More than 25% of the world's population and more than 50% of people who work behind suffer from back pain.Unfortunately, evolution does not ensure that people aged 35-40 live comfortably.The biomechanical structure of the spine is such that the absence of back pain is not a guaranteed reality, but a happy (and, unfortunately, temporary) coincidence.Especially now, when the average office worker is forced to sit at a computer for 8-12 hours straight.But we have adapted over millions of years of evolution in the wild to a completely different way of life, much more active!
Is it possible to treat back pain yourself?
Unfortunately, not everyone asks this right question.The answer is: self-medication based on information from the Internet is very dangerous.This is a big risk that can cause disability.If we are talking about internal pain such as pain in the back and spine, then it is not necessarily worth "diagnosing" yourself and "prescribing" treatment.Nerve endings in internal organs are located differently than on the surface of the skin.The pain in it is difficult to localize, and sometimes it seems that one thing hurts, but in fact the reason is something else.For example, back pain can be caused by cancer of the gastrointestinal tract.And the pain that other people can describe on forums or in articles that are very similar to yours may be caused by completely different causes and require very different treatment.
Yoram Anekstein, Tel Aviv Medical Center: "Very important advice: Do not try to learn the names of spinal diseases, understand etiology, diagnosis, etc. Learn and remember the name of your diagnosis when a qualified doctor makes it."
Worrying symptoms
Unpleasant sensations most often occur in the cervical and lumbar spine, but chest pain is less common.It is subjected to less pressure, so osteochondrosis, protrusion and herniated intervertebral disc do not affect it often.However, chest and thoracic back pain may be caused by problems with the spine.
Occasional discomfort may occur, but it is usually harmless.If this is muscle pain (although it may not be the same as the pain in the arm muscles after hard work and can be felt more strongly), then the cause is most likely due to overexertion due to staying in one position for a long time or too high a load.If the pain goes away after a change of position or a short walk and does not return, then the problem is unlikely to be serious.Even if you have to deal with small problems, for example, change your usual posture, increase your physical activity, and do physical exercises.And only a doctor can determine the seriousness of the problem.If there is a small chance, then you will definitely go to the doctor: it is always easier (and cheaper) to cure the disease in the early stages than in advanced cases.
What is really dangerous?Here is a list of "alarm signals", after the occurrence of one of which it is necessary to start diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible:
- The pain does not stop, changing the position of the body does not help;The pain does not subside with rest;The pain is worse at night;
- numbness (decreased sensitivity) or decreased limb strength occurs;
- Problems arise with urination and defecation (for example, loss of the sensation of emptying the bladder, urinary and fecal incontinence or, conversely, retention; not to be confused with constipation);
- The temperature rises, but there is no other reason that can explain this, for example, ARVI;
- Pain wakes you up and disrupts sleep;
- complications after developing a malignant tumor (the statute of limitations is not important);
- unexplained weight loss;
- complications after years of taking steroids;
- complications after a recent serious illness;
- complications after a recent infectious disease;
- loss of anal reflex;
- weakness in hips and knees;
- neurological deficit;
- progressive spinal deformity;
- back pain that gets worse at rest;
- chest pain (ACS - ECG);
- general malaise.
Please note that you don't have to wait for everything to start together.If at least one of these symptoms occurs, consult a doctor immediately.
Yoram Anekstein, Tel Aviv Medical Center: "The question often arises: I made an appointment with the doctor, but my back has stopped hurting.
Articles on the Internet very often try to describe the type of pain that is osteochondrosis, and the type of pain that is sciatica, etc.This is a wrong approach, the reasons we have explained above.It doesn't matter what kind of pain: on the left side, on the right side, in the tailbone, everywhere, shooting, lasting a few seconds or hours and days.All of these are symptoms that scream that qualified medical attention is needed.
Causes of back pain
The most common causes are non-specific pain related to muscle tension, overstretching of tendons, ligaments and fascia.
Less often, the pain is associated with a herniated disc that affects the nerve root (~3% of cases).
Osteoporosis (including pathological fractures), infection (spondylodiscitis), tumors, tuberculosis, trauma, and other rheumatological diseases cause pain less often (about 1%).
Diseases of internal organs can also cause back pain (pancreatic cancer, peptic ulcer, for example, or acute coronary syndrome).
Degenerative changes, which are called osteochondrosis, and consist of a complex of components (decreased elasticity and strength of disc material, decreased disc height, protrusion, hernia, changes in the vertebral body (modic I-III)
It should be understood that the group of spondylitis and spondyloarthritis alone includes more than 10 diseases with various causes, course characteristics, symptoms, etc.The number of back and spine diseases in particular is huge.But from the description above, you yourself can understand that they unite with seriousness.Back pain should not be ignored.Most of these diseases occur slowly, with long periods of remission.But at the same time, at each acute stage, the risk of complications (up to loss of mobility) increases.