Back pain: causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

According to statistics, 80% of people know firsthand about back pain.Of all issued sick leave, more than a third is related to this problem.The reason can be considered the weakness of fragile muscles and their rapid growth.To identify the problem, in addition to a visual examination, hardware diagnostics (X-ray, myography, CT, etc.) and laboratory blood tests are performed.Treatment is prescribed only after diagnosis.

Why does my back hurt?

Pain in the spine can occur immediately after injuries, pathologies of vertebrae, ligaments and discs or damage to soft tissues.It depends on the position of the body, the level of physical activity, but it can also be reflected in, for example, diseases of the internal organs.To some extent, the back itself is vulnerable because of its structure.

Its basis is the spine, which provides support, protection, motor and cushioning functions.This is due to the cartilage of the intervertebral discs, muscles and ligaments, which with the wrong lifestyle wear out over time and cause degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Inside the spinal cord is the spinal cord, its paired roots innervate almost all organs and tissues.Any disturbance in this complex system can cause pain.Due to the greatest load and mobility, the cervical and lumbar regions are most often affected.

What to do if your back hurts?

A medical examination is needed to determine the cause, especially if the pain is frequent.Only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.You cannot diagnose yourself.

First, you can contact a therapist, who will identify a number of symptoms and refer you to the right specialist.If the cause is known and obvious, you can continue with the prescribed therapy.Neurologists, orthopedists and vertebrologists treat back problems.

Causes of back pain

Back pain is a non-specific symptom that can be caused by various reasons.

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 salesmen, street advertisers, surgeons, teachers;
• heavy physical activity combined with sudden turns of the body;
• overload during training;
• in postmenopause with a tendency to osteoporosis.

Pathological reasons:

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

Acute pain can occur with disc protrusion, spondylarthrosis, epiduritis of the spinal cord, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, atypical appendicitis and intestinal obstruction, kidney stones, fractures and sprains, stroke, appendicitis in women and prostate cancer.

Types of diseases based on the nature of back pain

Causes of aching pain:

• hypothermia;
• muscle strain;
• myositis;
• prolonged uncomfortable posture during sleep or at work;
• lumbago (caused by childbirth);
• osteochondrosis;
• intervertebral hernia or displacement of intervertebral discs due to sudden lifting of weights or sudden turning of the body;
• kidney diseases - cause back pain due to the close location of the kidneys to the lower back;
• stomach diseases.

Causes of shooting pains:

• intervertebral hernia - their condition worsens with any physical stress;
• radiculitis - this type of back pain often occurs on one side, radiates to the thigh or buttocks, causes numbness in the legs and also depends on physical exertion;
• osteochondrosis - the patient may feel excruciating pain that spreads to the leg and intensifies when coughing, sneezing, straining, walking, bending.

Etiology of throbbing pain:

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

Bursting back pain:

• ischemia;
• heart attack;
• BODIES;
• inflammation of the gallbladder;
• sudden increase in pressure;
• atherosclerosis.

Why does my back hurt after sleeping?

Most people often feel back pain in the morning after sleeping, and the reasons can be:

• overload the day before, if you lifted weights and moved suddenly;
• weak back muscles;
• hypothermia;
• vertebral hernia or osteochondrosis;
• scoliosis - curvature of the spine leads to uneven muscle contraction;
• pregnancy - when the center of the body moves;
• obesity - the load on the spine is also uneven.

Sleeping conditions are also important.The bed should not be too hard or too soft - in any case, a person is forced to take an uncomfortable, non-physiological position in sleep, due to which the muscles overexert and do not rest at night.Posture is so important that even an orthopedic mattress cannot help.It is recommended to sleep on your back with your legs up.

Also, the causes of pain after sleep can be diseases of the spine and internal organs (urological, gastrointestinal tract, including oncological ones).

Diseases related to the joints and spine

All pathologies that cause back pain have a common basis - uneven load on the spinal column.This includes:

1. Ankylosing spondylitis - permanent inflammation of ligaments and joints causes chronic spasm of surrounding muscles.The process is autoimmune;over time, the vertebrae begin to fuse, which dramatically disrupts the functioning of the spine.
2. Spondylolisthesis - the vertebrae are in an abnormal position.They are displaced and affect the brain or roots.
3. Osteochondrosis - intervertebral discs become thinner, rupture and are replaced by bone tissue.Depreciation becomes impossible.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammation of the joints.It most often affects the cervical spine.
5. Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the bone marrow and surrounding soft tissue.It causes severe pain.
6. Reiter's disease is a rheumatic simultaneous lesion of the urogenital tract, joints and conjunctiva of the eyes.The small muscles of the back are affected.More often typical for young people, it develops gradually.The pain is severe in the morning and decreases in the evening.
7. Stenosis of the spinal canal - the cause can be a herniated disc or a protrusion (protrusion into the spinal canal).More often, the process involves the lowest roots of the spinal cord, which innervate the legs.The pain is felt from the lower part of the back to the feet, intensifies both at rest and when walking.
8. Facet syndrome is a lesion of the intervertebral (facet) joints.The pain can be local or radiate to the groin, coccyx or thigh.Physically dependent.In the evening, the condition worsens, after rest it improves.It occurs more often in the elderly.

Diseases related to muscles

Muscle tissue is affected secondarily, on the background of pathology of bone tissue or joints. Painful spasms 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 occur: increased sensitivity when pressing certain points on the back, stiffness and stiffness.
2. Polymyositis - occurs due to hypothermia, injury, sprain or heavy physical exertion.Muscle weakness occurs in which even turning to the side is painful and problematic.
3. Dermatomyositis is a chronic disease of muscles, organs and skin, often of an autoimmune nature.
4. Charcot disease is an inflammation of the peripheral nerves that run along the spine.This leads to changes in gait, muscle weakness and increased sensitivity of the nerve roots.
5. Polymyalgia rheumatica is the negativity of the environment in the form of hypothermia, overload, uncomfortable posture, etc.It leads to spasms of certain muscles and pain.So-called trigger points appear, when the muscle is pressed, it reacts with acute pain.Neurologists know about this.Pain of this type can be removed with heating ointments and a needle applicator.

Pathologies of the spinal cord

This includes damage to the spinal cord, which has 31 paired branches, where each nerve is responsible for the innervation of its area. This condition occurs when:

• injuries (fracture of the spine);
• tumors;
• osteochondrosis or disc herniation;
• inflammation as a result of abscess, hematoma;
• cerebral hemorrhage;
• myositis;
• lack of minerals and vitamins;
• complications of HIV or neurosyphilis;
• sclerosis.

Back pain due to psychosomatics

In recent years, back pain began to appear due to psychosomatics.In this case, if there are complaints of back pain, the examination does not reveal pathology.This condition occurs with chronic stress, depression and lack of libido.The result can be not only pain, but also a change in gait, worsening of lumbago and sensory disturbances.

Causes of back pain by location

Pain can occur in different places in the back.Then they talk about its localization.

Pain on the right side

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

Somatic pathologies can also cause pain in this area:

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

Pain on the left side

This area of the back can hurt in the following cases:

• splenitis;
• ICD;
• root pinching;
• duodenitis;
• oophoritis.

Pain localized above the lower back can be associated with inflammation of the serous membranes covering the lungs, damage to the bronchi, intercostal neuralgia and ischemia.

Pain in the lumbar region

The lower back suffers very often, because it carries a colossal load.This part becomes inflamed when nerve roots are damaged, osteochondrosis or hernial protrusion.Less often, the cause can be spinal tuberculosis, arthritis, lumboischialgia, reduced density and structural disorder of bone tissue, Reiter's syndrome - a combination of urethritis and prostatitis.

Pain in the lumbar region is usually chronic.

In the lumbar region on the right

Pain in the lumbar region occurs with scoliosis, tuberculosis, myositis, neuralgia, tumors, osteomyelitis, spondylitis.An acute attack can be caused by urolithiasis or pyelonephritis.

Cracking is typical for diseases of the lower back with frequent involvement of the spinal roots (radiculitis).Constant dull and monotonous pain is more typical for an organ such as the liver.

Left lumbar region

Most often, the left side starts to hurt after physical activity.The condition improves after rest.Pain can also occur with diabetes or root pinching. If it does not disappear at rest, the reasons may be:

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

A pinched nerve

Most often, the sciatic nerve is pinched - sciatica.His myelin sheath is not damaged.It is usually a consequence of osteochondrosis.When pinched, a sharp and acute pain occurs that spreads to the leg, sacrum and lower back.

In compression radiculopathy, the spinal nerve roots are also compressed due to disc herniation or reduction in its height and, as a result, the distance between the vertebral bodies.Such pain is felt as "superficial", it suddenly intensifies when coughing, straining or sneezing.

Intervertebral hernia

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

In the area of the shoulder blades

Characteristics of pain may indicate the diagnosis:

1. A stomach ulcer is a growing dull ache.It is eliminated by drugs.
2. Intercostal neuralgia is a disease characterized by acute pain with any physical effort.
3. Osteochondrosis - dizziness, changes in pressure, numbness of hands.
4. Worsening of angina - the pain is localized in the area of the left shoulder blade, radiating to the chest and below the collarbone.

Pain along the spine and back

They occur more often when the nerve endings are pinched.Exacerbations are associated with curvature of the spine.If the pain is not pronounced, we can talk about a protrusion.With increasing pain, you can think about osteochondrosis.Pain along the spine is characteristic of myositis, fractures, thinning and wear of intervertebral discs and spondyloarthritis.They are always sharp and constant.

Causes of lower back pain

Such pain is often associated with osteochondrosis and spondyloarthrosis. Less often, such feelings may appear when:

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

Associated symptoms

Manifestations of pain in the spine differ depending on the location.If the cervical spine is affected, migraines and dizziness, weakness and numbness of the hands, pressure spikes, spots and flashes in the eyes will be noticed.When the thoracic region is affected, there is burning and stiffness in the chest, difficulty breathing and pain in the shoulder blades.

Situations that require immediate medical attention

Urgent consultation with a doctor is required for back pain that occurs in the following cases:

• bruise;
• neurological symptoms in the form of tingling and numbness in the limbs;
• temperature is combined with back pain;
• numbness in the hands and feet, weakness and a burning sensation;
• the gait has changed or the legs are lost;
• there is a history of cancer;
• weight loss for no apparent reason;
• urination and defecation are disturbed - the person cannot control these processes;
• back pain radiates to chest, jaw and neck;
• consciousness is confused and dizzy;
• numbness of the genitals and weakness, "woolly" in the legs;
• leg cramps;
• problems with conception or erection;
• problems with the gastrointestinal tract, for which treatment by a gastroenterologist does not help;
• pain in the region of the coccyx and pelvis, which increases with changes in body position;
• increased pain when sitting or standing for a long time.

Experts will help you find the cause of the pain.

Diagnostics

In order to determine the cause of back pain, the neurologist prescribes a comprehensive examination:

1. Blood tests.They help to recognize the presence of infection and inflammation in the form of leukocytosis and increased ESR.A decrease in hemoglobin will indicate anemia, which can have many causes, one of the possible reasons being oncology.
2. MRI. It visualizes the condition of all components of the spine.It helps distinguish the type and nature of the tumor, determines the distance between the vertebrae and the degree of root compression.
3. CT. It detects fractures and allows you to find the smallest fragments after injuries.All this in three dimensions.
4. Radiography.The cheapest way to diagnose back pain and determine the state of 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 blood vessels of the neck and brain.In triplex or duplex mode, it is used to assess the patency of blood flow through arteries and vessels.Their condition is checked - wall thickness, permeability, etc.

Treatment of back pain

There are several methods for treating back pain.The neurologist will choose 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 usually used in the treatment of back pain. Physiotherapy, exercise therapy, IRT, massage, spinal traction, muscle relaxation are also prescribed.

In case of back pain, in order to ensure quality treatment, it is recommended to visit a doctor.

Prevention

Prevention measures:

• learn to maintain posture and stand properly;
• do not faint;
• keep your back straight when sitting, place a stand under your feet;
• properly organize the sleeping area;
• do not jump suddenly after waking up - stretch slowly, do simple exercises with arms and legs;
• spread the weights on both hands - don't carry everything in one hand, drop the bag over your shoulder - a backpack is better;
• do not carry the child in your arms bent backwards;
• squatting;
• do not wash floors without a mop, leaning forward or kneeling;
• balance your diet with a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins;
• give up smoking and alcohol;
• do not forget about physical exercises - swimming, Nordic walking, yoga;
• take a contrast shower in the morning;
• takes care of the liver, it produces collagen for the ligaments of the spine and vertebral bodies;
• strengthen immunity;
• weight control;
• It is recommended to take a course of manual therapy every 6 months for 5-10 sessions (as recommended by a specialist);
• avoid stress;
• Do not forget about the medical examinations at the doctor.

If you experience back pain, consult a doctor who will provide you with appropriate help.Remember, any disease is easier to treat in the initial stages.