If you have lower back pain, you are not alone. Nearly everyone at some point has back pain that interferes with work, routine daily activities, or recreation. Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in many countries. Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is mechanical in nature — the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis .Chronic back pain is measured by duration — pain that persists for more than 3 months is considered chronic. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine. Who is most likely to develop low back pain? Nearly everyone has low back pain sometime. Men and women are equally affected. It occurs most often between ages 30 and 50, due as part of the aging process, but also as a result of sedentary life styles with too little (sometimes punctuated by too much) movement or exercise. The risk of experiencing low back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration increases with age. How is back pain treated in Ayurveda? Most low back pains can be treated without surgery. Most patients with back pain recover without residual functional loss. Patients should contact a physician if there is no noticeable reduction in pain and inflammation after 72 hours of self-care. Oil treatments and internal herbs appropriate to the condition are very effective in most conditions of lower back pain. In the more chronic conditions, the patient will need to be admitted for periods ranging from 3-7 weeks and some very intensive treatments performed. Since these treatments involve passive physiotherapy, the patient is normally advised to take complete bed rest for the duration of the treatment and for some period after, till the pain is completely relieved, after which mild exercise, preferably yoga postures are begun slowly.