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, no treatment is needed.But if the pain is regular, you should see a doctor.Therapy is selected depending on the cause of the identified pathology - drug treatment, physiotherapy, and sometimes surgery are used.
Reasons
In order to determine the causes of back pain, it is necessary to analyze when and under what circumstances they occur:
- Morning pain.It usually happens after waking up.The person cannot change position, raise an arm or turn the neck without severe pain.Most often it 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 tissue.
- Pain on exertion.They appear during a walk, a long walk or, conversely, a lack of movement.Usually the pain is dull, but quite strong, it disappears only after removing the load, but sometimes it becomes constant.In this case, you need to consult a doctor.The specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of discomfort - spondylolisthesis, stenosis of the spinal canal or osteochondrosis.
- Pulling pain occurs in the neck towards the end of the working day.They are accompanied by creaking, and after a while 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 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 a hernia;the latter is characterized by bulging of the vertebrae.In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.
Drug therapy and other conservative methods of treating 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 alleviate the pain with anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids and dysfunction of the genitourinary system occurs, the hernia is operated on.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 sprains of 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 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, localized on the right or left side, is not necessarily related to spine diseases.Sometimes it is a symptom of kidney pathology - an infectious disease or the appearance of stones in them.Ultrasound will help to make an accurate diagnosis.Further treatment depends on the cause of the pathology - the infection is fought with antibiotics, and the 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 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 also required.
Back pain occurs during pregnancy.Their appearance can be caused by increased load on the spine and hormonal changes that 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 remove increased stress from the back.
Pain can also be caused by joint problems.The most common of them are different types of arthritis.Often the disease is of an infectious nature, so antibiotics are needed.
Treatment and prevention
If the pain is caused by physical overload or occurs against the background of hypothermia and an infectious disease, it may disappear by itself.Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to speed recovery.You should not wear heating pads and woolen belts.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 disappear within three days, despite all the measures taken, you need to consult a doctor.
In no case should you self-medicate, especially with massages and heating 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 applies mostly to overweight people;they must adhere to 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 need to take additional chondroprotectors - drugs based on chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, which restore joints and stimulate 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 to provide additional support to the spine.
- If you have severe, long-lasting pain, consult a specialist.