Do you spend a lot of time sitting due to work or hobbies, or do you exercise a lot at the gym?Everything was fine before, but now you have frequent back and lower back pain?So maybe you should see a doctor for help?What causes back pain?Which doctor should I contact and how to treat the sore?We will talk about this and much more later in the article.
What causes the pain?
So, “What to do if your back hurts and what could cause it?”Let's look at this topic in more detail.There could be more than enough reasons for this.The fact is that pain in the back and lumbar area can indicate a number of diseases, both of the spine and internal organs.This is due to the fact that many nerve endings extend from the spine, surrounding all internal organs.Therefore, depending on the location of the pain in a certain area of the ridge, we can talk about some specific diseases.
Causes
What does low back pain mean and which doctor should you consult?The causes of pain in the lower back can be both habits and diseases.The first include:
- Constant sedentary work.IT workers and drivers are at risk.
- Constant footwork.
- Intense and frequent physical activity.Athletes, especially weightlifters, are at risk.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Pregnant women and those who have recently given birth are in a separate risk group.
- Overweight.
As you see, everything is simple with habits.As for the second case, often pain in the lumbar region can be caused by a disease.Here we can also distinguish diseases of the spine itself and diseases in which pain in the lumbar region is only a symptom.The first include osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, intervertebral hernia and protrusion.
The second group contains the following possible causes of low back pain:
- Spinal fracture due to trauma.
- Fracture caused by osteoporosis.
- A tumor located in the spinal canal.
- Prolonged muscle strain.
- Narrow structure of the spinal canal (quite rare).
- Various complications during pregnancy.
- Various arthritis, for example, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis.
- Spinal deformities, e.g. kyphosis, scoliosis, Scheuermann-Mau disease, kyphoscoliosis.
- Spinal tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, discitis.
- Urolithiasis, pyelonephritis.
- Ovarian cancer, endometriosis, ovarian cyst.
When should you see a doctor?
Mild back pain, which disappears quickly and is a consequence of prolonged exercise, is the norm.But if the lower back hurts for a fairly long period or the pain is periodic, then it arises by itself, then disappears, then it is worth sounding the alarm.You should also go to the hospital immediately after a serious back injury.It should be understood that lower back pain can be accompanied by pain in the foot or lower leg.Part of your leg or buttocks may also become numb.In this case, you have something serious and should be examined as soon as possible.
It is unlikely that you will diagnose yourself, so you should go to the hospital, but which doctor should you go to?Some will say a chiropractor, while others will say a neurologist has more experience.Both options are correct, however, it would be more correct to contact a neurologist, because it will be he who will be able to prescribe and correctly carry out the entire course of diagnosing the disease.And in this case, the cause will be identified more precisely and there will be a good chance of successfully addressing it.So, from the point of view of a neurologist, for low back pain, based on the intensity and strength of the pain, the cause of its occurrence can be approximately determined.
acute pain
Acute low back pain in men and women is a consequence of a recent injury (fall, muscle strain, blow, sudden movements).Additionally, the cause may be working for a long time in an uncomfortable position or carrying and lifting heavy things for a long time.And finally, don't forget about a cold on your back, due to hypothermia or prolonged exposure to a draft.Here you can easily treat lower back pain with home remedies.
On the other hand, the most common include lumbago and displaced intervertebral discs.The first to suffer from the disease are people whose field of activity involves hard and constant physical work, which is why low back pain occurs in men.Popularly the disease is called “lumbago”.It usually goes away on its own with rest or after a few days.However, it can easily last up to a month, so it requires at least one low back pain treatment at home.
Acute and severe pain in the lower back also occurs when the intervertebral discs are displaced.The disease can be caused by various injuries, heavy physical work or a disease such as osteochondrosis.Here you can no longer receive treatment at home.Hospitalization and complete diagnosis are required.It can even lead to surgical intervention.
severe pain
Intense pain differs from acute pain in that it lasts longer and is a consequence of some disease associated with the musculoskeletal system.These include lumbosacral radiculitis and osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.With them, you feel a sharp pain in your lower back when you sneeze, cough, sit, walk, in a word, your back hurts with any movement.Additionally, the pain may radiate to the lower extremities and they may even become numb.Here it is no longer necessary to run, but rather to fly to the treating doctor for examination.
sore
As a rule, the back can hurt due to a sudden strong tension in the spinal muscles.You can relieve lower back pain by simply resting for a couple of hours.But you should not fly in the clouds, you should be alert, because due to severe hypothermia your back may hurt.Therefore, myositis, a more chronic disease, can develop in which the psoas muscles become inflamed.In this case, it is necessary to rest for several days and also know how to relieve the pain.
chronic
Often caused by spondylosis deformans.The main symptoms of this disease are waist pain in the lumbar area, which radiates to the buttocks or legs.Numbness of the lower extremities may also occur.Other diseases that cause similar symptoms include: cancer, metabolic disorders, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Displaced
Such pain is not the consequence of a back disease, but the result of a disease of some organ included in the spinal region.This includes diseases of the pelvic organs of both the male and female halves, as well as diseases of the colon, kidneys, pancreas and various types of tumors.
How is the treatment performed?
So how to get rid of lower back pain?First of all, you need to go to the hospital and make an appointment with a specialist for examination.After the examination, the treating doctor should send you for examination to confirm or refute the suspected diagnosis.To find out what it could be, you may be ordered to have an x-ray of your spine.Today a more advanced method is used, called myelography.
This method allows you to examine in detail the pathways leading to the spinal cord.It identifies all pathologies in the presence of decreased permeability of the airways.It is worth knowing that before the x-ray, a xenon substance will be injected into the spinal cord using a syringe, which will highlight everything in the image.This method is quite expensive, but very effective and almost always helps to find out why your back hurts.Additionally, MRI, ultrasound, ECG and CT scans may be prescribed.In additional cases, other tests may be necessary, such as a complete blood count, etc.
medication
In most cases, medication is an excellent treatment option for low back pain.It aims to relieve pain, eliminate and further prevent inflammatory processes, improve blood circulation and regenerate damaged tissues.Thus, once we have learned why the lower back hurts, we can have a general idea of how to treat lower back pain.
Conventionally, all treatment can be divided into 3 stages, namely: the beginning of treatment, the treatment itself and the end of therapy.At each stage, medications can be administered both in the form of droppers and in the form of blockages and injections.Treatment of low back pain in the first stage should eliminate the pain itself, reduce swelling and inflammation, relieve spasms and relax the muscles.In the second stage, it is necessary to completely get rid of the cause of the disease.In this case, the treatment is carried out mainly at the local level.Ointments and mixtures are used for compresses.Additionally, it is recommended to undergo physical therapy.
The third stage consists of injections that increase the regeneration of damaged tissues and nourish them with all the necessary components.In this way, the full functionality of the segment is restored.At all stages, the choice of medications and therapy depends on your diagnosis and the choice of your doctor.Self-medication is strictly discouraged.
Physiotherapy
When the exact cause of the pain is identified, treatment using physiotherapy methods can be used.Depending on its cause, the following treatment methods can be distinguished:
- Ultrasound.
- Laser therapy.
- Exposure to electric current, etc.
Physiotherapy focuses more on how to treat back pain in the early stages.In later stages of the disease it can be recommended as an auxiliary treatment method.The therapy you need is prescribed only by the treating doctor after the examination.
surgical intervention
In the vast majority of cases, back pain will not require surgery.However, if you have had pain for a long time and over time it only gets worse and you flatly refuse to see a doctor, then this method of treatment is also possible.In this case, general anesthesia, where a lytic mixture is used, will most likely be used to completely immobilize the patient.The surgical plan itself will be developed by the surgeon based on the diagnostic data.
Traditional methods
To the question "How to relieve lower back pain?"Traditional medicine can also respond.Here, depending on the severity of the pain symptoms, various ointments, lotions, etc. can be used.The main goal of these remedies is to relieve pain and inflammation.In most cases, treatment of the lower back with folk remedies is justified only as first aid.With prolonged self-medication, ignorance of the main cause of pain can greatly aggravate the disease.Below are some home remedies.
- A compress of grated horseradish and radish mixed with sour cream is placed on the sore area of the lower back.Everything is covered with a paper napkin on top and a scarf is tied around the entire lumbar area.This compress perfectly eliminates pain symptoms and relieves muscle spasms.
- When your back hurts, hot compresses from an infusion prepared with a mixture of injury medications will be of great help.These include thyme, chamomile, St. John's wort and black elderberry.The compress is applied at night.The painful area is wrapped in a warm cloth.It is advisable to carry out the treatment at night.An identical compress is prepared from an infusion of dried burdock leaves.
- Another popular remedy for treatment is based on the healing properties of horse chestnut.First, you must grind the chestnut into powder.It is then mixed with camphor oil and melted lard.The ingredients are given in approximately the same quantities.The resulting ointment is spread on a slice of black bread and applied to the sore back as a compress.This product can improve blood circulation and has nutritional and anti-inflammatory properties.
But remember, no matter how good the folk remedy turns out to be, you should still consult a doctor.After all, self-medication is always done at your own risk and responsibility.Additionally, it may turn out that medical procedures only provide short-term relief, after which the pain will intensify significantly.
Prevention
When your back hurts in the lumbar region, it is too late to prevent it.But in order not to encounter such a problem for as long as possible, it is necessary to think about how to prevent it and what leads to it.It has already been described above that people who lead a sedentary or sedentary lifestyle, athletes, especially weightlifters, and overweight people are at risk.
Consequently, the best prevention of the disease would be mandatory morning exercises, sports, therapeutic exercises, reducing the load on the back, massages, nutrition control, etc.Additionally, regular scheduled checkups with your doctor will help you get rid of what may be causing your lower back pain.
first aid
What to do if your lower back hurts a lot and there is a long way to go to the hospital?How to quickly relieve back pain so you can wait for the doctor?To do this, it is necessary to know some first aid techniques.Of course, they will not have any therapeutic effect, but they will help to cope with the pain.So, let's do everything step by step:
- We lie face up, on a hard bed or on the floor.The blanket must be removed from the bed.
- At the same time, the legs are raised and the knees are bent.For added comfort, place a pillow or folded blanket under your raised legs.
- We take the usual dose of the analgesic or anti-inflammatory that we have.
- We lie down and try not to make sudden movements.
- While carrying out the procedures, do not forget to call a doctor at home.
- In most cases, you will need rest and bed rest for the next few days.After the doctor's visit, call work and let your boss know.
- During and after treatment, try to avoid spicy and smoked foods.