 

 Neurospan Treatments  

If your pain is driven by nerve irritation or pressure from a spinal disc, Neurospan treatments focus on relieving compression and calming abnormal nerve activity. These minimally invasive, image-guided procedures aim to reduce pain while allowing you to return to daily activities with minimal downtime. 

Options may include: 

• Radiofrequency ablation to reduce pain signals from inflamed spinal joints 
• Pulsed radiofrequency to gently modulate irritated nerves 
• Neuroplasty to release adhesions around trapped spinal nerves 
• Nucleoplasty to reduce pressure within a bulging disc 
• Endoscopic laser decompression to remove tissue pressing on nerves 
• Epidural analgesia to reduce inflammation around spinal nerves 

Not everyone needs these treatments. When appropriately selected, they may offer meaningful pain relief without the disruption of open surgery. 

If your back pain remains severe or long-standing despite multiple treatments, advanced pain management options may be considered under specialist care. These options focus on improving comfort, function, and quality of life. 

• Spinal cord stimulation: gently modifies how your nervous system processes pain signals. It may help reduce persistent back or leg pain when other treatments provide limited benefit. 
• Intrathecal pump implants: deliver medication directly into spinal fluid in very small doses. This option is reserved for selected patients who require long-term, specialist-managed pain support. 

 

Can Chronic Back Pain Improve Without Surgery? 

Many people worry that ongoing back pain will eventually lead to surgery. In reality, a significant number of patients experience improvement with accurate diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment options. 

Treatment goals usually include: 

• Reducing pain levels 
• Improving movement and daily function 
• Minimising flare-ups 
• Supporting long-term quality of life 

Surgery is generally considered only when there are specific structural problems or neurological deficits. 

 

Managing Chronic Back Pain Long Term 

Long-term care involves more than short-term pain relief. 

Helpful strategies include: 

• Maintaining strength and flexibility 
• Improving posture and movement habits 
• Addressing flare-ups early 
• Ongoing guidance from healthcare professionals 

This approach is especially important for working adults and seniors in Singapore who wish to remain active and independent. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Chronic Back Pain 

How long does chronic back pain last?
The duration varies. With appropriate assessment and treatment, some people experience gradual improvement over time. 

Should I exercise if I have chronic back pain?
In many cases, guided exercise is recommended. Exercises should be tailored to your condition and comfort level. 

When should I see a pain specialist in Singapore?
Specialist care may be helpful if pain persists for months, limits daily activity, or radiates to the leg. 

 

Take the Next Step Toward Better Back Comfort 

When back pain becomes part of your everyday life, it can feel limiting and overwhelming. You may worry about how long it will last, whether it will worsen, or if surgery is inevitable. Many people reach this point not because they haven’t tried hard enough but because their pain hasn’t been clearly identified or targeted yet. 

A careful, specialist-led assessment can bring clarity. By understanding exactly where your pain comes from and why it continues, treatment can be tailored to your needs — with a focus on relieving pain, improving movement, and helping you regain confidence in daily activities. For some patients, minimally invasive approaches provide meaningful relief without the need for open surgery. 

If your back pain has persisted despite physiotherapy, medication, or lifestyle changes, speaking with a back pain specialist may help you find direction and reassurance. 

You may book a consultation with Singapore Paincare to explore personalised, minimally invasive options for managing chronic back pain so you can move forward with greater ease, stability, and peace of mind.