Leaving aside the obvious causes, such as injuries, muscle tension or hypothermia, back pain in adults is more often associated with degenerative changes in the structure of the intervertebral joints and the vertebral bodies themselves. -themselves.
This process is called differently in different countries, but the essence does not change: with age, due to metabolic disorders, as well as asymmetric or excessive loads, cartilage, which is located between the vertebrae and ensures their mobility, thins and thickens. This leads to microtrauma and inflammation of the intervertebral joints and surrounding tissues.
Inflammation can be quickly extinguished with medication, but cartilage regeneration is a long process: cartilage wears out faster than it recovers. Therefore, having appeared once, pain in the spine usually returns periodically.
What to do: get an MRI and see a neurologist, have your bones cracked by a chiropractor, take pills or resort to alternative medicine?
First of all, consult a neurologist!
This is where you should start when you first experience back pain. The doctor must exclude all really dangerous causes of pain, for example, a compression fracture (sometimes this goes unnoticed), spinal tuberculosis or a tumor.
Most likely, the doctor will limit himself to a simple examination and prescribe treatment for 3-5 days, and then give recommendations for correcting your lifestyle. In the future, if the pain returns, you can deal with it on your own.
Doing an MRI of the spine on your own is a waste of time and money. In most cases, the results of the study will not affect the choice of treatment, tactics and prognosis, and therefore your well-being.
You absolutely need to see a neurologist: if back pain is accompanied by weakness in the leg, arm, if there are problems with the sensitivity of the body under the sore spot (numbness, crawling, tingling) or if the functions of the pelvic organs are impaired(problems with urination, erection, etc. ). In these cases, further examination will be necessary.
Persistent pain is harmful
The pain causes muscle spasms, which increase pressure on spinal nerves and pain receptors in the joint, and also limit movement. To recover faster, you must break this chain.
Therefore, in case of severe pain, bed rest is indicated for the first 1-3 days. Everyone chooses for themselves the position in which the pain is minimal, but most often it helps to lie on your back, on a hard base with a bolster under the knees and lower back, head on a pillowdown. Sometimes it becomes easier in the fetal position: on your side, with your back rounded and a pillow between your bent knees.
Medications include pain relievers and anti-inflammatories for 3-5 days. As a rule, after 1 injection the situation improves a lot. You can also take these drugs in tablet form: the strength of action will not change, but the effect will come later.
Vitamins B1, B6, B12 are indicated as well as analgesics. They help to cope with pain, inflammation and improve the metabolism of nervous tissues.
A neurologist or therapist may prescribe muscle relaxants. They help relax the spinal muscles, reduce pressure on the source of inflammation and pain, but can have serious side effects, so it is best not to take them without professional advice. specialist.
If everything is done correctly, the pain should disappear in 3 to 5 days. The future fate of your back is in your hands. The extent of the change in your quality of life now does not depend on the qualifications of the attending physician, but on your ability to work your muscles and joints correctly!
How to get moving?
There is a rule developed by natural selection: to avoid pain, thereby protecting the damaged part of the body from destruction. But back pain is an exception.
During a week of bed rest, you can lose up to 20-30% of your muscle strength, which significantly reduces the chances of full recovery in the future.
Why train muscles?
First of all,Strong back and abdominal muscles are able to take the lion's share of the load when absorbing movement, as well as stabilize the spine in the correct position - so that the intervertebral joints take on the optimal configuration and experience less strain. wear and pain. It has been proven that people with poorly developed muscles suffer from chronic back pain more often.
Secondly,training the back muscles increases the bone density of the vertebrae. This is an excellent prevention of osteoporosis and compression fractures, especially important for women over 45 years old. And during movement, lubrication of the joints is produced, blood circulation improves and the processes of cartilage regeneration take place faster.
Third,Appropriate physical activity strengthens the ligaments that hold the vertebrae in relation to each other. This is an important element in preventing chronic back pain in people with joint hypermobility: those who can reach from the thumb of the hand to the bones of the forearm of the same hand orwho can hyperextend their arms at the elbows and knees.
The best prevention of back pain is therefore movement, but the right movement!
Three rules of physiotherapy
The ideal option is to undergo a physiotherapy complex under the supervision of an instructor: a physiotherapist doctor, physiotherapist, neurologist or chiropractor. After learning the technique, you can practice on your own without the help of specialists.
It is important to follow three rules, without which no exercise will work!
- Exercise should become a daily habit and not a firefighting measure. Choose 4 to 5 flexibility and movement coordination exercises that can be performed within 15 to 20 minutes after waking up each day. According to statistics, the people who most often suffer from back pain are "weekend athletes", that is, people who do not have time to play sports during the week and who do not'have the opportunity to make up for lost time only on weekends.
- The second part of the activity is a series of strength exercises. They are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back, abdominals, arms, legs and stabilizing the spine, so they should gradually become more complex. If you finish a workout without feeling tired, then you're wasting your time: muscles that don't get tired don't grow. Strength training takes more time, but also gives a longer lasting effect. Therefore, it is enough to devote 1 hour to them 2-3 times a week. If you suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system and lungs, it is important that the exercise intensity is controlled by a physiotherapist doctor, at least at the initial stage.
- The biomechanics of the spine are very complex. There are therefore no universal exercises to correct all types of pain. A good specialist will immediately narrow down the choice. But if you practice alone, let yourself be guided by your feelings. Training should gradually increase the range of motion without back pain. If this does not happen or the pain, on the contrary, intensifies, then you are doing something wrong.
An approximate set of exercises for acute, subacute periods and remission - when the back practically does not bother you, can be downloaded from the Internet.
Are you going to have to stop exercising?
It is advisable to replace certain types of activities with similar activities. For example, instead of running on uneven terrain, it is better to try a treadmill, rather than a road bike, to try an exercise bike.
It is advisable to initially avoid exercises with pure hanging on the bar, replacing them with exercises with back or leg support. Exercises with dumbbells or a barbell are performed while lying on your back or stomach, without vertical loads.
Playing sports associated with jumping and sudden twisting movements can cause a painful attack: volleyball, basketball, football, tennis, dancing. But that doesn't mean it's time to give up your favorite activity. To get back into shape, you will first need to work out your back and abdominal muscles well under the guidance of a doctor and choose shoes with good shock absorbers. And of course, before any activity, you must warm up properly.
For most, the ideal sport for back pain is swimming, as well as aquagym. However, some people with spinal joint instability may experience increased lower back pain after swimming. In this case, you should start with dry training to strengthen the torso muscles.
The main causes of chronic back pain are being overweight, stress and poor posture. An active lifestyle allows you to solve all three problems at once.
How to check your posture?
The spine has 4 curvatures - 2 forward and 2 backward. Normally, they are balanced and alleviate the vertical load on the vertebrae when walking and other movements. If you slouch excessively or overextend your lower back, your body weight is poorly distributed and the load on each vertebra becomes prohibitive.
For example, if you tilt your head forward and round your back (standard posture of an office worker), the tension in the joints of the neck and upper thoracic spine increases 6 times.
To check your posture, place your back against the wall. Normally, the back of the head, shoulder blades, buttocks, game and heels should touch the wall. In the lumbar area, your fist should pass easily between the wall and your back, turned flat.
Sit up straight with your lower back supported. You can place a small pillow or folded sweater under your lower back. To get rid of the habit of crossing your legs, try placing a low stool or box of office supplies under your feet. Try to change your body position more often, periodically walk around the office, stretching your muscles to relieve tension. For example, like on thematic videos on the Internet.
How not to overwork yourself?
Follow safety precautions if you need to take something somewhere.
Calculate your movements and the order of your actions in advance. Can you use surrounding objects for support? Where should the load be transported?
Assume the pose: Bend your knees and hips slightly, but don't lean forward. Tighten your abdominal muscles to protect your pelvic organs. When you lift something heavy, it's your legs that have to work, not your back.
Hold the weight at your waist or chest, with the heavier end facing you.
If you have to turn around, walk on your feet, but don't lean to the side or twist your spine.
Keep your head straight. When picking up a load, look ahead and not toward it.
Know your limits! There is a big difference between what you can lift and what you can lift without putting your health at risk. If in doubt, ask someone to help you.
Do not pull. . . If you need to move a heavy object across the floor, it's best to push it rather than drag it behind you.
Distribute your weight evenly. When carrying shopping bags or luggage, try to carry equal weight in each hand.
What can help heal your back?
Physiotherapy, acupuncture (reflexology), various types of massages, manual therapy and even taking antidepressants are very effective methods used to treat various types of chronic back pain around the world. The mechanism of their action is simple: relieve muscle tension, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in tissues, correct the biomechanics of movement.
These methods work in the hands of a specialist and can be useless, or even harmful, in the hands of a charlatan. Therefore, always pay attention to the reputation of the clinic and the reviews of the doctor you contact.
And above all, all these types of treatments only have an auxiliary value. The main thing is correct posture, daily muscle work, proper nutrition and careful use of your spine.
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