Back pain is most common in older people, however, due to a number of reasons, it can also occur in young people.Almost all adults are accustomed to periodically feeling pain in the back, which is explained by the special predisposition of this part of the body to various types of injuries.The vast majority of back pain can be easily treated and prevented, however, sometimes, the causes of pain in the back can be quite serious, including, for example, osteochondrosis.
Also, back pain can be caused by any disease of the gastrointestinal tract, the presence of kidney stones or other problems with the human urinary system.
Back pain can be either in the lumbar region or between the shoulder blades, and can also give pain in the arm or leg, which depends on the cause of the pain.
Causes of back pain
The main causes of back pain include diseases such as osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, radiculopathy, scoliosis, intervertebral disc herniation, osteoporosis, myofascial pain and serious disorders of the spinal circulation.
In addition, back pain can be caused by excess weight, heavy physical activity, including those associated with heavy lifting, poor posture or some kind of infection.
Factors contributing to back pain
In the event that back pain is caused by a disease, but there is no treatment, the pain tends to return and subside depending on the presence of factors contributing to this.For example, the return of pain in the back can be triggered by hypothermia or heavy lifting, as well as if a person is in an uncomfortable position for a long time.In addition, infection can return pain to the body.
Main symptoms of back pain
A signal to see a doctor and undergo an examination is back pain that does not go away within a period of 3 to 5 days, as well as when the accompanying body temperature is above 37.8.
Back pain can be accompanied by frequent and painful urination, vomiting and nausea, numbness of the limbs and diarrhea.These are all symptoms that should make you visit your doctor immediately.
If, along with pain in the back, there is noticeable difficulty in moving the arms or legs and confusion, it is extremely important to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Diagnosis of back pain
If there is pain in the back, examination methods such as neurological and X-ray examinations, CT and MRI, and manual diagnostics are used.
Most often, during an X-ray examination of older people, osteochondrosis is detected.
Immediately after visiting a doctor, an anamnesis is taken, symptoms and complaints are clarified in detail, after which additional tests are prescribed.
When compiling an anamnesis, the localization of pain, its irradiation, the emotional state of the patient are clarified, and the presence of a relationship between the occurrence of pain and the person’s position is revealed.The presence of old back injuries is also important.
In order to identify the presence of any neoplasms and infections, a somatic examination is performed.
Treatment for back pain
To treat pain of various types, depending on the cause that caused it, treatment methods such as manual, medicinal and physical therapy, as well as exercise therapy, post-isomerric relaxation, surgery, traction, interspinous and paravertebral blockades are prescribed.Mandatory adherence to an orthopetically correct regimen is also required.
When treating osteochondrosis, it is necessary to avoid sudden movements and especially bending, and you should also remain mostly at rest.In case of acute osteochondrosis, the patient may not visit a medical facility and undergo treatment at home.In this case, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, muscle relaxants are prescribed, and it is recommended to sleep on a hard bed, using a special shield under the mattress.
When treating intervertebral hernia, surgical intervention is used in cases where the patient experiences compression of the spinal cord, which occurs quite rarely.
Chronic back pain
The presence of chronic back pain often indicates osteochondrosis, the treatment of which takes from 5 to 15 sessions, depending on the intensity of the pain.The treatment process includes acupuncture, vacuum therapy, acupressure, moxotherapy, hirudotherapy and stone therapy.
If we talk in more detail about each of the listed methods, we can note the good effectiveness of acupressure, which helps eliminate muscle spasms and excessive tension, and promotes blood circulation.Also, thanks to manual therapy, dysfunction of the spinal joints is effectively eliminated.And provided that the patient follows the doctor’s recommendations after completing the course of therapy, the discs will continue to recover on their own.
If there is a herniated disc, treatment is a fairly lengthy process, slowly reducing the hernia itself and relieving the pain from it.A full course of treatment allows you to completely restore the normal functioning of the affected disc.