Why do my back and spine hurt?

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

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

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

Despite these results, pain returns in 70% of patients, the treatment is useless due to wrong or insufficient therapy.

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

Classification and nature of back pain

Types of back pain:

• non-specific(benign) - dorsopathy, "obsolete" osteochondrosis, the cause is most often dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, additional examination is often useless;
• specific(dangerous) pain, 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 over from pain, tries to straighten his back, breathes deeply, helps increase negative feelings, the load of the elastic shock-absorbing pillow increases when compressing the vertebrae, as a result, the damaged element becomes thinner;

• chondrosis, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region- it develops against the background of obesity, physical inactivity, unbalanced nutrition, mineral metabolism disorders, in the process of age-related changes, the elasticity and height of the intervertebral discs decreases, structural changes, compression of nerve fibers, severe pain aggravated by movements or moderate discomfort;
• scoliosis, increased/decreased lordosis, kyphosis- leads to deterioration of the posture and appearance, as a result, the nerve in the spinal column is compressed;
• column injury;
• neurological causes(radiculitis);
• congenital pathologies- an additional / missing vertebra in the spine causes painful discomfort;
• myositis- weakening and increasing pains develop against the background of inflammation of skeletal muscles, discomfort increases with palpation of the back.

Other causes of back pain

Other reasons:

• kidney inflammation- anxiety is often accompanied by high fever, swelling of the lower limbs, hypertension;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system, vascular pathologies - accompanied by back pain and increased blood pressure;
• chronic stress;
• diseases of the digestive system- the pain is localized in the middle or 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 the patient to determine the nature of the pain, it is recommended to monitor the symptoms and inform the doctor in time.

Treatment of pain in the spine

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

drugs

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

Medicines:

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, pain. In case of severe pain, injection drugs are prescribed, they are distinguished by their quick effect (15-20 minutes), safety of the gastrointestinal tract, all components are given in the initial dose. To get rid of moderate and mild pain, external drugs or oral drugs are prescribed.
2. Analgesics- They 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 reaction. The combination of 2 groups is recommended to be done carefully, the characteristics of the body, compatibility of drugs should be taken into account, the selection of the dose is carried out individually.
3. Muscle relaxants- diseases of the spine are often accompanied by muscle spasms, which force the patient to freeze in one position, all movements cause sharp pain. The injection of a muscle relaxant will help to relax the muscle corset, the effect of their application lasts for 12 hours. Tablets are used less often, because they begin to work only after the necessary amount of substance has been accumulated.
4. Chondroprotectors- problems with the spine appear against the background of degenerative processes in articular and cartilage tissues, in such cases drugs containing chondroitin or glucosamine are prescribed. Substances of tendons, joints, ligaments, etc. is the basis for recovery. These components are not produced in the body, therefore, during the disease, the cells should be saturated as much as possible with the listed substances, in most cases they are prescribed orally, the drugs should be taken in long courses.

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

Surgery

If there is no effect of drug treatment, surgical treatment is indicated, modern technique can achieve great results.With osteochondrosis, injuries and tears, a part of the spine or intervertebral disc is removed., plasticity with aortic aneurysm is indicated.

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

Sports, exercise therapy, massage

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

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

1. child's pose. Sit on your knees with your head down, stretch your arms forward, stay in this position for 20 seconds, pull your arms back for 20 seconds, repeat the exercise twice.
2. Tilting of the head.Sit on the floor with a straight back, put your hands behind your head, slowly pull your head forward, bend until your chin touches your neck, hold for 10-15 seconds, repeat 8-10 times.
3. It is twisted with a stick. In a standing position, put the gymnastic bar horizontally on the neck behind the head, extend your arms and hold the ends of the bar. Slowly turn to the left with a stick behind your head, hold for 25-30 seconds, repeat in the opposite direction, the number of repetitions is 10-12 times.
4. Bend the body forward. Keeping the feet shoulder width apart and joining the arms behind the lock, rise up, bend the body forward, slightly bend the legs at the knees, stay in this position for 15-20 seconds, repeat up to 4-5 times.
5. The body leans forward, touching the toes. Sitting on the floor, close your legs, put them in front of you, bend forward to reach your toes with your hands. The exercise should be done without sudden movements, gradually, slowly, hold the position for a few seconds.

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

Massage

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

Home treatment or folk treatment

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

It is recommended to relieve painprepare the rub. For 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 well with the mixture, wrap it. It is recommended to carry out the procedure at night and keep it warm until morning. It is very important not to start the disease, to determine the cause of the pathology in time and to follow all the recommendations of the doctors.

The following steps can help alleviate the situation at home:

• avoid staying in bed for a long time - physically active patients suffer less pain;
• do light sports - moderate physical activity is best;
• maintain proper posture;
• increase the flexibility of the spine;
• wearing 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 should learn to sleep, sit and stand properly, and also bear heavy loads with minimal damage to himself. You should not sit with your back straight, do not bend your head forward, or bend your body without relying on your hands.

If you need to stand for a long time, you need to find a point to support your head and limbs, you can lean on the cabinet, wall and other surfaces. Walking on heels for more than 2 hours in a row is excluded, the legs should rest periodically, for this they should be raised for a few minutes.

Preventive measures:

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

The result

• Back pain- a relatively common pathology, you should seek medical help with the appearance of pain syndrome.
• The causes of pathology are very diverse, the doctor makes a diagnosis based on the patient's anamnesis, examinations, and complaints.
• During treatmentdrugs are used(first of all, painkillers), massage, exercise therapy are recommended.