Do you spend a lot of time sitting down for work or hobbies, or do you work out a lot in 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 see and how should I treat the wound?We will talk about this and more later in the article.
What causes pain?
So: "What to do if your back hurts, and what could be causing it?"Let's look at this question in more detail.There can be several reasons for this.The fact is that pain in the back and lower back can indicate many diseases, both of the spine itself and of the internal organs.This is due to the fact that many nerve endings extend from the spine, which surround all internal organs.Therefore, based on the localization of pain in a specific area of the spine, we can talk about some specific diseases.
Reasons
What does lower back pain mean and which doctor should you see?The causes of lower back pain can be habits and diseases.The first includes:
- Constant sedentary work.IT professionals and drivers are at risk.
- Constant standing work.
- Frequent heavy physical activity.Athletes, especially weightlifters, are at risk.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Pregnant women and women who have recently given birth belong to a special risk group.
- Overweight.
As you can see, everything is simple with habits.As for the second case, pain in the lumbar region can often be caused by an illness.Here, too, we can distinguish between diseases of the spine itself and those in which pain in the lumbar region is only a symptom.Among the first are osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, intervertebral hernia and protrusion.
The second group includes the following possible causes of back pain:
- Spinal fracture due to trauma.
- Osteoporotic fracture.
- Tumor localized in the spinal canal.
- Prolonged muscle tension.
- Narrow structure of the spinal canal (quite rare).
- Various complications during pregnancy.
- Various types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis.
- Spinal deformities such as kyphosis, scoliosis, Scheuermann-Mau disease, kyphoscoliosis.
- Spinal tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, discitis.
- Urolithiasis, pyelonephritis.
- Ovarian cancer, endometriosis, ovarian cyst.
When should you see a doctor?
Minor back pain that goes away quickly and is the result of prolonged exercise is the norm.But if the lower back hurts for a long time, or if the pain is intermittent, occurs by itself and then disappears, then you should be alarmed.After a serious back injury, you should go to the hospital immediately.It should be understood that pain in the lower back can be accompanied by pain in the leg or lower leg.You may also experience numbness in part of your leg or bottom.In this case, there is something serious and it should be investigated as soon as possible.
It is unlikely that you will diagnose yourself, so you need to go to the hospital, but which doctor should you see?Some say a chiropractor, while others say a neurologist is more experienced.Both options are correct, but it would be more correct to consult a neurologist, because he will be able to correctly prescribe and carry out the entire process of diagnosing the disease.And in this case, the cause is identified more precisely, and there is every chance of successful treatment.So, from the point of view of a neurologist, in the case of lower back pain, based on the intensity and strength of the pain, you can approximately determine the cause of its occurrence.
Acute pain
Acute lower back pain in men and women is the result of a recent injury (fall, muscle strain, blow, sudden movements).The reason may also be that you work for a long time in an uncomfortable position or carry and lift heavy things.And finally, let's not forget about the cold back that occurs due to hypothermia or prolonged exposure to drafts.Here you can easily treat lower back pain with folk remedies.
Displacement of the lumbar spine and intervertebral discs are the most common.The disease is the first to suffer from people whose field of activity involves constant hard physical work, therefore lower back pain occurs in men.The disease is popularly called lumbago.It usually goes away on its own with rest or after a few days.However, it can easily drag on for up to a month, so you need to at least treat your back pain 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.You can no longer receive home treatment here.Hospitalization and full diagnosis are required.It can even go as far as surgical intervention.
Severe pain
Severe pain differs from acute pain in that it lasts longer and is the result of some disease related to the musculoskeletal system.These include lumbosacral radiculitis and osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.When you sneeze, cough, sit, or walk, you feel a throbbing pain in your lower back, in short, your back hurts with any movement.In addition, the pain may radiate to the lower limbs and even become numb.Here you don't have to run, you have to fly to the doctor for an examination.
Sore
In general, back pain can occur due to sudden strong tension in the spinal muscles.Lower back pain can be relieved by resting for a few hours.But you shouldn't fly in clouds, you have to be alert, because severe hypothermia can hurt your back.Thus, in the more chronic disease, myositis may develop, in which the psoas muscles become inflamed.In this case, you need to rest for several days and know how to relieve the pain.
Chronic
It is often caused by spondylosis deformans.The main symptom of this disease is pain in the lower back that radiates to the buttocks or legs.Numbness of the lower limbs may also occur.Other diseases that cause similar symptoms include cancer, metabolic disorders, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Displaced
Such pain is not a consequence of a back disease, but a consequence of a disease of an organ belonging to the spinal region.This includes pelvic diseases in both men and women, as well as diseases of the colon, kidneys, pancreas and various types of tumors.
How is the treatment done?
So, how do you get rid of lower back pain?First, you need to go to the hospital and make an appointment with a specialist for an examination.After the examination, the attending physician must send you for examination to confirm or refute your suspected diagnosis.In order to find out what it could be, he is sent for an X-ray of the spine.Today, a more advanced method is used, called myelography.
This method allows you to examine the pathways leading to the spinal cord in detail.It identifies all pathologies in the case of reduced patency of the pathways.It is worth knowing that before the X-ray, a xenon substance is injected into the spinal cord with a syringe, which highlights everything in the image.This method is quite expensive, but very effective and almost always helps you find out why your back hurts.In addition, MRI, ultrasound, EKG and CT may be prescribed.In additional cases, other tests may be required, such as a complete blood count, etc.
Drug treatment
In most cases, medication is an excellent treatment option for low back pain.Its purpose is to relieve pain, eliminate and further prevent inflammatory processes, improve blood circulation and regenerate damaged tissues.Thus, after finding out why the lower back hurts, we can get a general idea of how to treat lower back pain.
Traditionally, each treatment can be divided into 3 stages, namely: the beginning of the treatment, the treatment itself and the end of the therapy.At each stage, drugs can be administered both in the form of droppers, blocks and injections.The first step in treating lower back pain is to relieve the pain itself, reduce swelling and inflammation, relieve spasms, and relax the muscles.In the second stage, you must completely get rid of the cause of the disease.Here, the treatment is mostly carried out locally.Ointments and mixtures are used for compression.Physical therapy is also recommended.
The third stage consists of injections that enhance the regeneration of damaged tissues and feed them with all the necessary components.Thus, the full functionality of the segment is restored.The selection of drugs and therapy at each stage depends on the diagnosis and the doctor's choice.Self-medication is strictly not recommended.
Physiotherapy
After identifying the exact cause of the pain, treatment can be done with physiotherapy methods.Based on their cause, the following treatment methods can be distinguished:
- Ultrasound.
- Laser therapy.
- Exposure to electric current, etc.
Physical therapy focuses more on treating back pain in the early stages.It can be recommended as an additional treatment method in the later stages of the disease.The necessary therapy is only prescribed by the attending physician after examination.
Surgical intervention
In the vast majority of cases, back pain does not require surgery.However, if you have pain for a long time and it only gets worse over time and you absolutely refuse to see a doctor, then this method of treatment is also possible.In this case, general anesthesia is most likely used, where a lytic mixture is used to completely immobilize the patient.The surgical plan itself is developed by the surgeon based on the diagnostic data.
Traditional methods
To the question, "How to relieve lower back pain?"Traditional medicine can also provide the answer.Here, depending on how strong the pain symptoms are, different home-made ointments, body lotions, etc.The main goal of such remedies is to relieve pain and inflammation.In most cases, the treatment of the lower back with folk remedies is justified only as first aid.In the case of long-term self-medication, not knowing the main cause of the pain can greatly aggravate the disease.Below are some folk remedies.
- A poultice of grated horseradish and radish mixed with sour cream is applied to the painful area of the lower back.The whole thing is covered with a paper napkin on top and a scarf is tied around the entire lower back.This poultice perfectly eliminates the symptoms of pain and removes muscle spasms.
- If your back hurts, a hot poultice made from an infusion made with a mixture of healing injuries will be of great help.These include thyme, chamomile, St. John's wort, and black elder.The poultice is applied at night.The painful area is wrapped with a warm cloth.It is advisable to carry out the treatment at night.The same poultice is made from an infusion of dried burdock leaves.
- Another folk remedy is based on the healing properties of horse chestnut.First, the chestnuts must be ground into a powder.Then mix with camphor oil and melted lard.The ingredients are given in approximately the same amount.Spread the ointment obtained in this way on a slice of black bread and apply it as a poultice to the sore back.This product can improve blood circulation, has nutritional and anti-inflammatory properties.
But remember, no matter how successful folk remedies are, you still need to see a doctor.After all, self-medication is always done at your own peril and risk.In addition, it may turn out that medical procedures bring only short-term relief, after which the pain significantly intensifies.
Prevention
If your back hurts in the lumbar region, it's too late for prevention.But in order not to encounter such a problem for as long as possible, you need to think about how to prevent it and what leads to it?We have already described above that sedentary or sedentary lifestyles, athletes, especially weight lifters and overweight people are at risk.
Accordingly, the best prevention of the disease is mandatory morning exercise, sports, physical therapy, reducing the load on the back, massage, nutritional control, etc.Regular check-ups with your doctor will help you get rid of what may be causing your lower back pain.
First aid
What to do if your back hurts a lot and it's a long way 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 a hard bed or on the floor.The blanket must be removed from the bed.
- At the same time, the legs are raised and bent at the knees.For added comfort, place a pillow or folded blanket under the raised legs.
- Take the usual dose of the pain reliever or anti-inflammatory we have.
- We lie down and try not to make sudden movements.
- When performing 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 the workplace and notify your boss.
- Try to avoid spicy and smoked foods during and after treatment.