Everyone has experienced back pain. For some it is a periodic pain, for others it is constant. To get rid of the discomfort, many people drink pain relievers and ignore the real causes of the discomfort. This can lead to serious complications and pathologies.
Back pain can be caused by diseases of the internal organs or the spine, as well as injuries. Sometimes discomfort is the result of poor posture, physical strain, or sudden movement.
First of all, you need to find out why your back hurts, and only then start treatment.
Types of back pain
The diagnosis can be made taking into account the nature of the pain in the back.
For example, if the pain is aching and worsened by heavy lifting, excessive physical exertion, hypothermia, or prolonged immobility, the cause may be myositis, lumbago, or intervertebral hernia.
Sharp pain that radiates to the legs or arms may signal radiculitis, intervertebral hernia, or osteochondrosis. The unpleasant sensations are aggravated by walking, bending or coughing, and weakness is felt in the limbs.
All the same, intervertebral hernia, lumbago and osteochondrosis, as well as spondylosis, can also cause throbbing pain. This is confirmed when the pain does not subside even after pain relievers.
If a bursting or pressing pain occurs in the chest area, it is a sign of pulmonary embolism or myocardial infarction. Discomfort in the spine speaks of spondylarthrosis, and in the lumbar region - intestinal obstruction. Atherosclerosis can be the cause of pressing pain in the neck.
Back pain after sleep
In the morning, your back can hurt, not just from a bad mattress or poor posture while sleeping. Hypothermia, stress, or heavy lifting the night before can cause stiffness and pain under the shoulder blades, lower back, right or left side.
The reasons may be different: curvature of the spine, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia or obesity. In addition, your back can hurt in the morning during pregnancy.
Pathologies of the spine and joints
Discomfort in the spine can be associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- Ankylosing spondylitis. Due to muscle spasms, the patient leans forward to relieve the discomfort. Subsequently, the inflamed vertebrae stiffen and grow together, making the spine less flexible.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. The disease begins in the knees, hip joint or shoulders and then moves to the cervical spine. In the morning, patients have feelings of tightness and stiffness: the affected vertebrae put unnecessary pressure on the nerves.
- Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. The patient feels discomfort in the lower back: the vertebrae move and squeeze the nerve endings.
- Osteomyelitis. Acute muscle pain is caused by infection of the bone tissue in the spine.
- Osteochondrosis. With this disease, the damping of the spine worsens. The discs between the vertebrae are damaged, and the fibrous ring breaks: the core of the disc comes out through the cracks and is pinched.
- Intervertebral hernia. The protrusion between the vertebrae is compressed during movement, which alters it.
Diseases associated with the musculature
The source of discomfort can be spasms and indurations in the muscle corset that supports the spine:
- With this disease, the back hurts from the neck to the lower back, and the discomfort is exacerbated by pressing on certain places.
- Dermatomyositis. The skin around the striated, smooth muscles becomes inflamed.
- Polymyositis. The disease occurs due to overwork or hypothermia: it hurts to turn, and weakness is felt in the muscles.
- Rhizomelic pseudopolyarthritis. It is difficult for the patient to stand up without someone's help, and the asymmetry is clearly visible in his back.
- Charcot's disease. Peripheral nerves along the spine become inflamed. The sensitivity worsens, the muscles weaken and the patient's gait changes.
Diseases of the spinal cord
Unpleasant sensations can occur due to the fact that any part of the spinal cord is pinched or inflamed.
Sources of pain in this case:
- compression of the vertebral membranes as a result of a fracture, hematoma or abscess;
- inflammation of neighboring muscles;
- circulatory disorders;
- hemorrhage;
- lack of vitamins;
- complication of HIV or syphilis;
- back tumor of various etiology;
- multiple sclerosis.
Psychosomatic
The back can also hurt due to psychological factors: depression, nervous tension, chronic stress or sexual dissatisfaction.
Location of back pain
Unpleasant sensations in different points of the back are caused by different factors.
For example, pain on the right side is due to lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis, or displacement of the intervertebral disc. The left side hurts due to splenitis, pinching of the spine, or duodenitis, and the source of lower back pain may be sciatica, osteochondrosis, or intervertebral hernia.
If it hurts just above the lower back on the right - it may be myositis, on the left - osteochondrosis.
Discomfort throughout the spine signals protrusion, which can progress to osteochondrosis.
When to see a doctor as soon as possible?
If the cause of the back pain is tension or stress, it will go away after a few days. However, in the event that the pain only increases, urgent medical attention is needed.
Immediate medical attention is necessary in the following situations:
- cannot find a position in which the pain becomes weaker;
- have recently had a back injury or contusion;
- condition worsens at night;
- the patient's gait has changed;
- the patient has a fever;
- limbs become weak, numb, tingling is felt;
- pain relievers do not help.
Diagnosis of back pain
To determine the cause of back discomfort, you need to make an appointment with a neurologist. If necessary, blood tests should be done to look for infection or inflammation. Examinations may also be required, which will be ordered by a specialist.
Duplex and triplex ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and brain are needed to diagnose the causes of headache, dizziness, or high blood pressure.
MRI allows you to see tumors on the vertebrae, compression of the spinal nerves and spinal cord, herniated intervertebral discs, narrowing of the spinal canal. CT is necessary to detect vertebral fractures.
X-rays are used to assess the condition of bone structures in order to diagnose fractures, spondylolisthesis, arthritis and the degree of poor posture.
Electromyography detects nerve compression due to spinal stenosis or a herniated disc.
How to relieve back pain?
First of all, you need to relax. To do this, lie down on your stomach on a hard, flat surface, preferably on the floor. After a few minutes, roll onto your back and lift your legs so that they form a 90-degree angle. This will reduce the load on the spine.
Anti-inflammatory ointments and creams are also helpful. When the pain subsides, you should stand up gently and bandage the painful area with a scarf or towel.
If pain relievers are not available, a cold compress - an ice pack or food from the freezer - will help relieve severe pain. It will not be possible to get rid of the discomfort completely, but it can alleviate the disease. The diametrically opposite option will also help - a heating pad or a heating pad.
A light warm-up or a leisurely walk will help get rid of the unpleasant sensations.
Treatment of back pain
After examination and diagnosis, the doctor prescribes treatment. To relieve the discomfort, a specialist prescribes pain relievers, B vitamins, and muscle relaxants. Sometimes bed rest and wearing a special corset are recommended.
Physiotherapy is an important step in treatment. These are electrophoresis with drugs, laser therapy, phonophoresis and magnetic therapy. Electroneurostimulation and acupuncture also help.
For back pain, massage, manual therapy, osteopathy, and exercise therapy are effective. They also help with trauma rehabilitation.
Prevention of back pain
To avoid back pain, you need to move more. Morning exercises and yoga classes, contrast showers and massages are effective.
It is important to maintain the health of the collagen-producing liver and to strengthen immunity. It's worth keeping an eye on the weight, as every ten extra pounds increases the load on the spine.
But above all, you need to avoid stress and create a uniform psychological atmosphere around it.