Even one or two advisory session with a PT would be a good idea - to set an appropriate exercise regime. If the OP isn’t used to regular exercise, they’re not going to know what’s going to be the right thing to do. And doing the wrong thing could have serious consequences.
I’d shell out for a session or two and get some proper advice.
I would submit that back spasms are way different than having back muscles that are sore from being worked a good bit more than you’re used to.
Another one where results may vary. If you already have good flexibility/mobility, yoga may have you holding your body in poses and going through ranges of motion that really aren’t ideal for your muscles and ligaments. But if you have poor flexibility and mobility, then this may be helpful.
I believe your Doc to be misinformed. There’s no evidence that larger doses of NSAIDs like ibuprofen are better at relieving pain than your basic 200 mg dose of ibuprofen. Now, 1000 mg of ibu may hang around in your system longer than a 200 mg dose so it may relieve pain a bit longer, but not better. And the higher dose raises risks for side effects.
Where larger doses truly come into play is when there’s inflammation that needs to be reduced, like in rheumatoid disease. But then the larger dose must be taken regularly for weeks to relieve the inflammation.
Weak back muscles often lead to back pain because your body is trying to stabilize the spine with muscles too weak to efficiently do the job. This problem is not unique to your back. All your muscles can cause problems if they are too weak to do the job–shoulders, hips, legs, etc. And you can’t always know when you’ll need that strength. A slip off the curb can cause major injury because weak muscles can’t stabilize your body and stuff gets pulled and stretched in bad ways. The solution is to exercise regularly in such a way that all your muscles are strengthened. Continue doing PT until you feel better, but after that you should find some kind of total-body exercise that you enjoy. Some examples might be things like kickboxing, Zumba, boot-camp, etc. These kinds of exercises work many muscles together to build total body strength. They not only make your muscles stronger, but they will make your muscles work more efficiently together. So when you lift something, all your core muscles will engage to keep you stiff and stable rather than being floppy because weak muscles struggle to keep you upright from the added weight.
As an analogy, think of a ladder where all the bolts and connectors were lose. The ladder would be quite wobbly and it wouldn’t be able to hold much weight. But if the connectors are all tight and strong, the ladder will be very rigid and can easily hold a lot of weight. You can think of your body in the same way. If your muscles are weak, your body will be wobbly and will struggle to lift any significant weight. But if you work out enough, those muscles will be firm and strong and will be able to efficiently handle additional stresses.
I’d agree with the posters who tell you to see a pt.
Lumbar stabilization exercises will help anyone or at least do no harm. I’m wary or muscle relaxers, I found they contributed to more pain as the support was diminished.
Its different but if it only comes after repetitive chores while otherwise being sedentary it is in no way surprising.