According to statistics, about 80% of people of different ages with back pain will experience this unpleasant and frightening symptom at least once in their lifetime. At the same time, it is important to be able to distinguish between when the painful feeling should be troubled and when should not be worried.
Of course, if you perform manual labor or light blows before the onset of pain, they will disappear within 2-3 days, so there is no need to worry. However, if your back has been severely injured for a long time and the pain is not the same as muscle pain, please see a doctor quickly.
Why did my back hurt
There are many causes of back pain, ranging from minor external factors to the development of various pathological processes.
At the same time, doctors still find the 3 most common causes:
- Non-specific pain-A combination of multiple factors, including improper posture, staying in one position for a long time (uncomfortable), and overwork on the spine and backMuscle pain caused by overwork. . . This may also include painful sensations caused by hypothermia, in which case they would say "disgust".
- Radiation pain-Not very common, but cannot be ruled out. This includes diseases of internal organs located in other parts of the body. For example, the formation of tumors and tuberculosis, gastrointestinal tract, heart disease, etc. In each of the above cases, the pain will radiate (produce) to the back in various parts of the back.
- Mechanical injury and pathology of the spine-Spinal pain also occurs due to many factors, we are talking about the pathological process. These include any diseases of the spine, first injuries (injuries, fractures, etc. ), and finally osteochondrosis, radiculitis, hernia formation and other pathologies of the spine that affect the spine.
In summary, these are the main causes of back pain. All these problems threaten severe spine dysfunction and require mandatory medical treatment.
In some cases, if you do not receive proper treatment, there is a risk of serious problems developing into serious complications. If the spine or the tissues in the spinal cord are affected, there is a risk of paralysis of the limbs or even the entire body.
Symptoms
In order to consult a doctor promptly and correctly describe your complaint to him, you need to understand the symptoms.
At the same time, the symptoms of back pain may be slightly different. If you consider the fact that the pain itself is a symptom, its main manifestations should be highlighted. The main manifestations and locations are different:
- In essence, painful sensations are: sharpness, dullness, stab wounds, cuts, pain, pulling, burning, etc.
- The pain is strong, moderate and weak. These indicators are individual for each person. But, for example, they need to be considered when defining treatments for chronic low back pain.
- Back pain throughout the spine is very rare. Pain is usually punctate or assigned to a single part of the spine (neck, chest, waist).
- However, pain in the upper part of the spine (or any other part) can also spread. In this case, the pain syndrome affects other parts of the back and is often called wandering.
- Generally, acute pain in the spine is the most uncomfortable and has the greatest impact on daily life, but it is usually undulating and easy to treat. At the same time, dull pains are less severe, but they persist, take longer to repair, and respond worse to treatment.
These are general guidelines for pain in different areas of the back. But in addition to understanding the general symptoms of pain, it is important to know that depending on the disease, the clinical situation may change. Therefore, in one case, the pain between the cervical vertebrae will be felt, while in another case, the pain will be located in the lumbar region and have different characteristics.
Therefore, it is worth considering the symptoms of various pathological processes accompanied by back pain separately.
Osteochondrosis
If the spine is injured in the back, the most likely diagnosis is osteochondrosis, because this disease is more common than other diseases. It is also important to understand that the doctor distinguishes three types of osteochondrosis: cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
In each case, the pain between the vertebrae is related to different parts of the spine. The disease itself implies the destruction of cartilage tissue in the intervertebral discs, and the pathological process also occurs in the vertebrae, because they are eliminated due to the reduction of the gap between them.
The main symptom of the disease is pain, but there may also be clinical signs of the nervous system, because the spinal cord is most likely to be affected and therefore its roots are violated.Myositis
A rare disease characterized by inflammatory processes in the muscle tissues of the body (including the back). Myositis is more often accompanied by soreness, but severe pain or so-called back pain may also occur.
Pain syndrome is located directly where the muscle tissue is inflamed, but the pain may spread to nearby areas.
Cervical spondylosis
If the spine is injured, it may be one of the causes of spondylosis. This pathology is characterized by the growth of vertebral bone tissue and changes in malnutrition. In this case, due to staying in one position for a long time, such as during a sedentary work, pain will occur during physical exertion.
Sciatica
This term means that the sciatic nerve is compressed by further inflammation. The pathological process is accompanied by cuts, stab wounds, and severe pain. For sciatica, the pain does not persist, they appear suddenly and roll up.
Severe sciatica directly in the place where the infringement or inflammation occurs. However, due to the long length of the sciatic nerve, there will be pain in different areas, and in most cases the leg will be injured.
Osteoporosis
This disease develops due to a lack of calcium in the body. As a result, the bone tissue of the entire spine loses its elasticity and rigidity, and micro injuries and cracks are formed everywhere.
In this pathological process, the entire spine is injured, especially in the late stages of the disease.
Intervertebral disc herniation
Acute and severe pain in the spine may be evidence of a herniated disc. At the same time, the pain syndrome is constant, but increases with physical exertion, bending, coughing, sudden or careless movement.
In most cases, a hernia develops in the lumbar spine, which can be explained as the site is prone to heavy loads and lifting. Hernia is usually a complication of osteochondrosis, which is due to the particularity of this pathological process.
In this case, the hernia not only has the risk of pain, but also the risk of pinching the nerve branches of the spinal cord and developing neurological symptoms.
Overactive spine
Otherwise, this problem is called vertebral hypermobility or spinal instability. Severe physical exertion and weight lifting exacerbate the pain, which is a clear sign of pathology. Painful feelings in the back are fickle, they either subside and then suddenly appear.
The most severely affected is the cervical spine. If the disease progresses, it is difficult for a person to stand on his head.
Scoliosis
Strangely, curvature of the spine is the direct cause of pain. Scoliosis is one of the most common problems. The pain of scoliosis is more muscular in nature. This is due to increased pressure on certain muscles of the back, while other muscles relax.
In scoliosis, due to the curvature of the spine, a single intervertebral disc is compressed and cartilage tissue is deformed.
The pain of scoliosis is constant, painful or tugging, low intensity, and in rare cases, the pain is strong and sharp.
Spinal injury
Of course, any mechanical damage, even minor damage, is painful. In this case, the more intense the pain, the more severe the damage, and sometimes, even a seemingly insignificant injury, acute pain may be felt, which may indicate a serious internal injury. In this case, blows, contusions, sprains, and dislocations should be considered, but fractures are the most serious type of injury.
It is worth mentioning that decades later, the old wounds over time made them feel themselves. Therefore, the pain in your back and neck will remind you of falling on ice as a child.
Bechterew disease
This dangerous disease is also called ankylosing spondyloarthritis. The pathology is characterized by the chronic inflammation process of the joints, in other words, inflammation of the spine.
Ankylosing spondylitis is accompanied by severe pain, and the intensity of the pain syndrome is high from the beginning of the pathological process and will only intensify later. In this case, the pain will increase after a break and depending on the weather, but the NSAID group's drugs and physiotherapy can well control the pain.
Tumor diseases
Cancer is the most dangerous pathology, and the obvious sign is pain. In this case, if the pain syndrome is confined near the spine and exerts pressure on it, both benign and malignant tumors will have pain syndrome.
Metastasis is a more dangerous manifestation in oncology. In this case, the pain is continuous and intense, no matter the position of the body or any movement, they always pursue a person everywhere. Even when lying down, his back suffered serious injuries.
Kidney disease
The cause of lower back pain is not always related to back problems. Due to the anatomical location of the kidney, pathologies that affect the kidney can also respond to severe pain in the waist area.
The pain may become dull, tugged or sharply punctured, and its intensity varies depending on the disease and its progression.
It is important to understand that the pain may be on both sides or only on one side, which indicates which kidney is involved in the pathological process.
Cardiovascular Pathology
In cardiovascular diseases, the idea that pain only occurs in the chest area is wrong. For example, in patients with ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, a band of pain radiates back in the chest cavity. They are characterized by sharpness, stabbing and sudden occurrence.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system include aortic aneurysms, in which severe pain occurs near the spine in the chest area.
Pathology of the digestive tract
Digestive tract diseases also often cause back pain, but in this case, there are always many unique clinical signs. In addition to pain, there are indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or diarrhea, and general malaise.
Infection
Among the infectious diseases accompanied by back pain, the most serious and dangerous is bone tuberculosis. The disease is accompanied by a serious pathological process in the bone tissue, and the entire spine is injured. The nature of the pain is different, sometimes pulling, sometimes stabbing, but it remains the same.
Respiratory system diseases
The lungs occupy most of the chest area of the human body; therefore, lung diseases are usually accompanied by back pain. These diseases include pneumonia, tuberculosis, and pleurisy.
Due to this condition, the pain will increase during coughing, sneezing, deep breathing, and yawning. In addition, coughing, shortness of breath and other similar symptoms also enrich the clinical manifestations.
Congenital lesions
Congenital abnormalities are extremely rare, but they still occur. In this case, the main suspicion lies in the excessive or insufficient number of congenital vertebrae in the spine. This affects the muscles and ligaments, the structure of the body, and threatens the protrusion or compression of the spine, and compression is always accompanied by pain.
Pregnancy and childbirth
Pregnancy is also one of the causes of back pain symptoms.
In the third trimester, spinal pain and other problems of similar nature occur more often, depending on the growth of the fetus and the increase in spinal load.
In this case, usually after the mother lies down and rests for a period of time, the pain usually becomes bland and tasteless, pulls, subsides or disappears temporarily.
Inflammatory process
Many different inflammatory processes lead to the development of pain syndromes, and we have already talked about some of them. Take spondyloarthritis (ankylosing spondylitis). This pathology begins in the waist s, then becomes inflamed, and with back pain, it rises to the spine.
Pain radiating to the spine
As mentioned at the beginning, there is a type of pain called radiation. This means that back pain is "released" to the spine from other parts or organs where the disease is onset. Let us discuss this pain in more detail.
Diseases of the heart and great vessels
I mentioned the most likely cardiovascular disease, accompanied by back pain. The only important thing is to understand that in addition to pain, this type of pathology is also accompanied by blood pressure, arrhythmia and pale skin, which are their unique characteristics.
Gallbladder disease
The acute form of the disease is accompanied by intense cuts, while the chronic form is more difficult to diagnose because the pain is inconsistent and low in intensity.
Pancreatic lesions
The most common disease of the pancreas is pancreatitis. The clinical symptoms of this condition are abdominal pain, but it is also surrounded and stabbed. However, in addition to pain, patients also feel nausea, vomiting, and pain after eating fatty, sweet, and fried foods.
Pathology of the kidneys and upper urinary tract
Kidney and urinary tract diseases are also painful and usually severe. Severe pain occurs during urinary tract stones, but it is not only felt in the lumbar area. Severe discomfort in the lower abdomen and groin area.
Diagnosis
From a large number of possible problems and possible diseases, it can be seen that in order to eliminate back and spine pain, it is necessary to determine the main reason for its occurrence.
For this, you must absolutely consult a doctor and perform a comprehensive differential diagnosis, which includes:
- Radiographyis a simple but effective method to determine the state of the spine, which can be used to detect deformities and various pathologies.
- CT-Computed tomography can more accurately show the disease of intervertebral disc and vertebrae.
- MRI-Magnetic resonance imaging is a more advanced and effective diagnostic method. It can not only show possible problems in the structure of vertebrae and intervertebral discs, but also identify or exclude nerves involved in the pathological process, Spinal brain.
If the above investigation does not produce any results, please contact experts in other fields. Perhaps the problem lies in the heart, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, pelvic organs and other diseases.
How to treat back pain
The treatment of acute back pain requires a comprehensive and systematic approach. After sufficient inspection and accurate diagnosis, the method of struggle became clear. It is also important to understand that when encountering a problem of this nature, you must contact an expert and self-administration is never unacceptable.
The attending physician will determine the treatment plan, which may include medication, physical therapy, exercise therapy and massage therapy.
Physical Therapy
This is one of the main methods of dealing with spinal diseases.
The treatment of low back pain involves the following process:
- Electrophoresis.
- Exposure to ultrasound.
- Laser therapy;
- Magnetic therapy.
The treatment process is 7-10 or more processes, and the interval between the two is 3-5 days.
Gymnastics
The treatment of pain syndrome also includes physical therapy and gymnastics, but these techniques are mainly used to restore health when severe pain no longer occurs. Gymnastics is needed to restore muscle elasticity, mobility, maintain good health and accelerate the recovery of back injuries.
It is important to have the first meeting with a physical therapist. The physical therapist will correct the method and distribute the load, and teach you how to do it correctly. In the future, classes will be conducted at home, and most importantly, requirements are a systematic approach.
Medications
Drug therapy is the core of all treatments. Each medicine is prescribed by the doctor based on the obtained diagnostic data. The technique depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome and the stage of disease progression.
The following medicines are needed for back pain:
- NSAIDs(Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)-Prescribed in the form of ointments, tablets, injections, and sometimes in the form of suppositories. NSAID has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and reduces local temperature.
- Analgesicsare pain relievers that block the nerve center responsible for recognizing pain.
- Muscle relaxantsGive when you need to eliminate muscle spasms.
- Vitamin complexIncluding B vitamins, its role helps to restore nerve fibers and establish metabolic processes.
The duration of drug treatment, the frequency and dosage of drug use are determined by the doctor.
Massage
Massage courses are another effective way to relieve pain. Specify when the pain subsides, only by a narrow specialist.
Massage therapy can stimulate blood circulation, relieve pain, and restore the elasticity of the nose and muscles. In order to achieve significant results, at least 10 courses of massage are required.
Prevention
In order to minimize the risk of pathological conditions where spinal pain is felt or to reduce the risk of disease recurrence, you need to follow simple preventive recommendations:
- Eliminate bad habits.
- Eat right, eat less junk food, and eat snacks instead.
- Live an active lifestyle and participate in sports, preferably swimming or some form of gymnastics.
- It is useful to hang your back on the horizontal bar at least 3-4 times a week.
- After sitting down, take a break to warm up.
- Avoid strenuous exercise and injury.
- If it is unavoidable to avoid heavy lifting, perform all operations correctly and lift heavy objects with your back straight.
- Sleep on a medium firm bed and buy an orthopedic mattress.
Please remember that if the pain persists for more than 4-5 days, or the pain is severe enough to be unbearable, please seek medical attention immediately. Starting treatment in time can save health and avoid many dangerous complications.