Once, when I was in the grip of the same old pain, a doctor invited me to go to physical therapy about the problem. I had been before and didn't get much relief but I did go and I am still glad about that visit. The wonderful physical therapist questioned me closely and had me do various movements and postures all the while. I wrote about her and her prescription in this blog post of more than 5 years ago. I am still doing the exercises. They are easy and quick to do, take about 5 or 6 minutes.
I have found that my doctor's idea of two naproxen ("Aleve") in the morning and two in the evening makes a big difference. Ibuprofen doesn't do as much for me, although some of friends swear by it and cannot tolerate naproxen. It upsets their stomach or troubles their blood pressure. Naproxen and a heating pad on my back were the main aids, once I was in the grip of pain. It usually took a day to go from limiting pain to being free of it.
Anyone bothered by back pain might want to look at this book
Back Sense: A Revolutionary Approach to Ending the Cycle of Chronic Back Pain by Siegel and others
It can also be valuable to find ways to sit less, to take better and more mobile breaks during the day and to stay aware of posture while sitting..
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