Everyone suffered back pain. For some it is periodic pain, for others it is constant. Many people take painkillers to get rid of the discomfort and do not pay attention to the real causes of the discomfort. This can lead to complications and serious pathologies.
Back pain can be caused by diseases of internal organs or spine, as well as injuries. Sometimes discomfort is the result of poor posture, physical exertion or sudden movement.
First, you need to find out why your back hurts and only then start treatment.
Types of back pain
The diagnosis can be made based on the nature of the back pain.
For example, if the pain intensifies and is exacerbated by heavy lifting, physical exertion, hypothermia, or prolonged immobility, then the cause may be myositis, lumbar, or intervertebral hernia.
Acute pain radiating to the legs or arms may indicate sciatica, interstitial hernia, or osteochondrosis. Unpleasant sensations are aggravated by walking, bending or coughing, and weakness is felt in the extremities.
All of the same intervertebral hernia, lumbago, and osteochondrosis, as well as spondylosis, can also cause pulsating pain. This is evidenced when the pain does not subside even after analgesics.
If there is pain in the chest or pressing pain, it is a sign of pulmonary embolism or myocardial infarction. Spinal discomfort indicates spondyloarthritis, and in the lumbar region - intestinal obstruction. Atherosclerosis can cause neck pain.
Back pain after sleep
In the morning, your back can hurt, not just because of the wrong mattress or the wrong posture during sleep. Hypothermia, stress or heavy lifting the day before can cause thickening and pain below the shoulder blades, lower back, right or left side.
The causes can be different: spinal curvature, osteochondrosis, interstitial hernia or obesity. Also, your back may hurt in the morning during pregnancy.
Pathologies of the spine and joints
Discomfort in the spine can be associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- Ankylosing spondylitis. Due to the muscle spasm, the patient moves forward to relieve the discomfort. After that, the inflamed spine tightens and grows together, making the spine less flexible.
- ᲠEvmatoid arthritis. The disease begins in the knees, hip joint or shoulders, then spreads to the cervical spine. In the morning patients have shooting sensations and stiffness: the affected spine puts too much pressure on the nerves.
- Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. The patient feels discomfort in the lower back: the spine is displaced and the nerve endings are caught.
- Osteomyelitis. Acute muscle pain occurs due to infection in the bone tissue of the spine.
- Osteochondrosis. With this disease the spinal amortization deteriorates. The discs between the vertebrae are damaged and the annulus fibrosus is cut: the nucleus of the disc comes out of the cracks and gets stuck.
- Intervertebral hernia. During movement, the exudate between the vertebrae is compressed, resulting in its impairment.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
The source of discomfort can be spasms and inductions in the muscle corset that supports the spine:
- With fibromyalgia disease, the back hurts from the neck to the lower back and exacerbates the discomfort by pressing on certain areas.
- Dermatomyositis. The skin around the striped and smooth muscles becomes inflamed.
- Polymyositis. The disease occurs due to overload or hypothermia: it hurts to bend and weakness is felt in the muscles.
- Polymyalgia Rheumatism. It is difficult for the patient to stand up without the help of someone and the asymmetry in the back is clearly visible.
- Charcot's disease. Peripheral nerves along the spine are inflamed. Sensitivity deteriorates, muscles weaken, and the patient's gait changes.
Diseases of the spinal cord
Unpleasant sensations can occur because any part of the spinal cord is stretched or inflamed.
Sources of pain in this case:
- Compression of the spinal cord as a result of a fracture, hematoma, or abscess;
- Inflammation of nearby muscles;
- Circulatory disorders;
- Bleeding;
- Lack of vitamins;
- Complication of HIV infection or syphilis;
- Posterior tumor of various etiologies;
- Multiple sclerosis.
Psychosomatics
Your back can also hurt due to psychological factors: depression, nervous tension, chronic stress or sexual dissatisfaction.
Localization of back pain
Unpleasant sensations in the back are caused by various factors.
For example, pain on the right side occurs due to displacement of the lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis, or intervertebral disc. The left side hurts because of pain in the spleen, spine, or duodenum, and the source of low back pain can be sciatica, osteochondrosis, or interstitial hernia.
If it hurts right to the lower spine - it may be myositis, on the left - osteochondrosis.
Discomfort signals the entire spine about the protrusion that may develop in osteochondrosis.
When should you see a doctor as soon as possible?
If the cause of the back pain is load or stress, it will subside after a few days. However, in cases where the pain only increases, urgent medical attention is needed.
You need to consult a doctor immediately in the following situations:
- Can not find a position in which the pain subsides;
- Recently had a spinal cord injury or contusion;
- The condition worsens at night;
- The patient's gait has changed;
- The patient has a fever;
- Limbs weakened, dull, tingling sensation;
- Painkillers do not help.
Diagnosis of back pain
A meeting with a neurologist is needed to determine the cause of back discomfort. If necessary, blood tests should be performed to check for infection or inflammation. Exams appointed by a specialist may also be required.
An ultrasound scan of the duplex and triplex of the neck and brain vessels is needed to determine the cause of the headache, dizziness, or high blood pressure.
MRI allows you to see tumors of the spine, compression of the spinal nerves and spinal cord, hernia of the intervertebral discs, narrowing of the spinal canal. Computed tomography is needed to detect spinal fractures.
X-rays help assess the condition of bone structures to determine the degree of fractures, spondylolisthesis, arthritis, and poor posture.
Electromyography fixes nerve compression due to spinal stenosis or herniated disc.
How to relieve back pain?
First of all, you need to relax. To do this, lie on your stomach on a flat, firm surface, preferably on the floor. After a few minutes, turn on your back and lift your legs so that they are at a 90 degree angle. This will reduce the load on the spine.
Anti-inflammatory ointments and creams are also helpful. To relieve the pain it is necessary to gently lift and cover the painful area with a scarf or towel.
If painkillers are not available, a cold compress - an ice pack or food from the freezer - can help relieve severe pain. It is impossible to get rid of the discomfort completely, but it can alleviate the condition. A diametrically opposite option will also help - a heating pad or heating compress.
A light warm-up or slow walk will help to remove the unpleasant sensations.
Treatment of back pain
After examination and diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe treatment. To alleviate the discomfort, the specialist will prescribe painkillers, B vitamins, and muscle relaxants. Sometimes it is recommended to rest in bed and wear a special corset.
An important stage of treatment is physiotherapy. These are drug electrophoresis, laser therapy, phonophoresis and magnetic therapy. Electroneurostimulation and acupuncture also help.
Massage, manual therapy, osteopathy and exercise therapy are effective for back pain. They also help with trauma rehabilitation.
Prevention of back pain
You need to move more to avoid spinal discomfort. Morning exercises and yoga, contrast shower and massage courses are effective.
It is important to maintain collagen-releasing liver health and boost immunity. It is worth observing the weight, since every ten pounds increases the load on the spine.
First of all, you need to avoid stress and create even a psychological atmosphere.