Back pain may not only occur in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.This can happen with age or during hard work when the spine experiences increased stress.If pain occurs from time to time, no treatment is required.But if the pain is regular, you should consult a doctor.Therapy is chosen depending on the cause of the identified pathology - drug therapy, physiotherapy and sometimes surgery are used.
Reasons
To determine the causes of back pain, you need to analyze when and under what circumstances they occur:
- Morning pain.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 - inflammation of the muscles, 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 tissue.
- Pain on exertion.They occur during a walk, with a long walk or, conversely, a lack of movement.Usually the pain is dull but quite strong, it goes away only after the load is removed, but sometimes it remains constant.In this case, consult a doctor.The specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of the discomfort - spondylolisthesis, spinal canal stenosis or osteochondrosis.
- Pulling pains occur in the neck towards the end of the working day.They are accompanied by a crunching sound, 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.
Intervertebral disc dystrophy develops with age.This means they lose their shock-absorbing ability, 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 hernia;the latter is characterized by the protrusion of a whorl.In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.
Drug therapy and other conservative treatment methods 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 pain with anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids, and dysfunction of the genitourinary system occurs, the hernia is operated.The probability 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.Damage to the vertebrae themselves leads to the development of osteoporosis, a disease that causes thinning of bone tissue.The pathology itself does not cause pain, but leads to vertebral fractures.
Depending on 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, localized to the right or left, 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 establish an accurate diagnosis.Further treatment depends on the cause of the pathology - the infection is fought with antibiotics, and the kidney stone is 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 even affects the abdominal organs, leading to compression of the nerve endings.In such cases, the stomach starts to hurt.If pain occurs in the lower back, you should contact a gynecologist.Most often, endometriosis must be treated with conservative methods, but sometimes surgical intervention is necessary.
Back pain occurs during pregnancy.Their appearance can be caused by increased stress on the spine and hormonal changes that 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 remove increased stress from your back.
Pain can also be caused by joint problems.The most common of these is various types of arthritis.Often the disease is contagious in nature, so antibiotics are required.
Treatment and prevention
If the pain is caused by physical overload or occurs against the background of hypothermia and an infectious disease, it can go away by itself.Anti-inflammatory medications may be used to speed recovery.Warm compresses and wool belts should not be worn.It is better to replace them with a special elastic corset.
Special bandages are produced for expectant mothers that help relieve stress from the back.However, if the pain does not go away within three days, despite all the measures you have taken, you should consult a doctor.
You should under no circumstances self-medicate, especially massage and heating procedures such as a bath or sauna - this only increases swelling and discomfort.
Treatment is carried out comprehensively: they take anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs to relieve pain, while at the same time reducing the load on the spine.This applies most of all to obese people;they must follow a diet with reduced energy value.
In addition, doctors often prescribe various physiotherapeutic methods - magnetic therapy, massage.If the pain is caused by the destruction of joint tissue, you need to take additional chondroprotectors - drugs based on chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, which restore the joints and promote collagen production.
To prevent the disease, it is important to follow the recommendations:
- You can't sit for long without moving.In this position, there is a large load on the spine.
- Vertical loads on the spine should be avoided.
- The back muscles should be strengthened so that they provide additional support to the spine.
- If you have severe, long-lasting pain, you should consult a specialist.