Typically most back pain in the absence of trauma or genetic malformation is the result of muscle imbalance and spinal misalignment that tends to perpetuate each other. So before exercise, chiro, muscle relaxants or other pharmacological interventions go see your doctor.
If you don't factually know that you don't have an injury, disk problems or weird alignment then any of the above interventions can potentially setup you up for a catastrophic injury regardless of the short term relief it provides. So SEE YOUR DOC, get some films and definitively rule out pre-existing damage.
Next is spinal alignment. Regardless of your feelings on Chiropractic science, there is validity in the impact of a properly aligned spine in terms of blood/lymph flow, nerve transmission, muscle activation and muscle balance. So if you don't want the rather violent adjustments from the average chiro ( it does take a lot of diligence to find a good one), get your PCP to refer you off to a D.O (osteopathic physician) who is trained in spinal manipulations. Yes its true, some docs are trained and quite skilled in that and its a much gentler procedure than you you will get from an average chiro. The corollary piece is that if your practitioner finds a rather troublesome area then ask what you can do to strengthen the area so that the adjustments hold and your body can function in the way it was intended. This is of particular importance because the area of pain may not be the root cause of the pain. Again in the absence of trauma and genetic abnormalities your back pain could be the result of problems in your spine, pelvis or ankles. Without uncovering the root cause, core work can relieve the symptoms but may not necessarily be the cure, leaving you susceptible to reinjury that could be more serious than what you originally started out with. Take home message here is that the area of pain is most likely the symptom and not the cause. Why does something hurt or in this case what caused the disk to come out of alignment.
Once you get to the root cause of the pain thats when physical therapy, strength training and other methodologies is the most effective. Now you're really creating a permanent solution.
Ya the total process can be a bit pricey if you don't have coverage, or if its lacking, BUT that cost pales against the cost of lost earnings from not being able to perform your job and get paid. Or end up on disability. Whats the point of doing something if you are not going to do it right, I say fix it right the first time --> see your doc and rule out or diagnose immediate problems, get referred to an osteo or chiro to get your spine and hips aligned, see a physical therapist/trainer (there are more than a few competent ones out there) to bring everything up to strength and stay in balance.
The other weird truth is that back pain/injury is not inevitable. 13+ years and still going. Its my patience with the patients that we serve that seems to be failing faster than my back
