Back pain: causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

According to statistics, 80% of people know about back pain first hand. More than a third of all "sick leave" issued is related to this problem. This is due to the weakness and rapid growth of fragile muscles. In addition to visual inspection, hardware diagnostics (X-rays, myography, CT, etc. ) and laboratory blood tests are also used to identify the problem. Treatment is prescribed only after the diagnosis has been made.

Why does my back hurt?

Spinal pain can occur immediately after injuries, pathologies of the vertebrae, ligaments and discs, damage to the soft tissues. It depends on the position of the body, the degree of physical activity, but it can also manifest itself in diseases of the internal organs, for example. To some extent, the back end itself is due to its fragile structure.

It is based on the spine, which performs supporting, protective, motor and shock-absorbing functions. This is caused by cartilage in the intervertebral discs, muscles, and ligaments, which wear out over time with an improper lifestyle and cause degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The spinal cord is located inside the spinal column, its even roots innervating almost every organ and tissue. Any disruption in this complex system can cause pain. The neck and lumbar region suffer more often than others due to the greatest strain and mobility.

What to do with back pain?

A medical examination is mandatory to find out the cause, especially if the pain has become frequent. Only a specialist can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment. You cannot make a self-diagnosis.

First, you can contact a therapist who will identify the syndrome and refer you to the appropriate specialist with a narrow profile. If the cause is known and obvious, the prescribed therapy can be continued. Back problems are treated by neurologists, orthopedists and vertebrologists.

Causes of back pain

Back pain is not a specific symptom that can have many causes.

Physiological (common) causes:

• increased weight;
• recent childbirth or pregnancy;
• hypodynamic work - in the office, at the computer, driving a car;
• standing work - hairdressers, waiters and salespeople, street advertisers, surgeons, teachers;
• heavy physical activity combined with sharp turns of the body;
• overload during training;
• postmenopausal, prone to osteoporosis.

Pathological causes:

• diseases of the spine (osteochondrosis, spondylosis, ankylosing spondylitis, tumors, arthritis, osteomyelitis, Reiter's syndrome) and spinal cord;
• increasing pains - scoliosis and kyphosis;
• infectious lesions of the spine;
• osteoporosis, osteomalacia;
• diseases of internal organs - kidney, pancreas, stomach, spleen, liver;
• atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta.

Acute pain may occur in disc herniation, spondyloarthritis, spinal cord epiduritis, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, atypical appendicitis and intestinal obstruction, kidney stones, fractures and sprains, spinal cord stroke, inflammation of appendages in men and women.

Types of diseases according to the nature of back pain

Causes of painful pain:

• hypothermia;
• Spasm;
• myositis;
• prolonged uncomfortable posture during sleep or work;
• lumbago (childbirth will be the cause);
• osteochondrosis;
• dislocation of the intervertebral hernia or intervertebral discs due to sharp lifting of weights or sharp turning of the body;
• kidney disease - causes back pain due to the proximity of the kidneys to the lower back;
• stomach diseases.

Causes of shooting pain:

• intervertebral hernia - the condition worsens under any physical stress;
• sciatica - on the one hand, such back pain is common, radiates to the thighs or buttocks, causes numbness in the legs, and is also dependent on physical exertion;
• osteochondrosis - the patient may experience pulling pain that radiates to the leg and is exacerbated by coughing, sneezing, straining, walking, bending.

Etiology of throbbing pain:

• osteochondrosis;
• intervertebral hernia;
• lumbago;
• spondylosis - acute and cannot be relieved with analgesics.

Breaking back pain:

• ischemia;
• heart attack;
• TELA;
• inflammation of the gallbladder;
• a sharp increase in pressure;
• arteriosclerosis.

Why does my back hurt after sleep?

Most people often experience back pain in the morning after sleep, which can be caused by:

• overload the day before when lifting weights and moving sharply;
• weak back muscles;
• hypothermia;
• injured vertebrae or osteochondrosis;
• scoliosis - curvature of the spine leads to uneven muscle contraction;
• pregnancy - with it the middle of the body shifts;
• obesity - the load on the spine is also uneven.

Sleep conditions are also important. The bed should not be too hard or soft - in any case, one is forced to take an uncomfortable, non-physiological posture during sleep, which causes the muscles to overstretch and not relax at night. Posture is so important that even an orthopedic mattress doesn’t help. It is recommended to sleep on your back with your legs raised.

Post-sleep pain can be caused by diseases of the spine and internal organs (urological, gastrointestinal, including oncological).

Diseases of the joints and spine

All pathologies in which back pain occurs have a common cause - uneven loading of the spine. These include:

1. Ankylosing spondylitis - permanent inflammation of the ligaments and joints causes chronic cramps in the surrounding muscles. The process is autoimmune, over time the vertebrae grow together, which sharply disrupts the work of the spine.
2. Spondylolisthesis - the vertebrae are in an abnormal position. They move and affect the brain or roots.
3. Osteochondrosis - the intervertebral discs become thinner, ruptured, replaced by bone tissue. Depreciation becomes impossible.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammation of the joints. It affects the cervical spine more often.
5. Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the bone marrow and surrounding soft tissues. Causes severe pain.
6. Reiter's disease is a concomitant rheumatic lesion of the urogenital tract, joints, and conjunctiva of the eye. The small muscles of the back are affected. It is more common in young people and develops gradually. The pain is strong in the morning and decreases in the evening.
7. Narrowing of the spinal canal - the cause may be a herniated disc, a protrusion (protrusion into the spinal canal). Most often, the process affects the lowest roots of the spinal cord, which innervate the legs. The pain is felt from the lower back to the feet and intensifies during both rest and walking.
8. Facet syndrome is a change in the intervertebral (facet) joints. The pain may be local or radiate to the groin, tailbone, thigh. Physically dependent. In the evening the condition worsens and improves after rest. More common in the elderly.

Musculoskeletal disorders

Muscle tissue is secondary, underlying the pathology of bone tissue or joints. Painful cramps and tightness appear in the muscles, mobility is impaired:

1. Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome from the neck to the lower back. Neurological symptoms may be associated with: increased sensitivity to pressure at certain points in the back, stiffness, and stiffness.
2. Polymositis - occurs in case of hypothermia, trauma, sprain or strenuous physical exertion. Muscle weakness occurs, in which turning sideways is also painful and problematic.
3. Dermatomyositis is a chronic disease of the muscles, organs and skin, often of an autoimmune nature.
4. Charcot’s disease is an inflammation of the peripheral nerves running along the spine. This leads to changes in gait, muscle weakness and increased sensitivity of the nerve roots.
5. Polymyalgia rheumatica has negative effects on the environment from hypothermia, overload, uncomfortable posture, etc. in the form of. It leads to spasms and pain in each muscle. The so-called trigger points appear, which when pressed, the muscle responds with acute pain. Neurologists know about it. These types of pain are relieved with warming ointments and needle applicators.

Pathologies of the spinal cord

These include spinal cord injury, which has 31 paired branches where each nerve is responsible for innervating its site. This condition occurs when:

• trauma (spine fracture);
• tumors;
• osteochondrosis or disc herniation;
• abscess inflammation, hematoma;
• stroke;
• myositis;
• lack of minerals and vitamins;
• Complications of HIV or neurosyphilis;
• sclerosis.

Back pain caused by psychosomatics

In recent years, back pain has begun to manifest itself in psychosomatics. In such cases, the examination does not reveal the pathology in the case of back pain complaints. This condition occurs in case of chronic stress, depression, lack of libido. The result can be not only pain, but also a change in gait, aggravation of lumbago, and sensory disturbances.

Causes of back pain by localization

Pain can occur in a variety of areas of the back. Then they talk about its localization.

Pain in the right side

The right side of the back may hurt due to curvature of the spine, kyphosis, lordosis, myositis, intervertebral disc displacement, obesity.

Somatic pathologies can also cause pain in this area:

• formation of stones in the organs of the urinary system;
• inflammation of the appendix (appendix);
• inflammation of the gallbladder;
• nephritis;
• inflammation of the ovaries;
• salpingitis.

Pain in the left side

This part of the back can hurt if:

• spleen inflammation;
• ICD;
• stinging of the roots;
• duodenitis;
• oophoritis.

The pain in the lower back can be accompanied by inflammation of the serous membranes covering the lungs, bronchial damage, intercostal neuralgia, ischemia.

Lumbar pain

The lower back suffers very often as it has a huge load. This stage is inflamed by damage to the nerve roots, osteochondrosis, or protrusion of the hernia. Less commonly, the cause may be spinal tuberculosis, arthritis, lumboischialgia, decreased density and violation of bone structure, Reiter's syndrome - a combination of urethritis and prostatitis.

Lumbar pain is usually chronic.

In the lumbar region on the right

Lumbar pain occurs in scoliosis, tuberculosis, myositis, neuralgia, tumors, osteomyelitis, spondylitis. Acute seizures can be caused by urolithiasis or pyelonephritis.

Lumbago is a disease of the lower back in which the spinal roots are often involved in the process (radiculitis). Constant dull and monotonous pain is more characteristic of an organ like the liver.

In the lumbar region on the left

Most often, the left side starts to hurt after physical exertion. After rest, the condition improves. Pain can also occur in diabetes with pinching of the root. If you do not pass at rest, the reasons may be:

• scoliosis;
• osteochondrosis (with a sedentary lifestyle or poor posture);
• vertebral infections;
• circulatory disorders.

Pinched nerve

More often, the sciatic nerve gets stuck - sciatica. In this case, the myelin sheath is not damaged. This is usually a consequence of osteochondrosis. When he is pinched, there is a sharp and sharp pain that radiates to the leg, the sacrum, and the lower back.

In compression radiculopathy, the roots of the spinal nerves are also compressed due to a decrease in the height or height of the disc herniation and, consequently, a reduction in the distance between the vertebral bodies. This pain is felt to be "superficial" and is greatly exacerbated by coughing, straining or sneezing.

Intervertebral hernia

The hernia is the extrusion of the core of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal. More often, this is a consequence of untreated osteochondrosis. The central part extends towards the spinal cord, compressing it. In such cases, even a small load leads to a decrease in cartilage height and an even greater protrusion of the hernia. The pain is sharp and sharp, returning to the arm or leg.

In the area of the shoulder blades

Characteristics of pain may indicate a diagnosis:

1. Gastric ulcer - increasing dull pain. It is eliminated with medication.
2. Intercostal neuralgia - the disease is characterized by acute pain with any physical exertion.
3. Osteochondrosis - dizziness, pressure changes, numbness in the hands.
4. Exacerbation of angina pectoris - the pain is localized in the left scapular region, radiating to the chest and under the collarbone.

Pain along the spine and back

It most commonly occurs when nerve endings are pinched. Exacerbations involve curvature of the spine. If the pain is not pronounced, we can talk about prominence. You may want to think about osteochondrosis if you have increased pain. Spinal pain is characteristic of myositis, fractures, thinning and abrasion of intervertebral discs, and spondyloarthritis. They are always sharp and constant.

Causes of lower back pain

Such pain is more commonly associated with osteochondrosis and spondyloarthrosis. Less commonly, such feelings may occur if:

• genital diseases in women (endometritis, adnexitis, vulvitis, cervicitis, oophoritis);
• pregnancy;
• menstruation;
• ulcerative colitis;
• appendicitis;
• diseases of the prostate or bladder - in men.

Related symptoms

Manifestations of spinal pain vary by location. With the loss of the cervical spine, migraines and dizziness, weakness and numbness of the hands, an increase in pressure, flies and flickering are observed in the eyes. If the chest region is affected, there is a burning sensation and stiffness in the chest, difficulty breathing, pain in the shoulder area.

Situations requiring urgent medical attention

An urgent visit to the doctor requires back pain, which occurs in the following cases:

• injury;
• neurological symptoms in the form of tingling and numbness in the limbs;
• temperature is combined with back pain;
• numbness, weakness and tingling in the hands and feet;
• gait changed or legs lost;
• history of cancer;
• weight loss for no apparent reason;
• impaired urination and defecation - one person cannot control these processes;
• back pain radiates to the chest, jaw, and neck;
• the mind is confused and dizzy;
• numbness in the genitals and weakness, "cottoniness" in the legs;
• leg cramps;
• conception or erection problems;
• gastrointestinal problems in which treatment by a gastroenterologist does not help;
• pain in the coccyx, the small pelvis, aggravated by a change in body position;
• increased pain in a long sitting or standing position.

Experts will help you find out the cause of the pain.

Diagnostics

To identify the cause of back pain, your neurologist will prescribe a comprehensive examination:

1. Blood collection. They help identify the presence of infection and inflammation in the form of leukocytosis and increased ESR. Decreased hemoglobin levels indicate anemia, which can have a number of causes, one of which is cancer.
2. MRI. . .Visualizes the condition of all components of the spine. It helps to differentiate the type and nature of the tumor, to determine the distance between the vertebrae and the degree of root compression.
3. CT. Identifies fractures, allowing the smallest fragments to be found after injury. All in 3D.
4. Radiography. The most cost-effective way to diagnose back pain and identify the condition of your bone tissue. It is prescribed for suspected fractures, arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, spondyloarthrosis.
5. Electromyography (EMG). Determines indicators of bioelectrical activity of muscles and peripheral nerve endings.
6. Ultrasound of the blood vessels in the neck and brain. In triplex or duplex mode, it is used to assess the permeability of blood flow through arteries and blood vessels. They check their condition - wall thickness, permeability, etc.

Treatment of back pain

There are several treatments for back pain. A neurologist will select the optimal treatment for you, taking into account the patient's age, lifestyle, level of physical mobility, and clinical manifestations.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, muscle relaxants and B vitamins are commonly used in the treatment of back pain. . Along the way, they prescribe physiotherapy, movement therapy, IRT, massage, spine pulling, and muscle relaxation.

In case of back pain, it is advisable to consult a doctor for quality treatment.

Prophylaxis

Preventive measures:

• learn to maintain posture and stand correctly;
• do not bend over;
• sitting, keep your back straight, place a stand under your feet;
• organize the place of sleep correctly;
• after waking up, do not jump up suddenly - stretch slowly, do simple exercises with arms and legs;
• distribute the weights on both hands - do not carry everything in one hand, do not put a bag on your shoulder - the backpack is better;
• do not carry the child backwards in your arms;
• weightlifting squats;
• do not wash the floor without moping, leaning forward or kneeling;
• balance your diet with adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins;
• quit smoking and alcohol;
• do not forget the physical exercises - swimming, nordic walking, yoga;
• take a contrast shower in the morning;
• protects the liver, produces collagen for the ligaments of the spine and vertebrae;
• strengthens immunity;
• control weight;
• it is advisable to perform a manual therapy course 5-10 times every 6 months (as recommended by a specialist);
• avoid stress;
• do not forget about medical examinations.

If you experience back pain, consult a doctor who can provide appropriate assistance. Keep in mind that any disease is easier to treat in the initial stages.