Back pain doesn’t just happen to people with sedentary lifestyles.This condition occurs when the stress on the spine increases as we age or during hard work.If pain occurs from time to time, no treatment is needed.But if the pain is regular, you should consult your doctor.Treatment is chosen based on the identified pathological cause - medication, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery.
reason
In order to determine the cause of back pain, you need to analyze when and under what circumstances the back pain occurred:
- Morning pain.Usually occurs after waking up.Severe pain can occur when a person changes position, raises an arm, or turns the neck.Most often, this has nothing to do with the spine but is caused by myositis (inflammation of the muscles, caused by hypothermia, stress, and infectious diseases).In this case, the doctor will prescribe some warming ointments, including those based on NSAIDs.If inflammation also affects the joints, your doctor may prescribe chondroprotectants—drugs that restore tissue.
- Pain on exertion.They occur during walking, for longer periods of time or, conversely, with a lack of exercise.Usually the pain is dull but quite intense and disappears only when the load is removed, but sometimes it becomes constant.In this case, you need to consult a doctor.A specialist will be able to pinpoint the cause of the discomfort - spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis or osteochondrosis.
- Toward the end of the workday, you may experience a pulling pain in your neck.They are accompanied by a crunching sound, which worsens after a while - these are symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.There is no complete cure for this disease.But pain relief is available.In the acute phase, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be used, and if not helpful, corticosteroids may be used.
Disc dystrophy can occur as we age.This means they lose their shock-absorbing ability, causing back pain.In this case, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotective agents are prescribed.Your doctor may recommend special therapeutic exercises to help strengthen your back muscles.Disc dystrophy should not be confused with hernia; the latter is characterized by herniated vertebrae.In severe cases, surgical treatment is required.
Medication and other conservative treatments for hernias can keep patients' quality of life at a high level.But in the most severe cases, when anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids fail to relieve pain and there is dysfunction in the genitourinary system, hernia surgery is performed.The probability of pain persisting even after surgery is no more than 1.5%.
Back pain can be caused by an injury.This condition occurs due to a sprain of the ligaments that support the spine, an injury that can occur during sports and lifting weights.Injury to the vertebrae themselves can lead to osteoporosis, a disease that causes bone tissue to thin.The pathology itself does not cause pain, but it can lead to fractures of the vertebrae.
depends on location
It's important to determine where the pain is - in the middle or lower back.Sometimes this helps understand which part of the spine is causing the problem and may indicate other pathologies causing similar symptoms.Pain in the middle of the back is not only due to osteochondrosis but can also be caused by gastric or pancreatic disease.
Back pain, located on the right or left side, is not necessarily related to spinal disease.Sometimes this is a symptom of kidney pathology - an infectious disease or the presence of stones in it.Ultrasound will help establish an accurate diagnosis.Further treatment depends on the pathological cause - fighting the infection with antibiotics and surgical removal of the kidney stones.
Sometimes back pain can be caused by a gynecological condition, such as endometriosis - the growth of the lining of the uterus outside the uterine cavity.But in some cases, it can even affect abdominal organs, causing nerve endings to become compressed.In this case, stomach pain begins.If pain occurs in the lower back, a gynecologist should be consulted.In most cases, endometriosis must be treated conservatively, but sometimes surgical intervention is required.
Back pain can occur during pregnancy.Their appearance may be caused by increased loading on the spine and hormonal changes, which lead to muscle relaxation.NSAIDs are often contraindicated in pregnant women, and in some cases even massage.Special therapeutic exercises for pregnant women can have great results.For expectant mothers, the best options are water aerobics and yoga.It is important to eliminate the added stress on your back.
Pain can also be caused by joint problems.The most common of these are various types of arthritis.The disease is often contagious and requires antibiotics.
Treatment and Prevention
If the pain is caused by physical overload or occurs against the background of hypothermia and infectious diseases, then the pain may disappear on its own.Anti-inflammatory medications may be used to speed recovery.Thermal dressings and woolen belts should not be worn.It is better to use a special elastic corset instead.
Special bandages designed for expectant mothers can help relieve pressure on the back.But if, despite all measures, the pain does not go away within three days, you need to consult a doctor.
Self-medication should not be done under any circumstances, especially massage and warming procedures such as bathing or sauna - this will only increase swelling and discomfort.
Treatment is comprehensive: they take anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs to relieve pain and at the same time reduce the load on the spine.This applies especially to overweight people; they need to follow a diet with lower energy values.
In addition, doctors often prescribe various physical treatments - magnet therapy, massage.If the pain is caused by the destruction of joint tissue, then you need to take additional chondroprotectants - drugs based on chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, which restore the joints and promote the production of collagen.
To prevent this disease, it is important to follow the following recommendations:
- You can't sit still for long periods of time.In this position, the spine is under a lot of load.
- Vertical loads on the spine should be avoided.
- Back muscles should be strengthened to provide additional support to the spine.
- If you have severe, persistent pain, you should consult a specialist.