According to medical statistics, acute back pain is the second most common cause of disability.At least 80% of people have suffered from them at least once.They can occur sporadically or be observed during exacerbations of spinal diseases.But in any case, acute and chronic back pain requires competent treatment and targeted action for the causes of their occurrence.
Acute back pain: causes
Acute pain is defined as pain lasting less than 6 weeks.For most it goes away within 2 weeks.Although initially it is impossible to predict how long it will last.However, in almost half of the cases, similar or more severe attacks recur in the future and become chronic pain.
Acute pain can have different intensity, be dull, burning, etc.Sometimes it radiates to the arms, legs, back.The so-called lumbago in the back often occurs after hypothermia, excessive physical exertion and as a result of sprains.Several days may pass between the impact of the traumatic factor and the immediate appearance of the pain syndrome, and it will appear under the influence of a small physical effort, for example, bending over.
They can also be the result of a back injury or be the first manifestations of spinal diseases, including:
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- spinal canal stenosis etc.
Increase the chance of back problems:
- frequent stress;
- regular increase in physical activity;
- excess weight;
- frequent and prolonged standing.
In addition to severe back discomfort, headaches, burning sensations in the legs and dizziness may be present.All of these symptoms should be reported to your doctor at your appointment.
Regardless of which anatomical structure is damaged first, this involves a whole chain of successive changes that increase discomfort.Initially, inflammatory factors are formed in the lesion, causing swelling and irritation of nerve fibers.In response to this, muscle spasm often occurs, which further worsens the situation and provokes poor circulation in the affected area.This leads to a decrease in the amount of nutrients and oxygen supplied to the lesion, as well as to the retention of metabolic products in it.
Treatment of acute back pain
To ease the pain, lie on your back on a firm surface.This will allow the back muscles to relax and relieve stress from the spine.To increase the effect, you can place orthopedic pillows under the knees and head, but it is important to avoid the arch in the lower back.For severe pain, short-term use of NSAIDs is allowed.In the future, you should definitely contact a neurologist or spine surgeon to determine the cause of the pain syndrome.
You should see a doctor as soon as possible if there is no improvement within a week, a recurrence of the attack or pain that radiates to the legs or knees, or problems with urination and defecation.To diagnose existing disorders, patients are shown:
- MRI;
- CT;
- X-ray;
- biochemical blood test;
- UAC.
Based on the research results and symptoms, the doctor makes a diagnosis and develops treatment tactics.In case of acute pain that deprives a person of the ability to work, a spinal block can be offered, which relieves the pain syndrome in a few minutes.
After the discomfort subsides, it is important not to linger in bed.Moderate physical activity, supplemented with special therapeutic exercises, is the best prevention of the recurrence of such attacks in the future.
By going to the hospital, you will definitely receive quality treatment for the pain and the causes that cause it.Specialists will be able to develop the most effective treatment tactics and quickly relieve pain with the help of a well-made and affordable blockade.
Chronic back pain: causes
People suffer from chronic nagging back pain more often than not.They can worsen and turn into an attack of acute pain, which completely disconnects a person from his usual rhythm.Most often it is a consequence of:
- A sedentary lifestyle, which leads to the weakening of the muscle corset.This provokes an increase in the load on the spine and compression of the vertebrae.The result is osteochondrosis, protrusion of the intervertebral discs and herniation of the intervertebral discs, spondyloarthrosis.
- Postural disorders.Long-term maintenance of any body position in which the natural curves of the spine are disrupted provokes its curvature and the development of scoliosis or kyphosis.This includes degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, redistribution of the load on the muscles and compression of the nerve roots.
- Abdominal muscle weakness.Since they act as a support for internal organs and partially relieve the spine, when they are weak, the load on the lower back increases, which increases the lordosis and provokes chronic pain.In addition to a sedentary lifestyle, weakening of the abdominal muscles can be a consequence of pregnancy or obesity.
- Age-related changes.Over the years, the intervertebral discs gradually dehydrate, which causes a decrease in their elasticity, strength and size.The annulus fibrosus surrounding the jelly-like nucleus pulposus dries out and becomes more fragile.Loads provoke the formation of cracks in it, which leads to the formation of protrusions and hernias.The resulting stretching can compress nearby blood vessels, nerve roots, and the spinal cord, which provokes pain.
Diseases associated with chronic back pain include:
- osteochondrosis;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- osteoporosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- aspect syndrome;
- Bekhterev's disease;
- spondylolisthesis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- oncological and other diseases.
A common cause of chronic pain is the wear and tear of the facet joints.The cartilages located in them are also prone to thinning under excessive loads on the back.As a result, when they move, they stop performing a shock-absorbing function, which provokes the friction of bone fragments and the development of inflammation.
Back pain treatment
Treatment tactics are developed based on the disorders detected during diagnostic studies.When diseases of the spine are detected, initially conservative therapy is prescribed, including:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- Exercise therapy.
Conservative therapy
When treating back pain, a comprehensive individual approach is important.Depending on the cause of their appearance, patients are prescribed a number of drugs, in particular:
- NSAIDs - drugs of this group have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, but with long-term use they negatively affect the condition of the gastrointestinal tract;
- corticosteroids - drugs with pronounced anti-inflammatory properties, prescribed in moderate to severe cases;
- muscle relaxants - help eliminate increased muscle tone and spasms;
- antidepressants - help eliminate psychological distress, which often reduces the effectiveness of conservative therapy;
- local preparations - ointments or gels containing anti-inflammatory, warming or cooling ingredients can help reduce the severity of pain and practically do not cause side effects;
- chondroprotectors - preparations containing glucosamine and chondroitin have a beneficial effect on the condition of cartilage tissue, increase its elasticity and help restore normal thickness.
In mild cases, oral medication is sufficient.But in more complex situations, patients may be prescribed intra-articular injections.For severe pain, it is recommended to do blockades once or as a whole, which can include up to 10 procedures.
To increase the effectiveness of drug therapy, patients are prescribed massage and physiotherapy sessions.Proper impact on the back muscles helps activate blood and lymph flow, improve metabolic processes and eliminate muscle spasms.Manual therapy is very effective for spinal deformities, especially for grade 1-2 scoliosis.Regular sessions help to restore the normal position of the spine and eliminate pressure on the internal organs.
As part of the physiotherapeutic treatment, patients are prescribed sessions:
- UHF;
- magnetic therapy;
- Bernard currents;
- laser therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- Ural Federal District;
- balneological treatment.
If within six months it is not possible to achieve improvement of the condition or there is a risk of complications, patients can be offered surgical treatment of existing diseases.
Surgical treatment
Modern methods of surgical intervention are characterized by a high level of efficiency and safety.They allow you to quickly eliminate the pathological cause of pain and often do not require a stay in the hospital.But most minimally invasive and microsurgical methods can be used only when patients turn to spine surgeons in the early stages of the disease.
Indications for surgical treatment are:
- progressive herniation of intervertebral discs;
- spinal canal stenosis;
- sequestered hernias;
- spine fractures;
- scoliosis grade 3-4;
- severe forms of spondyloarthrosis;
- compression of the spinal cord or its nerve roots;
- hemangioma of vertebral bodies;
- instability of individual segments of the spine;
- cauda equina compression syndrome.
The surgeon determines the type of surgery based on the severity of the patient's condition.For the same diagnosis, surgical treatment can be performed in different ways, varying in the degree of invasiveness, effectiveness, duration of rehabilitation and cost.
Recently, minimally invasive methods of surgical treatment have become very popular.With their help, intervertebral protrusions, intervertebral disc herniation, hemangiomas and a number of other diseases are treated.Minimally invasive surgery takes no more than an hour, and after it is performed, the patient can walk almost immediately and leave the clinic the same or the next day.
The great advantages of the method are a good cosmetic effect (in most cases, all the necessary surgical instruments are inserted through precise soft tissue punctures), ease of rehabilitation and an affordable price.In the case of intervertebral hernias, only cold plasma nucleoplasty or hydroplasty (hydrodiscectomy) can be considered a more promising method.
In situations where microsurgical techniques cannot be used, surgeons perform open operations.During them, it is possible to completely remove pathologically changed formations, level severe spinal deformities, replace structures that cannot be restored with implants, and achieve normal spinal function by mounting metal titanium structures.
Modern spine surgery can treat almost any back problem.All the latest methods of surgical treatment of spinal diseases are available in many institutions.A team of doctors of various profiles will help you get rid of chronic acute or painful back pain in the shortest possible time.
Back pain prevention
After the attack ends and the pain subsides, to avoid the recurrence of the episode, it is recommended:
- do not lift very heavy objects;
- don't bend over;
- walk more;
- refuse heavy physical work;
- When sitting down, take regular breaks to warm up.