Why your back hurts and how to treat it

There is no person who does not feel back pain at least once in his life and restricts and restricts a person’s movement for a time. According to medical practice, complaints of low back or back pain are considered the most common and can be caught at the most inopportune moment. It is worth noting that in case of persistent pain symptoms of back pain, it is recommended to consult a specialist who can correctly determine the causes of immobilization and prescribe effective treatment. If you do not see a doctor in time, serious complications can occur.

back pain sitting at work

Causes of pain

In fact, the causes of pain in the lower and back of the back can be very varied, i. e. , both a stand-alone problem and a sign of initial diseases of the spine. The main causes of painful feelings are:

  • Excessive muscle strain. About 85% of back pain can occur due to excessive physical exertion in the lower back. The so-called "back fatigue" occurs not only during sports, but also when you are constantly sitting at the computer, resulting in difficulties and overloads in the muscles.
  • Intervertebral hernia. A fairly common disease occurs mainly in people over 40 years of age and occurs due to flattening of the intervertebral discs. This process contributes to the compression of the nerve roots, leading to severe back pain.
  • Fractures. Such causes of back pain are diagnosed in 4% of patients. According to medical statistics, compression fractures are quite common in older people with osteochondrosis. The disease is characterized by exhaustion of the bones, i. e. , loss of mass and density, which results in a high risk of spinal fracture.
  • Congenital disorders of the spine. These types of pathologies occur at birth and can accompany a person throughout their lives. The abnormalities appear in the form of extra or missing vertebrae, and most commonly in the lumbar spine.
  • Spondylolisthesis. In spinal disease, the vertebrae move, causing sharp painful sensations that can be felt in the upper back.
  • Gynecological diseases. Inflammation of the female genitals is accompanied by severe back pain.
  • Pregnancy. Painful seizures can occur both in early pregnancy and in the latter. This is due to the fact that there is a change in center of gravity, softening or relaxation of the bands, an increase in body weight and an increase in body weight.
  • back pain during pregnancy
  • Infectious diseases. Inflammatory processes in the skeletal muscles of the back can cause severe painful pains that radiate to the shoulders, neck, and even the forehead. The painful feelings are amplified by various movements, which makes it quite difficult to turn and bend the head.
  • Intervertebral neuralgia. With this disease, the pain appears exactly in the space between the ribs or can be localized in the lower back, under the shoulder blade, and other places where nerve endings are pinched.
  • Spine tumors. Most often with this disease, the pain occurs exactly in the lower or middle back, which wakes up in the morning and sometimes even at night.
  • Pathology of internal organs. Due to the location of the pain in certain areas of the back, due to its intensity and duration, diseases of a particular organ can be predicted.

Alerts

When should you consult a specialist? What pains are severe signs of impaired spinal function? Get medical attention if victims feel:

  1. sudden sharp pain in the back not caused by any particular cause;
  2. severe pain lying down or at night;
  3. painful feelings that are felt after injury or bruising;
  4. back pain accompanied by high fever, tingling sensation in the chest area, dizziness, numbness and other symptoms;
  5. acute pain attacks that do not improve within 2-3 days;
  6. chronic mild pain that does not go away in 2-2, 5 weeks;
  7. painful feelings that are simultaneously given to the limbs while significantly restricting a person’s movement.
acupuncture against back pain

It is recommended that you consult a specialist immediately if you have a first back pain in people who have been diagnosed with cancer or osteoporosis, if you experience pain after excessive alcohol consumption, taking drugs, or taking steroid medications.

It’s worth noting that back pain doesn’t mean you have any serious illness. It is not recommended to self-diagnose diseases and pathologies of the spine, and even more so to prescribe treatment or physiotherapy practices without a specialist.

Diagnosis

To determine the exact cause of back pain, professionals perform an oral assessment as well as an examination of the patient, which includes a visual examination of the back and an assessment of the victim’s ability to walk, sit, or lie down. If necessary, a reflex test is performed with a neurological hammer. The data obtained will help to pinpoint the source of the onset of pain. If your doctor has any doubts about the diagnosis or suspects that a progressive tumor is suspected, they will perform tests such as:

  • X-ray. Images can be used to determine the exact location of bones, allowing you to view joint diseases, cracks, and fractures. Such a study is not appropriate in cases where the patient is suspected of having diseases involving muscle tissue, spinal cord, or nerve endings.
  • MRI and CT. Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography makes it possible to determine if a patient has conditions such as: hernia, bone and cartilage tissue diseases, blood vessels, nerves, and tendon problems.
  • Osteoscintigraphy. Such a study is rarely prescribed. Thanks to osteocytnography, it is possible to identify bone tissue tumors and compression fractures.
  • Examination of the nerves. This analysis measures the electrical impulses generated by the nerves.
X-ray to diagnose back pain

Treatment methods

Regardless of the intensity of the back pain, it is advisable to consult a doctor who can correctly diagnose the cause of its occurrence and pinpoint the methods to alleviate the victim’s condition. Of course, it is worth initially weakening the onset of pain, which can be sharp and sudden, and intermittent. Quite often, painful seizures can be felt when the joints are deformed or the back muscles are stretched. When you feel sharp, sharp pain, doctors advise the victim to lie down, which greatly relieves the victim’s condition and reduces the strain on the spine. It is then recommended to limit physical activity to one or two days.

The onset of acute pain can be quenched with a cold ice pack. This method can significantly reduce bloating if it appears. In rare cases, an ice massage is used, i. e. massaging the sore area with ice cubes for 7-8 minutes. Such therapy is performed for up to 1-2 days, after which doctors advise you to use heat compresses that are performed at the expense of a heating pad or towel soaked in hot water. By stretching your spine, you can relieve cramps in your back muscles, which are performed even in a supine position. To do this, you need to press your knees to your chest, apply a little pressure on them, and then stretch and relax. This practice must be repeated several times. The painkiller helps save you from back pain, which can reduce inflammation in the area where it hurts.

physiotherapy for back pain

In traditional medicine, non-traditional methods are rarely used to alleviate the condition of the victim, yet they are considered effective and efficient. It is possible to cure back pain using methods such as acupuncture, vacuum therapy, manual therapy, osteopathy and other folk remedies. It is recommended to note that such methods for improving the condition of the victim are used only for pain caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is always advisable to seek the advice of your doctor before using one method or another of alternative medicine. In order to get rid of the back pain permanently, it is recommended to eliminate the original cause or disease and only then continue to heal the pathologies of the muscles, bones and joints of the back.

Prevention of back pain

To avoid different types of back pain, regardless of the original cause of their appearance, doctors recommend that you follow simple but effective advice, namely:

  • Do not lift weights. When a person lifts a load that is several times the weight of the norm, the intervertebral discs and blood vessels are sharply compressed. It is not recommended for doctors to lift a load of 15 kilograms at a time, and even more so that the body should be turned to the right or left along with this weighting.
  • He has not been in a sitting position for a long time. If there are abnormal changes in the structure of the spine, sitting in a chair or chair should be restricted. With this posture, a person begins to hunch, often putting one foot on the other, which contributes to the uneven distribution of the load on the intervertebral discs and joints. If your main occupation is related to the long time you have spent on the computer, it is recommended that you get up, walk, and tilt left and right every hour.
  • Hypothermia should be avoided. Painful feelings come from a spasm of the back muscle, which most often occurs due to hypothermia in the body. We recommend that you dress warmly, avoid drafts, cold winds and strong air conditioning.
  • You need to move more. Many people make the wrong choice to significantly limit physical activity in order to maintain spinal health. In the absence of movement, the back muscles atrophy over time, resulting in the full load being transferred from the muscle ligament to the spine. In such a situation, the tissues of the intervertebral discs and articular cartilage are destroyed. An excellent opportunity to restore back health, strengthen muscles and stretch the intervertebral space will be the systematic practice of stretching, swimming, walking at an average pace.
  • Timely treatment of diseases. It is not necessary to start the course of spinal diseases such as osteochondrosis or spondyloarthrosis, which leads to serious and often irreversible complications. When the disease is diagnosed, it is advisable to start treatment immediately, which can alleviate the condition.
  • Therapeutic procedures. In order to prevent spinal diseases, rehabilitation therapists and therapists are advised to participate in various therapeutic therapies, namely: massage, treatments, physiotherapy, yoga.
exercises for back pain

Back pain can occur in people of different ages and in a wide variety of conditions while significantly restricting a person’s movement. To prevent the onset of chills, it is recommended to exercise more, take care of your health, and don’t forget sports.