Back pain is one of the most common complaints of people aged 25-30. They can occur not only as a result of excessive work, but also as a symptom of a disease of the spine or internal organs. Therefore, it is important to be careful about your health and not ignore the problem. Finally, if back pain is caused by the appearance of pathological changes in the spine, it can ultimately lead to serious complications and even disability.
Reasons
In many situations, the back hurts for natural reasons: after exhausting physical work, hard training, long walks in high-heeled shoes, etc. In such situations, the pain is caused by the formation of lactic acid in the muscles, and in particularly severe cases, micro-tear muscles, sprains. Therefore, to remove them, it is necessary to rest for a few days.
Pregnancy is a common cause of back pain. Because the body undergoes many changes, especially in the late stages of pregnancy, it can respond to lower back pain. If they are not acute and are not associated with discomfort in the lower abdomen or the appearance of an unusual discharge, this is considered a normal variant. But at the same time, the changes that occur, shifting the center of gravity and increasing a woman's weight during pregnancy can cause worsening of chronic diseases or cause the development of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine.
Due to the fact that the load on a woman's body doubles during pregnancy, it is very important to arrange the spine. Our clinic has developed and prepared a special program of comprehensive examination and treatment for pregnant women and those who are planning a pregnancy.
Degenerative-dystrophic processes, as well as other pathologies of the spine, most often cause back pain in women and men older than 30 years. With them the pain can be localized in any part of the back (neck, between the shoulder blades, in the lower back) and given in the head, shoulders, arms, buttocks, legs, etc. It can be of varying severity, be acute, shooting, pulling, painful, be constantly present, or occur after physical exertion. These are all important signs that help determine the cause of the development of pain, and therefore find an effective way to eliminate it.
The most common diseases associated with back pain are:
- osteochondrosis, protrusions and intervertebral hernias;
- curvature of the spine (kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis and their combinations);
- myofascial syndrome.
Slightly less frequent back pain is caused by compression fractures of the spine (typical of the elderly or people who have suffered injuries, falls from a height, an accident), the development of ankylosing spondylitis, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis and other spinal diseases.
Also, pain in different parts of the back can be caused by the appearance of disorders in the work of internal organs. For example, neck pain may accompany thyroid pathologies, lymph node inflammation, vascular disease, and back pain may indicate pathology of the kidneys, pelvic organs, and gastrointestinal tract. Discomfort in the middle of the back, in the area of the shoulder blades, is quite rare, but it also occurs. Its appearance, in addition to spinal diseases, can also be caused by heart disorders, etc.
But the essence of the problem lies in the fact that any disease of the internal organs does not occur suddenly. They almost always become the result of violations of segmental innervation, ie the quality of transmission of nerve impulses from the spinal cord through nerve roots and nerve branches to certain organs. Each level of the spinal cord has its own pair of spinal roots, from which the nerves branch off and go to the appropriate organs. If changes occur in the spine, for example, curvature, displacement of the spine, changes in the height and condition of the intervertebral discs, this inevitably affects the condition of the spinal root and spinal cord. They can compress or even injure various vertebral structures as they change their natural parameters and position. Therefore, nerve impulses pass worse to the organs, which leads to the appearance of initially insignificant, but constantly progressive disorders in their work. Gradually, organic changes appear in the organs, which becomes the cause of the development of the disease. Therefore, in the case of back pain and detection of pathologies of internal organs, it is necessary to examine the spine and find the changes that caused their development. The impact on them will increase the efficiency of treatment of internal diseases, and most importantly, remove the preconditions for their occurrence.
Each segment of spinal movement has its own pair of nerve roots that transmit signals to a specific organ.
Osteochondrosis, bulge and intervertebral hernia
Osteochondrosis is the most common disease of the spine, which is present in every other adult at different stages of development. It is accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic changes on the intervertebral discs, ie their gradual destruction.
Depending on which part of the back pain occurs and, consequently, degenerative-dystrophic processes on the intervertebral discs, osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine differs. Most often, the discs of the lumbosacral spine are destroyed, less often - the cervical spine, and only in rare cases is osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine diagnosed.
For osteochondrosis, the typical pains are weak at first, painful after physical exertion or prolonged sitting. They gradually intensify and occur more often. Over time, the discs become so exhausted that their outer shell does not withstand the loads placed on it and deforms, that is, a protrusion is created which eventually turns into a hernia. In the latter case, the annular fibrosus is completely ruptured, and the internal contents of the disc may fall into the spinal canal.
In both cases, the protruding parts can compress the roots of the spine, which causes the appearance of radicular syndrome. This means that, in addition to the pain being sharp and strong, it will also give them to the arms, legs, buttocks and other parts of the body, which directly depends on which disc is deformed. Thus, when the nerves of the cervical spine are compressed, the pains tend to be attached to the shoulders and arms, and when the nerves of the lumbar spine and buttocks and legs are compressed. This is often accompanied by sensory damage, including numbness, crawling, and gradual muscle atrophy.
The disease is filled with irreversible changes in nerve fibers, which can lead to paralysis and disability.
Curvature of the spine
The curvature of the spine can be noticed in any of its parts. Perfectly flat spine is a rarity today, so more or less pronounced deformities are present in almost every modern person. It could be:
- kyphosis - strengthening the natural curvature of the spine in the cervicothoracic region;
- lordosis - increased natural deviation of the spine in the lumbar spine;
- scoliosis - lateral deformity of the spine.
In any case, curvature can lead to compression of different groups of nerves, which will also cause radicular syndrome. But if in osteochondrosis it is visually impossible to overcome the changes in the initial stages of development, then spinal deformities can be easily diagnosed by asymmetry of the position of the shoulder blades, pelvic bones, bulging of the abdomen or the formation of a hump.
Myofascial syndrome Myofascial syndrome is not a dangerous, but rather painful condition in which certain muscle groups contract in response to pressure or physical activity. Therefore, if you press the background of absolutely normal health at the place where back pain usually occurs, you can get a new attack of acute pain, which is an important diagnostic criterion.
Diagnosis of the cause of back pain
If back pain occurs, whether in the neck, between the shoulder blades, or in the lumbar region, consultation with a neurologist is recommended. You need to make an appointment with a chiropractor, vertebrologist and neurologist as soon as possible if the pain radiates to other parts of the body, as this is a sign of the development of radicular syndrome.
Our center's specialists use an integrated approach to diagnosis and treatment, so they can quickly make the correct diagnosis. Diagnosis begins with a survey of the patient, during which the nature of the presented complaints is clarified, as well as the characteristics of work and rest. The doctor must carefully examine the patient, palpating the spine, as well as conducting special functional and neurological tests. This allows you to get a comprehensive picture of the patient's condition, detect signs of neurological deficits and assess the degree of damage. To clarify the diagnosis, it is mandatory to appoint:
- X-ray examination;
- CT; MRI.
If there are no contraindications, MRI is always preferred, because this method can provide the most complete information about the condition of the spine, and especially its discs, which allows to diagnose minor changes in their condition at the earliest stages and timely intervention in the pathological process. .
In our clinic you can also learn more about the composition of your body and the condition of the vascular system involved in the blood supply to internal organs, musculoskeletal muscle and brain. Our experienced doctors will explain the findings to you in detail. Bioimpedansometry calculates the ratio of fat, muscle, bone and bone mass, total body fluid and basal metabolic rate. The intensity of the recommended physical activity depends on the condition of the muscle mass. Metabolic processes in turn affect the body’s ability to recover. According to the indicators of active cell mass, the level of physical activity and nutritional balance can be judged. This simple and quick test helps us spot endocrine disorders and take action. In addition, it is very important for us to know the condition of blood vessels for the prevention of diseases such as heart attacks, hypertension, heart failure, diabetes mellitus and much more. Angioscan allows you to determine such important indicators as the biological age of blood vessels, their stiffness, stress index (which speaks of heart rate), blood oxygen saturation. Such an examination will be useful for men and women older than 30, athletes, those who are on long-term and difficult treatment, as well as anyone who monitors their health.
If the diagnosis shows that the back pain is the result of the development of diseases of the internal organs, the patient is referred to narrow specialists such as urologist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, gastroenterologist, cardiologist, etc.
Body composition analysis gives us information about how much fat there is in the body and the musculoskeletal components. This information will help the rehabilitator to properly compile a physical activity plan, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
Treatment of back pain
The treatment of back pain is always complex, because it is impossible to remove pathological changes in the spine only with the help of medication. At the same time, the treatment regimen is developed strictly individually for each patient. Not only the diagnosis and stage of disease development are taken into account, but also the presence of concomitant diseases, the patient's age, his habits and characteristics of work, the level of physical readiness and other factors. Therefore, even in patients with the same diagnosis, treatment can take place in different ways. Only this approach gives maximum results.
Thus, the main components of conservative therapy of back pain of vertebrogenic origin are:
- drug therapy;
- osteopathy;
- manual therapy;
- massage;
- physiotherapy (phonophoresis, carboxytherapy, ozone therapy, pressure therapy with RF currents);
- individual lesson with a rehabilitation doctor.
Spinal surgery is indicated only in very advanced cases with absolute ineffectiveness of conservative treatment.
Patients are definitely advised to reduce their weight as much as possible, as well as to avoid excessive physical exertion as well as an inactive lifestyle. A balanced diet will further enhance the effect of the treatment.
Drug Therapy
Drug therapy may include drugs from different pharmacological groups, depending on a combination of different factors. In the vast majority of cases, patients are prescribed:
- NSAIDs; corticosteroids;
- muscle relaxants;
- chondroprotectors;
- B vitamins;
- vitamin D.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is rightly considered one of the main components of the treatment of back pain of various origins, because it allows the restoration of the normal anatomy of the spine and at the same time:
- to improve the quality of transmission of nerve impulses along peripheral nerves to all organs of the human body;
- activate blood circulation and lymph flow;
- begin the body's natural recovery processes and create favorable conditions for their flow;
- strengthen immunity and increase the body's ability to adapt to new living conditions, etc.
The use of special manual techniques directly on the spine and surrounding tissues allows the removal of pressure of various anatomical structures on the roots of the spine, which leads to the removal of pain, including those radiating to the limbs and other parts of the body. Also, with their help it is possible to increase the distance between the vertebral bodies, which provides the most favorable conditions for the restoration of deformed spinal discs, and active muscle kneading helps to remove functional blocks, increase mobility and flexibility of the spine and accelerate metabolic processes.
We do not have common treatment standards; an individual approach is applied to each patient. Gritsenko's author's technique has shown high efficiency over the years of use. It implies a special effect on the spine, which not only eliminates back pain, but also removes the causes of their appearance. And the normalization of segmental innervation of the spinal cord helps to improve the functioning of internal organs and eliminate the causes of the progression of their diseases.
Thus, patients with back pain can count on pronounced positive changes after 1-2 sessions of manual therapy according to the author's Gritsenko method. How many procedures will be needed to achieve the maximum possible result and its consolidation is selected individually for each patient.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is prescribed outside the acute period of the disease. With its help, it is possible to enhance the effect of other methods of influence. As a rule, patients are prescribed procedures that have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antispasmodic properties, as follows:
- electrophoresis;
- traction therapy (spinal traction); UHF;
- laser therapy;
- ultrasound therapy etc.
exercise therapy
Physiotherapy is not the last component in the treatment of back pain. The stability of the results largely depends on the correctness and correctness of its implementation, because exercise therapy is primarily aimed at strengthening the muscular corset of the back, which will create support for the spine and reduce the load on the intervertebral discs. In addition, exercise therapy helps to improve the quality of blood circulation, which leads to a more active supply of nutrients to the lesion site, which increases the effectiveness of the therapy.
But it is not advisable to choose a set of exercises yourself, because performing generally recommended exercises can harm the patient due to excessive strain on certain muscle groups. Therefore, the development of the optimal complex should be entrusted to a doctor - a rehabilitation therapist, who will teach a person to perform each exercise properly.
Therefore, although back pain is known to every adult, it is not worth considering it harmless. Such carelessness can result in serious complications and, at best, can be surgically resolved with them. In the worst case, the patient faces a disability. Therefore, if your back pain occurs with enviable regularity or is quite acute, make an appointment with a neurologist and determine the true cause of the discomfort. After all, the disease is much easier to stop in the early stages of development.