system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 56-year-old man comes to the clinic complaining of back pain for the past 1 month. The pain is described as a dull ache that intensifies intermittently to an 8/10 in severity about 1-2 times a day. It intensified about 2 weeks ago following a fall during a ski trip. He reports that he noticed some pain at his buttocks and lower back following the fall but he wasn’t bothered by it. Hot packs and Tylenol seem to alleviate the pain somewhat. He denies lower extremity weakness, loss of sensation, fever, incontinence, or prior cancers; however, he reveals that his cousin was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Physical examination demonstrates normal range of motion and diffuse tenderness at the L4/L5 region with no point tenderness or vertebral step-offs. What is the next best step in the management of this patient?
assistant
Exercise therapy with NSAIDs/acetaminophen