According to medical statistics, acute back pain is the second most common cause of disability.At least 80% of people experience it at least once.They can occur sporadically or be observed during exacerbations of spinal disease.Regardless, acute and chronic back pain require effective treatment and targeted action on the reasons why they occur.
Acute back pain: causes
Acute pain is defined as pain that lasts less than 6 weeks.For most people, it goes away within two weeks.Although it was initially impossible to predict how long it would last.However, in almost half of cases, similar or more severe episodes recur in the future and become chronic pain.
Acute pain can have varying degrees of pain, ranging from dull pain to burning pain.Sometimes it radiates to the arms, legs, buttocks.So-called low back pain usually occurs after hypothermia, excessive physical exertion, and sprains.It may take several days from the influence of traumatic factors to the immediate manifestation of a pain syndrome, which manifests itself under the influence of slight physical activity, such as bending.
They may also be the result of a back injury or the first sign of spinal disease, including:
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- Spondyloarthropathies;
- Spinal stenosis etc.
Increases the likelihood of back problems:
- often under stress;
- Increase physical activity regularly;
- being overweight;
- Stand frequently and for long periods of time.
In addition to severe back discomfort, headaches, burning sensations in the legs, and dizziness may occur.All of these symptoms must be reported to your doctor at the time of appointment.
Regardless of which anatomical structure is damaged first, this creates a cascade of changes that increase discomfort.Initially, inflammatory factors build up in the lesions, causing swelling and irritation of nerve fibers.In response to this, muscle spasms often occur, which further aggravates the condition and leads to poor blood circulation in the affected area.This results in a reduction in the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the diseased site, as well as the retention of metabolites in the diseased site.
Treat acute back pain
To relieve pain, lie on your back on a hard surface.This will allow the back muscles to relax and take pressure off the spine.To enhance the effect, you can place orthopedic pillows under your knees and head, but it's important to avoid arching your lower back.For severe pain, short-term use of NSAIDs is allowed.In the future, you should definitely contact a neurologist or spine surgeon to determine the cause of your pain syndrome.
If there is no improvement within a week, if the pain recurs or if the pain radiates to the feet or knees, or if there are problems with urination and bowel movements, see a doctor as soon as possible.To diagnose existing disease, patients are shown:
- MRI;
- CT;
- X-ray;
- Blood biochemistry tests;
- UAC.
Based on the findings and symptoms, doctors make a diagnosis and develop a treatment strategy.If the pain is severe enough to cause the patient to become incapacitated, he or she may be given a spinal block, which can relieve the pain syndrome within a few minutes.
After the discomfort subsides, it is important not to lie in bed.Moderate physical activity, combined with specific therapeutic exercises, is the best way to prevent the recurrence of such attacks in the future.
By going to a hospital, you are sure to receive high-quality treatment for your pain and its cause.Experts will be able to develop the most effective treatment strategies and provide rapid pain relief with well-crafted, affordable blockade.
Chronic back pain: causes
People often suffer from chronic back pain.They can worsen and turn into acute pain attacks that throw the person completely out of their normal rhythm.Most of the time this is due to the following reasons:
- A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weakened muscles.This results in increased loading on the spine and compression of the vertebrae.The result is osteochondrosis, disc herniation, disc herniation, spondyloarthropathy.
- Postural impairment.Any body position in which the natural curve of the spine is disrupted over time can cause curvature of the spine and the development of scoliosis or kyphosis.This leads to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, redistribution of muscle load, and compression of nerve roots.
- Abdominal muscles weaken.Because they act as a support for internal organs and partially relieve the spine, when they are weak, the load on the lower back increases, increasing lordosis and causing chronic pain.In addition to a sedentary lifestyle, weakened abdominal muscles can also be a result of pregnancy or obesity.
- Age-related changes.Over time, the disc becomes dehydrated, causing its elasticity, strength, and size to decrease.The annulus fibrosus surrounding the jelly-like nucleus pulposus dries out and becomes more fragile.Loading can cause it to form cracks, leading to the formation of protrusions and hernias.The resulting protrusion can compress nearby blood vessels, nerve roots, and spinal cord, causing pain.
Conditions associated with chronic back pain include:
- osteochondrosis;
- Spondyloarthropathies;
- Osteoporosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- facet syndrome;
- Bekhterev's disease;
- Spondylolisthesis;
- Rheumatoid arthritis;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- Oncological diseases and others.
A common cause of chronic pain is wear and tear of the facet joints.When the spine is subjected to excessive loads, the cartilage located within it is also prone to thinning.As a result, when moved, they stop performing their shock-absorbing function, causing friction of bone fragments and the development of inflammation.
Treat back pain
Treatment strategies are developed based on the disease discovered during diagnostic studies.When spinal disease is detected, conservative treatment is initiated, including:
- drug treatment;
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- Exercise therapy.
Conservative treatment
When treating back pain, a comprehensive, individualized approach is important.Depending on the reason why it occurs, patients need to take a variety of medications, especially:
- NSAIDs - this group of drugs has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, but long-term use can negatively affect gastrointestinal conditions;
- Corticosteroids – drugs with pronounced anti-inflammatory properties, used in moderate to severe cases;
- Muscle relaxants – help eliminate increased muscle tone and spasms;
- Antidepressants – help relieve psychological discomfort, which often reduces the effectiveness of conservative treatments;
- Topical preparations – Ointments or gels containing anti-inflammatory, warming, or cooling ingredients can help reduce the severity of pain with few side effects;
- Chondroprotectants - Preparations containing glucosamine and chondroitin have a beneficial effect on the condition of cartilage tissue, increasing its elasticity and helping to restore normal thickness.
In mild cases, oral medications may be sufficient.But in more complex cases, patients may receive intra-articular injections.For severe pain, a blockade or a full course of treatment, which may include up to 10 surgeries, is recommended.
To improve the effectiveness of medication, patients need massage and physical therapy.Proper impact on the back muscles helps activate blood and lymph flow, improves metabolic processes and eliminates muscle spasms.Manual therapy is very effective for spinal deformities, especially grade 1-2 scoliosis.Regular exercise helps restore the normal position of the spine and removes pressure from the internal organs.
As part of physical therapy, patients undergo the following sessions:
- UHF;
- magnet therapy;
- Bernard Current;
- laser treatment;
- electrophoresis;
- Ural Federal District;
- Balneotherapy treatment.
If the condition does not improve within six months or there is a risk of complications, the patient may be offered surgical treatment of the existing condition.
surgical treatment
Modern surgical methods are characterized by high efficiency and safety.They allow you to quickly eliminate the pathological cause of your pain and often do not require hospitalization.But most minimally invasive and microsurgical methods can only be used if the patient comes to a spine surgeon early in the disease.
Indications for surgical treatment are:
- Progressive disc herniation;
- spinal stenosis;
- Hidden hernia;
- spinal fractures;
- Scoliosis grade 3-4;
- severe spondyloarthropathy;
- Compression of the spinal cord or its nerve roots;
- Vertebral hemangioma;
- Instability of various segments of the spine;
- Cauda equina compression syndrome.
The surgeon determines the type of surgery based on the severity of the patient's condition.Different surgical treatments are available for the same diagnosis, with varying degrees of invasiveness, effectiveness, recovery time, and cost.
Minimally invasive surgical treatment methods have become very popular in recent years.With their help, herniated discs, herniated discs, hemangioma and many other diseases can be treated.Minimally invasive surgery takes less than an hour, and patients can be walking almost immediately after surgery and leave the clinic the same day or the next.
The great advantages of this method are good cosmetic results (in most cases, all necessary surgical instruments are inserted through needle puncture of the soft tissue), easy recovery, and affordability.For intervertebral hernias, only cold plasma nucleoplasty or hydroplasty (hydraulic discectomy) can be considered more promising methods.
In cases where microsurgical techniques are not available, surgeons perform open surgery.During this procedure, it is possible to completely remove pathologically altered structures, eliminate severe deformities of the spine, replace structures that cannot be restored with implants, and achieve normal function of the spine by installing metallic titanium structures.
Modern spine surgery can treat almost any back problem.Many institutions offer all the latest methods of surgical treatment of spinal disorders.A team of doctors with diverse backgrounds will help you get rid of acute or painful chronic back pain in the shortest possible time.
Prevent back pain
After an attack has ended and the pain has subsided, to avoid another attack it is recommended to:
- Do not lift heavy objects;
- Don’t bend;
- walk more;
- Refuse to do heavy manual labor;
- When working sedentary, take regular breaks to warm up.