Back pain - causes, treatment and prevention

If your lower back hurts, then this may be due to a long list of reasons. One of the most harmless options is physical fatigue. In more severe conditions, hernias, protrusions, or damage to the bone apparatus may occur.To find out what causes back pain, you need to have a medical examination. Once diagnosed, appropriate treatment is prescribed to relieve the symptoms and eliminate the underlying cause of the pain.

Why the lower back hurts: classification of painful sensations

If there is severe back pain anywhere on the spine, this may indicate some abnormal changes. The doctor evaluates not only the nature and severity of the pain, but also other accompanying signs of problems in the lumbar region. A complete history collection is required.

Pain syndrome is classified as:

1. Non-specific pains of benign nature. In most cases, benign chronic or acute pain does not require a difficult diagnosis. These unpleasant symptoms are in most cases reversible. Such unpleasant sensations are used to diagnose gifted disease. Previously, the diagnosis sounded different - osteochondrosis. This is not a dangerous disease that occurs in every person with age, which is characterized by subsidence of the intervertebral discs due to the action of gravity and muscle weakness.
2. Radical disease (radical syndrome). The condition is associated with compression or irritation of the nerve root in the area of the discs. Such pains may indicate an inflammatory process, compression of the intervertebral disc vertebrae, the appearance of protrusion and hernia. They significantly worsen the patient's quality of life, especially during the acute period with any physical activity.
3. Special or worrying back pain. The symptoms of such discomfort alone are difficult to diagnose, so an additional examination is often prescribed, which may include the exclusion of cancer, tuberculosis, kidney disease or fractures, injuries. Examples are pyelonephritis with fever in pregnant women, back pain, lower abdominal pain with diseases of the female reproductive system. In men, urological symptoms should be ruled out.

The general classification of pain is divided into:

• strong?
• spicy?
• pain?
• years?
• moved.

Lower back hurts - reasons

The lower back hurts badlywith manifestations of osteochondrosis. Unpleasant sensations torment the patient almost all the time - while walking, sitting and even lying down. The lower back hurts more intensely during the day due to movements. It is burdened with cough, sneezing, with weights. Less often, in the lower back, pain is transmitted to the leg, which is manifested by hallucinations - a feeling of numbness and creepy running legs.

If a patient has sciatica, then the pain is transmitted to the lower body - buttocks, pelvis, thighs or lower leg. Discomfort increases with active physical movements, as in the case of gifted disease. When such symptoms occur, it is necessary to consult a neurologist as soon as possible.

Pain in the lower back and lower abdomenindicates bacterial damage, which is often accompanied by painful urination. In women, low back pain often occurs during pregnancy or during menstruation. Under the lower back, pain is the result of a painful spasm or pressure on the internal organs of the fetus. Lower back pain on the right or left side indicates kidney disease. It is necessary to clarify the diagnosis with a doctor. The most reliable diagnostic methods are X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging.

Often the causes of back pain in women are related to their periods. Back pain in women due to uterine cramps. To combat painful periods, you should take NSAIDs or use hormone therapy. Less often, the condition of ovulation syndrome is observed. In addition to the discomfort in the lower back, a woman notices alternating pains in the middle of the circle on the right or left side. Why this situation occurs is not yet known.

During pregnancy, the lower back aches due to displacement of the center of gravity and muscle weakness. The condition returns to normal after childbirth. Unpleasant sensations are observed at all times. It is important to be able to distinguish when the back is damaged by the load and when with pathology. If at any stage of pregnancy, other than back and lower abdominal pain, there is an outlet such as menstruation, you should urgently consult a doctor.

In men, painful sensations in the lower back and lower back, emitting into the perineum, indicate the development of inflammation of the prostate. If, in addition to these symptoms, a man has a rise in body temperature and deteriorating well-being, you should contact a therapist or urologist. Treat inflammation with antibiotics.

Acute back pain occurs in situations like this:

• sprain or inflammation of the back muscles?
• long stay in an anti-pain position?
• if you suddenly lift a lot of weight.
• sharp turns of the side or body, injuries.
• draft or hypothermia.

What to do if your lower back hurts: When the condition indicates bodily harm, you should see an injured person. The specialist will prescribe medication during the acute period to relieve the unpleasant symptoms. Initially, systemic NSAIDs are used and then switched to external forms of release. It is useful to take vitamin preparations, to inject neurotropic drugs. During the recovery period, physiotherapy, massage, exercise are indicated.

Why unpleasant symptoms occur - lower back pain occurs due to inflammation of muscle fibers or myositis. The condition is not pleasant, as the patient feels stiffness below the waist, and normal body movements are difficult. To temporarily relieve the condition, you should take a warm shower and then wrap yourself in warm clothes. Often the back hurts in the lumbar region after injuries, falls. The use of heating ointments is also recommended. If after a few days the condition does not improve, then it is better to see a doctor.

Pulls and pains in the lower back during spondylosis. The patient has constant traction pain in the lower back and over time there are problems with walking. There is a loss of sensitivity and weakness. Deformans spondylosis is dangerous if the symptoms are ignored because the disease takes a long time to develop. Other causes of back pain are ankylosing spondylitis, other diseases, pain that spreads to the spine or cancer. You can not shoot with such symptoms, you should immediately seek help from a specialist.

Sometimes the patient suffers from "displaced pain", the nature of which he does not know. The patient has discomfort in the back, but this condition is not related to the developing pathology of the spine. Radiation pain is associated with problems in the pelvis, stomach or duodenum, kidneys.

In which cases you should contact a specialist urgently:

1. The pain syndrome is intense and the discomfort does not disappear after 2-3 days or even intensifies.
2. Unpleasant sensations have occurred after injury or as a result of an accident. There were falls on the back or blows.
3. With the simultaneous appearance of pain in the lower back, in the lower leg, in the hips, in the pelvis.
4. Sensation in the limbs, pelvis, buttocks, thighs, legs, feet and groin is lost due to unpleasant sensations.

Only a doctor will find out the exact cause of back pain.

Treatments and ways to relieve back pain

After diagnosis, treatment is selected according to the individual characteristics of the patient. The treatment aims to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms and prevent recurrence. Usually, conservative treatments are combined with the principles of physiotherapy and rehabilitation. In advanced conditions, surgery may be required.

Drug treatment

Drug use is the most extensive field of back treatment. From drugs for the spine, NSAIDs or analgesics, antispasmodics, neurotropic vitamins and muscle relaxants can be prescribed. Each group of drugs will be discussed separately. These funds are intended for symptomatic treatment - relief of pain during exacerbation. They have no effect on the underlying cause of the disease.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) treat many tasks simultaneously in the symptomatic treatment of back pain. The funds effectively alleviate and eliminate the inflammatory process, due to the reversible inhibition of the synthesis of inflammatory mediators. Systemic release forms, in the form of tablets and injections, are used in the acute period for a short time to relieve severe pain syndrome.

Diclofenac and Movalis are the gold standard for treating back pain. Usually indomethacin or ketorolac is prescribed. After a few days of treatment, the patient is transferred to the use of external release forms, which can be used much more. Diclofenac gel, Naproxen, Ketorolac trometamol, Piroxicam anesthetize perfectly.

Anticonvulsants can be used to treat a patient if the patient does not tolerate muscle relaxants. The classic anticonvulsants are drotaverine hydrochloride or papaverine hydrochloride. They are prescribed to relieve smooth muscle spasm, as a result of which radiating pain may occur in the spine. These funds are easier to tolerate than NSAIDs, but also have a weaker effect.

Central muscle relaxant drugs include tizanidine, tolperisone hydrochloride, or baclofen. The most commonly prescribed treatment for muscle spasm is tolperisone hydrochloride, although tizanidine is more potent and has fewer side effects. Balofen is a prescription drug that is prescribed for really advanced cases. It is not a first-line drug, as it has many side effects. The average duration of treatment while taking muscle relaxants is 1-1, 5 months. If during this period the spasticity has not disappeared, then the drugs are removed.

Physiotherapy rehabilitation methods

In this branch of medicine, it is common to use the following recovery methods:

1. Electrophoresis. The drugs are injected through the skin under the action of a galvanic current. Usually, injectable B vitamins, nicotinic acid, chondroprotectors are used. This is a long-term method of treating back pain, but it is effective and helps well in the recovery period. The galvanic current has good conductivity, delivering drugs locally to the point where blood flow is disrupted. The drugs are active for 15 hours.
2. Laser treatment to reduce pain. With the help of infrared radiation, the method aims at relieving pain, eliminating spasms, stimulating regenerative processes, improving microcirculation in tissues, relaxing and strengthening immunity. Laser treatment is particularly effective in the treatment of osteochondrosis, hernia, protrusion.
3. Acupuncture is an ancient treatment method officially approved by the WHO. Contraindications to the procedure are the period of pregnancy, up to 1 year and after 75 years. With the help of acupuncture, the pain syndrome of various degrees is eliminated. The essence of the method is the effect of a needle on the nerve ending of the affected area. The average treatment cycle is from 10 to 12 sessions. Effectively and quickly removes pain in any part of the back - on the side, left or right of the spine.
4. Physiotherapy is one of the most popular remedies for back pain. If there are no contraindications to the procedure, then special exercises are selected by a rehabilitation therapist, with the aim of restoring the mobility of the spine, eliminating muscle pain, strengthening the hypotonic muscle structures. With the strengthening of the muscular corset, the pain disappears.

Traditional medical methods are also used, but research has not shown their beneficial effects on health. Any methods of self-medication should be discussed with a neurologist.

Prevention of back pain

Maintaining the health of the spine is important from an early age. In the early period of maturation of the body, the body is formed intensively - the limbs grow, the position of the organs changes, the skeleton grows. If, at a young age, you teach your child the right posture and regular exercise, you will be able to avoid many back problems in the future.

The child is taught to exercise at home several times a week to have a lasting effect. To avoid mistakes when performing, you should consult a good restorer. The specialist will tell you how to do back exercises properly at home, to choose an individual exercise system. At a young age, it is important not to overdo it and alternate the principles of moderate exercise with stretching and full warm-up.

Good habits for preventing back disease in childhood and adulthood:

1. Prolonged and inappropriate sitting in the workplace is fraught with scoliosis with shifting to the left or right side. You need to get up every 15-20 minutes and do stretching - tilting the neck and back to the front, the sides will emphasize tired muscles, will improve blood flow.
2. It is important to avoid prolonged exposure to the anticonvulsant position. Static ridge overload is full of pain.
3. Do not make sharp turns of the neck or back. If you do it several times, there is a high chance of injury. Most often, back injuries are caused by sudden and unusual stress on the body.
4. Sit up while working from home. When bending to the right or left side in a sitting position, an incorrect load appears on the muscles. The result is uneven muscle tension with alternating hypertension or hypotension in any part of the back.
5. It is necessary to exclude the carrying of the bag to the left or right on one shoulder. An alternative is a backpack that loads the shoulders evenly without distortion to the right or left.
6. At home, it is recommended to do a stretching complex for tired muscles. After a long day at work, the muscles lose their elasticity. Stretching warmth is also beneficial for joints and joints. Bending the neck sideways and forward, light static loads are useful.

One of the best ways to avoid back pain is to go to the pool. Just swim 1-2 times a week to feel relief in the back. If you have existing problems, experts recommend that you visit the pool at least 3 times a week.