My husband has got lower back pain. He went to the doctors and was prescribed anti-inflammatory medications, very strong paracetamol and codeine. For some reason this made him very light headed and he was severely sick so he had to stop taking them. Can you advise of anything else he could take instead? The doctor said it could be arthritis but they are going to arrange an x-ray to confirm this.

Ok, so there a couple of things I would suggest. Devil's Claw might be quite helpful as it has anti-inflammatory properties and doesn't cause the side affects your husband has experienced with conventional pain medications. This has a cumulative effect, though, so will need to be taken for a few months before the results start to show. Applying Arnica Gel to the area can also be quite soothing.

If it is specifically lower back pain your husband is experiencing, it is also essential he drinks plenty of water as dehydration can worsen back pain in this area.

I recently set up a 5 step plan for people with issues like back pain and joint pain so it could be worth following this for some more tips on how to deal with the issue whilst you wait on the x ray. When you sign up to this you also get a sample of Arnica Gel so it's a good way to try the product.

https://www.avogel.co.uk/5-step-to-ease-your-aches-pain/