Back pain, according to statistics about 80% of people of different ages face this unpleasant and scary symptom at least once in their life. At the same time, it is important to be able to distinguish between situations where painful feelings should disturb and when you should not worry.
Of course, if pain starts to occur before exertion or a light hit, within 2-3 days they will disappear, there is no reason to worry. But if your back hurts badly, for long periods of time and the pain doesn't look like muscle aches, see your doctor promptly.
Why is my back hurting
The causes of back pain vary, from small external factors to the development of various pathological processes, many of which are also.
At the same time, doctors are still identifying the 3 most common causes:
- Nonspecific pain- a combination of several factors, including muscle pain due to incorrect posture, in a long (uncomfortable) position, excessive tension due toexertion on the spine and back. . . This point can also include the painful sensation that arises after hypothermia, in such cases they say - "get cold again".
- Irradiation pain- slightly less common, but cannot be ruled out. This includes diseases of internal organs located in other parts of the body. For example, the formation of tumors and tuberculosis of the lungs, digestive tract diseases, heart diseases and others. In each of these cases, pain can spread to the back in different parts of it.
- Mechanical and pathological damage of the spine- spinal pain also occurs due to many factors, we are talking about pathological processes. These include any diseases of the spine, which begin with trauma (bruises, fractures, etc. ) and end with bone necrosis, spinal inflammation, herniation formation and other pathologies of the spinal region. affect the spine.
These are the main causes of back pain, summary. All of these problems threaten serious dysfunction of the spine and require a doctor.
In some cases, without adequate treatment, there is a risk of developing serious problems that threaten serious complications. If the tissues of the spine or spinal cord are affected there is a risk of quadriplegic, even systemic.
Symptoms
To see your doctor promptly and accurately describe your complaints to your doctor, you need to be aware of your symptoms.
At the same time, the symptoms of back pain can be slightly different, and if we take into account the fact that the pain itself is a symptom, we should state its main manifestations, differing innature and position:
- In essence, painful sensations are: sharpness, dullness, stabbing, cutting, pain, pulling, burning, etc. v.
- Strong, moderate and weak pain sensation, these indicators are unique to each person. However, they should be considered, for example, when determining chronic back pain treatments.
- Back pain along the entire spine is quite rare. Most often, pain sensations take the form or are indicated to a separate part of the spine (cervix, chest, lumbar).
- However, diffuse pain may also occur in the upper part of the spine (or any other area). In this case, the pain syndrome affects other parts of the back, it is often referred to as wandering.
- As a rule, acute pain in the spine is the most annoying and affects daily life the most, but it is often ripple and easier to treat. At the same time, dull pains are less severe, but they often appear, overcome for a long time, and react worse to therapy.
These are general guidelines for pain sensation in different areas of the back. But in addition to understanding the general symptoms of pain, it is also important to know that depending on the disease, the clinical situation can change. So, in one case, pain sensation between the vertebrae of the cervical spine, in another it is localized in the lumbar region and has a different nature.
For this reason, symptoms of various pathological processes accompanying back pain should be considered separately.
Osteochondrosis
If your back has spinal pain, the most likely diagnosis is osteonecrosis, as it is more common than others. It is also important to understand that doctors distinguish three types of bone necrosis: the cervix, chest, and lumbar.
In each of these cases, pain between the vertebrae involves different parts of the spine. The disease itself involves the destruction of the cartilage tissue in the intervertebral discs, and the pathological process also occurs in the vertebrae, because of a decrease in the distance between them they are erased.
The main symptom of the disease is pain, but clinical signs from the nervous system may also appear, as it is very likely that the spinal cord is affected, its roots are compromised.
Myositis
A rare disease characterized by inflammatory processes in muscle tissues of the body, including the back. Usually, myositis is accompanied by aches and pains, but it can also be painful, also known as back pain.
Pain syndrome is directly localized where muscle tissue is inflamed, but the pain can spread to nearby areas.
Spinal degeneration
If the spine is sore, degeneration of the spine could be one of the possible causes. This pathology is characterized by the development of the bone tissue of the vertebrae, as well as their dystrophic changes. In this case, painful sensations occur during exertion due to prolonged lying in one position, for example, when doing sedentary work.
Sciatica
This term denotes a pinched nerve with further inflammation. The pathological process is accompanied by pain such as cutting, stabbing, sharpening. With sciatica, the pain is intermittent, but arises suddenly, rolling in waves.
Severe pain with direct sciatica at the affected or inflamed area. However, because the sciatic nerve is very long, pain occurs in different areas, most commonly the sore leg.
Osteoporosis
The disease develops due to a calcium deficiency in the body. As a result, the bone tissue along the entire spine loses its elasticity and stiffness, small cracks and cracks are formed everywhere.
During the course of this pathology, the entire spine is sore, especially in the later stages of the disease.
Removable disc
Acute and severe pain in the spine may be evidence of a herniated disc. At the same time, pain syndrome remains constant but increases with exertion, bending, coughing, sudden or careless movement.
In most cases, a herniation is formed in the lumbar spine, which is explained by the fact that this area is susceptible to excessive load, lifting. A hernia often occurs as a complication of osteonecrosis, due to the peculiar nature of this pathological process.
In this case, a hernia is not only dangerous with pain, there is a risk of pinching the nerve branches of the spinal cord and developing neurological symptoms.
Excessive spinal movement
This problem is also known as spondylolisthesis or spinal instability. An obvious sign of the disease is increased pain sensation with exertion and lifting weights. Back pain is whimsical, diminishing, or suddenly reoccurring.
The most severely affected is the neck spine. If the disease progresses, the patient can hardly hold his head.
Scoliosis curvature
Strangely, curvature of the spine is the direct cause of pain. One of the most common problems is scoliosis. Pain from scoliosis is more muscular in nature. This is due to an increase in stress on some muscles in the back, while others are relaxed.
In scoliosis, due to curvature of the spine, the vertebral discs are compressed and the cartilage tissue is deformed.
Pain sensation with constant scoliosis, pain or pulling, low intensity, in rare cases strong and sharp pain.
Spinal injury
Of course, any mechanical damage, even minor ones, are painful. In this case, the stronger the pain, the more severe the damage, and sometimes, even with a seemingly insignificant injury, people still feel acute pain, which can be a sign of internal trauma. serious organ. In this case, blows, bruises, sprains, and dislocations are taken into account, but fractures are the most severe types of injuries.
It is worth noting that long-term, long-healed wounds make themselves feel decades later. So, back and neck pain can remind you of falling on ice as a child.
Bechterew's disease
This dangerous disease is also known as ankylosing spondylitis. Pathology is characterized by a chronic inflammatory process in the joint, or in other words, spondylitis.
Ankylosing spondylitis is accompanied by intense pain and a high intensity of pain syndrome at the very beginning of the pathological process and only intensifies in the future. In this case, the pain increases after rest and depends on the change of weather, but they are well controlled with NSAID drugs and physiotherapy.
Cancer
Cancer is the most dangerous, and the most obvious sign is pain. In this case, pain syndrome appears in both benign and malignant tumors, if they are localized not far from the spine and put pressure on it.
Metastasis is an even more dangerous manifestation of oncology. In this case, the pain is constant and strong, they chase the person everywhere, regardless of body position or any action. The back is equally painful even when lying down.
Kidney Disease
The cause of lower back pain is not always related to back problems. Due to the anatomical location of the kidneys, diseases affecting them also cause severe pain in the lumbar region.
The rash can be dull and pulled or knife-like, and the intensity varies depending on the disease and the severity of the disease.
Here it is important to understand that pain can be either side or only on one side, which indicates which kidney is involved in the pathological process.
Cardiovascular diseases
The idea that in diseases of the cardiovascular system, pain only occurs in the chest area is wrong. For example, with myocardial ischemia and myocardial infarction, pain diffuses, radiating behind the chest. They are characterized by sharp, stabbing and sudden occurrence.
Pathologies of the cardiovascular system include aneurysms of segments of the aorta, in which a sharp pain occurs near the spine in the thoracic region.
Gastrointestinal diseases
Gastrointestinal diseases also often cause back pain, however, there are always some special clinical signs in these cases. In addition to pain, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or diarrhea, and general malaise are present.
Infection
Among the infectious diseases accompanying back pain, the most serious and dangerous is bone tuberculosis. The disease is accompanied by a severe pathological process in the tissues of the bone, the entire spine is sore. The wound is of a different nature, sometimes pulled, sometimes stabbed, but always unchanged.
Respiratory diseases
Lungs make up the bulk of the thoracic area of the body, so lung conditions are often accompanied by back pain. Among such diseases are pneumonia, tuberculosis, pleurisy, v. v.
With such ailments, pain increases with coughing, sneezing, deep breathing, and yawning. In addition, the clinical picture is enriched by cough, shortness of breath and other similar symptoms.
Congenital pathology
Thefactor of birth defects is extremely rare, but it still occurs. In this case, the main suspicions fall into an congenital or congenital state of the number of vertebrae in the spine. This affects muscles and ligaments, the structure of the body, threatening protrusion of the spine or compression, which is always accompanied by pain.
Pregnancy and childbirth
Pregnancy is also one of the causes of back pain symptoms.
Pain in the spine and other problems of a similar nature appear more often in the third trimester, this depends entirely on the development of the fetus and the increase in load on the columnliving.
In these cases, the pain is usually dull, persistent, they subside or temporarily disappear after a short break when the future mother lies down.
Inflammatory process
Lots of different inflammatory processes lead to the development of pain syndrome, we talked about some of them. Take arthritis spondylitis medication (ankylosing spondylitis). This pathology begins in the circular muscle area, then becomes inflamed, and is accompanied by back pain, increases the spine.
Pain spreading to the spine
As mentioned in the beginning, there is a layer of pain called radiation. This means that back pain "travels" to the spine from other parts or organs where the disease has flared. Let's talk in more detail about such pains.
Pathologies of the heart and major vessels
The most likely diseases of the cardiovascular system, accompanied by back pain, have been mentioned earlier. It is important to understand that in addition to pain, such pathologies are accompanied by a violation of blood pressure, arrhythmia and pallor of the skin, this is their distinguishing feature.
Gallbladder disease
The most obvious example of such a pathological process is cholecystitis, which results in painful irradiation in the right collarbone and the central part of the spine in the thoracic region.
The acute form of the disease is accompanied by strong cuts, while the chronic form is more difficult to diagnose because the pain is inconsistent and of low intensity.
Damage to the pancreas
The most common disease of the pancreas is pancreatitis. The clinical sign of such a condition is pain in the abdomen, but they are also surrounded, characterized by sharp, stabbing. However, in addition to the pain, the patient also suffers from nausea, vomiting, and painful sensations appearing after eating greasy fried foods, sweets.
Renal and upper urinary tract disease
Kidney and urinary diseases are also painful and often very severe. Severe pain occurs during urolithiasis, but they are not only felt in the lumbar region. Severe discomfort in the lower abdomen and groin area.
Diagnosis
As can be seen from the huge list of possible problems and possible diseases, in order to eliminate pain in the back and spine, it is necessary to identify the main root causeof its appearance.
To do this you are bound to consult a doctor and make a formal differential diagnosis, including:
- X-raysis a simple but quite effective way to determine the condition of the spine, it allows to detect defects and many different diseases.
- CT- computed tomography shows more accurate the pathology of the disc and vertebrae.
- MRI- magnetic resonance imaging is an even more advanced and effective diagnostic method, which will not only show possible problems in the structure of the vertebraand the intervertebral disc, which also helps identify or exclude involvement of nerves in the pathological process, the spine. brain.
If the above surveys yield no results, please contact the experts of a narrow profile in other fields. Perhaps the problem lies in diseases of the heart, digestive tract, kidneys, pelvic organs, etc. v.
How to cure back pain
Treatment of acute back pain requires a comprehensive and systematic approach. The fighting methods become apparent after a complete examination and accurate diagnosis. It is also important to understand that in the event of such a problem, it is imperative to consult a specialist, self-purchase of the drug is completely unacceptable.
The attending physician will define the treatment regimen, which may include medication, physical therapy, exercise therapy, and a massage course.
Physiotherapy
This is one of the main methods for dealing with spinal-related diseases.
Back pain treatment includes the following procedures:
- Electrophoresis.
- Exposure to ultrasonic waves.
- Laser therapy;
- Magnetic therapy.
Treatment is carried out in one course of 7-10 or more, the interval between treatments is 3-5 days.
Gymnastics
Physical therapy and gymnastics are also included in the treatment of pain syndrome, however, these techniques are mainly used for recovery when there is no more severe pain. Exercise is necessary to restore muscle elasticity and mobility, keep them in good shape and speed up the recovery from back injuries.
It is important to conduct your first sessions with a physiotherapist, who will adjust the method and delivery of the load, instructing you on how to do it correctly. In the future, classes are taken at home, and most importantly, requirements are a systematic approach.
Drug treatment
Drug therapy is at the core of all treatment. Each drug is prescribed by the doctor based on the obtained diagnostic data. Technique depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome, the stage of the disease progression.
The following medications are needed for back pain:
- NSAIDs(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) - is prescribed in the form of ointments, pills, injections, sometimes in the form of suppositories. NSAIDs have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, while also reducing the local temperature.
- Analgesicsare pain relievers that block the nerve centers responsible for pain recognition.
- Muscle relaxantsare used in cases where it is necessary to eliminate muscle spasm.
- Vitamin complexes,include B vitamins. Their effects contribute to the restoration of nerve fibers and the establishment of metabolic processes.
The duration of drug therapy, the frequency of drug use and the dosage are determined by the doctor.
Massage
A massage course is another effective method for pain relief. Assign when the pain subsides, it is performed exclusively by a narrow specialist.
Massage therapy can stimulate blood circulation, relieve pain, restore elasticity of the nose and muscles, etc. v. To achieve a clear effect, a massage course is required, consisting of at least 10 sessions.
Precautions
To minimize the risk of developing conditions where you feel pain in your spine or to reduce the risk of relapse, you need to follow simple preventive recommendations:
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Eat right, eat less junk food, switch to a fractional diet.
- Practice an active lifestyle, play sports, preferably swimming or some form of gymnastics.
- Very helpful for the back when hanging from the crossbar at least 3-4 times a week.
- When sitting down, take a break to warm up.
- Avoid extreme physical activity and injury.
- If lifting weights cannot be avoided, do everything correctly, lifting the heavy object in a straight-back position.
- Sleep on a moderate hard bed, buy an orthopedic mattress.
Remember, if the pain persists for more than 4-5 days, or if the pain is so severe that it is hard to bear, see a doctor immediately. Timely treatment allows you to save health and avoid many dangerous complications.