Why does my back and spine hurt?

Almost everyone is familiar with back pain., and 15-20% have to deal with this symptom regularly during the year.

The problem is not only medical, but also socio-economic in nature, since during the illness, the patient, depending on the causes that caused the problem, loses his ability to work.

In most cases, it is possible to get rid of the disease in a month, after which the patient can resume normal life.

Despite these results, in 70% of patients the pain returns again, the treatment is useless due to the fact that the therapy was incorrect or inadequate.

It should be noted that painis a sign of degenerative processes in the spine, which in turn are considered a sign of pathological conditions.

Classification and nature of back pain

Types of back pain:

• non-specific(benign) - dorsopathy, "outdated" osteochondrosis, the cause is most often dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, an additional examination is most often useless;
• specific(dangerous) pain requiring additional diagnostics already at the first visit, which makes it possible to exclude the presence of a spinal fracture, tuberculosis, tumor, metastasis, etc. ;
• radicular pain(radiculopathy) - associated with irritation / compression of the nerve root by a herniated disc (fallen out).

What diseases of the musculoskeletal system cause pain in the spine in the center of the back?

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system that cause pain:

• osteoarthritis- the patient can bend from pain, attempts to straighten his back, breathe in deeply contribute to increased negative sensations, when squeezing the vertebrae, the load on the elastic shock-absorbing pad increases, as a result, the damaged element becomes thinner;

• chondrosis, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region- develops against the background of obesity, physical inactivity, unbalanced nutrition, disorders of mineral metabolism, in the process of age-related changes, the elasticity and height of the intervertebral discs decrease, their structure changes, pinching of nerve fibers contributes to sudden, severe pain or moderate discomfort aggravated by movements;
• scoliosis, increased/decreased lordosis, kyphosis- lead to a deterioration in posture and appearance, resulting in pinched nerves in the spinal column;
• pillar injury;
• neurological causes(radiculitis);
• congenital pathologies- extra / missing vertebrae in the spine lead to painful discomfort;
• myositis- weakening and increasing pain develops against the background of inflammation of the skeletal muscles, discomfort increases with palpation of the back.

Other causes of back pain

Other reasons:

• kidney inflammation- discomfort is often accompanied by high fever, swelling of the lower extremities, hypertension;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system, vascular pathologies - accompanied by throbbing back pain and increased blood pressure;
• chronic stress;
• diseases of the digestive system- the pain is localized in the middle or on the left side of the back, after eating the pain intensifies against the background of pancreatitis or diseases of the gastric mucosa;
• psycho-emotional disorder.

Serious diseases of the organs located in the abdominal cavity and under the chest can also respond with pain in the spine. It is often very difficult for a patient to establish the nature of pain, it is recommended to monitor the symptoms and inform the doctor in a timely manner.

Treatment of pain in the spine

Before starting treatment, the doctor must make a diagnosis, study the patient's history, listen to complaints, conduct a visual examination and palpation, study the results of laboratory and diagnostic studies. After that, the selection of the necessary medicines is carried out, the action of which is aimed at correcting the problem.

Preparations

During an exacerbation, therapy is aimed at stopping the pain signal.

Medications:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs- their action is aimed at stopping mediators of inflammatory processes before they enter the tissues surrounding the spine. It helps to get rid of inflammation, fever, swelling, spasm, soreness. In case of intense pain, injectable preparations are prescribed, they are distinguished by their rapid effect (15-20 minutes), safety for the gastrointestinal tract, all components are delivered in the initial dosage. To get rid of moderate and mild pain, external preparations or medicines in oral form are prescribed.
2. Analgesics- are prescribed when the analgesic properties of NSAIDs are not enough, the drugs affect the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain, which prevents the occurrence of a response. The combination of 2 groups is recommended to be carried out carefully, the characteristics of the body, the compatibility of drugs should be taken into account, the selection of the dosage is carried out on an individual basis.
3. Muscle relaxants- diseases of the spine are often accompanied by muscle spasms, which force the patient to freeze in one position, all movements lead to sharp pains. The injection of muscle relaxants will help to relax the muscle corset, the effect of their administration lasts for 12 hours. Tablets are used less frequently, since they begin to function only after the accumulation of the required amount of the substance.
4. Chondroprotectors- problems with the spine appear against the background of degenerative processes in the articular and cartilaginous tissues, in such cases drugs containing chondroitin or glucosamine are prescribed. Substances are the basis for the restoration of tendons, joints, ligaments, etc. These components are not produced in the body, therefore, during illness, the cells should be as saturated as possible with the listed substances, most often they are prescribed orally, medications should be taken in long courses.

As adjunctive therapyvitamin complexes, diuretics, antispasmodics can be prescribed, as well as funds aimed at improving trophism and restoring blood circulation, antioxidants, antihistamines and others.

Surgery

In the absence of the effect of drug treatment, surgical treatment is indicated, modern techniques can achieve great results.With osteochondrosis, injuries and hernias, part of the vertebra or intervertebral disc is removed, with aortic aneurysm, plasty is indicated.

In diseases of the spine, the cause of the origin of pain should be established; quite often, the source of unpleasant symptoms is the internal organs. Only a doctor can diagnose a disease and prescribe treatment.

Exercise, exercise therapy, massage

If the condition of the patient and the nature of the course of the underlying disease allows, moderate physical activity is necessary.

Doctors also recommend regular morning exercises, the complex includes the following exercises:

1. child pose. Sit on your knees with your head bowed to the floor, stretch your arms forward, stay in this position for 20 seconds, stretch your arms back also for 20 seconds, repeat the exercise twice.
2. Bending the head.Sit on the floor with a straight back, put your hands behind your head, slowly pull your head forward, tilt it until your chin touches your neck, hold for 10-15 seconds, repeat 8-10 times.
3. Twists with a stick. In a standing position, place the gymnastic stick in a horizontal position on the neck behind the head, stretch your arms and hold the ends of the stick. With a stick behind your head, slowly turn to the left, hold for 25-30 seconds, repeat in the opposite direction, the number of repetitions is 10-12 times.
4. Body tilt forward. With legs placed shoulder-width apart and arms clasped behind the lock, rise up, tilting the body forward, bend your legs slightly at the knees, stay in this position for 15-20 seconds, repeat up to 4-5 times.
5. Body tilt forward with toes touching. Sitting on the floor, close your legs, place them in front of you, bending forward to reach your toes with your hands. The exercise should be performed without sudden movements, gradually, slowly, hold in position for several seconds.

During exacerbations, exercise therapy and other types of physical activity are strictly contraindicated.

Massage

Manual massage also shows effectiveness in back pain caused by diseases of the spine.. Techniques allow you to achieve muscle relaxation, during their implementation, soft tissues are warmed up, which helps to improve blood circulation. Such a massage is recommended for patients with pathologies of the respiratory organs, accompanied by sputum discharge.

Treatment at home or folk remedies

In the presence of persistent back pain, it is recommended to turn to folk recipes, before using them, you should consult a doctor. Despite the seeming safety, many means can not only be useless, but also harmful.

Recommended for pain reliefprepare a rub. To do this, you need to take a mixture of pure alcohol or cologne, a small amount of hot pepper, valerian root tincture, a bottle of 5% iodine solution, rub the affected area thoroughly with the mixture, wrap it up. The procedure is recommended to be carried out at night, left warm until morning. It is very important not to start the disease, to identify the cause of the pathology in a timely manner and follow all the recommendations of doctors.

The following steps can help alleviate the condition at home:

• avoid prolonged stay in bed - physically active patients suffer less pain;
• engage in light sports - moderate physical activity is best;
• maintain correct posture;
• increase the flexibility of the spine;
• wear corsets and belts for the spine;
• apply heat and cold to the affected area;
• quit smoking - nicotine causes spasm of small vessels, which leads to disruption of microcirculation and cessation of oxygen delivery to tissues;
• relaxation exercises.

Prevention

The patient can prevent the development of back diseases on his own, he must learn to sleep, sit and stand correctly, as well as endure heavy loads with minimal damage to himself. It is recommended to stand and sit with a straight back, the head should not hang forward, one should not bend and bend the body without relying on the hands.

If you need to stay on your feet for a long time, you should find a point for supporting the head and limbs, you can lean against a closet, wall and other surfaces. Walking in heels for more than 2 hours in a row is excluded, the legs should rest periodically, for this they should be lifted up for a couple of minutes.

Prevention measures:

• unload the neck and lower back with special rollers or "bones" pillows, avoid sitting on stools or with a bent back, every 15 minutes. you should change postures, stretch and lean back, after every hour of sitting you need to take breaks;
• you need to sleep on hard mattresses without high pillows, you can put orthopedic rollers under your head;
• when carrying loads, certain rules must be observed, loads of more than 3 kg for women and more than 5 kg for men should not be carried, it is dangerous to lift weights while bending or jerking, bags should be lifted with a straight back, heavy loads should be carried in several steps.

Conclusion

• Backache- a relatively common pathology, with the appearance of a pain syndrome, you should seek medical help.
• The causes of pathology are very different, the doctor makes a diagnosis based on the anamnesis, examinations, complaints of the patient.
• During treatmentdrugs are used(primarily painkillers), it is recommended to carry out massage, exercise therapy.