Do you spend a lot of time sitting because of work or hobbies, or do you work out a lot in the gym?Everything was fine before, but now you have 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 deal with the pain?We will talk about this and more in the article.
What causes the pain?
So, "What to do if your back hurts and what could be causing it?"Let's look at this issue in more detail.There may be more reasons for this.In fact, pain in the back and back can signal several diseases, both the spine itself and internal organs.This is due to the fact that many nerve endings extend from the spine, which surrounds all the internal organs.Therefore, based on the localization of pain in certain areas of the ridge, we can talk about some specific diseases.
Cause
What does lower back pain mean and which doctor should you consult?The cause of pain in the lower part can be habits and diseases.The first includes:
- Continuous sedentary work.IT workers and drivers are at risk.
- Work continues.
- Regular physical activity.Athletes, especially weightlifters, are at risk.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Pregnant women and women who have recently given birth are in a separate risk group.
- Excess body weight.
As you can see, everything is easy with habits.For the second case, often pain in the lumbar region can be caused by disease.Here we can also distinguish the disease of the spine itself and the disease in which pain in the lumbar region is only a symptom.The first includes osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, intervertebral hernia and protrusion.
The second group contains possible causes of lower back pain:
- Fracture of the spine due to trauma.
- Fractures caused by osteoporosis.
- The tumor is localized in the spinal canal.
- Prolonged muscle tension.
- Narrow structure of the spinal canal (relatively rare).
- Various complications during pregnancy.
- Various arthritis, for example, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis.
- Defects of the spine, for example, kyphosis, scoliosis, Scheuermann-mau disease, kyphoscoliosis.
- Spinal tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, dyspitis.
- Urolithiasis, pyelonephritis.
- Ovarian cancer, endometriosis, ovarian cysts.
When should you see a doctor?
Small pains in the back, which quickly pass and are the result of prolonged training, are the norm.But if the lower back hurts for a long time or the pain is periodic, then it arises by itself, then it disappears, then you should sound the alarm.You should also go to the hospital immediately after a severe back injury.It should be understood that lumbar pain can be accompanied by pain in the leg or lower leg.It is also possible that part of the leg or back may become numb.In this case, you have something serious and should be checked as soon as possible.
You cannot diagnose yourself, so you should go to the hospital, but which doctor should you go to?Some say to a chiropractor, while others will say that a neurologist is more experienced.Both options are correct, however, it will be more correct to contact a neurologist, because he will be the one who will be able to prescribe and carry out the entire course of diagnosing this disease.And in this case, the cause will be more accurately identified and there is a chance to successfully overcome it.Therefore, taking the opinion of a neurologist, with lower back pain, based on the intensity and strength of the pain, you can determine the cause of its occurrence.
Acute pain
Acute back pain in men and women is the result of a recent injury (fall, muscle strain, blow, sudden movement).Also, the cause may be working for a long time in an uncomfortable position or carrying and lifting heavy objects for a long time.And, finally, do not forget about the cold back, because of hypothermia or prolonged exposure to drafts.Here you can easily treat back pain with folk remedies.
Separately, the most common include lumbago and intervertebral disc displacement.The first to suffer from this disease are people whose field of activity involves constant physical labor, which is why back pain occurs in men.Popularly this disease is called "lumbago".It usually stops on its own with rest or after a few days.However, it can easily drag on for up to a month, so it requires at least treatment for back pain at home.
Acute and severe pain in the lower back also occurs when the intervertebral disc is displaced.This disease can be caused by various injuries, heavy physical labor or diseases such as osteochondrosis.You can't get treatment at home here anymore.Hospitalization and full diagnosis are required.It may go as far as surgical intervention.
Severe pain
Severe pain differs from acute pain because it is more persistent and the result of several diseases related to the musculoskeletal system.These include lumbosacral radiculitis and osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.With them, you feel pain in the lower part while sneezing, coughing, sitting, walking, in a word, your back hurts during movement.Also, the pain can radiate to the lower legs and they can also go numb.Here you no longer have to run, but fly to the doctor who is present for the examination.
Sick
As a rule, the back can hurt because of strong tension in the spinal muscles.You can relieve back pain by simply resting for a few hours.But you can't fly in the clouds, you have to be careful, because your back can hurt from severe hypothermia.Therefore, a more chronic disease myositis can develop, in which the psoas muscle becomes inflamed.In this case, you need a few days of rest, and also know how to relieve the pain.
Chronicle
Often caused by spondylosis deformans.The main symptoms of this disease are pain in the lower part, radiating to the back or legs.Numbness from the bottom of the leg may also occur.Other diseases that cause similar symptoms include: cancer, metabolic disorders, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Abandoned
Such pain is not the result of a back disease, but the result of a disease of some organs including in the spine area.This includes diseases of the pelvic organs of both men and women, as well as diseases of the colon, kidneys, pancreas and various types of tumors.
How is the treatment carried out?
So, how to get rid of lower back pain?First, you should go to the hospital and make an appointment with a specialist for an examination.After the examination, the attending physician should send you for an examination to confirm or refute the suspected diagnosis.To find out what is possible, you may be sent to have an X-ray of your spine.Today, a more advanced method is used, called myelography.
This method allows you to study in detail the pathways that run the spinal cord.Identify all pathologies with the presence of descending patency.Be aware that before the X-ray, a xenon substance will be injected into your 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.In addition, MRI, ultrasound, ECG and CT can be prescribed.In additional cases, other tests may be required, such as a complete blood count, etc.
Medicines
In most cases, medication is an excellent treatment option for back pain.It aims to relieve pain, eliminate and further prevent the inflammatory process, improve blood circulation and regenerate damaged tissue.Therefore, after we learn why the lower back hurts, we can get a general idea of how to treat back pain.
Conventionally, all treatments can be divided into 3 stages, namely: the beginning of treatment, the treatment itself and the end of therapy.At each stage, drugs can be given in the form of droppers and in the form of blockades and injections.Treatment of lower 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, you need to completely eliminate the cause of the disease.Here, treatment is done mostly in the country.Ointments and mixtures for compresses are used.In addition, it is recommended to undergo physical therapy.
The third stage consists of injections that increase the regeneration of damaged tissue and nourish it with all the necessary components.Thus, the full functionality of the segment is restored.At all levels, the choice of medication and therapy depends on your diagnosis and the choice of your doctor.Self-medication is not recommended.
Physiotherapy
When the real cause of the pain is identified, treatment can be done using physiotherapy methods.Based on their cause, the following treatment methods can be distinguished:
- Ultrasound.
- Laser therapy.
- Exposure to electric current, etc.
Physical therapy is more focused on how to treat back pain in the early stages.In the later stages of this disease can be recommended as an additional treatment method.The therapy you need is only prescribed by the attending physician after the examination.
Surgical intervention
In most cases, back pain does not require surgery.However, if you suffer from pain for a long time and it only gets worse over time, and you refuse to consult a doctor, then this method of treatment is also possible.In this case, most likely, general anesthesia will be used, where a lytic mixture is used, to completely paralyze the patient.The surgical plan itself will be developed by the surgeon based on the diagnostic data.
Traditional method
To the question "How to relieve lower back pain?"Traditional medicine can also answer.Here, depending on how severe the pain symptoms are, various homemade ointments, lotions, etc. can be used.The main purpose of such drugs is to relieve pain and inflammation.In most cases, treatment of the lower part with folk remedies is allowed only as first aid.With prolonged self-medication, not knowing the root cause of the pain can make the disease worse.Here are some folk remedies.
- A compress of horseradish and horseradish mixed with sour cream is placed on the painful area of the lower back.The whole is covered with a paper napkin on top, and a scarf is tied around the lower back.This compress perfectly eliminates pain symptoms and eliminates muscle spasms.
- When your back hurts, a warm compress from an infusion prepared with a medical injury mixture will be very helpful.These include Thyme, Chamomile, St John's Wort and Black Elderberry.Compress is used at night.The painful area is wrapped in a warm cloth.It is advisable to carry out the treatment at night.A similar compress is prepared from the infusion of dry burdock leaves.
- Another folk medicine treatment is based on the healing properties of horsehair.First, you need to grind the chestnuts into a powder.Then it is mixed with camphor oil and melted lard.The ingredients are given in about the same quantity.The resulting ointment is spread on a piece of black bread and used on back pain as a compress.This product can improve blood circulation and has nutritional and anti-inflammatory properties.
But remember, no matter how good folk remedies prove to be, you still need to see a doctor.After all, self-medication is always carried out at your own peril and risk.In addition, it may turn out that medical procedures only bring short-term relief, after which the pain will increase significantly.
Prevention
When your back hurts in the lumbar region, it is too late to do prevention.But in order not to face such a problem as long as possible, you need to think about how to prevent it and what leads to it?It has been described above that people who lead a sedentary or inactive lifestyle, athletes, especially weightlifters and people who are overweight are at risk.
Therefore, the best prevention of this disease will be morning exercises, sports, therapeutic exercises, reducing the load on the back, massage, nutritional control, etc.Also, regularly scheduled checkups with your doctor will help you rule out what may be causing your back pain.
First aid
What to do if your lower back is very bad, and it is far to get to the hospital?How to quickly relieve back pain so you can wait for the doctor?To do this, you need to know some first aid techniques.Of course, they will not have a therapeutic effect, but they will help to cope with the pain.So let's do everything step by step:
- We lie on our backs, on hard beds or on the floor.Blankets from the bed must be removed.
- At the same time, the legs are raised and bent at the knees.For greater comfort, place a pillow or folded blanket under your raised leg.
- We take the usual dose of painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs that we have.
- We lie down and try not to make any sudden movements.
- When performing the procedure, do not forget to contact the 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 tell your boss.
- During and after treatment, try to avoid spicy food and smoke.