According to medical statistics, acute back pain is the second most common cause of disability.At least 80% of people have suffered from them at least once.They can occur sporadically or can be observed during the exacerbation of spinal diseases.But in any case, acute and chronic back pain requires competent treatment and targeted measures regarding the causes of their occurrence.
Acute back pain: causes
Acute pain is defined as pain lasting less than 6 weeks.In most cases, it disappears within 2 weeks.Although it is impossible to predict how long it will last.However, in almost half of cases, similar or more severe attacks recur in the future and develop into chronic pain.
Acute pain can be of different intensity, dull, burning, etc.can beSometimes it spreads to arms, legs, hips.The so-called back lumbago 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 small physical efforts, for example, bending.
They can also be the result of a back injury or be the first symptoms of spinal conditions, including:
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- spinal canal stenosis, etc.
Increase the likelihood of back problems:
- frequent stress;
- regular increased physical activity;
- overweight;
- standing often and for long periods of time.
In addition to severe back pain, there may be headaches, burning sensation in the legs and dizziness.All these symptoms should be reported to your doctor at the time of your appointment.
Regardless of which anatomical structure is damaged first, it causes a whole chain of sequential changes that increase discomfort.First, inflammatory factors are produced in the lesion, which causes swelling and irritation of the nerve fibers.In response to this, muscle spasm often occurs, which aggravates the condition and provokes poor blood circulation in the affected area.This leads to a decrease in the amount of nutrients and oxygen supplied to the lesion, as well as to the retention of metabolic products there.
Treatment of acute back pain
Lie on your back on a hard surface to relieve pain.This will allow the back muscles to relax and relieve stress from the spine.To increase the effect, you can place orthopedic pillows under your knees and head, but it is important to avoid bending in the lower back.Short-term use of NSAIDs is allowed for severe pain.In the future, you should definitely contact a neurologist or spine surgeon to determine the cause of the pain syndrome.
If there is no improvement within a week, if the attack recurs, or if the pain spreads to the legs or knees, or if you have problems with urination and defecation, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.To diagnose existing disorders, patients are shown:
- MRI;
- CT;
- x-ray;
- biochemical blood test;
- UAC.
Based on the research results and symptoms, the doctor diagnoses and prepares 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 eliminates the pain syndrome in a few minutes.
It is important not to lie in bed after the discomfort has subsided.Moderate physical activity, supplemented with special therapeutic exercises, is the best prevention of the recurrence of such attacks in the future.
By visiting the hospital, you will definitely receive high-quality treatment for pain and its causes.Specialists will be able to develop the most effective treatment tactics and quickly relieve pain with the help of a well-prepared, convenient blockade.
Chronic back pain: causes
People often suffer from chronic back pain.They can worsen and turn into a sharp attack of pain, which throws a person completely out of his usual rhythm.This is often the result of:
- Sedentary lifestyle, which leads to weakening of the muscle corset.This causes an increase in the load on the spine and compression of the vertebra.The result is osteochondrosis, protrusion of intervertebral discs and rupture of intervertebral discs, spondyloarthrosis.
- Postural disorders.Keeping any body position in which the natural curves of the spine are disturbed for a long time leads to its curvature and the development of scoliosis or kyphosis.This leads to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, redistribution of the load to the muscles and compression of the nerve roots.
- Abdominal muscle weakness.Since they play the role of a support for internal organs and partially relax the spine, when they are weak, the load on the lumbar region increases, which increases lordosis and provokes chronic pain.In addition to a sedentary lifestyle, weakened abdominal muscles can be the result 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, which surrounds the jelly-like nucleus pulposus, dries up and becomes more fragile.Loads cause cracks to form inside, which leads to the formation of protrusions and tears.The resulting protrusion can compress nearby blood vessels, nerve roots and the spinal cord, which provokes the appearance of pain.
Diseases associated with 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 also tend to thin out under excessive load on the spine.As a result, when moving, they stop performing a shock absorption function, which causes friction of bone fragments and the development of inflammation.
Treatment of back pain
Treatment tactics are developed based on what disorders are detected during diagnostic studies.When spinal diseases are detected, conservative therapy is first prescribed, including:
- drug treatment;
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- Exercise therapy.
Conservative therapy
When treating back pain, a comprehensive individual approach is important.Depending on the cause of their occurrence, patients are prescribed a number of drugs, in particular:
- NSAIDs - drugs in this group have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, but with long-term use they have a negative effect on the condition of the gastrointestinal tract;
- corticosteroids - drugs with clear anti-inflammatory properties prescribed in moderate and severe cases;
- muscle relaxant - helps to relieve increased muscle tone and spasms;
- antidepressants - help to eliminate psychological anxiety, which often reduces the effectiveness of conservative therapy;
- local preparations - ointments or gels with 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, it is enough to take medicine by mouth.However, in more complex situations, patients may be prescribed intra-articular injections.For severe pain, it is recommended to do blockades once or as a whole course, which can include up to 10 procedures.
To increase the effectiveness of drug therapy, patients are prescribed massage sessions and physiotherapy.The correct effect on the back muscles helps to activate blood and lymph flow, improve metabolic processes and eliminate muscle spasms.Manual therapy is very effective for spinal column deformities, especially 1-2 degree scoliosis.Regular sessions help restore the normal position of the spine and relieve pressure on the internal organs.
As part of physiotherapeutic treatment, patients are prescribed sessions:
- UHF;
- magnetic therapy;
- Bernard currents;
- laser therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- Ural Federal District;
- balneological treatment.
If it is not possible to achieve improvement of the condition within six months or if there is a risk of complications, patients can be offered surgical treatment of existing diseases.
Surgical treatment
Modern surgical intervention methods are characterized by a high level of efficiency and safety.They allow you to quickly eliminate the pathological cause of pain and often do not require a stay in the hospital.However, the most minimally invasive and microsurgical methods can be used only when patients turn to spine surgeons at the initial stage of the disease.
Indications for surgical treatment are as follows:
- progressive herniated intervertebral discs;
- spinal canal stenosis;
- sequestered hernias;
- spinal fractures;
- 3-4 degrees of scoliosis;
- severe forms of spondyloarthrosis;
- compression of the spinal cord or its nerve roots;
- hemangiomas of vertebral bodies;
- instability of individual segments of the spine;
- cauda equina compression syndrome.
The surgeon determines the type of operation depending on the severity of the patient's condition.Surgical treatment for the same diagnosis can be performed in different ways, differing in the degree of invasiveness, effectiveness, rehabilitation period and cost.
Recently, minimally invasive methods of surgical treatment have become very popular.With their help, intervertebral protrusions, intervertebral disc tears, 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 great advantages of the method are a good cosmetic effect (in most cases, all the necessary surgical instruments are inserted by precise piercing of soft tissues), ease of rehabilitation and 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 methods cannot be used, surgeons perform open operations.During them, it is possible to completely eliminate pathologically changed formations, correct severe deformations of the spine, replace irreparable structures with implants, and achieve normal functioning of the spine by installing metal 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 as soon as possible.
Prevention of back pain
After the attack ends and the pain subsides, it is recommended to prevent a repeat episode:
- do not lift very heavy objects;
- do not bend;
- walk more;
- to refuse heavy physical work;
- Take regular breaks to warm up when working in a sedentary position.