According to medical statistics, acute back pain is the second leading cause of disability.At least 80% of people have suffered from it at least once.They can occur sporadically or be observed during exacerbations of spinal diseases.But in any case, acute and chronic back pain require competent treatment and targeted action on the causes of their occurrence.
Acute back pain: causes
Acute pain is defined as pain that lasts less than 6 weeks.For most, this goes away within 2 weeks.Although it is impossible to predict initially how long this will last.However, in almost half of cases, similar or more severe attacks repeat themselves in the future and develop into chronic pain.
Acute pain can vary in intensity, be dull, burning, etc.Sometimes it radiates to the arms, legs, buttocks.So-called back lumbago often occurs after hypothermia, excessive physical exertion and following sprains.Several days may pass between the impact of the traumatic factor and the immediate manifestation of the pain syndrome, and the latter will manifest itself under the influence of minor physical effort, for example, bending over.
They can also be the consequence of a back injury or be the first manifestations of spinal diseases, including:
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- spinal canal stenosis, etc.
Increases the risk of back problems:
- frequent stress;
- regular and increased physical activity;
- excess weight;
- frequent and prolonged standing.
In addition to severe back pain, headaches, burning sensation in the legs, and dizziness may be present.All of these symptoms should be reported to your doctor during your appointment.
Whichever anatomical structure was damaged first leads to a whole chain of sequential changes that increase discomfort.Initially, inflammatory factors form in the lesion, causing swelling and irritation of the nerve fibers.In response to this, muscle spasms often occur, which further aggravates the situation and causes poor circulation to the affected area.This leads to a decrease in the amount of nutrients and oxygen supplied to the lesion, as well as the retention of metabolic products in it.
Treatment of acute back pain
To relieve pain, lie on your back on a hard surface.This will allow the back muscles to relax and relieve stress on the spine.To enhance the effect, you can place orthopedic pillows under your knees and head, but it is important to avoid arching your lower back.In case of severe pain, short-term use of NSAIDs is allowed.In the future, you will definitely need to contact a neurologist or spinal 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 radiating to the feet or knees, or problems with urination and defecation.In order to diagnose existing disorders, patients are shown:
- MRI;
- CT scan;
- Radiography;
- 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 depriving a person of the ability to work, he may be offered a spinal blockade, which relieves the pain syndrome within a few minutes.
Once the discomfort has subsided, it is important not to linger in bed.Moderate physical activity, supplemented by special therapeutic exercises, is the best prevention of the recurrence of such attacks in the future.
By going to the hospital, you will certainly receive high-quality treatment for pain and the causes that cause it.Specialists will be able to develop the most effective treatment tactics and quickly relieve pain using a well-designed and affordable blockade.
Chronic back pain: causes
No less often people suffer from stubborn chronic back pain.They can worsen and turn into an attack of acute pain, which completely cuts the person off from their usual rhythm.Most often, it is a consequence of:
- A sedentary lifestyle, which leads to a weakening of the muscular corset.This causes an increased 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.
- Posture disorders.Long-term maintenance of any body position in which the natural curves of the spine are disrupted causes its curvature and the development of scoliosis or kyphosis.This leads to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, redistribution of the load on the muscles and pinching of the nerve roots.
- Weakening of the abdominal muscles.Since they serve as support for the internal organs and partially relieve the spine, when they are weak, the load on the lower back increases, which increases lordosis and causes 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 become dehydrated, leading to a decrease in their elasticity, strength and size.The fibrous ring surrounding the gelatinous nucleus pulposus dries out and becomes more fragile.Loads cause cracks to form, which leads to the formation of protrusions and hernias.The resulting protrusion can compress nearby blood vessels, nerve roots and spinal cord, causing pain.
Diseases accompanied by chronic back pain include:
- osteochondrosis;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- osteoporosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- facet syndrome;
- Bekhterev's disease;
- spondylolisthesis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- oncological and other diseases.
Facet joint wear is a common cause of chronic pain.The cartilages found there are also subject to thinning under excessive loads on the spine.As a result, when they move, they cease to perform a cushioning function, which causes bone fragments to rub together and inflammation to develop.
Back pain treatment
Treatment tactics are developed based on the disorders discovered during diagnostic studies.When diseases of the spine are detected, conservative treatment is initially 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 medications, including:
- 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 discomfort, which often reduces the effectiveness of conservative treatment;
- topical preparations - ointments or gels containing anti-inflammatory, warming or cooling components 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 medications are sufficient.But in more complex situations, patients may be prescribed intra-articular injections.In case of severe pain, it is recommended to carry out blocks once or in one course, which can include up to 10 procedures.
To increase the effectiveness of drug treatment, patients are prescribed massage and physiotherapy sessions.Proper impact on the back muscles helps activate blood and lymphatic circulation, improve metabolic processes and eliminate muscle spasms.Manual therapy is very effective for spinal deformities, especially grade 1-2 scoliosis.Regular sessions help restore the normal position of the spine and eliminate pressure on internal organs.
As part of physiotherapeutic treatment, patients are prescribed sessions:
- Ultra-high frequency;
- magnetic therapy;
- Bernard currents;
- laser therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- Ural Federal District;
- balneological treatment.
If within six months it is not possible to improve the condition or there is a risk of complications, patients may 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 the pain and often do not require hospitalization.But most minimally invasive and microsurgical methods can be used only when patients turn to spine surgeons in the early stages of the disease.
The indications for surgical treatment are:
- progressive intervertebral disc herniation;
- spinal canal stenosis;
- sequestered hernias;
- vertebral fractures;
- scoliosis grade 3 to 4;
- severe forms of spondyloarthrosis;
- compression of the spinal cord or its nerve roots;
- hemangiomas of the vertebral bodies;
- instability of individual segments of the spine;
- cauda equina compression syndrome.
The surgeon determines the type of operation based on the severity of the patient's condition.For the same diagnosis, surgical treatment can be carried out in different ways, differing in the degree of invasion, effectiveness, duration of rehabilitation and cost.
Recently, minimally invasive surgical treatment methods have become very popular.With their help, intervertebral protrusions, herniated intervertebral discs, hemangiomas and a number of other diseases are treated.The minimally invasive surgery takes no more than an hour and, once performed, the patient can walk almost immediately and leave the clinic the same or next day.
The huge 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 affordable price.In the case of intervertebral hernias, only nucleoplasty or cold plasma hydroplasty (hydrodiscectomy) can be considered a more promising method.
In situations where microsurgical techniques cannot be used, surgeons perform open operations.During these, it is possible to completely eliminate pathologically altered formations, level severe deformities of the spine, replace structures that cannot be restored with implants and achieve normal functioning of the spine by mounting metal structures made of titanium.
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 different profiles will help you get rid of acute or painful chronic back pain as soon as possible.
Preventing back pain
Once the attack is over and the pain has subsided, in order to avoid a repeat of the episode, it is recommended:
- do not lift too heavy objects;
- do not bend over;
- walk more;
- refusing heavy physical work;
- When working sedentary, take regular breaks to warm up.