Back pain is more common in the elderly, but for a number of reasons it can also occur in young people.Almost all adults are used to periodically feeling pain in the back, which is explained by the special predisposition of this part of the body to various types of injuries.The vast majority of back pain can be easily treated and prevented, however, sometimes, the causes of back pain can be quite serious, including, for example, osteochondrosis.
Also, back pain can be caused by any disease of the gastrointestinal tract, the presence of kidney stones or other problems with the human urinary system.
Back pain can be either in the lumbar region or between the shoulders, and it can also cause pain in the arm or leg, which depends on the cause of the pain.
Causes of back pain
The main causes of back pain include diseases such as osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, radiculopathy, scoliosis, intervertebral disc herniation, osteoporosis, myofascial pain and serious spinal circulation disorders.
In addition, back pain can be caused by excess weight, heavy physical activity, including those related to lifting weights, poor posture or some kind of infection.
Factors that contribute to back pain
In the event that back pain is caused by a disease, but there is no treatment, the pain tends to return and go away depending on the presence of contributing factors.For example, the return of back pain can be caused by hypothermia or weight lifting, as well as if a person is in an uncomfortable position for a long time.In addition, the infection can return the pain to the body.
The main symptoms of back pain
A signal to visit a doctor and undergo an examination is back pain that does not go away within a period of 3 to 5 days, as well as when the accompanying body temperature is above 37.8.
Back pain can be accompanied by frequent and painful urination, vomiting and nausea, numbness of the limbs and diarrhea.All of these are symptoms that should prompt you to visit your doctor immediately.
If, along with back pain, there are obvious difficulties in moving the arms or legs and confusion, it is extremely important to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Diagnosis of back pain
If there is back pain, examination methods such as neurological examinations and X-rays, CT and MRI and manual diagnosis are used.
Most often, during an X-ray examination of the elderly, osteochondrosis is detected.
Immediately after the visit to the doctor, an anamnesis is taken, the symptoms and complaints are explained in detail, after which additional analyzes are prescribed.
When compiling an anamnesis, the localization of pain, its radiation, the patient's emotional state are clarified and the presence of a relationship between the appearance of pain and the person's position is revealed.The presence of old back injuries is also important.
To identify the presence of any neoplasia and infection, a somatic examination is performed.
Treatment for back pain
For the treatment of different types of pain, depending on the cause that caused it, treatment methods such as manual, medicinal and physical therapy, as well as exercise therapy, post-isomeric relaxation, surgery, traction, interspinous and paravertebral blockades are prescribed.Mandatory adherence to an orthopedically correct regimen is also required.
During the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is necessary to avoid sudden movements and especially bending, and you should also stay mostly at rest.In case of acute osteochondrosis, the patient may not visit a medical institution and undergo treatment at home.In this case, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, muscle relaxants are prescribed and it is recommended to sleep on a firm bed, using a special shield under the mattress.
During the treatment of intervertebral hernia, surgical intervention is used in cases where the patient experiences compression of the spinal cord, which happens quite rarely.
Chronic back pain
The presence of chronic back pain often indicates osteochondrosis, the treatment of which lasts from 5 to 15 sessions, depending on the intensity of the pain.The treatment process includes acupuncture, vacuum therapy, acupressure, moxa therapy, 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 eliminate muscle spasms and excessive tension, as well as promotes blood circulation.Also, thanks to manual therapy, dysfunction of the spinal joints is effectively eliminated.And provided that the patient follows the doctor's recommendations after completing the course of therapy, the discs will continue to recover on their own.
If there is a herniated disc, the treatment is quite a long process, slowly reducing the hernia itself and relieving the pain from it.A full course of treatment allows you to fully restore the normal functioning of the affected disc.