Ibuprofen 600mg or 800mg is always a great choice for back pain, because it's an anti-inflammatory dose too. Just make sure you have normal kidneys, and can take NSAIDS.

In principle, when it comes to management of pain with non-narcotic, over-the-counter medications, there is Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and then all the medications that fall under the category of NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory), of which Ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) is one. Ibuprofen can work well — always make sure to take this with some food and plenty of fluids (since it is processed through the kidneys). One issue I see some of my patients unknowingly run into is inadvertent overuse of medications in the NSAID family — this can lead to potential issues such as kidney dysfunction. Patients need to be aware that a med such as Naproxen (Alleve) is also an NSAID — using both Naproxen and Ibuprofen concurrently can ultimately be hard on the kidneys (especially if using both at their max dose and frequency)

This is my go-to treatment for general muscle pain. But if I actually pulled a muscle or if the pain is severe, I prefer Aleve.

Ibuprofen is my go-to treatment for back pain because it helps reduce inflammation while also providing effective pain relief. Its every-6-hour dosing allows flexibility to titrate based on symptom severity. In adults, lower doses (200–400 mg) can help with pain, while higher doses (around 600 mg) provide more anti-inflammatory benefit. To reduce gastrointestinal side effects, it’s best taken with food, and patients should remain mindful of potential GI and kidney risks, especially with prolonged use.