Before my arthritis was diagnosed I was taking ibuprofen frequently for the pain. I took a lot more than one dose a day, so my problems may not translate to your experience. When I finally was diagnosed, the doctor found that there was some bleeding in my stomach from all the ibuprofen I was taking. I stopped taking it then, and haven't used it since. Now I take various medications that help with the pain, but they are all typically used for arthritis, so I'm not sure if your doctor would prescribe any of them for back pain.