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 from time to time, then no treatment is needed.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 surgical intervention 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, raise 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 the 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 passes 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 discomfort - spondylolisthesis, stenosis of the spinal canal or osteochondrosis.
- The pulling pain occurs in the neck towards the end of the working day.They are accompanied by a cracking sound, and after a certain 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 are prescribed or, if they do not help, corticosteroids.
With age, dystrophy of the intervertebral discs 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 back muscles.Intervertebral disc dystrophy should not be confused with herniation;the latter is characterized by a bulging vertebra.In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.
Drug therapy and other conservative methods of hernia treatment 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 alleviate the 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 an injury.This happens due to stretching of the ligaments that support the spine, an injury that can occur during sports and heavy lifting.Injuries to the vertebrae themselves lead to the development of osteoporosis, a disease that causes thinning of bone tissue.The pathology itself does not cause pain, but leads to fractures of the vertebrae.
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, localized on the right or left, is not necessarily related to 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 kidney stones are removed surgically.
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, 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 must 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.Nonsteroidal 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 increased stress off your back.
Pain can also be caused by joint problems.The most common of them are the different types of arthritis.Often the disease is contagious 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 may pass by itself.Anti-inflammatory drugs may be used to speed recovery.Thermal wraps and woolen 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 back stress.But if the pain does not go away within three days, despite all the measures taken, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
In no case should you self-medicate, especially massage and warming procedures such as a bath or sauna - this only increases swelling and discomfort.
The 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 mostly applies to people who are overweight;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 joints and promote collagen production.
To prevent the disease, it is important to follow the recommendations:
- You cannot sit for a long time without moving.In this position, there is a great load on the spine.
- Vertical loads on the spine should be avoided.
- The back muscles need to be strengthened to provide additional support to the spine.
- If you have severe, prolonged pain, you should consult a specialist.