Back pain is reported by 85% of people. How to treat it correctly and is it possible to get rid of the pain once and for all?
Does your back hurt? You are not alone! Sociological research data show that back pain is the second reason for disability in the adult population after viral infections. It is born with us (according to neonatologists, 80–90% of children suffer spinal injuries at birth) and, sooner or later, it affects everyone. This is believed to be revenge for walking upright. As a person grows, the load on the "backbone" increases, existing spinal problems become stronger and stress, anxiety, obesity, overload and a sedentary lifestyle exacerbate existing problems - and back pain can occur even at an early age.
What hurts there?
The vast majority (about 95%) of pain is associated with muscles, ligaments and joints. This is popularly called pulling back. These pains are unpleasant, but they are not dangerous and, in most cases, they go away spontaneously in 2-3 days.
3-4% of pain is associated with radiculopathy (radiculitis) - a spinal root injury. It is usually damaged by a hernia. The pains disappear when the swelling caused by the tightness passes.
1-2% of back pain is caused by trauma or inflammatory diseases of the spine, cancer, diseases of the cardiovascular system or the gastrointestinal tract, where the pain syndrome can spread to the back. This is the most dangerous type of back pain. To exclude these pathologies, consult a physician.
you can't hesitate
The main indicator that you need medical attention is the regularity of pain. If you get confused from time to time - most likely, there is nothing wrong. If low- or moderate-intensity pain haunts you relentlessly, you can't hesitate. An urgent need to see a doctor if pain is accompanied by an increase in temperature or if the pain syndrome increases during treatment.
At home
The most effective medicine is oral anti-inflammatories. Just don't overdo it - they're only safe the first time. With prolonged use, these medications can cause ulcers and bleeding in the stomach lining. Traditional home treatments - non-steroidal ointments - can only be used as an additional measure. They are harmless but ineffective. Wearing a corset also gives relief - the fixation relieves the spine, relieves spasms and limits sudden movements. Only the corset should be normal - stretchy, not warming.
If treatment has not been effective within three days, you should see a doctor who will block you with anti-inflammatory injections. By relieving spasms and relaxing the muscles, the pain goes away immediately and often forever.
Prohibited!
bath and massageunder the strictest prohibition. They make swelling and pain worse.
Apply to chiropractors for newspaper advertisements.Manual therapy is an area where there are three hundred quacks for every specialist. If you really want to find a good doctor, you should get in touch with accredited clinics where accredited specialists work.
It is important to immediately and correctly determine treatment tactics. This should be done by a neurologist or neurosurgeon. It's dangerous to heal your back on your own. 30% of patients in the neurosurgery department have tried home methods of treatment and thus have been placed in a hospital bed.
Cut or not?
Until recently, a person diagnosed with a hernia was immediately referred for surgery. Today, the operation is carried out only if there are indications:
- persistent pain that cannot be relieved by any pill;
- disturbance of pelvic functions - incomplete emptying of the bladder;
- weakness and numbness in the leg.
All these symptoms make the operation inevitable, as without it the patient can be incapacitated.
what we risk
The risk of surgery, due to which it is postponed or completely abandoned, is considered by many patients to be extremely exaggerated. In neurosurgery, there are technologies that allow you to accurately calculate the effectiveness of the operation and which symptoms will disappear after it and which will remain.
The probability of pain recurrence after surgery does not exceed 1–1. 5%. Hernias in other places may indeed appear, but this is not a complication but a spread of the disease, which is often found in undisciplined young patients. Once the pain is gone, they go back to their usual way of life: sit behind the wheel, resume training. And this is absolutely impossible to do.
Is osteochondrosis to blame for everything?
Osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic alteration of the intervertebral space. All people over the age of 25 have signs of osteochondrosis. It is impossible to prevent osteochondrosis, but you can avoid its complications, which cause back pain.