Back pain often appears after sudden movements or lifting heavy objects. If your back hurts constantly, this is a symptom of a certain disease. The cause of back pain is diagnosed and treated by a neurologist. The condition is successfully treated with conservative methods.
What you need to know about back pain
Back pain is also known as lumbago. It periodically bothers every second person. Usually, the pain is localized in the lumbar region. As a rule, it occurs based on existing changes in the spine. Depending on the type of disease, the pain can be temporary or permanent. Persistent pain is a sign of a serious illness, which if not treated promptly can lead to the need for spinal surgery.
When should you see a doctor?
Do not delay seeing a neurologist if you observe the following symptoms:
- Acute back pain that does not go away within 2-3 days;
- chronic pain that lasts more than a week without improvement;
- pain that appears suddenly, for no apparent reason;
- pain often occurs after injury;
- Back pain spreads to legs, knees, and feet.
You must see your doctor urgently, immediately, if the pain is accompanied by the following additional symptoms:
- rising temperatures;
- limited mobility of the arms or legs;
- feeling of numbness in the limbs;
- severe changes in blood pressure;
- Painkillers do not relieve pain;
- loss of consciousness occurs;
- there are problems with the functioning of internal organs;
- signs of intoxication;
- blood started to flow.
But even without these symptoms, you should not delay contacting a specialist - some back diseases can be completely cured only in the early stages. Your performance directly determines how good the treatment will be.
Risk factors are:
- work involving computers or driving, heavy physical activity, stress;
- intensive training in the gym without the supervision of a trainer;
- work in forced positions while sitting or standing;
- overweight.
Why does my back hurt?
The causes of back pain are very diverse. They are caused by the following diseases:
- osteoarthritis, spondylosis, spinal osteoarthritis;
- Scoliosis, kyphosis of the spine;
- protrusion or herniation of the intervertebral disc;
- radiculitis or low back pain, sciatic nerve inflammation;
- spinal stenosis;
- spinal instability and fractures;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- overexertion, hypothermia or back muscle bruising;
- damage to spinal ligaments;
- myositis.
Pregnancy and back pain
Another common factor that affects the occurrence of back pain is pregnancy. As the abdomen grows and the lumbar curve increases, the load on the spine also increases. The discs begin to wear down quickly and sometimes nerves become compressed. You can prevent back pain and the conditions that cause back pain if you don't overwork yourself during pregnancy. If necessary, you should wear a support bandage and follow the advice of another doctor.
Even if you don't have back pain during pregnancy, your spine is under serious pressure and injuries that lead to pain can still occur during childbirth.
How to recognize disease by type of pain
Different diseases cause different types of back pain. It can be acute, chronic, painful, stabbing, with or without conduction (irradiation).
| Kind of pain | What causes the disease? |
|---|---|
| Acute with conduction (irradiation) and without conduction. | Osteochondritis. Persistent pain in the back sometimes radiates down the legs and increases when lifting heavy objects, coughing or sneezing. Back pain can last a few minutes, a few hours or a few days. |
| Intervertebral hernia. Pain occurs when lifting heavy objects, bending and turning to one side. Then pain and weakness appear in one of the legs. Back pain when moving, coughing, sneezing. | |
| Radiation inflammation. Sharp or dull, aching pain. Often deviated to one side, spreading to the legs, buttocks, thighs, and lower legs. It intensifies with changes in body position and may be accompanied by numbness, tingling, burning, itching or a pins and needles sensation. | |
| Chronic and acute pain | Muscle strain, myositis, working for a long time in an uncomfortable position, lifting heavy objects, sudden movements, hypothermia. |
| Low back pain. It affects people who do heavy manual labor. Severe back pain usually stops after a few days, although it can last two to three weeks. | |
| Displacement of the intervertebral disc. The cause is bone and cartilage degeneration, lifting heavy objects and heavy manual labor. | |
| Chronic | Degenerative disease of the vertebrae. Pain may be accompanied by numbness and weakness in the legs. Cervical spondylosis causes pain in the back of the head, shoulders and when turning the head. |
| Hurt | Inflammation of the muscles of the back and lumbar spine. The disease occurs after hypothermia or muscle strain. The pain is not severe or long lasting. The muscles in the affected area are dense and painful when strained. |
| Pain due to conduction (irradiation) to the legs | Sciatic nerve inflammation. Lumbar spinal herniation. Back pain in the lumbar and sacrum areas. Pain in the buttocks, back of thighs, legs or feet. |
Diagnostic method
The clinic's experts will accurately determine the cause of back pain using the following diagnostic methods:
- MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging
- Ultrasound examination (ultrasound)
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Laboratory research
Back pain treatment methods
Doctors at the modern clinic use a variety of non-surgical methods: from gentle massage and chiropractic techniques to lasers and physiotherapy. To ensure the treatment is as effective as possible, we provide each patient with an individualized protocol that uses only pain medication at the beginning of the treatment.
- UHF resonance wave therapy
- Rehabilitation on the Thera-Band exercise machine
- Joint and spine blocks
- Treatment medicine
- Shock wave therapy
Diagnostic method
Experts will accurately determine the cause of back pain using the following diagnostic methods:
First, a baseline survey of the patient is conducted to determine exactly what happens before the pain begins, what is the nature of the pain, etc. v. Next, the patient will have a visual examination and palpation of the spine. If the pain increases when pressing on the spine, this can eliminate diseases of internal organs. If necessary, the patient may be referred to a cardiologist, gynecologist, orthopedist or other specialist.
Back pain treatment methods
Doctors at the modern clinic use a variety of non-surgical methods: from gentle massage and chiropractic techniques to lasers and physiotherapy. To ensure the treatment is as effective as possible, we provide each patient with an individualized protocol that uses only pain medication at the beginning of the treatment.
Clinics will help you get rid of pain in the back area, reduce swelling and inflammation in the affected area, normalize metabolism, strengthen back muscles and restore the normal position of the spine. Freedom of movement will return to you, you will feel a surge of vitality.
As part of the rehabilitation process, for each patient, the clinic's specialist will create an individual physical activity plan for independent exercise to consolidate treatment results and prevent disease. .
What to do if you have back pain?
If you have severe back pain, our doctors recommend the following:
- Lie down, choose a comfortable position where you feel the least pain and your muscles are not tense. Spend at least 20 minutes in this position until the pain subsides.
- Do not sit forward, do not lift heavy objects, and do not play sports until the pain subsides.
- Contact your doctor immediately.
Remember if you haveSpinal pain, treatmentcannot be delayed. There is a risk of making the situation worse.
If the pain becomes unbearable and you need to wait until a doctor or ambulance arrives, do the following:
- Lie down in bed and try to minimize movements and ensure maximum peace. Stillness is your best friend.
- Place a soft pillow under your back to reduce stress on your spine.
- If you have suitable mild painkillers, you can take them to relieve the pain, but it is better not to do this. See the next paragraph to see why.
- Do not take any food or drink other than plain water, as if emergency surgery is required, this may cause problems (many procedures can only be performed on an empty stomach). You should also not take any medications or heat the problem area, as this will distort the clinical picture and make it impossible to accurately diagnose the problem, and thereby prescribe the correct treatment.
- It is permissible to apply cold compresses to the painful area, even if the cause of the pain has not been determined, it will not aggravate any common pathology.