Complaints about back pain are one of the most common reasons for seeing a doctor. Pain in this part of the body can be a manifestation of normal fatigue caused by excessive physical exertion, or it can indicate the presence of serious health problems that require competent treatment.
Back pain is an unpleasant manifestation of many diseases or a strong overload of the back muscles for other reasons.
In most cases, this pathology occurs against the background of various changes in the structure of the joints of the spine, as well as adjacent muscles, nerve endings or skin on the spine. In addition, such a symptom accompanies certain diseases or malfunctions of internal organs.
Causes of back pain
The back can hurt in cases where there is a pathology of:
- spine;
- musculoskeletal apparatus;
- the internal organs.
Pain can also occur in a healthy person due to muscle pain due to heavy physical exertion.
Spinal pathology
In addition, frequent pathologies of the spine, against which pain syndrome occurs, are considered.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is the most common answer to the question: "why does my back hurt? "With this pathology, degenerative changes occur in the intervertebral cartilage, from which the cartilage becomes thinner, the space betweenthe vertebrae shrinks and the nerve roots can be pinched. For pain in osteochondrosis, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- occur during or after physical exertion, as well as a long stay in a static position;
- may be throbbing or painful;
- movement makes the pain worse.
If the sciatic nerve is pinched and sciatica develops, the pain is transmitted to the buttocks, radiating along the surface of the thigh from behind. There may be a violation of sensitivity (numbness, tingling, burning). With lumbago, there is often a shooting or throbbing pain that causes the patient to literally freeze in place. Patients complain of having pulled or twisted the back.
injuries
Injuries occur more often from falls (in icy conditions, while playing sports) or blows to the back in traffic accidents. Pain can cause both bruises and more serious injuries - fractures and dislocations of the vertebral bodies. Pain in an injury can be of the most diverse nature:
- sore,
- burning,
- filming,
- dumb.
Pain sensations can be constantly disturbing, occur with certain movements, or be felt as a pulsation, depending on the nature and location of the damage. It is important to know that serious injuries are not always caused by heavy blows.
For example, a compression fracture of the spine in the elderly can be caused by a slight mechanical load, and on the first day after the injury the vertebra does not hurt much. In the future, if immobilization and treatment measures are not taken, the pain will increase, and damage to the nerves and spinal cord is possible.
Any injury to the spine, however minor, at first glance, requires a medical examination.
Intervertebral hernia
An intervertebral hernia is a protrusion of a fragment of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal. A hernia is most often the result of degenerative changes in the spine or is the result of an injury. Disc protrusion can occur in any part of the spine, but much more often it occurs in the lumbar region, since it is he who bears the main load.
In the early stages of the formation of a hernia, back pain is provoked by physical activity, occurs occasionally and is of low intensity. With the progression of the disease or a sudden loss of a disc fragment, the pain can be very intense, of a throbbing nature with radiation to the legs.
Often patients complain of numbness or burning in the problem area, as well as in the lower or upper limbs. This indicates that there has been damage to the nerve endings. Severe pain causes muscle spasms, which leads to a violation of posture, pathological kyphosis or lordosis develops.
Curvature of the spine (kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis)
With the curvature of the spine, in order to compensate for the pathological curvature, there is a significant muscle tension, leading to frequent and sometimes constant dull pain in the back.
Muscle pain
85% of cases of chronic or recurring pain in the back muscles are associated with excessive stress on the lower back. Even for those who do not carry large sports loads and do not carry heavy loads, the back muscles experience daily strain. This is especially true for long-term static loads during sedentary computer work.
Unheated muscles can be easily injured when making a sharp turn, lifting a heavy object, or performing the wrong movement. Pain can occur due to inflammatory diseases of the muscles (myositis) or due to severe stress, resulting in reflex spasm of muscle fibers.
Infectious diseases
Tuberculosis most commonly affects the spine. At the level of the vertebrae, the infection penetrates hematogenously (through the blood) and causes inflammation, then bone necrosis. Pain in the lumbar and thoracic region is a characteristic sign of spinal tuberculosis, and neurological symptoms appear in half of patients - there is a feeling of numbness and weakness in the limbs.
In addition, common manifestations are characteristic of spinal tuberculosis:
- weakness,
- sweat,
- increase in body temperature,
- rapid fatigue,
- small appetite.
Oncological diseases
In most cases, a malignant tumor does not develop in the spine itself. Cancer cells arrive with the flow of blood or lymph from other foci. Most often, spinal metastases give cancer of the mammary glands, lungs and prostate. At first, the pains may resemble manifestations of ordinary osteochondrosis, but then the back constantly hurts, with increasing intensity.
It is not always possible to eliminate pain with conventional painkillers, only the introduction of narcotics brings relief. With multiple metastases, the pain is wandering in nature, spanning different parts of the spine. In addition to back pain, the patient experiences weakness, unreasonable weight loss, fever to subfebrile numbers. The prognosis is unfavorable.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
The most common back pain occurs with pancreatitis. It is encircling in nature and quite intense. In acute pancreatitis, the pain may be accompanied by a drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Acute pancreatitis is an indication for emergency hospitalization of the patient in a surgical hospital.
In addition to pancreatitis, the pain may radiate to the back with a peptic ulcer or an attack of biliary colic.
Diseases of the genitourinary system
Kidney diseases, especially urolithiasis, during exacerbation often cause pain in the lumbar region. If the lower back hurts, the pain is accompanied by a violation of urination or is transmitted to the inguinal region, a consultation with a surgeon is necessary, and women should undergo an examination by a gynecologist to exclude inflammationappendages or the presence of an ectopic pregnancy.
Back pain in pregnant women
Pregnant women often complain of aching or aching pain in the back and lower back, especially in the later stages. This is due to the fact that in the second half of pregnancy, due to a significant increase in the uterus, the center of gravity shifts and the load on the muscles of the lower back increases. The pains are usually dull and aggravated by changing body position, especially when getting up from a chair or armchair.
What to do if you have back pain
If your back hurts for more than three days, you should see a doctor. Seek immediate medical attention if your back pain is accompanied by:
- poor general health;
- a decrease or a sharp increase in blood pressure;
- an increase in body temperature;
- dysfunction of any internal organ.
Also, you should call a doctor if the pain was preceded by an injury or a strong pain intensity.
Diagnostic
In most cases, the doctor will be able to make a preliminary diagnosis during the initial examination. However, in order to determine exactly what causes back pain, further studies are required. In most cases, these are x-rays in two projections, computed tomography of the spine (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
If necessary, the doctor can prescribe a general blood and urine test, an electrocardiogram, an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity or small pelvis, and an image of the lungs. An examination should be carried out without fail, because even the most serious diseases in the early stages of detection with proper treatment have a favorable prognosis.
Treatment
How to get rid of back pain, only a doctor can recommend based on examination data and examination results. The main principles of therapy: the elimination of severe pain and inflammation, the impact on the root cause of pain, rehabilitation measures aimed at accelerating the processes of tissue regeneration and restoring anormal life (physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage, proper nutrition).
How to ease the pain
To relieve pain, you must first limit physical activity. Among pharmacological drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are most often prescribed. These drugs can be taken as tablets or injections, and they are also included in topical ointments. Treatment of back pain caused by muscle spasms is carried out with warming ointments, alcohol compresses and a warm bath. With severe spasms, muscle relaxants are prescribed.
It is important to remember that in case of inflammatory diseases of internal organs and on the first day after injury, any thermal procedures are contraindicated. They provoke a deterioration of health and the progression of pathology. After the elimination of acute manifestations of the disease, physiotherapeutic procedures, massage and therapeutic exercises are prescribed. If the back of a pregnant woman hurts, the use of drugs is undesirable.
Wearing a special bandage and limiting physical activity will help pregnant women relieve back pain.
Physiotherapy
Exercise therapy (therapeutic gymnastics) is the basis for the successful treatment of back pain in any localization. A set of exercises can be recommended by a specialist in physiotherapy exercises or a rehabilitation doctor. Classes begin with simple exercises, gradually increasing the load on the muscles and ligaments of the back and lower back.
This leads to the strengthening of the muscular corset that supports the spine, the alignment of the posture, the activation of blood circulation and metabolism in the tissues, the improvement of general well-being and mood. . It is illiterate to treat a back with medication without therapy through regular exercise and proper nutrition. This will only give a temporary effect.
Physiotherapy
Procedures such as phonophoresis with medicinal substances, magnetic therapy, laser therapy will help speed up recovery. During the period of remission, it is effective to undergo mud therapy and paraffin therapy.
Prevention
To avoid back pain, it is very important to lead a healthy lifestyle, including:
- a balanced diet with enough vitamins and minerals;
- maintain normal body weight;
- regular physical education classes aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back and abdominals;
- contact a doctor if any diseases appear and their timely treatment.
Back pain requires mandatory diagnosis to determine the cause of its occurrence and long-term treatment, based primarily on changing the patient's lifestyle. In the acute period of the disease, the patient is assisted by pharmacological preparations. If you follow all the recommendations of the doctor, the prognosis in most cases is favorable.