Why your back hurts: Main causes, symptoms and treatment

Back pain can occur not only in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.This can happen with age or during hard work, when the spinal column is under pressure.If the pain occurs from time to time, then no treatment is needed.But if the pain is normal, you should consult a doctor.Therapy is chosen depending on the identified pathological cause - drug treatment, physiotherapy, and sometimes surgery are used.

Reason

To determine the cause of back pain, you need to analyze when and under what conditions it occurs:

  1. Morning sickness.Usually happens after waking up.A person cannot change position, raise an arm, or turn his neck without severe pain.Often, this has nothing to do with the spine, but is caused by myositis - muscle inflammation, which is caused by hypothermia, excessive stress, and infectious diseases.In such cases, warming ointments are prescribed, including those based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.If the inflammation also affects the joints, the doctor prescribes chondroprotectors - agents that restore tissue.
  2. Sick of trying.They occur while walking, with walking or, on the contrary, lack of movement.Usually the pain is dull, but quite strong, it only disappears after the load is removed, but sometimes it becomes constant.In this case, you should consult a doctor.Specialists will be able to accurately determine the cause of discomfort - spondylolisthesis, spinal canal stenosis or osteochondrosis.
  3. Pulling pain occurs in the neck towards the end of the working day.They are accompanied by a humming sound, and after some time they intensify - this is a symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.This disease cannot be completely cured.But pain relief is possible.In the acute period, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or, if they do not help, corticosteroids are prescribed.

With age, intervertebral disc dystrophy develops.This means they lose the ability to absorb shock, resulting in back pain.In such cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors are prescribed.The doctor can recommend special therapeutic exercises that will help strengthen the muscles in the back.Intervertebral disc dystrophy should not be confused with hernia;The latter is characterized by the protrusion of the vertebrae.In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.

Drug therapy and other conservative treatment methods for hernia make it possible to maintain the patient's quality of life at a high level.But in the most advanced cases, when it is impossible to relieve the pain with anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids and dysfunction of the genitourinary system occurs, the hernia is operated.The probability that the pain will remain even after surgery is no more than 1.5%.

Back pain can be caused by an injury.This happens because of sprains in the ligaments that support the spine, injuries that can occur during sports and lifting weights.Injury to the vertebrae itself leads to the development of osteoporosis, a disease that causes the thinning of bone tissue.The pathology itself does not cause pain, but causes a fracture of the spine.

Depends on the location

It is important to determine the location of the pain - in the middle of the back or below.Sometimes this helps to understand where the problem is in the spine, and may indicate other pathologies that cause similar symptoms.Middle back pain is not only caused by osteochondrosis, but also caused by diseases of the stomach or pancreas.

Back pain, localized on the right or left side, is not necessarily associated with spinal disease.Sometimes this is a symptom of kidney pathology - an infectious disease or the appearance of stones in it.Ultrasound will help establish an accurate diagnosis.Further treatment depends on the cause of the pathology - the infection is fought with antibiotics, and the kidney stone is surgically removed.

Sometimes back pain can be caused by gynecological diseases, such as endometriosis - the growth of the endometrium outside the uterine cavity.But there are cases when it affects the abdominal organs, which leads to compression of the nerve endings.In such cases, the stomach starts to hurt.If the pain occurs in the lower part, you should consult a gynecologist.Most often, endometriosis must be treated with conservative methods, but sometimes surgical intervention is necessary.

Back pain occurs during pregnancy.Their appearance can be provoked by increased load on the spine and hormonal changes, which lead to muscle relaxation.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually contraindicated for pregnant women, and even massage is excluded in some cases.Special therapeutic exercises for pregnant women can have a positive effect.The best options are water aerobics and yoga for pregnant women.It is important to take the increased pressure off your back.

Pain can also be caused by joint problems.The most common is various types of arthritis.Often this disease is contagious, so antibiotics are needed.

Treatment and Prevention

If the pain is caused by physical load or occurs against the background of hypothermia and infectious diseases, it may disappear on its own.Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to speed recovery.Heating pads and wool belts should not be worn.It is better to replace it with a special elastic corset.

Bandages for back pain during pregnancy

Special bandages are produced for pregnant women that help relieve pressure from the back.But if the pain does not go away within three days, despite all the measures taken, you should consult a doctor.

In any case, if you self-medicate, especially massage and heating procedures such as baths or saunas - this only increases the swelling and discomfort.

Treatment is carried out comprehensively: they take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain, while at the same time reducing the load on the spine.This applies mostly to people who are overweight;They need to follow a diet with reduced energy value.

In addition, doctors often prescribe various physiotherapy methods - magnetic therapy, massage.If the pain is caused by the destruction of joint tissue, then you need to take additional chondroprotectors - drugs based on chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, which restore joints and promote collagen production.

To avoid this disease, it is important to follow the recommendations:

  1. You can't sit for long without moving.In this position, there is a large load on the spine.
  2. Vertical loads on the spinal column should be avoided.
  3. The back muscles need to be strengthened so that they provide additional support to the spine.
  4. If you experience severe pain, you should consult a specialist.