According to medical statistics, acute back pain is the second most frequent cause of disability.At least 80% of people have suffered from them at least once.They can appear sporadically or be observed during an exacerbation of spinal diseases.But in any case, acute and chronic back pain requires competent treatment and targeted action on the causes of their occurrence.
Acute back pain: causes
Acute pain is defined as pain lasting less than 6 weeks.Most go away within 2 weeks.Although initially it is impossible to predict how long it will last.However, in almost half of the cases, similar or more severe attacks recur in the future and become chronic pain.
Sharp pain can be of different intensity, be dull, burning, etc.Sometimes it radiates to the arms, legs, buttocks.The so-called lumbago in the back often occurs after hypothermia, excessive physical exertion and as a result of sprains.Several days may pass between the impact of the traumatic factor and the immediate manifestation of the pain syndrome, and it will manifest itself under the influence of minor physical effort, for example, when bending over.
They can also be the result of a back injury or be the first manifestations of spinal diseases, including:
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- stenosis of the spinal canal, etc.
Increase the likelihood of back problems:
- frequent stress;
- regular increased physical activity;
- overweight;
- frequent and prolonged standing.
In addition to severe discomfort in the back, there may be a headache, a burning sensation in the legs and dizziness.All of these symptoms should be reported to your doctor at your appointment.
Regardless of which anatomical structure is damaged first, this leads to a whole chain of successive changes that increase the discomfort.Initially, inflammatory factors are formed in the lesion, which cause swelling and irritation of the nerve fibers.In response to this, a muscle spasm often occurs, which further worsens the situation and provokes poor blood circulation in the affected area.This leads to a reduction in the amount of nutrients and oxygen delivered to the lesion, as well as retention of metabolic products in it.
Treatment of acute back pain
To ease the pain, lie on your back on a hard surface.This will allow the back muscles to relax and relieve tension from the spine.To enhance the effect, you can place orthopedic pillows under your knees and head, but it is important to avoid arching your back.In case of severe pain, short-term use of NSAIDs is allowed.In the future, you should definitely contact a neurologist or spine surgeon to determine the cause of the pain syndrome.
You should see a doctor as soon as possible if there is no improvement within a week, a recurrence of the attack or pain radiating to the legs or knees, or problems with urination and defecation.To diagnose existing disorders, patients are shown:
- MRI;
- CT;
- x-ray;
- biochemical blood test;
- UAC.
Based on the results of the examination and the symptoms, the doctor makes a diagnosis and develops treatment tactics.In the case of acute pain that deprives a person of his ability to work, he can be offered a spinal block, which relieves the pain syndrome in a few minutes.
After the discomfort subsides, it is important not to stay in bed.Moderate physical activity supplemented with special therapeutic exercises is the best prevention of recurrence of such attacks in the future.
By going to the hospital, you will definitely get high-quality treatment for the pain and the causes that cause it.Specialists will be able to develop the most effective treatment tactics and quickly relieve pain with the help of a well-made, affordable blockade.
Chronic back pain: causes
It is not uncommon for people to suffer from intrusive chronic back pain.They can worsen and turn into an attack of acute pain, which completely excludes a person from his usual rhythm.Most often this is a consequence of:
- A sedentary lifestyle, which leads to a weakening of the muscle corset.This provokes an increase in the load on the spine and compression of the vertebrae.The result is osteochondrosis, protrusion of the intervertebral discs and herniation of the intervertebral discs, spondyloarthrosis.
- Postural disorders.Long-term preservation of any position of the body, in which the natural curves of the spine are disturbed, provokes its distortion and the development of scoliosis or kyphosis.This leads to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, redistribution of the load on the muscles and pinching of the nerve roots.
- Abdominal muscle weakness.Since they act as a support for the internal organs and partially relieve the spine, when they are weakened, the load on the lower back increases, which increases the lordosis and provokes chronic pain.In addition to a sedentary lifestyle, the weakening of the abdominal muscles can be a consequence of pregnancy or obesity.
- Age-related changes.Over the years, the intervertebral discs gradually become dehydrated, which leads to a decrease in their elasticity, strength and size.The annulus fibrosus surrounding the jelly-like nucleus pulposus dries out and becomes more brittle.Loads provoke the formation of cracks in it, which leads to the formation of protrusions and hernias.The resulting bulge can compress nearby blood vessels, nerve roots, and the spinal cord, causing pain.
Diseases accompanied by chronic back pain include:
- osteochondrosis;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- osteoporosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- facet syndrome;
- Bekhterev's disease;
- spondylolisthesis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- oncological diseases, etc.
A common cause of chronic pain is wear and tear on the facet joints.The cartilages located in them are also prone to thinning when the spine is overloaded.As a result, when they move, they cease to perform a shock-absorbing function, which provokes friction of bone fragments and the development of inflammation.
Back pain treatment
Treatment tactics are developed based on what disorders are found during diagnostic studies.When diseases of the spine are detected, conservative therapy is initially prescribed, including:
- drug therapy;
- physical therapy;
- massage;
- Exercise therapy.
Conservative therapy
In the treatment of back pain, a complex individual approach is important.Depending on the cause of their occurrence, patients are prescribed a number of drugs, in particular:
- NSAIDs - drugs from this group have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, but with prolonged use they have a negative effect on the state of the gastrointestinal tract;
- corticosteroids - drugs with pronounced anti-inflammatory properties, prescribed in moderate to severe cases;
- muscle relaxants - help to eliminate increased muscle tone and spasms;
- antidepressants - help to eliminate psychological discomfort, which often reduces the effectiveness of conservative therapy;
- local preparations - ointments or gels containing anti-inflammatory, warming or cooling components can help reduce the severity of pain and practically do not cause side effects;
- chondroprotectors - preparations containing glucosamine and chondroitin have a beneficial effect on the condition of cartilage tissue, increase its elasticity and help restore normal thickness.
In mild cases, oral medications are sufficient.But in more complicated situations, patients may be prescribed intra-articular injections.In case of severe pain, a one-time blockade or a whole course, which can include up to 10 procedures, is recommended.
To increase the effectiveness of drug therapy, patients are prescribed massage and physiotherapy sessions.Correct impact on the back muscles helps to activate blood and lymph flow, improve metabolic processes and eliminate muscle spasms.Manual therapy is very effective in spinal deformities, especially in scoliosis 1-2 degree.Regular sessions help to restore the normal position of the spine and remove pressure on the internal organs.
As part of physiotherapy treatment, patients are prescribed sessions:
- UHF;
- magnetic therapy;
- currents Bernard;
- laser therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- Ural Federal District;
- balneological treatment.
If within six months it is not possible to achieve an improvement in the condition or there is a risk of complications, patients can be offered surgical treatment of existing diseases.
Surgical treatment
Modern methods of surgical intervention are characterized by a high level of efficiency and safety.They allow you to quickly eliminate the pathological cause of the pain and often do not require a hospital stay.But most minimally invasive and microsurgical methods can be used only when patients turn to spinal surgeons in the early stages of the disease.
Indications for surgical treatment are:
- progressive herniation of intervertebral discs;
- spinal canal stenosis;
- sequestered hernias;
- spinal fractures;
- scoliosis 3-4 degree;
- severe forms of spondyloarthrosis;
- compression of the spinal cord or its nerve roots;
- hemangiomas of the vertebral bodies;
- instability of individual segments of the spine;
- cauda equina compression syndrome.
The surgeon determines the type of surgery based on the severity of the patient's condition.With the same diagnosis, surgical treatment can be performed in different ways, differing in degree of invasiveness, effectiveness, duration of rehabilitation and cost.
Recently, minimally invasive methods of surgical treatment have become very popular.With their help, intervertebral protrusions, herniated intervertebral discs, hemangiomas and a number of other diseases are treated.Minimally invasive surgery takes no more than an hour, and after it is performed, the patient can walk almost immediately and leave the clinic the same or the next day.
The huge advantages of the method are a good cosmetic effect (in most cases, all the necessary surgical instruments are introduced through precise soft tissue punctures), ease of rehabilitation and an affordable price.In the case of intervertebral hernias, only cold plasma nucleoplasty or hydroplasty (hydrodiscectomy) can be considered a more promising method.
In situations where microsurgical techniques cannot be used, surgeons perform open operations.During them, it is possible to completely remove pathologically changed formations, level severe deformations of the spine, replace structures that cannot be restored with implants, and achieve normal functioning of the spine by installing metallic titanium structures.
Modern spine surgery can treat almost any back problem.All the latest methods of surgical treatment of spinal diseases are available in many institutions.A team of doctors with different profiles will help you get rid of acute or painful chronic back pain in the shortest possible time.
Prevention of back pain
After passing the attack and dulling the pain, in order to avoid a repeat episode, it is recommended:
- do not lift too heavy objects;
- don't bend over;
- walk more;
- refuse hard physical work;
- When working sedentary, take regular breaks to warm up.