Back pain relief

I lifted a bucket of rocks into a trash can and some time later, I experienced major back pain when standing erect. The pain would actually double me over on occasion. I called Dr. Derek Duke (neurosurgeon) who arranged for me to have a lumbar MRI to be done the next day but I was not able to get an appointment to see Dr. Duke for a number of days after that. I did however, call my Primary Care Physician Dr. Steven Winkler the same day that I called Dr. Duke and Dr. Winkler had me come to his office at 4:30 that same day. He performed some physical examinations and gave me a prescription which required graduated dosages that I took for 5 days. The pain gradually receded during that time and by the time I was able to get in to see Dr. Duke, I did not experience any more major back pains. Dr. Winkler gave me a referral for physical therapy which I attended several times a week for several months. I continue to do back exercises and have avoided back surgery. Being able to see Dr. Winkler on short notice was extremely valuable. I very much appreciate having Dr. Winkler as my primary care physician and strongly recommend him.