Why my back hurts and how to deal with it

There is no person who has not experienced back pain at least once in their life that has restricted and restricted human movements for some time. According to medical practice, complaints about low back pain or low back pain are considered to be the most common and they can be eliminated at the most inopportune moment. It should be remembered that with persistent symptoms of pain in the spine, it is recommended to consult a specialist who can correctly determine the causes of immobilization and prescribe effective treatment. If you do not consult a doctor in time, serious complications can occur.

Causes of pain

In fact, the causes of lower back pain can be very varied, both as an independent problem and as an initial signal of spinal disease. The main causes of painful sensations are:

• Excessive muscle load. About 85% of back pain can occur due to excessive physical exertion of the lower spine. The so-called "spinal fatigue" occurs not only during sports, but also suffers from constant sitting at the computer, resulting in heaviness and excessive tension in the muscles.
• Intervertebral hernia. Quite a common disease is found mainly in people over the age of 40 and occurs due to flattening of the intervertebral discs. This process helps to compress the nerve roots, causing severe pain.
• Fractures. Such root causes of back pain are diagnosed in 4% of patients. According to medical statistics, compression fractures are quite common in older people who suffer from osteochondrosis. The disease is characterized by a decrease in bone mass, ie loss of their mass and density, which is why there is a high risk of spinal fractures.
• Congenital defects of the spine. These types of pathologies occur from birth and can accompany a person throughout life. Deviations appear in the form of extra or missing spine and most often in the lumbar spine.
• Spondylolisthesis. With spinal column disease, movement of the spine occurs, which causes sharp painful sensations that are felt in the upper back.
• Gynecological diseases. Inflammation of the female genitals is accompanied by severe back pain.
• Pregnancy. Pain attacks can appear both in the early stages of pregnancy and in the latter. This is caused by a change in the center of gravity, softening or relaxation of the ligaments, an increase in body weight, and an increase in body weight.

• ᲘInfectious diseases. Inflammatory processes in the muscles of the spinal cord can cause severe pain that radiates to the shoulders, neck and even the forehead. The painful sensations are intensified by various movements, which make it quite difficult to turn and bend.
• Intercostal neuralgia. With this disease, the pain occurs precisely in the intercostal space or may be localized in the lower back, under the scapula, and in other places where the nerve endings are caught.
• Spinal tumors. Most often, with this disease, the pain occurs precisely in the lower or middle part of the spine, which intensifies upon waking up in the morning, and sometimes even at night.
• Pathology of internal organs. Due to the location of pain in a particular area of the spine, their intensity and duration, diseases of a specific organ can be predicted.

Alarm

When is it worth contacting a specialist? What pains are serious signals of dysfunction of the spinal column? Medical assistance is needed when victims feel:

1. Sudden sharp pain in the back that is not caused by any specific cause;
2. Severe pain at bedtime or at night;
3. Painful sensations felt after an injury or bruise;
4. Back pain accompanied by high fever, tingling sensation in the chest, dizziness, numbness and other symptoms;
5. Attacks of severe pain that do not subside within 2-3 days;
6. Chronic mild pain that does not go away 2-2. In 5 weeks;
7. Painful sensations that are simultaneously given to the limbs, while significantly restricting human movement.

It is advisable to consult a specialist immediately if your back hurts for the first time in people who have cancer or osteoporosis, if the pain is felt after excessive alcohol consumption, while taking drugs or after taking steroid medications.

We must remember that the pain that arises in the back does not mean that there is any serious disease. It is not recommended to independently diagnose diseases and pathologies of the spine and, moreover, to prescribe treatment or conduct physiotherapeutic exercises without a specialist.

Diagnosis

To determine the exact cause of back pain, specialists conduct an oral examination, as well as a patient examination, which includes a visual examination of the spine and an assessment of the victim's ability to walk, sit or lie down. If necessary, a reflex test is performed using a neurological hammer. The data obtained will help to accurately determine the source of pain onset. If doctors suspect a diagnosis or suspect a progressive tumor, tests such as:

• Radiography. Images can be used to pinpoint the exact location of bones, allowing you to see arthritis, cracks, and fractures. Such a study is not suitable for cases where the patient is suspected of having diseases related to muscle tissue, spinal cord, or nerve endings.
• MRI and CT. Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography allows you to determine if a patient has a disease such as a hernia, bone or cartilage disease, or problems with blood vessels, nerves, and tendons.
• Osteosyntography. Such research is rarely prescribed. Osteosynthesis makes it possible to identify bone tissue tumors, compression fractures.
• Nerve examination. This analysis measures electrical impulses caused by nerves.

Treatment methods

Regardless of the intensity of the back pain, it is advisable to consult a doctor who can correctly determine the cause of their occurrence and accurately determine the methods of alleviating the condition of the victim. Of course, it is initially worthwhile to reduce the onset of pain, which can be sharp and sudden and recurring periodically. Quite often, pain attacks are felt when the joints are deformed or the back muscles are stretched. When sharp sharp pain is felt, doctors advise the victim to lie down, which will significantly alleviate the condition of the victim and reduce the load on the spine. After that, it is recommended to limit physical activity for one or two days.

Acute pain can be eliminated with a cold ice pack. This method can significantly reduce swelling if it appears. In rare cases, ice massage is used, ie massaging the painful area with ice cubes for 7-8 minutes. Such therapy is carried out for no more than 1-2 days, after which doctors recommend the use of heat compresses, which are carried out at the expense of a heating pad or a towel pre-soaked in hot water. You can relieve spasms of the spinal muscles by stretching the spine, which is performed even in a supine position. To do this, you need to press your knees to your chest, put a little pressure on them and then stretch and relax. This exercise should be repeated several times. An analgesic can help relieve back pain, which can reduce inflammation around the area where it hurts.

Non-traditional methods of alleviating the condition of the victim are rarely used in traditional medicine, but still they are effective and efficient. It is possible to cure pain attacks in the spinal area using methods such as acupuncture, vacuum therapy, manual therapy, osteopathy and other folk remedies. It is advisable to note that such methods of improving the condition of the victim are used only for pain caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In any case, it is recommended to consult a doctor before using this or that method of alternative medicine. To get rid of back pain forever, it is advisable to eliminate the primary cause or disease and only then proceed to heal the pathologies of the spinal muscles, bones and joints.

Prevention of back pain

To prevent various types of back pain, regardless of the underlying cause of their appearance, doctors recommend following a fairly simple but effective piece of advice, namely:

• Do not lift weights. When a person lifts a load whose mass is several times higher than normal, there is a sharp contraction of the intervertebral discs and blood vessels. Doctors do not recommend lifting 15 kilograms at a time, especially if the body moves to the right or left with this weight.
• Do not sit for long. If there are abnormal changes in the structure of the spine, it is necessary to limit sitting on a chair or stool. In this position of the body, the person begins to ferment, quite often putting one foot on the other, which contributes to the uneven distribution of the load on the intervertebral discs and joints. If your main profession is to work long hours at the computer, then you are advised to get up, walk and lean right and left every hour.
• Hypothermia should be avoided. Painful sensations arise from spasm of the spinal muscles, which most often occurs due to hypothermia of the body. It is advisable to dress warmly, avoid drafts, cold winds and strong air conditioning.
• You need to move more. For many people, it is a bad choice to significantly limit physical activity to maintain spine health. In the absence of movement, the back muscles atrophy over time, causing the entire load to shift from the muscle corset to the spine. In such a situation, the tissues of the intervertebral discs and articular cartilage are destroyed. An excellent option for restoring spinal health, strengthening muscles and stretching the intervertebral space would be regular exercise in stretching, swimming, and walking at a moderate pace.
• Timely treatment of diseases. It is not necessary to start a course of diseases of the spine, such as osteochondrosis or spondyloarthritis, which cause serious and quite often irreversible complications. When diagnosing the disease it is worth starting treatment immediately, which can alleviate the condition.
• Therapeutic procedures. To prevent spinal diseases, rehabilitation therapists and therapists are advised to attend various therapeutic therapeutic procedures, namely: massage, spa procedures, therapeutic gymnastics, yoga.

Back pain attacks can occur in people of different ages and in different circumstances, while significantly restricting human movement. To avoid the pain of a cold, it is recommended to exercise more, take care of your health and do not forget about sports.