Everyone has experienced back pain. For some it is a periodic pain, for others it is constant. To get rid of anxiety, many people take painkillers and do not pay attention to the real causes of anxiety. This can lead to complications and serious pathologies.
Back pain can cause diseases of the internal organs or spine, as well as injuries. Sometimes anxiety is caused by poor posture, physical exertion, or sudden movements.
First you need to find out why your back hurts and only then start treatment.
Types of back pain
The diagnosis can be made based on the nature of the back pain.
For example, if the pain is exacerbated by heavy lifting, physical exertion, hypothermia, or prolonged inactivity, it may be due to myositis, lumbago, or an intervertebral hernia.
Acute pain in the legs or arms can signal radiculitis, an intervertebral hernia, or osteochondrosis. Unpleasant sensations are aggravated by walking, bending or coughing, and weakness in the limbs is felt.
All the same intervertebral hernia, lumbago and osteochondrosis, as well as spondylosis can cause pulsating pain. This is confirmed when the pain does not decrease even after analgesia.
If there is an explosion or compression pain in the chest, it is a sign of pulmonary embolism or myocardial infarction. Spinal discomfort speaks of spondyloarthritis, and intestinal obstruction in the lumbar region. Atherosclerosis can cause pain in the neck.
Back pain after sleep
In the morning, the back can only hurt due to the wrong mattress or the wrong posture during sleep. The day before, hypothermia, stress, or heavy lifting can cause stiffness and pain under the shoulder blades, behind the waist, on the right or left.
The reasons may be different: curvature of the spine, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia or obesity. Also, your back hurts in the morning during pregnancy.
Spinal and joint pathologies
Spinal discomfort can be associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- Ankylosing spondylitis. Due to muscle spasm, the patient leans forward to relieve discomfort. Later, the inflamed vertebrae harden and grow together, making the spine less elastic.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. The disease begins in the knee, hip joint or shoulders and then spreads to the cervical spine. In the morning, patients have a burning sensation and stiffness: the affected vertebrae put unnecessary pressure on the nerves.
- Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. The patient feels discomfort in the back: the vertebrae move and squeeze the nerve endings.
- Osteomyelitis. Acute muscle pain occurs due to an infection in the bone tissue of the spine.
- Osteochondrosis. With this disease, the amortization of the spine deteriorates. The discs between the vertebrae are damaged and the annulus fibrosus is broken: the nucleus of the disc protrudes through the cracks and is compressed.
- Intervertebral hernia. The protrusion between the vertebrae is compressed during movement, resulting in distortion.
Diseases related to muscle structure
The source of discomfort may be spasms and endurance in the muscle corset that supports the spine:
- Fibromyalgia This disease causes pain from the neck to the lumbar region, and the discomfort is exacerbated by pressing on certain areas.
- Dermatomyositis. The skin around the striped and smooth muscles becomes inflamed.
- Polymyositis. The disease occurs due to overexertion or hypothermia: the back hurts and the muscles feel weak.
- Rheumatic polymyalgia. It is difficult for the patient to stand up without anyone's help, and the asymmetry in the back is clearly visible.
- Charcot's disease. Peripheral nerves along the spine become inflamed. Sensitivity worsens, muscles weaken and the patient's gait changes.
Spinal cord diseases
Unpleasant sensations can occur due to compression or inflammation of any part of the spinal cord.
Sources of pain in this situation:
- compression of the spinal membranes as a result of a fracture, hematoma or abscess;
- inflammation of nearby muscles;
- circulatory disorders;
- bleeding;
- vitamin deficiency;
- Complications of HIV or syphilis;
- posterior tumor of various etiologies;
- multiple sclerosis.
Psychosomatics
The back can also be damaged due to psychological factors: depression, nervous tension, chronic stress or sexual dissatisfaction.
Localization of low back pain
Unpleasant feelings in different parts of the back are caused by various factors.
For example, pain on the right side is caused by lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis, or displacement of the intervertebral disc. The left side hurts due to splenitis, spinal cord or duodenitis, and the source of back pain may be sciatica, osteochondrosis, or an intervertebral hernia.
If there is pain in the upper back on the right - it is myositis, on the left - osteochondrosis.
Anxiety in the spine signals a bulge that can turn into osteochondrosis.
When should you see a doctor as soon as possible?
If the cause of back pain is tension or stress, it will decrease after a few days. However, if the pain only increases, you need urgent medical attention.
In the following cases it is necessary to consult a doctor immediately:
- cannot find a position where the pain is weakened;
- have recently had a back injury or contusion;
- the situation worsens at night;
- the patient's course changed;
- the patient has a fever;
- limbs weaken, numbness, tingling sensation is felt;
- painkillers do not help.
Diagnosis of low back pain
You should make an appointment with a neurologist to determine the cause of your back pain. If necessary, blood tests should be performed to check for infection or inflammation. Examinations to be prescribed by a specialist may also be required.
Duplex and triplex ultrasound examinations of the neck and cerebral vessels are needed to determine the cause of headache, dizziness, or high blood pressure.
MRI allows you to see tumors in the vertebrae, narrowing of the spinal nerves and spinal cord, compressed intervertebral discs, spinal canal. CT scan is needed to detect vertebral fractures.
X-rays help assess the condition of bone structures to determine the degree of fractures, spondylolisthesis, arthritis, and poor posture.
Electromyography determines nerve compression due to spinal stenosis or herniated disc.
How to get rid of back pain?
First of all, you need to rest. To do this, lie on your stomach on a flat, hard surface, preferably on the floor. After a few minutes, roll over on your back and raise your legs at a 90-degree angle. This will reduce the load on the spine.
Anti-inflammatory ointments and creams are also helpful. When the pain subsides, gently lift and wrap the wound area with a towel.
In the absence of painkillers, a cold compress - an ice pack or food from the freezer - will help relieve severe pain. It will not be possible to completely eliminate the anxiety, but it can alleviate the situation. In terms of printing, the opposite option will also help - a heating pad or a heater compress.
A light warm-up or a comfortable walk will help to get rid of unpleasant feelings.
Treatment of low back pain
After examination and diagnosis, the doctor prescribes treatment. To alleviate the discomfort, a specialist prescribes painkillers, B vitamins and muscle relaxants. Sometimes it is recommended to rest in bed and wear a special corset.
An important stage of treatment is physiotherapy. These include drug electrophoresis, laser therapy, phonophoresis and magnetic therapy. Electroneurostimulation and acupuncture also help.
Massage, manual therapy, osteopathy and sports therapy are effective for back pain. They also help to recover from trauma.
Prevention of back pain
You need to move more so as not to cause discomfort in the back. Morning exercises and yoga, contrast showers and massage courses are effective.
It is important to maintain the health of the liver, which produces collagen, and increase immunity. Weight is worth paying attention to, because every ten pounds increases the load on the spine.
But first of all, you need to avoid stress and even create a psychological atmosphere around you.