My daughters a physio, most bad backs can be helped a lot by doing Mckensie exersises. This is how it works. If the pain is in the middlle of your back, get on the floor as if your going to do press ups. in fact it's just like pressups. you must however keep your hips on the floor at all times. Do your first press up when you have reached the point where you can't press up any further exhale all your breath and hold for 10 seconds. repeat this 5 times and do it 4 times a day.
If the pain is to one side of your back you do this. stand beside a wall with the side that aches nearest to it. put your elbow against the wall at shoulder height, now with both feet together lean in towards the wall. Go as far as you can ,exhale and hold for 10 seconds as before.
The object of these exersises is to streTch the verterbrae away from the area that have been compressed.
Don't lounge around resting, it is the worst thing to do,unless you have serious spinal damage of course. You could wait months for a physio appointment and they would only tell you to do the same thing. DAI