Pain reliever for back muscle strain

Pain Management

January 18, 2026•1 min read

Pain reliever for back muscle strain

Pain relief is about management, not masking.

Common pain relievers

Options often include:

over-the-counter medication
heat or ice
rest
gentle movement

These can help settle pain early.

What pain relievers don’t do

They don’t:

rebuild strength
restore movement
prevent future flare-ups

That’s why pain often returns when they stop.

Movement is the real reliever

Evidence shows early, controlled movement leads to:

faster recovery
less chronic pain
better long-term outcomes

The Pain-to-Strength Framework

We use relief strategies when needed…
but always progress toward strength.

Inside the Pain-to-Strength Framework, pain relief is the start, not the finish.

The goal is resilience, not dependence.

Pain reliever for back muscle strain

Matthew Kaloutsis

I'm Matt Kaloutsis, founder of Neura Rehab and Performance and an exercise rehabilitation specialist based at FITAZ FK Gym in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. I work with adults living with chronic back pain who've cycled through physio, chiro, massage, and the scans without lasting results. My clinical foundation is the NeuroHab Method, which I co-developed alongside Brisbane neurosurgeon Dr David Johnson after he saw too many post-surgical patients still in pain. I'm certified across all three levels of the McGill Method, trained directly under Professor Stuart McGill at BackFitPro (Levels 1, 2 and 3, completed in 2020). Over 17 years in clinical practice I've worked with the Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Roar, and All Sports Physiotherapy clinics across Brisbane. My focus is the gap between physiotherapy and personal training, the exact place most chronic back pain people fall into. The work I do is built around rebuilding capacity, not just settling flare-ups, so the pain stops coming back.

Back to Blog