What to do if your back hurts?

Back pain can make life difficult and has many possible causes. Timely prevention and diagnosis of back pain will help to avoid complications. Eliminate back painphysiotherapists and neurologists will help you.

Back pain is a common phenomenon in modern society. This is due to a number of factors: people lead a sedentary lifestyle, their daily diet lacks valuable vitamins and minerals, suffer from pathologies of internal organs, experience increased physical activity, receive injuries as a result of professional sports activities, ignore signs of cancer andetc. All this provokes pain in different areas of the back and deprives a person of a full life.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the problem of back pain and present the most effective ways to eliminate it. We hope this material will be useful to you!

back pains

Back pain is called dorsopathy. Many modern residents suffer from this disease, but the reasons for its occurrence can be very diverse. In 80% of cases, the pathology is caused by primary (non-specific) factors, and in 20% of cases, the disease manifests itself against the background of secondary (specific) signs.

Pain of a specific nature can be provoked by damage to internal organs, in other cases the pathological process progresses due to degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.

Among the specific risk factors, the most dangerous are oncological processes accompanied by metastases in the spine. For prevention, patients are recommended to regularly undergo fluorography and mammography, as well as PSA analysis. This makes it possible to detect the presence of tumors in the initial stage, when the malignant cells have not yet had time to move with the blood flow to other organs.

If your back hurts and you don't know what to do and how to treat a disease of unknown origin, you should first consult an experienced specialist and find out the cause of the discomfort.

You will deal with neurologists, physiotherapists and surgeons. After a thorough diagnosis, they will make an accurate conclusion about your illness and give an unequivocal answer to the question: "What to do if your back hurts? "".

Causes of back pain

The most frequently asked question on Internet search engines is: "What should I do if my spine hurts in the middle of my back? "". Today, this pain syndrome worries more than 80% of people in the world. The main sources of its occurrence are the following pathologies in the spine:

• A disease accompanied by the appearance of a purulent-inflammatory process in the bone marrow due to the activity of pathogens;
• The presence of malignant neoplasms, which is evidenced by the appearance of pain in the lower back;
• Disc herniation;
• Injuries of the spine (fractures);
• Curvature of the spine;
• Pain of a chronic nature in the area of muscle structures;
• A pathological process characterized by the development of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the area of all components of the spinal motor segment;
• Cartilage damage.

In some situations, manifestations of pain in the back area can be caused by other reasons:

• Inflammatory processes in the joints;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• Bleeding in the pelvic area;
• Disorders in the work of the female reproductive system. At the same time, women note that their back hurts in the lumbar region. Only a competent gynecologist can draw up a treatment plan and clarify what to do in such a situation;
• Intercostal neuralgia. Contributes to difficulty breathing;
• Ulcer disease characterized by discomfort in the area of the scapula;
• Kidney malfunctions;
• Inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by unilateral pain syndrome;
• The presence of malignant neoplasms in the respiratory organs;
• Acute inflammation of the inner lining of the appendix;
• Infectious processes in internal organs.

Types of back pain

To identify the cause of the pathology, the nature of the discomfort is taken into account. There are the following types of pain:

Shooting pain in the back

Appears when:

• Pathologies of internal organs;
• Physical injury resulting from a fall;
• Pinched nerve roots and spondylolisthesis;
• Spinal curvature and posture disorder.

If the shooting pain becomes acute, a visit to the clinic is a prerequisite for recovery.

Dagger back pain

If the patient asks what to do if the back hurts in the lower back and the discomfort is of a sharp stabbing nature, this indicates such dangerous pathological processes as:

• The presence of malignant neoplasms;
• Acute inflammation after exposure to thermal factors;
• Spasm of the piriformis muscle.

Sometimes the need to do something if the back is very painful disappears by itself, because such discomfort appears in women in the last weeks of pregnancy and is considered normal.

Pulling pain syndrome

Patients often complain: "If my lower back hurts because I lifted weights and tore my back, what should I do in this situation? ""Of course, excessive physical activity can cause pain of a pulling nature, but most often the following factors cause such discomfort:

• Old back injuries;
• Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the lumbar spine;
• Prolonged stay in one position.

Back pain after exercise

It is observed in people engaged in sports at a professional level. As a rule, the pain syndrome occurs against the background of excessive muscle tension. What exactly to do if your back hurts in this case, only a qualified specialist will answer you. First of all, you need to give the body rest and complete relaxation.

Back pain due to coronavirus or SARS?

If the muscles of the back along the spine hurt, what exactly to do in this situation will be answered by the doctor after an examination for the presence of acute respiratory viral infections. Often they cause severe pain in the area of muscle tissue, pain in the joints and general weakness, which is a consequence of intoxication of the body.

When the back hurts with a simultaneous rise in temperature, what to do in this case is quite obvious. First of all, you need to take painkillers and antipyretics. Only an experienced doctor can prescribe special antivirals and antibiotics after a thorough examination.

It should be noted that with a coronavirus infection, the increased pain in the back is due to pleurisy and is also associated with increased tension in the muscle structures, which appears against the background of frequent exhausting cough. In addition, lactic acid is formed in the muscles of the back, which causes significant discomfort.

When is a doctor's visit an emergency?

If the manifestations of pain do not disappear within a few days, but only intensify, a visit to a medical institution is a prerequisite for improving well-being.

An independent visit to the clinic or a call to the doctor at home is recommended in the following situations:

• The condition worsens at night;
• There has been a recent back or spine injury;
• The patient does not feel better even when changing the position of the body;
• The patient has a fever;
• The patient is at risk (age category over 55 years);
• Neurological discomfort intensifies - sensitivity in the limbs disappears, the patient begins to feel muscle weakness;
• Alleviation of the condition does not even give non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• The patient complains of shooting pain in the lower leg.

Diagnosis of back pain

If the back starts to hurt and you don't know what to do, you should first contact a neurologist and carry out the necessary laboratory and hardware tests. This will allow you to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment.

What does the blood test determine?

Thanks to the laboratory blood test, doctors can identify infectious processes and determine an important ESR indicator that allows you to confirm or exclude inflammation. With increased values of leukocytes, the presence of inflammatory processes can also be assessed. In addition, based on a blood test, it can be concluded that hemoglobin synthesis is impaired due to iron deficiency, as well as the development of malignant neoplasms.

hardware research

• Duplex/triplex ultrasound scanning of vessels of the neck and head.It allows to examine the condition of blood vessels, to assess the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots, to examine the quantitative parameters of blood flow. This research method is prescribed to patients who complain of frequent dizziness, increased blood pressure, head pain and signs of an acute cerebrovascular accident;
• CT.It allows you to establish the nature of the fracture of the spine, as well as to detect even its smallest parts. Based on the results of the study, it is possible to recreate the damaged area in a three-dimensional format. CT is more informative than X-ray examination;
• Magnetic resonance.The most accurate research method. It allows to examine malignant neoplasms of the vertebrae, as well as pinched nerve roots, intervertebral hernia, reduction of the lumen of the spinal opening and inflammatory processes provoked by injury. Performing an MRI is considered a prerequisite before surgery and during the rehabilitation period after it;
• Radiography.It allows you to study the condition of the bone tissue in detail. It is performed for scoliosis, inflammatory diseases of the joints, fractures, displacement of the vertebrae. It is often carried out together with functional diagnostics, when the patient is asked to bend and straighten the spine. According to the indicators of coloring of the vertebrae, their strength is judged;
• Electromyography.It allows you to assess the condition of the nervous tissue. In the process of this research, electrical impulses generated by nerve structures are studied, as well as the reaction of muscle tissue to them. Thanks to the EMG, it is possible to detect a pinched nerve that occurred against the background of a hernia of the intervertebral disc and a narrowing of the spinal opening;
• Bone scintigraphy.It is considered a mandatory method when compression fractures or oncological processes are suspected.

back pain treatment

The main goal of therapeutic measures is to relieve pain and prevent the development of chronic pathologies. Therefore, treatment includes eliminating the signs of the main disease, as well as the use of drugs to relieve acute pain and the use of non-drug methods to restore the body.

Algorithm for relief of acute pain syndrome:

• Bed rest for the first 3-5 days. At the same time, the patient is recommended to undergo shock wave treatment and use special drugs. In addition, the patient is prescribed special orthopedic devices;
• Adherence to semi-bed rest for the next 8-9 days. During this period, SWT and medication use should be continued. Also, the patient is recommended to introduce special exercises with a small load and undergo electrophoresis with analgesics;
• Period of limited physical activity (12-20th day). At this stage, drug treatment, shock wave therapy and physiotherapy sessions continue. To get an additional positive effect, they resort to massage procedures;
• Unlimited physical activity (without increased loads) together with the application of physiotherapy exercises;
• Preventive actions. Regular physical therapy and sports training. This improves the quality of life.

The use of medicines

In the course of diagnostics, it is not always possible to establish the cause of the pain syndrome, therefore, when prescribing drugs, the nature of the discomfort is often taken into account:

1. In case of acute pain sensations, drug blockade of the paravertebral muscles is used. If the pain cannot be relieved by the above method, anesthesia is performed in the epidural space of the spine.
2. Pain syndrome of moderate intensity is stopped by injections of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most effective of these agents is considered to be a derivative of phenylacetic acid. However, this drug with long-term use can disrupt the activity of the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, for any stomach disorders in a patient, he is prescribed more favorable drugs from this group.
3. To stop muscle spasms, they resort to the help of drugs that reduce the tone of skeletal muscles.
4. Vitamins of group B. Enhance the analgesic effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. These drugs are taken in tablet form or administered intramuscularly as injections.
5. With pain of a neuropathic nature, as part of complex therapy, they resort to the use of anticonvulsants or psychotropic drugs.

Preventive actions

So that the question of what to do if the back hurts from below, in the lumbar region or in the shoulder blade area does not bother you for many years, you need to be attentive to your body. Only a careful attitude to your body, as well as regular implementation of preventive measures, will minimize the likelihood of back pain.

There are several important rules, the observance of which will allow you to avoid back discomfort. So, when your back hurts and a person wonders what to do in this situation, reviews show that the first thing to pay attention to is shoes. Since during movement the greatest load falls on the spine, wearing uncomfortable shoes should be avoided. Experts recommend giving preference to shoes with a small heel (1-3 cm).

It is also important to pay attention to the posture. If you work at a computer for a long time, try to periodically change the position of the body and sometimes walk around the room or in the office.

When carrying heavy objects, it is necessary to distribute the weight of the load in an optimal way.

Another condition for maintaining a healthy back is the performance of gymnastic exercises. Physiotherapy and special exercises recommended by professional specialists will allow you to strengthen your muscles.