Back pain: causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

According to statistics, 80% of people know first-hand about back pain.Of all sick leave granted, more than a third are related to this problem.The reason can be considered the weakness of fragile muscles and their rapid growth.To identify the problem, in addition to visual examination, hardware diagnostics (X-ray, myography, CT, etc.) and laboratory blood tests are performed.Treatment is prescribed only after a diagnosis has been established.

Why does my back hurt?

Pain in the spine can occur directly after injuries, pathologies of the vertebrae, ligaments and discs or damage to soft tissues.It depends on the position of the body, on the level of physical activity, but can also be reflected, for example, in diseases of the internal organs.To some extent, the back itself is vulnerable due to its structure.

Its base is the spine, which provides support, protection, motor and shock absorption functions.This is due to the cartilage of the intervertebral discs, muscles and ligaments, which tend to wear out over time due to an improper lifestyle and cause degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Inside the vertebral column is the spinal cord, its paired roots innervate almost all organs and tissues.Any alteration in this complex system can cause pain.The cervical and lumbar regions suffer most often due to their increased load and mobility.

What to do if you have back pain?

A medical examination is required to determine the cause, especially if the pain has become frequent.Only a specialist can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.You can't do a self-diagnosis.

First of all, you can contact a therapist, who will identify a series of symptoms and refer you to the appropriate specialist.If the cause is known and obvious, you can continue with the prescribed therapy.Neurologists, orthopedists, and vertebrologists treat back problems.

Causes of back pain

Back pain is a nonspecific symptom that can be due to various reasons.

Physiological causes (common):

• weight gain;
• recent childbirth or pregnancy;
• hypodynamic work: in the office, at the computer, driving a car;
• standing work: hairdressers, waiters and salesmen, street advertisers, surgeons, teachers;
• intense physical activity combined with sudden turns of the body;
• overload during training;
• postmenopausal women with a tendency to osteoporosis.

Pathological reasons:

• diseases of the spine (osteochondrosis, spondylosis, ankylosing spondylitis, tumors, arthritis, osteomyelitis, Reiter's syndrome) and spinal cord;
• growth diseases: scoliosis and kyphosis;
• infectious lesions of the spine;
• osteoporosis, osteomalacia;
• diseases of internal organs: kidneys, pancreas, stomach, spleen, liver;
• atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta.

Acute pain can occur with disc protrusion, spondyloarthritis, epiduritis of the spinal cord, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernias, atypical appendicitis and intestinal obstruction, kidney stones, fractures and sprains, strokes of the spinal cord, inflammation of the appendages in women and prostate cancer in men.

Types of diseases depending on the nature of back pain.

Causes of painful pain:

• hypothermia;
• muscle strain;
• myositis;
• prolonged uncomfortable posture during sleep or work;
• lumbago (caused by childbirth);
• osteochondrosis;
• intervertebral hernia or displacement of intervertebral discs due to sudden lifting of weights or sudden turning of the body;
• kidney diseases - cause back pain due to the close location of the kidneys to the lower back;
• stomach diseases.

Causes of shooting pains:

• intervertebral hernia: in them, the condition worsens with any physical stress;
• radiculitis - this type of back pain often occurs on one side, radiates to the thigh or buttocks, causes numbness in the legs, and also depends on physical exertion;
• osteochondrosis: the patient may experience persistent pain that radiates to the leg and intensifies when coughing, sneezing, straining, walking or bending.

Etiology of stabbing pain:

• osteochondrosis;
• intervertebral hernia;
• lumbago;
• spondylosis: they are acute and cannot be relieved with analgesics.

Explosive back pain:

• ischemia;
• myocardial infarction;
• fabric;
• inflammation of the gallbladder;
• a sharp increase in pressure;
• atherosclerosis.

Why does my back hurt after sleeping?

Most people usually feel back pain in the morning after sleeping, the reasons may be:

• overload the day before, if you lifted weights and moved suddenly;
• weak back muscles;
• hypothermia;
• vertebral hernia or osteochondrosis;
• scoliosis: curvature of the spine causes uneven muscle contraction;
• pregnancy - when the center of the body shifts;
• Obesity: the load on the spine is also uneven.

Sleeping conditions are also important.The bed should not be too hard or soft;In any case, a person is forced to adopt an uncomfortable and unphysiological position during sleep, which causes the muscles to be overexerted and not rest at night.Posture is so important that not even an orthopedic mattress can help.It is recommended to sleep on your back with your legs elevated.

Also, the causes of pain after sleeping can be diseases of the spine and internal organs (urological, gastrointestinal tract, including oncological).

Diseases associated with the joints and spine.

All pathologies that cause back pain have a common basis: an uneven load on the spine.These include:

1. Ankylosing spondylitis: Persistent inflammation of the ligaments and joints causes chronic spasms of the surrounding muscles.The process is autoimmune;Over time, the vertebrae begin to fuse, which drastically alters the functioning of the spine.
2. Spondylolisthesis: The vertebrae are in an abnormal position.They move and affect the brain or roots.
3. Osteochondrosis: the intervertebral discs thin, crack and are replaced by bone tissue.Depreciation becomes impossible.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammation of the joints.It most frequently affects the cervical spine.
5. Osteomyelitis is inflammation of the bone marrow and surrounding soft tissues.Causes severe pain.
6. Reiter's disease is a simultaneous rheumatic lesion of the urogenital tract, joints and conjunctiva of the eyes.The small muscles of the back are affected.More often typical of young people, it develops gradually.The pain is intense in the morning and decreases at night.
7. Spinal canal stenosis: The cause may be a herniated disc or a protrusion (protrusion into the spinal canal).Most often, the process involves the lower roots of the spinal cord, which innervate the legs.The pain is felt from the lower back to the foot, intensifying both at rest and when walking.
8. Facet syndrome is an injury to the intervertebral (facet) joints.The pain may be local or radiate to the groin, tailbone, or thigh.Physically dependent.At night the condition worsens, after rest it improves.It occurs more frequently in older people.

Muscle-related diseases

Muscle tissue is affected secondarily, in the context of a pathology of bone tissue or joints. Painful spasms and tension appear in the muscles, mobility is impaired:

1. Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome from the neck to the lower back.Neurological symptoms may appear: increased sensitivity when pressing certain points on the back, stiffness and stiffness.
2. Polymyositis: occurs due to hypothermia, injuries, sprains, or intense physical exertion.Muscle weakness appears, in which even turning to the side is painful and problematic.
3. Dermatomyositis is a chronic disease of the muscles, organs and skin, often autoimmune in nature.
4. Charcot disease is an inflammation of the peripheral nerves that run through the spine.This causes changes in gait, muscle weakness and increased sensitivity of the nerve roots.
5. Polymyalgia rheumatica is the negativity of the environment in the form of hypothermia, overload, uncomfortable postures, etc.It causes spasms in individual muscles and the appearance of pain.The so-called trigger points appear;when pressed, the muscle reacts with sharp pain.Neurologists know this.Pain of this type can be eliminated with warm ointments and a needle applicator.

Spinal cord pathologies.

These include infringement of the spinal cord, which has 31 paired branches, where each nerve is responsible for the innervation of its area. This condition occurs when:

• injuries (spine fracture);
• tumors;
• osteochondrosis or herniated disc;
• inflammation as a result of an abscess, hematoma;
• brain hemorrhage;
• myositis;
• mineral and vitamin deficiency;
• complications of HIV or neurosyphilis;
• sclerosis.

Back pain due to psychosomatics.

In recent years, back pain has begun to appear due to psychosomatic causes.In this case, if there are complaints of back pain, the examination does not reveal pathology.This condition occurs with chronic stress, depression and low libido.The result can be not only pain, but also changes in gait, exacerbation of low back pain, and sensory disturbances.

Causes of back pain by location.

Pain can occur in a variety of places in the back.Then they talk about their location.

Pain on the right side

The right side of the back may hurt due to spinal curvature, kyphosis, lordosis, myositis, intervertebral disc displacement, and obesity.

Somatic pathologies can also cause pain in this area:

• formation of stones in the organs of the urinary system;
• inflammation of the vermiform appendix of the cecum (appendix);
• inflammation of the gallbladder;
• nephritis;
• inflammation of the ovaries;
• salpingitis.

Pain on the left side

This area of the back can hurt in the following cases:

• splenitis;
• CIE;
• root pinching;
• duodenitis;
• oophoritis.

Pain located above the lower back may be associated with inflammation of the serous membranes that line the lungs, damage to the bronchi, intercostal neuralgia, and ischemia.

Pain in the lumbar region.

The lumbar area suffers very often, as it carries a colossal load.This section becomes inflamed when the nerve roots are damaged, osteochondrosis or hernia protrusion.Less commonly, the cause may be spinal tuberculosis, arthritis, lumboischialgia, decreased density and disruption of the structure of bone tissue, Reiter's syndrome, a combination of urethritis and prostatitis.

Pain in the lumbar region is usually chronic.

In the lumbar area on the right.

Pain in the lumbar region occurs with scoliosis, tuberculosis, myositis, neuralgia, tumors, osteomyelitis, spondylitis.An acute attack may be caused by urolithiasis or pyelonephritis.

The shot is typical of diseases of the lumbar area with frequent involvement of the spinal roots (radiculitis).Constant dull, monotonous pain is more typical for an organ such as the liver.

left lumbar region

Most often, the left side begins to hurt after physical activity.The condition improves after rest.Pain can also occur with diabetes or root pinching. If it does not disappear at rest, the reasons may be:

• scoliosis;
• osteochondrosis (with a sedentary lifestyle or poor posture);
• spinal infections;
• circulatory disorders.

pinched nerve

Most often, the sciatic nerve is pinched - sciatica.Its myelin sheath is not damaged.This is usually a consequence of osteochondrosis.When pinched, a sharp, sharp pain occurs that radiates to the leg, sacrum and lower back.

With compression radiculopathy, the roots of the spinal nerves are also compressed due to a herniated disc or a decrease in its height and, as a result, the distance between the vertebral bodies.This pain feels "shallow" and intensifies sharply when coughing, exercising, or sneezing.

intervertebral hernia

A hernia is an extrusion of the nucleus of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal.Most often it develops as a result of untreated osteochondrosis.The central part protrudes towards the spinal cord, compressing it.Even a small load in such cases leads to a decrease in the height of the cartilage and even greater protrusion of the hernia.The pain is sharp and sharp and radiates to the arm or leg.

In the shoulder blade area

Pain characteristics may indicate a diagnosis:

1. A stomach ulcer is a dull, growing pain.Eliminated with medications.
2. Intercostal neuralgia is a disease characterized by acute pain with any physical effort.
3. Osteochondrosis: dizziness, pressure changes, numbness of the hands.
4. Exacerbation of angina - the pain is localized in the area of the left shoulder blade and radiates to the chest and under the clavicle.

Pain along the spine and in the back.

Most often they occur when nerve endings are pinched.Exacerbations are associated with curvature of the spine.If the pain is not pronounced, we can talk about protrusion.With increasing pain, we can think about osteochondrosis.Pain along the spine is characteristic of myositis, fractures, thinning and wear of intervertebral discs, and spondyloarthritis.They are always sharp and constant.

Causes of pain under the lower back

This pain is often associated with osteochondrosis and spondyloarthrosis. Less frequently, these sensations may appear when:

• diseases of the genital area in women (endometritis, adnexitis, vulvitis, cervicitis, oophoritis);
• pregnancy;
• menses;
• ulcerative colitis;
• appendicitis;
• diseases of the prostate or bladder - in men.

Associated symptoms

The manifestations of spinal pain vary depending on location.If the cervical spine is affected, migraines and dizziness, weakness and numbness of the hands, pressure surges, spots and flashes in the eyes will be noted.When the thoracic region is affected, there is a burning sensation and stiffness in the chest, difficulty breathing, and pain in the shoulder blades.

Situations that require urgent medical attention.

Urgent consultation with a doctor requires back pain that occurs in the following cases:

• hematoma;
• neurological symptoms in the form of tingling and numbness in the extremities;
• the temperature is combined with back pain;
• numbness in arms and legs, weakness and tingling sensation;
• the gait has changed or the legs are lost;
• there is a history of cancer;
• weight loss for no apparent reason;
• urination and defecation are affected: a person cannot control these processes;
• back pain radiates to the chest, jaw and neck;
• the consciousness is confused and dizzy;
• numbness in the genitals and weakness, “woolly” in the legs;
• leg cramps;
• problems with conception or erection;
• problems with the gastrointestinal tract, for which treatment by a gastroenterologist does not help;
• pain in the tailbone and pelvis, which intensifies with changes in body position;
• increased pain when sitting or standing for a long time.

Experts will help you discover the cause of the pain.

Diagnosis

To identify the cause of back pain, the neurologist prescribes a comprehensive examination:

1. Blood test.They help identify the presence of infection and inflammation in the form of leukocytosis and increased ESR.A decrease in hemoglobin will indicate anemia, which can have many causes, and one of the possible reasons is oncology.
2. MRI. View the status of all the column components.It helps to differentiate the type and nature of the tumor, determines the distance between the vertebrae and the degree of compression of the roots.
3. CONNECTICUT. Detects fractures and allows finding the smallest fragments after injuries.All this in three dimensions.
4. Radiography.The most economical way to diagnose back pain and identify the condition of bone tissue.Prescribed for suspected fractures, arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, spondyloarthrosis.
5. Electromyography (EMG).Determines indicators of bioelectric activity of muscles and peripheral nerve endings.
6. Ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and brain.In triplex or duplex mode, it is used to evaluate the patency of blood flow through arteries and vessels.Its condition is checked: wall thickness, permeability, etc.

Treatment for back pain

There are several methods to treat back pain.A neurologist will select the optimal treatment for you, taking into account the patient's age, lifestyle, level of physical mobility and clinical manifestations.

NSAIDs, analgesics, muscle relaxants and vitamin B are usually used in the pharmacological treatment of back pain. Physiotherapy, physiotherapy, TRI, massage, spinal traction and muscle relaxation are also prescribed.

For back pain, to ensure quality treatment, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

Prevention

Preventive measures:

• learn to maintain posture and stand correctly;
• don't stoop;
• keep your back straight when sitting, place a support under your feet;
• correctly organize your sleeping area;
• do not jump suddenly after waking up;stretch slowly, do simple exercises with arms and legs;
• distribute the weights in both hands;do not carry everything in one hand, refuse a bag on your shoulder;a backpack is better;
• do not carry the child in your arms leaning backwards;
• squatting weight lifting;
• do not wash floors without a mop, bending forward or kneeling;
• balance your diet with a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins;
• stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
• don't forget about physical exercise: swimming, Nordic walking, yoga;
• take a contrasting shower in the morning;
• takes care of the liver, produces collagen for the spinal ligaments and vertebral bodies;
• strengthen immunity;
• control weight;
• It is advisable to undergo manual therapy treatment every 6 months for 5 to 10 sessions (on the recommendation of a specialist);
• avoid stress;
• Don't forget about medical examinations with a doctor.

If you experience back pain, consult a doctor who will provide you with appropriate assistance.Remember, any disease is easier to treat in the initial stages.