There is no person who does not experience back pain at least once in his life, to limit and limit a person's movements for some time. According to medical practice, complaints of low back or back pain are considered the most common and can be caught at the most inopportune moment. It is worth remembering that in case of persistent pain symptoms in the back area, it is recommended to consult a specialist who can correctly determine the causes of immobilization and prescribe effective treatment. If you do not consult a doctor in time, serious complications can occur.
Causes of pain
In fact, the causes that cause lower back and back pain can be very diverse, that is, both an independent problem and a signal of emerging diseases of the spine. The main causes of painful sensations are:
- Excessive muscle strain. About 85% of back pain can occur due to excessive physical exertion of the lower back. The so-called "back fatigue" occurs not only during sports, but is experienced when you are constantly sitting in front of the computer, resulting in heaviness and muscle strain.
- Intervertebral hernia. Quite a common disease occurs mainly in people over the age of 40 and occurs due to flattening of the intervertebral discs. This process contributes to the compression of the nerve roots, which leads to severe back pain.
- Fractures. Such root causes of back pain are diagnosed in 4% of patients. According to medical statistics, compression fractures are quite common in older people suffering from osteochondrosis. The disease is characterized by bone depletion, ie loss of their mass and density, due to which there is a high risk of fracture of the spine.
- Congenital defects of the spine. Pathologies of this type appear at birth and can accompany a person throughout his life. The deviations appear in the form of additional or missing vertebrae and most often in the lumbar spine.
- Spondylolisthesis. In spinal disease, the vertebrae are displaced, causing sharp painful sensations that are felt in the upper back.
- Gynecological diseases. Inflammation of the female genitals is accompanied by severe back pain.
- Pregnancy. Painful attacks can occur both in the early stages of pregnancy and in the latter. This is due to the fact that there is a change in the center of gravity, softening or loosening of the ligaments, weight gain and weight gain.
- Infectious diseases. Inflammatory processes in the skeletal muscles of the back can cause severe pain that radiates to the shoulders, neck and even to the forehead. The painful sensations are intensified with various movements, which makes it difficult to turn the head and bend.
- Intercostal neuralgia. In this disease, the pain occurs exactly in the intercostal space or can be localized in the lower back, under the shoulder blade and in other places where the nerve endings are compressed.
- Spinal tumors. Most often in this disease the pain appears exactly in the lower or middle part of the back, which intensifies in the morning when waking up, and sometimes even at night.
- Pathology of internal organs. Due to the location of pain in a particular area of the back, their intensity and duration, a person can predict diseases of a particular organ.
Alarms
When is it worth contacting a specialist? What pains are serious signals for dysfunction of the spine? Medical assistance is needed when victims feel:
- sudden sharp back pain that is not caused by any specific causes;
- severe pain lying down or at night;
- painful sensations that are felt after an injury or bruise;
- back pain accompanied by fever, tingling sensation in the chest area, dizziness, tingling and other symptoms;
- acute pain attacks that do not subside within 2-3 days;
- chronic mild pain that does not disappear in 2-2, 5 weeks;
- painful sensations that are simultaneously given to the limbs, while significantly restricting a person's movement.
It is recommended that you consult a specialist immediately if your back hurts for the first time in those people who have been diagnosed with cancer or osteoporosis, if the pain is felt after excessive alcohol consumption, after taking drugs or after using steroid drugs.
It is worth remembering that back pain does not mean that there is a serious illness. It is not recommended to independently diagnose diseases and pathologies of the spine and even more so to prescribe treatment or perform physiotherapy exercises without a specialist.
Diagnosis
To determine the exact cause of back pain, specialists conduct an oral examination, as well as an examination of the patient, which includes a visual examination of the back and an assessment of the victim's ability to walk, sit or lie down. If necessary, a reflex test is performed using a neurological hammer. The data obtained will help to accurately determine the source of pain. If doctors doubt the diagnosis or a progressive tumor is suspected, examinations are performed such as:
- Radiography. Images can be used to pinpoint the exact location of bones, allowing you to see conditions of arthritis, cracks and fractures. Such a study is not suitable for those cases in which the patient is suspected of such diseases that are related to muscle tissue, spinal cord or nerve endings.
- MRI and CT. Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography allows you to determine if the patient has such diseases as: hernia, diseases of bone and cartilage, problems with blood vessels, nerves and tendons.
- Osteoscintigraphy. Such a study is rarely prescribed. Thanks to osteocintigraphy it is possible to identify a tumor of the bone tissue, compression fractures.
- Examination of the nerves. This analysis measures the electrical impulses that are triggered by the nerves.
Methods of treatment
Regardless of the intensity of back pain, it is recommended to consult a doctor who can correctly diagnose the cause and accurately determine the methods to alleviate the victim's condition. Of course, it is initially worthwhile to weaken the attack of pain, which can be both acute and sudden, and recurrent. Quite often attacks of pain are felt when the joints are deformed or the back muscles are stretched. When acute pain is felt, doctors advise the victim to lie down, which will significantly alleviate the victim's condition and reduce the load on the spine. It is then recommended to limit physical activity for one day or two days.
The outbreak of acute pain can be suppressed with a cold ice pack. This method can significantly reduce puffiness if it occurs. In rare cases, ice massage is used, ie massaging the sore spot with ice cubes for 7-8 minutes. Such therapy is carried out for no more than 1-2 days, after which doctors advise to use heat compresses, which are carried out at the expense of a heating pad or cloth, pre-soaked in hot water. You can relieve spasms in the muscles of the back by stretching the spine, which is done even in a supine position. To do this, you need to press your knees to your chest, extend them lightly, and then stretch and relax. This exercise should be repeated several times. An analgesic will help save you from back pain, which can reduce inflammation around the area where it hurts.
Non-traditional methods of alleviating the victim's condition are rarely used in traditional medicine, but they are nevertheless considered effective and efficient. It is possible to cure back pain attacks using methods such as acupuncture, vacuum therapy, manual therapy, osteopathy and other folk remedies. It is recommended to take into account that such methods to improve the condition of the victim are used only for those pains that are caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In any case, before using one or another method of alternative medicine, it is recommended to seek advice from your doctor. To get rid of back pain forever, it is recommended to eliminate the original cause or disease and only then proceed to the treatment of pathologies of the muscles, bones and joints of the back.
Prevention of back pain
To avoid different types of back pain, regardless of the initial cause, doctors recommend that you follow a fairly simple but effective advice, namely:
- Do not lift weights. When a person lifts a load whose mass is several times higher than the norm, there is a sharp squeezing of the intervertebral discs and blood vessels. Doctors do not recommend lifting a load weighing 15 kilograms at the same time and turning the body even more with this weighing to the right or left.
- He has not been in a sitting position for a long time. If there are pathological changes in the structure of the spine, it is necessary to limit sitting in a chair or on a chair. In this position of the body a person begins to bend, quite often puts one foot on top of another, which contributes to the uneven distribution of the load on the intervertebral discs and joints. If the main activity involves a long time on the computer, then it is recommended to get up every hour, walk and lean to the right and left.
- Hypothermia should be avoided. Painful sensations arise from muscle spasm of the back, which most often occurs due to hypothermia of the body. It is advisable to dress warmly, avoid currents, cold winds and strong air conditioning.
- You need to move more. The wrong choice for many people is to significantly limit physical activity to maintain a healthy spine. In the absence of movement, the muscles of the back atrophy over time, as a result of which all the load is transferred from the muscular corset to the spine. In such a situation, the tissues of the intervertebral discs and articular cartilage are destroyed. An excellent option for restoring back health, strengthening muscles and stretching the intervertebral space will be systemic exercises for stretching, swimming, walking at a moderate pace.
- Timely treatment of diseases. It is not necessary to start the course of diseases of the spine, such as osteochondrosis or spondyloarthritis, which leads to serious and often irreversible complications. When diagnosing a disease, it is worth starting treatment immediately, which can alleviate the condition.
- Therapeutic procedures. To prevent diseases of the spine, rehabilitation therapists and therapists are recommended to attend various therapeutic treatments, namely: massage, spa treatments, therapeutic gymnastics, yoga.
Attacks of back pain can occur in people of different ages and in a variety of circumstances, while significantly restricting a person's movement. To prevent the onset of chills, it is recommended to move more, take care of your health and do not forget about sports.