Back pain can occur not only in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.This can happen with age or during hard work, when the spine experiences increased stress.If the pain occurs occasionally, then no treatment is required.But if the pain is regular, you should consult a doctor.Therapy is selected depending on the cause of the identified pathology - drug treatment, physiotherapy and sometimes surgery are used.
reason
To determine the causes of back pain, you need to analyze when and under what circumstances they occur:
- Pain in the morning.It usually happens after waking up.A person cannot change position, lift an arm or turn the neck without severe pain.Most often, this has nothing to do with the spine, but is caused by myositis - muscle inflammation, which is caused by hypothermia, excessive stress and infectious diseases.In such cases, warming ointments are prescribed, including those based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.If the inflammation also affects the joints, the doctor prescribes chondroprotectors - agents that restore tissues.
- Pain on exertion.They occur during a walk, with long walks or, conversely, lack of movement.Usually the pain is dull, but quite strong, it goes away only after the load is removed, but sometimes it becomes constant.In this case, you should consult a doctor.The specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of the discomfort - spondylolisthesis, spinal canal stenosis or osteochondrosis.
- Pulling pain appears in the neck at the end of the working day.They are accompanied by a cracking noise, and after some time they intensify - these are symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.The disease cannot be completely cured.But pain relief can be done.In the acute period, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or, if they do not help, corticosteroids are prescribed.
With age, intervertebral disc dystrophy develops.This means they lose their ability to absorb shock, resulting in back pain.In such cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors are prescribed.The doctor can recommend special therapeutic exercises that will help strengthen the muscles in the back.Intervertebral disc dystrophy should not be confused with a hernia;the latter is characterized by the elongation of a vertebra.In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.
Drug therapy and other conservative methods of treatment for hernia make it possible to maintain the patient's quality of life at a high level.But in the most advanced cases, when it is impossible to relieve the pain with anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids and the genitourinary system malfunction appears, the hernia is operated.The possibility that the pain will remain even after the operation is no more than 1.5%.
Back pain can be caused by injury.This occurs due to sprains in the ligaments that support the spine, an injury that can occur during sports and heavy lifting.Vertebral injuries themselves lead to the development of osteoporosis, a disease that causes the thinning of bone tissue.The pathology itself does not cause pain, but leads to vertebral fractures.
Depending on the location
It is important to determine the location of the pain - in the middle of the back or below.Sometimes this helps to understand in which part of the spine there are problems and can indicate other pathologies that cause a similar symptom.The back in the middle hurts not only because of osteochondrosis, but also because of diseases of the stomach or pancreas.
Back pain, located on the right or left side, is not necessarily associated with diseases of the spine.Sometimes this is a symptom of kidney pathology - an infectious disease or the appearance of stones in them.Ultrasound will help make an accurate diagnosis.Further treatment depends on the cause of the pathology - the infection is fought with antibiotics, and the kidney stones are surgically removed.
Sometimes back pain can be caused by gynecological diseases, such as endometriosis - the growth of the endometrium outside the uterine cavity.But there are cases when it also affects the abdominal organs, which leads to compression of the nerve endings.In such cases, the stomach starts to hurt.If pain occurs in the lower back, you should consult a gynecologist.Most often, endometriosis should be treated with conservative methods, but sometimes surgical intervention is necessary.
Back pain occurs during pregnancy.Their appearance can be provoked by increased load on the spine and hormonal changes, which lead to muscle relaxation.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually contraindicated for expectant mothers, and even massage is excluded in some cases.Special therapeutic exercises for pregnant women can have a good effect.The best option is water aerobics and yoga for expectant mothers.It is important to take the added stress off your back.
Pain can also be caused by joint problems.The most common of them are the various types of arthritis.Often the disease is infectious in nature, so antibiotics are needed.
Treatment and prevention
If the pain is caused by physical overload or appears against the background of hypothermia and an infectious disease, it can go away on its own.Anti-inflammatory drugs may be used to speed healing.Heating compresses and wool belts should not be worn.It is better to replace them with a special elastic corset.
For expectant mothers, special bandages are produced that help relieve stress from the back.But if the pain does not go away within three days, despite all the measures taken, you should consult a doctor.
Under no circumstances should you self-medicate, especially massages and heating procedures such as a bath or sauna - this only increases swelling and discomfort.
The treatment is carried out comprehensively: they take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain, simultaneously reducing the load on the back.This applies above all to overweight people;should follow a diet with reduced energy value.
In addition, doctors often prescribe various physiotherapeutic methods - magnetic therapy, massages.If the pain is caused by the destruction of joint tissue, then you should take additional chondroprotectors - drugs based on chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, which restore the joints and stimulate the production of collagen.
To prevent the disease, it is important to follow the recommendations:
- You cannot sit still for a long time.In this position, there is a large load on the back.
- Vertical loads on the spine should be avoided.
- The back muscles need to be strengthened in order to provide additional support to the spine.
- If you have severe and prolonged pain, you should consult a specialist.