Back pain: causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

According to statistics, 80% of people know first-hand information about low back pain. More than one-third of "sick leave" is related to this issue. The reason can be thought to be the weakness and rapid growth of fragile muscles. In order to determine the problem, in addition to visual inspection and hardware diagnosis (X-ray, EMG, CT, etc. ), laboratory blood tests are also performed. Only after the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment is performed.

Why does my back hurt?

Spinal pain may occur immediately after injury, vertebrae, ligament and disc disease, and soft tissue injury. It depends on the position of the body and the level of physical activity, but it can also be reflected, for example, visceral disease. To some extent, the back itself is fragile due to its structure.

It is based on the spine to provide support, protection, movement and shock absorption. This is due to the cartilage of the intervertebral discs, muscles and ligaments. Over time, due to improper lifestyles, they tend to wear out and cause degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Inside the spine is the spinal cord, whose paired roots innervate almost all organs and tissues. Any interference in this complex system will cause pain. Compared with other parts, the cervical and lumbar spine areas are affected due to their maximum load and mobility.

Back pain, how to do?

It must be checked by a doctor to find out the cause, especially if the pain becomes frequent. Only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe a treatment plan. You cannot make a self-diagnosis.

First, you can contact a therapist who will determine a set of symptoms and refer you to the appropriate specialist. If the cause is known and obvious, the prescribed treatment can be continued. Back problems are treated by neurologists, orthopedists and chiropractors.

Causes of low back pain

Back pain is a non-specific symptom and may have many causes.

Physiological (common) causes:

• Weight gain
• Recently gave birth or became pregnant;
• Low-power work-in the office, in front of the computer, driving;
• Standing work-hairdressers, waiters and sales staff, street advertisers, surgeons, teachers;
• Combine strenuous physical activity with sharp turns of the body;
• Training overload
• There is a tendency for osteoporosis after menopause.

Pathological reasons:

• Spinal diseases (osteochondrosis, spondylosis, ankylosing spondylitis, tumor, arthritis, osteomyelitis, Reiter syndrome) and spinal cord;
• Growing pain-scoliosis and kyphosis;
• Infectious diseases of the spine;
• Osteoporosis, osteomalacia;
• Visceral diseases-kidney, pancreas, stomach, spleen, liver;
• Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta.

Disc herniation, spondyloarthritis, spinal epiduralitis, osteochondrosis, disc herniation, atypical appendicitis and intestinal obstruction, kidney stones, fractures and sprains, spinal cord stroke, inflammation of the appendages in men and women, and prostate cancer in womenMay cause acute pain.

Types of diseases according to the nature of back pain

Causes of soreness:

• Low temperature;
• Creek
• Myositis;
• Uncomfortable postures for a long time while sleeping or working;
• Low back pain (work becomes the cause);
• Osteochondrosis;
• Intervertebral disc herniation or disc displacement caused by sudden weight lifting or sharp turns;
• Kidney disease-back pain due to the kidney being close to the lower back;
• Stomach problems.

Causes of shooting pain:

• Intervertebral hernia-for them, any physical stress will make the condition worse;
• Sciatica-This kind of back pain often occurs on one side, radiating to the thighs or buttocks, causing numbness in the legs, which also depends on physical strength;
• Osteochondrosis-The patient may experience a pain that radiates to the legs and is aggravated by coughing, sneezing, straining, walking, and bending.

Causes of throbbing pain:

• Osteochondrosis;
• Intervertebral hernia;
• Low back pain;
• Spondylopathy-is acute and cannot be relieved by analgesics.

Explosive back pain:

• Ischemia;
• heart attack;
• Tela
• Inflammation of the gallbladder;
• The pressure increases sharply;
• Atherosclerosis.

Why does my back hurt after sleeping?

Most people often experience back pain in the morning after going to bed. This may be due to:

• Overload the day before, if you lift heavy weights and exercise vigorously;
• Back muscle weakness;
• Low temperature;
• Vertebral hernia or osteochondrosis;
• Scoliosis-bending of the spine causes uneven muscle contraction;
• Pregnancy-the center of the body changes accordingly;
• Obesity-the load on the spine is uneven.

Sleeping conditions are also important. The bed cannot be too hard or too soft-anyway, a person is forced to adopt an uncomfortable, non-physiological position while sleeping, which can overwork the muscles and cannot rest at night. Posture is so important that even orthopedic mattresses are of no avail. It is recommended to lie on your back with your legs raised.

In addition, the cause of pain after sleep may be diseases of the spine and internal organs (urinary system, gastrointestinal tract, including tumors).

Diseases related to joints and spine

All pathologies of back pain have a common basis-uneven load on the spine. These include:

1. Ankylosing Spondylitis-Persistent inflammation of ligaments and joints causes chronic spasms of surrounding muscles. This process is autoimmune. Over time, the vertebrae begin to grow together, which can severely disrupt the work of the spine.
2. Spondylolisthesis-The vertebrae are in an abnormal position. They are displaced and affect the brain or roots.
3. Osteochondrosis-thinning, rupture of the intervertebral disc, replacing it with bone tissue. Depreciation becomes impossible.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammation of the joints. It affects the cervical spine more often.
5. Osteomyelitis is inflammation of the bone marrow and surrounding soft tissues. It can cause severe pain.
6. Reiter's disease is a rheumatic disease that occurs in the urogenital tract, joints, and conjunctiva at the same time. The small muscles of the back are affected. It is more common among young people, and it develops gradually. The pain is severe in the morning and lessened in the evening.
7. Spinal stenosis-the cause may be herniated, herniated (protruding into the spinal canal) of the intervertebral disc. In most cases, the process involves the lowest root of the spinal cord that innervates the leg. The pain can be felt from the lower back to the feet, and it is exacerbated by resting and walking.
8. Facet joint syndrome is a disease of the intervertebral (facet joint) joints. The pain can be local or radiate to the groin, coccyx, and thighs. Physical dependence. The condition worsened at night and got better after rest. It is more common in the elderly.

Muscle related diseases

In the context of bone tissue or joint pathology, muscle tissue is secondaryly affected. Painful cramps and firmness of muscles, impaired mobility:

1. Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome from the neck to the lower back. Neurological symptoms may appear: increased sensitivity, stiffness, and stiffness when pressing certain parts of the back.
2. Polymyositis-occurs from hypothermia, trauma, sprain, or severe physical exertion. Muscle weakness appears, and it is painful and problematic even when turning to the side.
3. Dermatomyositis is a chronic disease of muscles, organs, and skin, and is usually autoimmune.
4. Charcot's disease is inflammation of the peripheral nerves distributed along the spine. This can lead to changes in gait, muscle weakness and increased nerve root sensitivity.
5. Polymyalgia rheumatica is a negative effect of the environment, manifested as hypothermia, overload, uncomfortable posture, etc. It can cause individual muscle cramps and pain. The so-called trigger point appears, responding to acute pain by pressing the muscle. The neurologist knows this. Use warm ointment and needle applicator to eliminate this pain.

Spinal cord pathology

These include invasion of the spinal cord, which has 31 pairs of branches, each of which is responsible for the innervation of its part. This happens in:

• Trauma (spine fracture);
• Tumor
• Osteochondrosis or intervertebral disc herniation;
• Inflammation caused by abscesses, hematomas;
• Cerebral hemorrhage;
• Myositis;
• Lack of minerals and vitamins;
• Complications of HIV or neurosyphilis;
• hardening.

Back pain caused by mind and body

In recent years, back pain has begun to show up in psychosomatic diseases. In this case, due to complaints of back pain, no pathology was found on the examination. This happens under chronic stress, depression, and lack of libido. The result is not only pain, but also changes in gait, worsening back pain, and sensory disturbances.

Locate the cause of back pain

Pain may occur in various areas of the back. Then they talked about its localization.

Pain on the right side

Due to curvature of the spine, kyphosis, lordosis, myositis, disc displacement, obesity, the right side of the back may be injured.

Physical pathology can also cause pain in this area:

• Formation of stones in organs of the urinary system;
• Inflammation of the cecal appendix (appendix);
• Inflammation of the gallbladder;
• Nephritis;
• Inflammation of the ovaries;
• Salpingitis.

Pain on the left side

This area of the back may be injured in the following situations:

• Splenitis;
• ICD;
• Pinch the root;
• Duodenitis;
• Ovarian inflammation.

The pain in the upper part of the lower back may be related to inflammation of the serous membrane covering the lungs, bronchial injury, intercostal neuralgia, and ischemia.

Back pain

The lower back is often affected because it has a great load. This part is inflamed due to nerve root injury, osteochondrosis, or hernia. Less common causes may be spinal tuberculosis, arthritis, lumbar pain, decreased density and destruction of bone tissue, Reiter's syndrome-a combination of urethritis and prostatitis.

Low back pain is usually chronic.

On the right waist

Scoliosis, tuberculosis, myositis, neuralgia, tumor, osteomyelitis, and spondylitis can cause low back pain. Acute attacks can be caused by urolithiasis or pyelonephritis.

Low back pain is a characteristic of lumbar disease, and the root of the spinal cord is often involved in the process (radiculitis). Persistent dull pain and monotonous pain are more like the characteristics of organs such as the liver.

On the left waist

In most cases, the left side begins to ache after physical exertion. The condition improved after the rest. In addition, diabetic patients may experience pain and squeeze the roots. If it does not disappear during rest, the reasons may be:

• Scoliosis;
• Osteochondrosis (sedentary or improper posture);
• Spinal infection;
• Circulatory disorders.

Pinched nerve

More commonly, the sciatic nerve is compressed-sciatica. In this case, its myelin sheath is not disturbed. This is usually the result of osteochondrosis. When pinched, there will be severe and severe pain radiating to the legs, sacrum, and lower back.

For compressive radiculopathy, the spinal nerve roots can also be compressed due to a herniated or reduced intervertebral disc and a reduction in the distance between the vertebral bodies. This kind of pain is "superficial" and can be aggravated sharply when coughing, straining, or sneezing.

Intervertebral hernia

A hernia is the squeeze of the core of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal. More commonly, it becomes the result of untreated osteochondrosis. The central part protrudes toward the spinal cord, squeezing it. In this case, even a small load can cause a reduction in cartilage height and a greater protrusion of the hernia. The pain was severe and severe and returned to the arm or leg.

In the scapula area

The characteristics of the pain may indicate the diagnosis:

1. Stomach ulcer-more and more dull pain. Eliminate through medication.
2. Intercostal neuralgia-This disease is characterized by acute pain from any physical activity.
3. Osteochondrosis-dizziness, pressure changes, numbness of the hands.
4. Angina pectoris worsens-the pain is located in the area of the left scapula, radiating to the chest and below the collarbone.

Spine and back pain

It most often occurs when the nerve endings are squeezed. The worsening condition is related to the curvature of the spine. If the pain is not obvious, we can talk about prominent. As the pain gets worse, you can consider osteochondrosis. Pain along the spine is typical of myositis, fractures, thinning and wear of intervertebral discs, and spondyloarthritis. They are always sharp and constant.

Causes of low back pain

This pain is more often associated with osteochondrosis and spondyloarthropathy. In rare cases, this feeling will appear in:

• Diseases of female genital area (endometritis, adnexitis, vulvitis, cervicitis, oophoritis);
• pregnant;
• Menstruation;
• Ulcerative colitis;
• appendicitis;
• Prostate or bladder disease-male.

Related symptoms

The manifestation of spine pain varies from part to part. With the failure of the cervical spine, migraines and dizziness will occur, weakness and numbness of the hands, pressure surges, and flies and flashes of eyes will appear. With the participation of the chest area, there is a burning sensation and stiffness in the chest, difficulty breathing, and pain in the scapula area.

Circumstances requiring urgent medical care

An emergency visit to the doctor requires back pain, which can happen in the following situations:

• Hurt;
• Nervous system symptoms in the form of tingling and numbness in the extremities;
• Combination of temperature and back pain;
• Numbness, weakness and tingling in the hands and feet;
• Gait changes or the legs are taken away;
• History of cancer;
• Weight loss for no apparent reason;
• Impaired urination and defecation-one cannot control these processes;
• Back pain radiates to the chest, chin and neck;
• Confusion, dizziness;
• Numbness and weakness of the genitals, "cotton smell" in the legs;
• Leg cramps;
• Problems with conception or erection;
• Gastrointestinal problems, the treatment of gastroenterologists will not help;
• Coccyx pain, small pelvis, and increased body position changes;
• Pain worsens when sitting or standing for a long time.

An expert will help you find the cause of the pain.

diagnosis

In order to determine the cause of back pain, the neurologist will perform a comprehensive examination:

1. blood test. They help to recognize the presence of infection and inflammation in the form of leukocytosis and increased ESR. A decrease in hemoglobin indicates anemia, which may have many causes, one of which may be cancer.
2. NMR. . .Visualize the condition of all components of the spine. It helps to distinguish the type and nature of tumors, determine the distance between the vertebrae and the degree of root compression.
3. CT. Identify fractures, allowing you to find the smallest fragments after the injury. All of this is in 3D.
4. Radiography. The most cost-effective way to diagnose back pain and determine the condition of bone tissue. It is used for suspected fractures, arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, and spondyloarthropathy.
5. Electromyography (EMG). Determine the bioelectric activity indicators of muscles and peripheral nerve endings.
6. Ultrasound examination of blood vessels in the neck and brain. In triplex or duplex mode, it is used to assess the patency of blood flow through arteries and blood vessels. Check their condition-wall thickness, permeability, etc.

Back pain treatment

There are several ways to treat back pain. The neurologist will consider the patient's age, lifestyle, level of physical activity and clinical manifestations, and choose the best treatment plan for you.

In the treatment of back pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, muscle relaxants, and B vitamins are usually used, and prescriptions for physical therapy, exercise therapy, IRT, massage, spinal traction, and muscle relaxation are also prescribed.

For back pain, in order to obtain high-quality treatment, it is recommended to see a doctor.

prevention

Precaution:

• Learn to maintain posture and stand correctly;
• Don't slacken
• Keep your back straight when sitting, and put a support under your feet;
• Arrange the place to sleep correctly;
• Don't jump up suddenly after getting up-stretch slowly and do simple exercises with your arms and legs;
• Distribute the weight to your hands-don't hold everything in one hand, don't put the bag on your shoulder-a backpack is better;
• Don't hold the child in your arms and bend back;
• Lift weights by squatting;
• Do not wash the floor without a mop, do not bend forward or kneel;
• Balance your diet with sufficient minerals and vitamins;
• Quit smoking and drinking;
• Don’t forget physical exercises-swimming, Nordic walking, yoga;
• Take a contrast shower in the morning;
• Protect the liver and produce collagen for the ligaments of the spine and vertebral body;
• Strengthen immunity;
• Weight control;
• It is recommended to perform 5-10 times of manual therapy every 6 months (according to expert recommendations);
• Avoid stress
• Don't forget the physical exam.

If you experience back pain, please see a doctor who can provide appropriate assistance. Remember, any disease is easier to treat at the initial stage.