What to do if your back hurts?

Back pain can make life difficult and has many possible causes. Prevention and timely diagnosis of back pain will help avoid complications. Relieves back painphysiotherapists and neurologists will help you.

Back pain is common in today's society. This is due to several factors: people lead an inactive lifestyle, their daily diet lacks valuable vitamins and minerals, suffer from pathologies of internal organs, experience increased physical activity, are injured as a result of professional sports activities, ignore the signs of cancer, etc. All this creates pain in various parts of the back, and prevents a person from living a full life.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the problem of back pain and present the most effective ways to eliminate it. We hope this material is useful for you!

Backache

Pain in the back is called dorsopathy. Many modern residents suffer from this disease, but the causes of its occurrence can be very diverse. In 80% of cases, the pathology is caused by a primary (non-specific) factor, and in 20% of situations, the disease manifests itself against the background of secondary (specific) signs.

Pain of a certain nature can be provoked by damage to internal organs, in other cases, pathological processes develop due to degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.

Among the specific risk factors, the most dangerous is the oncological process accompanied by metastasis to the spine. For preventive purposes, patients are recommended to undergo regular fluorography and mammography, as well as PSA analysis. This makes it possible to detect the presence of a tumor at an early stage, when malignant cells have not yet had time to move with the bloodstream to other organs.

If your back hurts and you don't know what to do and how to treat a disease of unknown origin, you should first get an appointment with an experienced specialist and find out the cause of the discomfort.

You will deal with neurologists, physiotherapists and surgeons. After a thorough diagnosis, they will draw accurate conclusions about your illness and give an unambiguous answer to the question: "What to do if your back hurts? ".

Causes of back pain

The most frequently asked question in Internet search engines is: "What should I do if my spine hurts in the middle of my back? ". Today, this pain syndrome worries more than 80% of people in the world. The main source of its occurrence is the following pathology in the spine area:

• Diseases accompanied by the appearance of purulent-inflammatory processes in the bone marrow, caused by the activity of pathogens;
• The presence of a malignant neoplasm, as evidenced by the occurrence of pain in the lower back;
• Herniated disc;
• Spinal injury (fracture);
• Curvature of the spinal column;
• Pain of a chronic nature in the area of muscle structure;
• Pathological process, characterized by the development of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the area of all components of the spinal movement segment;
• Cartilage damage.

In some cases, the manifestation of pain in the back area can be triggered by other reasons:

• Inflammatory process in the joints;
• Heart disease;
• Bleeding in the pelvic area;
• Violations in the work of the female reproductive system. At the same time, women notice that their back hurts in the lumbar region. Only a competent gynecologist can make a treatment plan and explain what to do in such a situation;
• Intercostal neuralgia. Contributes to breathing difficulties;
• Ulcerative disease, characterized by discomfort in the scapular area;
• Kidney damage;
• Inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by unilateral pain syndrome;
• The presence of malignant neoplasms in the respiratory organs;
• Acute inflammation of the inner lining of the appendix;
• Infectious processes in internal organs.

Types of back pain

To identify the cause of the pathology, the nature of the discomfort is taken into account. There are the following types of pain:

Shooting back pain

Make yourself known when:

• Pathology of internal organs;
• Physical injury from falling;
• Pinched nerve roots and spondylolisthesis;
• Curvature of the spine and violation of posture.

If the shooting pain becomes acute, a visit to the medical clinic is a prerequisite for recovery.

Back pain daggers

If the patient asks a question about what to do if the back hurts in the lower back, and the discomfort is characteristic of acute kris, this indicates a dangerous pathological process such as:

• The presence of malignant neoplasms;
• Acute inflammation after exposure to heat factors;
• Piriformis muscle spasm.

Sometimes the need to do something if the back is very painful disappears by itself, because such discomfort occurs in women in the last weeks of pregnancy and is considered normal.

An interesting pain syndrome

Often, patients complain: "If my lower back hurts because I'm lifting weights and I tear my back, what should I do in this situation? ". Of course, excessive physical activity can cause an interesting pain, but often the following factors cause such discomfort:

• Old back injury;
• Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the lumbar spine;
• Stay long in one position.

Back pain after exercise

It is observed in people involved in sports activities at a professional level. As a rule, pain syndrome occurs against the background of excessive muscle tension. What exactly to do if your back hurts in this case, only a qualified specialist will answer you. First of all, you should give your body complete rest and relaxation.

Back pain due to coronavirus or SARS?

If the back muscles along the spine hurt, what exactly needs to be done in this situation will be answered by the doctor after examination for the presence of an acute respiratory viral infection. Often they cause severe pain in the area of muscle tissue, joint pain and general weakness, which is the result of body intoxication.

When the back hurts with a simultaneous rise in temperature, what to do in this case is quite clear. First of all, you need to take painkillers and antipyretic drugs. Only an experienced doctor can prescribe antiviral agents and special antibiotics after a thorough examination.

It should be noted that with coronavirus infection, increased pain in the back is due to pleurisy, and is also associated with increased tension in the muscle structure, which occurs against the background of a frequent debilitating cough. In addition, lactic acid builds up in the back muscles, causing significant discomfort.

When is a visit to the doctor urgent?

If the manifestation of pain does not subside within a few days, but only increases, a visit to a medical institution is a prerequisite for improving well-being.

An independent visit to the clinic or contacting the doctor at home is recommended in the following situations:

• The situation worsens at night;
• There has recently been an injury to the back or spine;
• The patient does not feel better even if the body position changes;
• The patient has a fever;
• Patients at risk (age category over 55 years);
• Neurological discomfort increases - sensitivity in the limbs disappears, the patient begins to feel muscle weakness;
• Relief of the condition does not give non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• The patient complains of shooting pain in the lower part of the leg.

Diagnosis of back pain

If your back starts to hurt, and you don't know what to do, you should first contact a neurologist and do the necessary laboratory and hardware studies. This will allow you to diagnose accurately and prescribe effective treatment.

What does the blood test determine?

Due to laboratory blood tests, doctors can identify infectious processes and determine important indicators of ESR, which allows you to confirm or exclude inflammation. With a high leukocyte value, one can also assess the presence of an inflammatory process. In addition, based on blood tests, one can conclude that hemoglobin synthesis is affected due to iron deficiency, as well as the development of malignant neoplasms.

hardware research

• Duplex/triplex ultrasound scanning of the neck and head vessels.It makes it possible to check the condition of blood vessels, to evaluate the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots, and to study the quantitative parameters of blood flow. This research method is prescribed for patients who complain of frequent dizziness, high blood pressure, headaches and signs of an acute cerebrovascular accident;
• CT scan.Allows you to establish the nature of the fracture of the spine, as well as to detect even the smallest part. Based on the results of the study, it is possible to recreate the damaged area in a three-dimensional format. CT is more informative than X-ray;
• Magnetic resonance imaging.The most accurate research method. It makes it possible to examine malignant neoplasms of the vertebrae, as well as pinched nerve roots, intervertebral hernias, a decrease in the lumen of the spinal foramen and inflammatory processes triggered by injuries. Performing an MRI is considered a prerequisite before surgery and during the recovery period after it;
• Radiography.Allows you to study the condition of bone tissue in detail. It is performed for scoliosis, arthritis, fractures, vertebral displacement. It is often carried out together with functional diagnostics, when the patient is asked to bend and straighten the spinal column. According to the indicators of the coloring of the vertebrae, their strength is evaluated;
• Electromyography.Allows you to assess the condition of nerve tissue. In the process of this study, electrical impulses produced by nerve structures are studied, as well as the response of muscle tissue to them. Thanks to EMG, it is possible to detect pinched nerves that have arisen against the background of herniated intervertebral disc and narrowing of the spinal foramen;
• Bone scintigraphy.It is considered a mandatory method for suspected compression fractures or oncological processes.

back pain treatment

The main goal of therapeutic measures is to relieve pain and prevent the development of chronic pathology. That is why treatment involves eliminating the signs of the underlying disease, as well as the use of drugs to relieve acute pain and the use of non-drug methods to restore the body.

Algorithm to relieve acute pain syndrome:

• Bed rest for the first 3-5 days. At the same time, patients are recommended to undergo shock wave treatment and use special medications. In addition, the patient is prescribed a special orthopedic device;
• Adherence to half-bed rest for the next 8-9 days. During this period, SWT and the use of medicines should be continued. Also, patients are recommended to introduce special exercises with small loads and undergo electrophoresis with analgesics;
• Period of limited physical activity (days 12-20). At this stage, drug treatment, shock wave therapy and physiotherapy sessions continue. To get an additional positive effect, they use massage procedures;
• Unlimited physical activity (without increased load) along with the implementation of physiotherapy exercises;
• Preventive measures. Practice physical therapy and regular sports training. This improves the quality of life.

Use of medications

During diagnostics, it is not always possible to determine the cause of the pain syndrome, therefore, when prescribing drugs, the nature of the discomfort is often taken into account:

1. For acute pain sensations, drug blockade of the paravertebral muscles is used. If the pain cannot be eliminated by the above methods, anesthesia is performed in the epidural space of the spine.
2. Pain syndromes of moderate intensity are stopped by injections with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most effective of these agents is considered to be a derivative of phenylacetic acid. However, this drug, with prolonged use, can interfere with the activity of the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, for any gastric disorder in the patient, he is prescribed more benign drugs from this group.
3. To stop muscle spasms, they use the help of drugs that reduce skeletal muscle tone.
4. B group vitamins. They increase the analgesic effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. These drugs are taken in tablet form or given intramuscularly as an injection.
5. With pain of a neuropathic nature, as part of complex therapy, they use anticonvulsant or psychotropic drugs.

Preventive measures

So that the question of what to do if the back hurts below, in the lumbar region, or in the shoulder blade region, does not bother you for years, you should pay attention to your body. Only a careful attitude towards your body, as well as the implementation of regular preventive measures will minimize the possibility of back pain.

There are some important rules, compliance with which will make it possible to avoid discomfort in the back. Therefore, when your back hurts, and someone wonders what to do in this situation, the reviews show that first of all, attention should be paid to shoes. Since during movement the greatest load falls on the spine, wearing uncomfortable shoes should be avoided. Experts recommend giving preference to shoes with a small heel (1-3 cm).

It is also important to pay attention to posture. If you work at the computer for a long time, try to change your body position periodically and sometimes walk around the room or in the office.

When carrying heavy objects, it is necessary to distribute the weight of the load in an optimal way.

Another condition for maintaining a healthy back condition is the implementation of gymnastic exercises. Physical therapy and special exercises recommended by professionals will allow you to strengthen your muscles.