Back pain most often occurs in the elderly, but it can also occur in young people for a number of reasons.Almost all adults are used to periodically feeling pain in the back, which can be explained by the special tendency of this part of the body to various injuries.The vast majority of back pain is easily treatable and preventable, however, sometimes the causes of back pain can be quite serious, including, for example, osteochondrosis.
Back pain can be caused by any disease of the gastrointestinal tract, the presence of kidney stones or other problems of the human urinary system.
Back pain can be in the lumbar region or between the shoulder blades, and it can also cause pain in the arms or legs, depending on the cause of the pain.
Causes of back pain
The main causes of back pain include diseases such as osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, radiculopathy, scoliosis, disc herniation, osteoporosis, myofascial pain and severe spinal cord circulatory disorders.
In addition, back pain can be caused by being overweight, heavy physical activity including heavy lifting, poor posture, or an infection.
Factors that cause back pain
In the event that back pain is caused by an illness, but there is no treatment, the pain tends to return and subside depending on the presence of contributing factors.For example, hypothermia or heavy lifting, as well as being in an uncomfortable position for a long time, can trigger the return of back pain.In addition, the infection can return the pain to the body.
The main symptoms of back pain
Back pain that does not go away within 3-5 days, as well as when the accompanying body temperature is above 37.8, is a sign of seeing a doctor and being examined.
Back pain can be accompanied by frequent and painful urination, vomiting and nausea, numbness in the limbs and diarrhea.These are all symptoms that require you to see a doctor immediately.
If, in addition to back pain, you experience noticeable difficulty moving your arms or legs and confusion, it is extremely important to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Diagnosis of back pain
In the case of back pain, examination methods such as neurological and X-ray examinations, CT and MRI, as well as manual diagnostics are used.
Most often, osteochondrosis is detected during X-ray examination of older people.
Immediately after the doctor's visit, an anamnesis is taken, the symptoms and complaints are clarified in detail, and further tests are prescribed.
During the compilation of the anamnesis, the localization and radiation of the pain, the patient's emotional state, and the existence of a relationship between the occurrence of the pain and the person's situation are clarified.The presence of old back injuries is also important.
In order to identify the presence of possible neoplasms and infections, a somatic examination is performed.
Treatment of back pain
Treatment methods such as manual, drug and physical therapy, as well as exercise therapy, postisomer relaxation, surgery, traction, interspinous and paravertebral blocks are prescribed to treat different types of pain, depending on the cause.Obligatory adherence to the orthopedically correct treatment regimen is also required.
During the treatment of osteochondrosis, you should avoid sudden movements and especially bending, and you should mostly remain at rest.In case of acute osteochondrosis, the patient cannot visit the medical institution or receive treatment at home.In this case, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers, and muscle relaxants are prescribed, and it is recommended to sleep on a hard bed with the help of a special shield under the mattress.
In the treatment of intervertebral hernia, surgical intervention is used in cases where the patient experiences compression of the spinal cord, which occurs quite rarely.
Chronic back pain
The presence of chronic back pain often indicates osteochondrosis, the treatment of which takes 5-15 sessions depending on the intensity of the pain.The treatment process includes acupuncture, vacuum therapy, acupressure, moxotherapy, hirudotherapy and stone therapy.
If we talk in more detail about each of the listed methods, we can notice the good effectiveness of acupressure, which helps to eliminate muscle spasms and excessive tension, and promotes blood circulation.In addition, thanks to manual therapy, the dysfunction of the spinal joints is effectively eliminated.And provided the patient follows the doctor's recommendations after the therapy is completed, the discs will continue to heal on their own.
If you have a herniated disc, the treatment is quite a lengthy process, slowly reducing the herniation itself and relieving the pain.Complete treatment allows full restoration of the normal function of the affected disc.