Pain on the back. Close acquaintance

Back pain is one of the most common health problems. We want to know the causes of its appearance and teach you what to do when your back hurts.

Probably, there is no such person in the world who has never had back pain at least once in his life. Back pain can be dull and persistent or it can be acute and sudden, causing every movement to be measured. It can start abruptly if you fall or lift something too heavy or move slowly, making it impossible for you to live a full life.

Factors that increase the risk of back pain

Everyone is immune to back pain, but there are some factors that increase the risk of back pain:

• Age.Your back hurts more often as you get older. Back pain usually first appears when you are in your 30s and 40s.
• Poor physical condition.Back pain is more common in people who are inactive and sedentary.
• Overweight.A diet high in calories and fat can help you gain weight. Being overweight puts more stress on the spine, causing pain.
• Heredity.There are inherited diseases, one of the symptoms of which is back pain, for example, ankylosing spondylitis.
• Other diseases.Certain types of arthritis and cancer can also cause back pain.
• Your job.If your work requires constant strenuous physical exertion, heavy lifting, or you are forced to spend several hours in an awkward position - the result can be back pain. If you work at your desk all day without sitting down, your back will also hurt.
• Smoking.If you smoke, your body can not get enough of the nutrients it needs for your bones, resulting in a gradual loss of spine strength and reduced flexibility. A smoker's cough can also cause back pain.

What are the reasons?

There are many causes of back pain. Sometimes pain can be caused by mechanical reasons such as:

• Spasms of the back muscles.
• Spinal confusion.
• Stretching the muscles.
• Copy discs.
• Falls from a height.
• Spine fracture.

Back pain can manifest as one of the symptoms of certain diseases and conditions, such as:

• Scoliosis of the spine.
• Spondylolisthesis.
• Arthritis.
• Narrowing.
• Pregnancy.
• Kidney stones.
• Infections.
• Endometriosis.
• Fibromyalgia.

Other possible causes of back pain are infections, swelling or stress.

How to prevent back pain?

The best thing you can do to avoid back pain:

• Exercise regularly to strengthen your back muscles.
• Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you are overweight. To have strong bones, you need to get enough calcium and vitamin D every day.
• Maintain the correct posture, do not relax or underestimate.
• Avoid heavy lifting. If you can not do it without lifting weights, do it right: bend your legs and keep your back straight, place the load in the center of the body and not on the side and push the load on the body and do not carry it on outstretched arms. When lifting a heavy object, keep your back straight, sit down, and then lower the weight. You should get up after these manipulations slowly and carefully, because after transporting weights, the spine is vulnerable.

When to see a doctor?

You should see a doctor if you have:

• Numbness or tingling.
• Severe pain that gradually worsens and does not respond to any treatment.
• Pain occurred after a fall or injury.

Pain is accompanied by one of the following symptoms:

• Problems with urination.
• Weakness
• Numbness in the legs.
• Fever.
• Losing weight while not dieting.

What diagnostic methods are used when there is back pain?

To diagnose back pain, your doctor will ask you in detail about the course and nature of the pain and perform an examination. After the test, it will order other tests, such as:

• X-ray.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Computed tomography (CT).
• Blood test.

Medical tests may not show the cause of your back pain. Very often, the cause of back pain remains unclear.

What is the difference between acute and chronic back pain?

Acute pain starts quickly and lasts no more than 6 weeks. This is the most common type of back pain. Acute pain can be caused by things like falling while playing soccer or lifting heavy objects. Chronic pain lasts more than 3 months and is much less common than acute pain.

How to heal?

Treatment for back pain depends on the type of pain you have. Acute back pain usually goes away on its own without treatment, but you can take painkillers to relieve the pain. Exercise and surgery are not commonly used to treat acute back pain.

Here are some of the treatments for chronic back pain:

Hot or cold compresses (or both)

Hot or cold compresses can soothe the pain and relieve tension in your back. Heat can reduce muscle spasms. The cold helps reduce swelling, bloating and tenderness. The use of hot or cold compresses may relieve the pain, but this treatment will not address the underlying cause of the chronic back pain.

Special exercises

Proper exercise can help relieve chronic pain, but should not be used for acute back pain. Your doctor or chiropractor can help you determine which exercises are right for you.

Medicines

The following are the main medications used for back pain:

• Pain medications.
• Creams and ointments that relieve pain are rubbed into the skin over the area of ​​pain.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that can reduce pain and swelling. NSAIDs include brand-name drugs. Your doctor may prescribe stronger NSAIDs.
Muscle relaxants and some antidepressants can help with some types of chronic back pain, but this is very individual.

Behavior change

Learn to lift heavy objects properly to reduce pressure on your back. Making a lifestyle change: Eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, buying a quality orthopedic mattress and swimming can all help reduce back pain.

Injections

Your doctor may suggest injections of steroids or topical pain medications to help relieve the pain.

Alternative therapies

Some non-conventional therapies may work well. The most common of these methods are:

• Manual therapy.Chiropractors have techniques for relieving long-term chronic back pain. However, we must remember that even if your doctor is a magician and was able to relieve the pain in a few sessions, you must seriously strengthen your back muscles so that these pains do not return again.
• Acupuncture.Chinese medicine uses fine needles to relieve pain and restore health. Acupuncture can be effective when used as part of a comprehensive back pain treatment plan.
• Acupressure.The therapist puts pressure on specific areas of the body to relieve pain. The effectiveness of acupressure for back pain is not well understood.

Surgical treatment

Most people with chronic back pain do not need surgery. This is usually an extreme method and is used if other treatments do not work. The function may be required if you have:

• Itchy disc.
• Spinal stenosis.
• Spondylolisthesis.
• Spinal fractures.
• Fracture can be caused by a blow to the back or bone damage due to osteoporosis.
• Degenerative disc disease.

As we grow older, the intervertebral discs can begin to disintegrate and cause severe pain.

Rarely, when back pain is caused by a tumor, infection, or nerve root problem called cauda equina syndrome, surgery is needed to relieve the pain and prevent new problems.