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 the disability of the adult population after viral infections. She is born with us (according to neonatologists, 80–90% of children get spinal injuries at birth) and sooner or later overtakes everyone. It is believed that this is a payback for upright walking. Since as a person grows, the load on the "backbone" increases, the existing problems of the spine grow stronger, and stress, anxiety, obesity, overload, 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 back pulling. These pains are unpleasant, but not dangerous and in most cases go away on their own in 2-3 days.
3-4% of pains are associated with radiculopathy (radiculitis) - a lesion of the spinal root. It is usually damaged by a hernia. The pains disappear when the swelling caused by the squeezing passes.
1-2% of back pain is caused by trauma or inflammatory diseases of the spine, cancer, diseases of the cardiovascular system or gastrointestinal tract, in which the pain syndrome can spread to the back. This is the most dangerous type of back pain. To exclude such pathologies, be sure to consult a doctor.
You can't hesitate
The main indicator that you need medical attention is the regularity of pain. If you get twisted from time to time - most likely, there is nothing wrong. If pain of low to moderate intensity pursues you relentlessly, you cannot hesitate. An urgent need to consult a doctor if the pain is accompanied by a rise in temperature or the pain syndrome increases during treatment.
At home
The most effective remedy is oral anti-inflammatory drugs. Just do not overdo it - they are safe only the first time. With prolonged use, these drugs can cause ulcers and bleeding in the stomach lining. Traditional home treatments - non-steroidal ointments - can only be used as a complementary measure. They are harmless, but ineffective. Wearing a corset also gives relief - fixation relieves the spine, relieves spasms and limits sudden movements. Only the corset should be normal - elastic, not warming up.
If the treatment has not been effective within three days, you should consult a doctor who will block with anti-inflammatory injections. By relieving spasms and relaxing the muscles, the pain goes away immediately and often forever.
Forbidden!
Bath and massageunder the strictest prohibition. They make the swelling and pain worse.
Apply to chiropractors for advertisements in the newspaper.Manual therapy is an area where there are three hundred charlatans for every specialist. If you really want to find a good doctor, you should contact certified clinics where certified specialists work.
It is important to immediately correctly determine the tactics of treatment. This should be done by a neurologist or neurosurgeon. It is dangerous to heal your back on your own. 30% of patients in the neurosurgical department have tried home methods of treatment and thus brought themselves to a hospital bed.
Cut or not?
Until recently, a person diagnosed with a hernia was immediately given a referral for surgery. Today, the operation is performed only if there are indications:
- persistent pain that cannot be relieved by any pills;
- disorder of pelvic functions - incomplete emptying of the bladder;
- weakness and numbness in the leg.
All these symptoms make the operation inevitable, because without it the patient can become disabled.
What we risk
The risk of surgery, due to which it is postponed or abandoned altogether, is considered by many patients to be grossly 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 young undisciplined patients. As soon as the pain goes away, they return to their usual way of life: get behind the wheel, resume training. And this is absolutely impossible to do.
Is osteochondrosis to blame for everything?
Osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic change in the intervertebral space. All people over 25 have signs of osteochondrosis. It is impossible to avoid osteochondrosis, but you can save yourself from its complications, which cause back pain.