The good news is that the majority of back problems do not require surgery. Once the most likely cause of your problem has been determined (once your diagnosis is made), you and your health care provider can decide on a plan for taking care of your back into the future. A variety of treatment options exist for different types of back pain, and in most cases simple therapies such as mild pain medications and rest are effective in relieving the immediate pain. The overall goal of treatment is to make you comfortable as soon as possible, design a program to reduce further pain and injury, and get you back to normal activity as soon as possible. The more you know about how your back works and what you can do to prevent further injury, the better your program will work.