Back pain is one of the most common health problems. We want you to be familiar with the causes of its appearance and teach you what to do when your back hurts.
Perhaps, in the world there is no person who has never had back pain at least once in his life. Back pain can be dull and persistent, or it can be acute, suddenly causing you to measure every move. It can start suddenly if you fall or lift something too heavy, or it progresses slowly, preventing you from living a full life.
Factors that increase the risk of back pain
Anyone is immune to back pain, but there are several factors that increase the risk of back pain:
- Age.The older you get, the more painful your back. Back pain usually first appears when you are in your 30s and 40s.
- Being physically poor.Back pain is more common in sedentary and sedentary people.
- Overweight.A diet rich in calories and fat can cause you to gain weight. Too much weight puts a strain on the spine, causing pain.
- Heredity.There are genetic diseases, one of the symptoms of the disease is back pain, for example, ankylosing spondylitis.
- Other diseases.Certain types of arthritis and cancer can also cause back pain.
- Your work.If your job constantly requires serious physical exertion, lift weights or you have to be in an uncomfortable position for several hours - as a result, you may experience back pain. If you work at a desk all day without sitting upright, your back will hurt too.
- Smoking.If you smoke, your body cannot get the nutrients it needs for your bones, leading to a gradual loss of spine strength and decreased flexibility. Cough smokers can also cause back pain.
What is the reason?
There are many causes of back pain. Sometimes the pain can be due to a mechanical cause like:
- Contraction of the back muscles.
- Spinal spasm.
- Stretches muscles.
- Tear disc.
- A fall from a height.
- Fracture of the spine.
Back pain can manifest itself as one of the symptoms of certain diseases and conditions, such as:
- Scoliosis.
- Spondylolisthesis.
- Arthritis.
- Narrow.
- Pregnant.
- Kidney stones.
- Infections.
- Endometriosis.
- Fibromyalgia.
Other possible causes of back pain are infection, swelling, or stress.
How can I prevent back pain?
The best thing you can do to prevent back pain:
- Exercise regularly to strengthen your back muscles.
- Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you are overweight. To have strong bones, you must get enough calcium and vitamin D every day.
- Maintain correct posture, do not bend or bend over.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects. If you can't do it without lifting weights, then get it right: bend your legs and keep your back straight, place the center of gravity on the body rather than the side and press the load against the body and don't do it with the wingsarms outstretched. When lowering the heavy object, continue to straighten your back, squat down and lower the dumbbells down. You need to get up after these movements slowly and carefully, because after transferring weights, your spine is very vulnerable.
When to see a doctor?
You should see a doctor if you have:
- Numbness or tingling.
- Severe pain gets worse and does not respond to any treatment.
- Pain that occurs after a fall or injury.
Pain is accompanied by one of the following symptoms:
- Problems with urination.
- Weakness.
- Numbness of the feet.
- Fever.
- Lose weight when you're not on a diet.
What diagnostic methods are used for back pain?
To diagnose back pain, your doctor will ask you for details about the course and nature of the pain and conduct an examination. After the examination, he will order other tests, such as:
- X-ray.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Computed tomography (CT) scan.
- Blood test.
Medical tests may not be able to pinpoint the cause of your back pain. Quite often, the cause of back pain is still unclear.
What is the difference between acute and chronic back pain?
Acute pain starts quickly and lasts no more than 6 weeks. This is the most common type of back pain. Acute pain can be caused by things like falling while playing soccer or lifting heavy objects. Chronic pain lasts more than 3 months and is much less common than acute pain.
How to heal?
Back pain treatment depends on the type of pain you have. Acute back pain usually goes away on its own without treatment, but you can take pain relievers to relieve the pain. Exercise and surgery are not commonly used to treat acute back pain.
Here are some chronic back pain treatments:
Apply hot or cold (or both)
Applying hot or cold compresses can ease pain and relieve tension in your back. Heat can reduce muscle spasms. Cold helps reduce swelling, irritation, and sensitivity. Using hot or cold compresses can relieve the pain, but this treatment won't address the underlying cause of chronic back pain.
Special exercise
Proper exercise can help relieve chronic pain, but should not be used in acute back pain. Your doctor or chiropractor can help you determine which exercise is right for your condition.
Medicines
Here are the main medications used for back pain:
- Pain reliever.
- Pain relief creams and ointments are applied to the affected area.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve pain and swelling. NSAIDs include brand name drugs. Your doctor may prescribe stronger NSAIDs.
- Muscle relaxants and some antidepressants may help treat some types of chronic back pain, but this is very isolated.
Change behavior
Learn how to properly lift heavy objects to reduce stress on your back. Lifestyle changes: Eating well, quitting smoking, buying a quality orthopedic mattress and going swimming can all help relieve back pain.
Inject
Your doctor may recommend a topical steroid injection or pain reliever to help relieve pain.
Alternative treatments
Some unique therapies that can work well. The most popular among these methods is:
- Manual therapy.Chiropractors have techniques for long-term chronic back pain relief. However, keep in mind that even if your doctor is a magician and can relieve pain for a few sessions, you need to seriously strengthen your back muscles so that these pain don't return.
- Acupuncture.Chinese medicine uses fine needles to relieve pain and restore health. Acupuncture can be effective when used as part of a comprehensive low back pain treatment plan.
- Acupressure.The therapist puts pressure on specific areas of the body to relieve pain. The effectiveness of acupressure to treat back pain is not well understood by everyone.
Surgical treatment
Most people with chronic back pain don't need surgery. This is often an extreme method and is used if other treatments are ineffective. This may be required if you have:
- Discrete disc.
- Spinal stenosis.
- Spondylolisthesis.
- A fracture of the spine.
- A fracture can be caused by a blow to the back or osteoporosis due to osteoporosis.
- Degenerative disc disease.
As we get older, discs can start to break down and cause intense pain.
Rarely has back pain caused by a tumor, infection or a nerve root problem called equina cauda syndrome, requiring immediate surgery to relieve pain and prevent new problems.