This is a good article on what's an effective back pain treatment. The writer is also a physical therapist and makes a good case for exercising to reduce most cases of back pain.
The vast majority of people suffering from low back pain are sedentary, lending even greater credence to exercise therapy as treatment, but exercise therapy can also make things worse if not performed correctly. Exercise therapy for low back pain can lower spinal forces by simultaneously training the small, stabilizing spinal muscles (these muscles cannot generate a lot of force) while strengthening the hips, thighs, arms and upper middle back.
You can read the full article here.
