Aside from obvious causes such as injury, muscle strain, or hypothermia, back pain in adults is more often associated with degenerative changes in the structure of the intervertebral joints and the vertebral bodies themselves.
This process is called differently in different countries, but the essence does not change: with age, metabolic disorders, as well as asymmetric or excessive loads, the cartilage located between the vertebrae and ensuring their mobility thins and thickens. This causes microtrauma and inflammation of intervertebral joints and surrounding tissues.
With the help of drugs, inflammation can be extinguished quickly, but cartilage regeneration is a long process: cartilage wears out faster than it is regenerated. Therefore, once it occurs, pain in the spine, as a rule, returns from time to time.
What to do: Get an MRI and see a neurologist, break your bones with a chiropractor, take a pill, or turn to alternative medicine?
See a neurologist first!
This is where you should start when your back hurts for the first time. The doctor must exclude all truly dangerous causes of pain, such as a compression fracture (sometimes it is invisible), spinal tuberculosis or a tumor.
Most likely, the doctor will limit himself to a simple examination and prescribe you treatment for 3-5 days, and then give recommendations for lifestyle correction. If the pain recurs in the future, you will be able to cope with it on your own.
Taking an MRI of the spine on your own initiative is a waste of money and time. In most cases, the results of the study will not affect the choice of treatment, tactics and prognosis, and therefore your well-being.
You should definitely see a neurologist: if the back pain is accompanied by weakness in the leg or arm, if there are problems with the sensitivity of the body under the painful area (numbness, crawling, tingling) or if the functions of the pelvic organs are disturbed (urination, erection problems), etc. ). In these cases, a more in-depth examination will be required.
Enduring pain is harmful
Pain causes muscle spasms, which increase pressure on spinal nerves and pain receptors in the joint, as well as restrict movement. To heal faster, you need to break this chain.
Therefore, in case of severe pain, bed rest is indicated for the first 1-3 days. Everyone chooses for himself the position where the pain is minimal, but more often it helps to sleep on your back, on a hard base with a support under your knees, and under your back, with your head down on a pillow. Sometimes it's easier in the fetal position: on your side, with a rounded back and a pillow between your bent knees.
Medications include pain relievers and anti-inflammatories for 3-5 days. As a rule, it is better after 1 injection. You can also take these drugs in tablets: the strength of the action will not change, but the effect will come later.
Vitamins B1, B6, B12 are indicated together with painkillers. They help to cope with pain, inflammation and improve metabolism in nervous tissue.
A neurologist or therapist may prescribe muscle relaxants. They help to relax the spinal muscles, reduce the pressure on the source of inflammation and pain, but they can cause serious side effects, so it is better not to take them without the advice of a specialist.
If everything is done correctly, the pain should subside within 3-5 days. The future of your back is in your hands. Now, how much your quality of life will change depends not on the specialty of the attending physician, but on whether you are ready to work properly with your muscles and joints!
How to motivate yourself?
There is a rule worked out by natural selection: to avoid pain, thereby protecting the damaged part of the body from destruction. But back pain is an exception.
You can lose 20-30% of muscle strength in a week of bed rest, which significantly reduces the chances of a full recovery in the future.
Why do you train muscles?
First of all,strong back and abdominal muscles are able to take the lion's share of the load while absorbing the movement, as well as stabilize the spine in the correct position - so the intervertebral joints get the optimal configuration and feel less wear and tear. It has been proven that people with poorly developed muscles suffer more from chronic back pain.
Second,Back muscle training increases the bone density of the vertebrae. This is an excellent prevention of osteoporosis and compression fractures, which is especially important for women over 45. And when moving, lubrication of the joints is produced, blood circulation improves, and cartilage regeneration processes go faster.
third,proper physical activity makes the ligaments that hold the vertebrae together stronger. This is an important element in preventing chronic back pain in people with joint hypermobility: those who can reach the forearm bones of the same hand with their thumb, or who can hyperextend their arms at the elbows and knees.
Therefore, the best prevention of back pain is movement, but the right movement!
Three rules of physical therapy
The ideal option is to go through a complex of physical therapy under the supervision of an instructor: physical therapy doctor, kinesitherapist, neurologist or chiropractor. After learning the technique, you can train yourself without the help of experts.
It is important to follow three rules, without which no exercise will work!
- Exercising should become a daily habit, not a firefighting measure. Choose 4-5 exercises for flexibility and coordination of movements that can be performed within 15-20 minutes after waking up every day. According to statistics, the people who suffer from back pain the most are "weekend athletes" - people who do not have time to exercise on weekdays and only have the opportunity to make up for lost time on weekends.
- The second part of the activity is a set of strength exercises. They are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back, abs, arms, legs and stabilizing the spine, so they should gradually become more complex. If you finish a workout without feeling tired, you've wasted your time: muscles that don't get tired don't develop. Strength training takes more time, but also has a longer-lasting effect. Therefore, it is enough to spend 1 hour on them 2-3 times a week. If you have cardiovascular or lung disease, it is important that the intensity of the exercises be controlled by a physical therapist, at least initially.
- The biomechanics of the spine are very complex. Therefore, there are no universal exercises to correct all types of pain. A good specialist will immediately narrow down the choice. But if you are training yourself, be guided by your feelings. Exercise should gradually increase the pain-free range of motion in the back. If this does not happen, or the pain, on the contrary, intensifies, then you are doing something wrong.
An approximate set of exercises for acute, subacute periods and remission - if the back practically does not bother you, can be downloaded on the Internet.
Will you have to quit the sport?
It is advisable to replace some types of activities with similar ones. For example, it is better to try a treadmill instead of running on rough terrain, an exercise bike instead of a road bike.
At first, it is advisable to avoid exercises with a clean suspension on the bar, replacing them with exercises that support the back or legs. Exercises with dumbbells or a barbell are performed lying on the back or stomach, without vertical loads.
Play sports involving jumping and sudden twisting movements, which can cause a painful attack: volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis, dance. But that doesn't mean it's time to give up your favorite activity. To get back in shape, you will first need to properly work your back and abdominal muscles under the guidance of a doctor and choose shoes with good cushioning. And of course, a proper warm-up is necessary before any activity.
For most, the ideal exercise for back pain is swimming as well as water aerobics. However, some people with spinal instability may experience increased back pain after swimming. In this case, you need to start with dry exercise to strengthen the muscles of the torso.
The main causes of chronic back pain are excess weight, stress and bad posture. An active lifestyle allows you to solve all three problems at once.
How to check your posture?
The spine has 4 bends - 2 forward and 2 backward. Normally, they are balanced and relieve the vertical load on the vertebrae during walking and other movements. If you slouch or overextend your back, your body weight is not distributed properly and the load on individual vertebrae is prohibited.
For example, if you bend your head forward and round your back - the standard posture of an office worker - the stress on the joints of the neck and upper thoracic spine increases 6 times.
Lean your back against a wall to check your posture. Normally, the back of the head, shoulder blades, hips, game and ankles should touch the wall. In the lower back region, your fist should easily pass between the wall and your back, turning flat.
Sit up straight with your back supported. You can put a small pillow or folded sweater under your waist. To break the habit of crossing your legs, try placing a low stool or office equipment box under your feet. Try to change the position of your body more often, periodically walk around the office, stretching your muscles to relieve tension. For example, as in thematic videos on the Internet.
How not to overload yourself?
If you need to take something somewhere, follow safety measures.
Calculate your movements and movements in advance. Can you use surrounding objects for support? Where should the cargo be taken?
Assume the pose: bend your knees and hips slightly, but do not lean forward. Tighten your abdominal muscles to protect your pelvic organs. When lifting something heavy, your legs should work, not your back.
Hold the weight on your back or chest with the heavy end facing you.
If you need to turn, come up on your feet, but don't bend to the side or twist your back.
Keep your head straight. When you pick up the load, look in front of you, not at it.
Know your limit! There is a big difference between what you can lift and what you can lift without endangering your health. If in doubt, ask someone to help you.
Don't shoot. . . If you need to move a heavy object across the floor, it is better to push it than to drag it behind you.
Distribute your weight evenly. When carrying shopping bags or luggage, try to carry the same weight in each hand.
What else will help heal your back?
Physiotherapy, acupuncture (reflexology), various types of massages, manual therapy and even taking antidepressants are very effective methods used to treat various types of chronic back pain around the world. Their mechanism of action is simple: relieve muscle tension, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in tissues, correct the biomechanics of movement.
These techniques work in the hands of an expert and can be useless or even harmful in the hands of a quack. Therefore, always pay attention to the reputation of the clinic and the reviews of the doctor you are referring to.
And most importantly, all these types of treatment have only auxiliary value. The main thing is correct posture, daily muscle work, proper nutrition and careful use of the spine.
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