What to do if you have back pain

Back pain can make life difficult, and there are many possible causes. Prompt prevention and diagnosis of back pain will help avoid complications. eliminate back painA physical therapist and neurologist will help you.

Back pain is a common phenomenon in today's society. This is due to a number of factors: people lead a sedentary lifestyle, their daily diet is deficient in valuable vitamins and minerals, suffer from visceral disease, increased physical activity, injuries from professional physical activity, neglectCancer Signs, ETC. All of these can cause pain in various parts of the back and deprive a person of a full life.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the problem of back pain and suggest the most effective ways to get rid of it. We hope these materials are useful to you!

back pain

Back pain is called back pain. Many modern residents suffer from the disease, but the causes of its occurrence can be very diverse. In 80% of cases, the pathology is due to primary (nonspecific) factors, and in 20% the disease manifests in the context of secondary (specific) signs.

Pain of a specific nature may be caused by damage to internal organs, in other cases the pathological process progresses due to degenerative dystrophic processes in the spine.

Of the specific risk factors, the most dangerous is the neoplastic process that accompanies spinal metastases. As a precautionary measure, patients are advised to have regular fluoroscopy and mammograms, as well as PSA analysis. This makes it possible to detect the presence of tumors in the initial stages, when malignant cells have not yet had time to travel with the blood to other organs.

If you have back pain and you don't know what to do and how to treat an unexplained condition, you should first make an appointment with an experienced specialist and find out the cause of the discomfort.

You will deal with neurologists, physiotherapists and surgeons. After a thorough diagnosis, they will draw accurate conclusions about your condition and answer the question "What if you have back pain? "

Causes of Back Pain

The most frequently asked question in Internet search engines is: "What should I do if my spine hurts in the middle of my back? ". Today, this pain syndrome affects more than 80% of people worldwide. The main source of its occurrence is the following pathologies in the spinal region:

• Diseases that accompany myelopurulent inflammatory processes due to the activity of pathogens;
• The presence of malignant tumors, evidenced by the occurrence of lower back pain;
• herniated disc;
• Spinal injury (fracture);
• curvature of the spine;
• Chronic pain in the area of the muscle structure;
• Pathological process characterized by degenerative dystrophic changes in the areas of all components of the spinal motor segment;
• Cartilage damage.

In some cases, pain in the back area may be caused by other causes:

• joint inflammatory process;
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• pelvic bleeding;
• Work that violates the female reproductive system. At the same time, women noticed their back pain in the lower back. Only a competent gynecologist can develop a treatment plan and clarify what to do in this situation;
• Intercostal neuralgia. cause difficulty breathing;
• Ulcerative disease, characterized by discomfort in the scapular region;
• kidney dysfunction;
• Gastrointestinal inflammatory process with unilateral pain syndrome;
• Malignant tumors in the respiratory organs;
• acute inflammation of the lining of the appendix;
• Infection process of internal organs.

Types of Back Pain

To determine the cause of the pathology, the nature of the discomfort is taken into account. There are the following types of pain:

shooting back pain

Show yourself when:

• Pathology of internal organs;
• bodily injury from a fall;
• pinched nerve roots and spondylolisthesis;
• Spinal curvature and postural irregularities.

If shooting pain becomes severe, a visit to a medical clinic is a prerequisite for recovery.

back pain

What to do if the patient asks about pain in the lower back, and the discomfort has acute dagger characteristics, suggesting a dangerous pathological process as follows:

• the presence of malignant tumors;
• Acute inflammation after exposure to thermal factors;
• Piriformis muscle spasm.

Sometimes, if the back is very painful, the need to do something will go away on its own, because this discomfort occurs in women in the last few weeks of pregnancy and is considered normal.

tractional pain syndrome

Patients often complain: "What should I do if my lower back hurts from lifting weights and tearing my back? ". Of course, excessive physical activity can cause pain of a pulling nature, but the following factors most commonly contribute to this discomfort:

• old back injury
• Lumbar degenerative dystrophy changes;
• Staying in one position for a long time.

back pain after exercise

This has been observed in people engaged in professional sports. Often, pain syndromes occur against the background of excessive muscle tension. In this case, only a qualified specialist will answer you what to do if your back is injured. First, you should give your body a break and be completely relaxed.

Back pain due to coronavirus or SARS?

What to do in this situation if the back muscles along the spine are injured, the doctor will answer after checking for the presence of acute respiratory virus infection. They usually cause severe pain in the area of musculature, joint pain and general weakness as a result of poisoning of the body.

When back pain is accompanied by elevated temperatures, it is obvious what to do in this situation. First, you should take pain relievers and antipyretics. Only an experienced doctor can prescribe special antiviral drugs and antibiotics after a thorough examination.

It should be noted that the increased back pain following coronavirus infection is caused by pleurisy and is also associated with increased tension in the muscle structure, which occurs in the context of an often debilitating cough. Additionally, lactic acid can form in the back muscles, causing significant discomfort.

When to see a doctor urgently?

If pain manifestations do not subside within a few days, but only intensify, a visit to a medical facility is a prerequisite for improved health.

In the following cases, it is recommended to visit a clinic on your own or at home:

• worsening condition at night;
• recent back or spine injury;
• The patient does not feel better even if the position of the body changes;
• the patient has a fever;
• The patient is at risk (over 55 years of age);
• Increased nervous system discomfort - loss of sensitivity in the extremities, the patient begins to experience muscle weakness;
• Remission or even no NSAIDs;
• The patient complained of tingling in the lower leg.

Diagnosis of low back pain

If your back starts to hurt and you don't know what to do, you should first contact a neurologist and do the necessary lab and hardware research. This will allow you to accurately diagnose and prescribe effective treatment.

What can a blood test determine?

Thanks to laboratory blood tests, doctors are able to identify the infectious process and identify important markers of ESR, which allow you to confirm or rule out inflammation. The presence of an inflammatory process can also be judged as the white blood cell count increases. In addition, based on blood tests, it can be concluded that hemoglobin synthesis is impaired due to iron deficiency as well as the development of malignant tumors.

hardware research

• Duplex/triple ultrasound scan of neck and head vessels.It can examine the state of blood vessels, judge the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots, and study quantitative parameters of blood flow. The study method is suitable for patients who complain of frequent dizziness, elevated blood pressure, head pain and signs of acute cerebrovascular accident;
• CT scan.Allows you to determine the nature of a spinal fracture, as well as detect its smallest part. Based on the findings, damaged areas can be recreated in 3D. CT is more informative than X-ray;
• Magnetic resonance imaging.The most accurate research method. It examines malignancies on the vertebrae, as well as inflammatory processes caused by nerve root compression, intervertebral herniation, reduction of the spinal foramen cavity, and injury. Performing an MRI is considered a prerequisite during pre-surgery and post-surgery recovery;
• radiography.Allows you to study the state of bone tissue in detail. It is used for scoliosis, inflammatory diseases of the joints, fractures, displacement of vertebrae. It is usually done in conjunction with a functional diagnosis when the patient is asked to flex and straighten the spine. Judging its intensity according to the vertebral body staining index;
• EMG.Allows you to assess the state of neural tissue. Over the course of the study, the electrical impulses produced by nerve structures, and how muscle tissue responds to them, were studied. With EMG, it is possible to detect compressed nerves in the context of a herniated disc and narrowing of the spinal foramen;
• Bone scintigraphy.It is considered mandatory for suspected compression fractures or neoplastic processes.

Back Pain Treatment

The main goals of treatment measures are to reduce pain and prevent the development of chronic diseases. That's why treatment involves eliminating signs of underlying disease, as well as using medications to relieve acute pain and using non-drug methods to restore the body.

Algorithms for Relieving Acute Pain Syndrome:

• Bed rest for the first 3-5 days. At the same time, patients are advised to receive shock wave therapy and use special drugs. In addition, special orthopaedic equipment is prescribed for patients;
• Adhere to semi-bed rest for the next 8-9 days. During this period, SWT and drug use should be continued. In addition, it is recommended that patients perform special exercises with a small load and perform electrophoresis with analgesics;
• Limited physical activity period (days 12-20). Medication, shockwave therapy, and physical therapy continue during this phase. For additional positive results, they turn to massage routines;
• Unrestricted physical activity (without increasing loads) and the implementation of physiotherapy exercises;
• Precaution. Regular physical therapy exercises and athletic training. This improves the quality of life.

drug use

During the diagnosis process, it is not always possible to determine the cause of the pain syndrome, so the nature of the discomfort is often taken into account when prescribing:

1. For acute pain sensations, drug blockers for the paraspinal muscles are used. If the above methods do not relieve pain, anesthesia is given in the spinal epidural space.
2. Moderate-intensity pain syndrome can be stopped by injecting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most potent of these agents are believed to be derivatives of phenylacetic acid. However, prolonged use of this drug can disrupt the activity of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. So for any stomach disease in a patient, he would get more benign drugs from this group.
3. To stop muscle spasms, they turned to drugs that reduce skeletal muscle tone.
4. Group B vitamins. They enhance the analgesic effect of NSAIDs and are beneficial to the nervous system. These drugs are taken in tablet form or intramuscularly in the form of injections.
5. With neuropathic pain, they resort to the use of anticonvulsants or psychotropic drugs as part of complex treatment.

Precaution

What to do if you have pain in the lower back, lower back or shoulder blade area, a problem that has not bothered you for years, you should pay attention to your body. Only a careful approach to your body and regular preventive measures can minimize the likelihood of back pain.

There are a few important rules that you can follow to avoid back discomfort. So when you have back pain and someone is wondering what to do in that situation, the comments suggest that shoes should be the first thing to look at. Since the greatest load falls on the spine during exercise, uncomfortable shoes should be avoided. Experts recommend giving preference to shoes with a small heel (1-3 cm).

It is also important to pay attention to posture. If you work in front of a computer for long periods of time, try changing your body position on a regular basis, sometimes moving around the room or office.

When carrying heavy objects, the weight of the load must be distributed optimally.

Another condition for keeping your back healthy is gymnastics. Physiotherapy and special exercises recommended by professional specialists allow you to strengthen your muscles.