There is no such person who would not experience back pain at least once in their life, limiting and restricting a person's movements for a while. According to medical practice, complaints of low back pain or back pain are considered the most common and can be detected at the most inconvenient time. It should be remembered that in case of constant painful 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 see a doctor in time, serious complications can occur.
Causes of pain
In fact, the reasons that provoke pain in the lower back and back can be very diverse, that is, both an independent problem and a signal of incipient diseases of the spine. The main underlying causes of painful sensations are:
- Excessive muscle load. About 85% of back pain can occur due to excessive physical exertion in the lower back. The so-called "back fatigue" appears not only during sports, but is felt when you are constantly sitting in front of the computer, which leads to heaviness and overstrain in the muscles.
- Intervertebral hernia. A fairly common disease occurs mainly in people over 40 years of age and is caused by the 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 who suffer from osteochondrosis. The disease is characterized by bone depletion, that is, loss of their mass and density, which leads to a high risk of vertebral fracture.
- Congenital malformations of the spine. Pathologies of this kind appear at birth and can accompany a person throughout his life. Deviations appear in the form of additional or missing vertebrae and most often in the lumbar spine.
- Spondylolisthesis. With a disease of the spine, the vertebrae are displaced, which causes sharp painful sensations felt in the upper back.
- Gynecological diseases. Inflammation of the female genitals is accompanied by severe back pain.
- Pregnancy. Pain attacks can appear both early in pregnancy and during pregnancy. This is due to the fact that there is a change in the center of gravity, softening or loosening of the ligaments, an increase in body weight and an increase in body weight.
- Infectious diseases. With inflammatory processes in the skeletal muscles of the back, severe aching pains can occur, which radiate to the shoulders, neck and even the forehead. Painful sensations intensify with various movements, which makes it quite difficult to turn your head and bend over.
- Intercostal neuralgia. With this disease, the pain appears precisely in the intercostal space or can be localized in the lower back, under the scapula and in other places where the nerve endings are pinched.
- Tumors of the spine. Most often, with this disease, the pain occurs precisely in the lower or middle part of the back, which intensifies in the morning upon waking, and sometimes even at night.
- Pathology of internal organs. Due to the location of pain in a particular area of the back, its intensity and duration, diseases of a particular organ can be predicted.
Alarms
When is it worth contacting a specialist? Which pains are serious signals of impaired functioning of the spine? Medical assistance is needed when victims feel:
- sudden, sharp pain in the back, which is not caused by any specific reason;
- severe pain when lying down or at night;
- painful sensations felt after an injury or bruising;
- back pain with high fever, tingling sensation in the chest, dizziness, numbness and other symptoms;
- acute pain attacks that do not go away within 2-3 days;
- mild chronic pain that does not go away in 2 to 2. 5 weeks;
- painful sensations that are simultaneously given to the limbs, while significantly limiting the movement of a person.
It is recommended to consult a specialist immediately if the back hurts for the first time in people who have been diagnosed with cancer or osteoporosis, if pain is felt after excessive alcohol consumption, after taking narcoticsor after using steroid drugs.
It should be remembered that the pain that occurs in the back 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.
Diagnostic
To accurately determine the cause of back pain, specialists perform an oral survey, 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 sit. 'lengthen. If necessary, a reflex test is performed using a neurological hammer. The data obtained will help to accurately determine the source of the onset of pain. If doctors are in doubt about the diagnosis or if a growing tumor is suspected, tests such as:
- X-ray. The images can be used to pinpoint the exact location of the bones, allowing you to see arthritic conditions, cracks and fractures. Such a study is not suitable for cases in which the patient is suspected of such diseases associated with muscle tissue, spinal cord or nerve endings.
- MRI and CT. Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography allows you to determine if a patient has conditions such as: hernia, bone and cartilage tissue diseases, problems with blood vessels, nerves and tendons.
- Osteoscintigraphy. Such a study is rarely prescribed. Thanks to osteocyntigraphy, it is possible to identify a tumor of bone tissue, compression fractures.
- Examination of the nerves. This scan measures the electrical impulses that are triggered by the nerves.
Processing methods
Regardless of the intensity of back pain, it is advisable to consult a doctor who can correctly diagnose the cause of their occurrence and accurately determine the methods of alleviating the condition of the victim. Of course, it is worth first alleviating the attack of pain, which can be both sharp and sudden, and periodically repetitive. 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 condition of the victim and reduce the load on the spine. After that, it is recommended to limit physical activity for one day or for two days.
A sharp pain flare can be quenched with a cold ice pack. This method can significantly reduce puffiness, if they appear. In rare cases, ice massage is used, that is, massaging a sore spot with ice cubes for 7-8 minutes. Such therapy lasts 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 a towel, previously soaked in hot water. You can relieve back muscle spasms by stretching the spine, which is done even while lying down. To do this, you need to press your knees against your chest, exert slight pressure on them, and then stretch and relax. This exercise should be repeated several times. A pain reliever will help you avoid 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 to be effective and effective. Pain attacks in the back area can be cured using methods such as acupuncture, vacuum therapy, manual therapy, osteopathy, and other folk remedies. It is recommended to take into account that such methods of improving the condition of the victim are used only for pain caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In any case, before using either method of alternative medicine, it is recommended to seek the advice of your doctor. In order to get rid of back pain permanently, it is recommended to eliminate the original cause or disease, and only then proceed to the healing of the pathologies of the muscles, bones and joints of the back.
Prevention of back pain
To avoid various types of back pain, regardless of the original cause of their occurrence, doctors recommend following fairly simple, but effective tips, namely:
- Do not lift weights. When a person lifts a load, the mass of which is several times the norm, strong compression of the intervertebral discs and blood vessels occurs. Doctors are not recommended to simultaneously lift a load of 15 kilograms, and even more so to turn the body with this load to the right or to the left.
- Not in a sitting position for a long period of time. If there are pathological changes in the structure of the spine, it is necessary to limit the sitting position on a chair or in a chair. With this position of the body, a person begins to sag, quite often puts one leg on another, which contributes to an uneven distribution of the load on the intervertebral discs and joints. If the main occupation is associated with a long time in front of the computer, then it is advisable to get up every hour, walk and bow to the right and left.
- Hypothermia should be avoided. Painful sensations arise from muscle spasms of the back, which most often occurs due to hypothermia of the body. It is advisable to dress warmly, to avoid drafts, cold winds and strong air conditioning.
- You have to move more. The wrong choice for many people is to significantly limit physical activity in order to maintain a healthy spine. In the absence of movement, the back muscles atrophy over time, so all the load is transferred from the muscle 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 the systematic exercise of stretching, swimming, walking at an average pace.
- Prompt treatment of diseases. It is not necessary to trigger the development of diseases of the spine, such as osteochondrosis or spondylarthrosis, which cause serious and often irreparable complications. When diagnosing a disease, it is worth starting treatment immediately, which can alleviate the disease.
- Therapeutic procedures. In order to prevent diseases of the spine, therapists and rehabilitation therapists are advised to attend various therapeutic therapeutic procedures, namely: massage, spa procedures, corrective gymnastics, yoga.
Back pain attacks can occur in people of different ages and under a wide variety of circumstances, while severely restricting a person's movement. In order to prevent the onset of chills, it is recommended to move more, take care of your health and do not forget about sports.