Leaving aside obvious causes such as injury, muscle strain or hypothermia, back pain in adults is more often associated with degenerative changes in the structure of the intervertebral joints and the vertebral bodies themselves.
This process is called differently from country to country, but the essence does not change: as we age, the cartilage between the vertebrae, which ensures their mobility, thins and thickens due to metabolic disorders and asymmetric or excessive loads. This leads to microtrauma and inflammation of the intervertebral joints and surrounding tissues.
The inflammation can be extinguished quickly with the help of drugs, but cartilage regeneration is a long process: the cartilage wears out faster than it recovers. Therefore, after it occurs once, the pain in the spine usually returns regularly.
What should we do: get an MRI and see a neurologist, have a chiropractor crack your bones, take pills or resort to alternative medicine?
First, see a neurologist!
This is where you should start when your back hurts for the first time. The doctor must rule out any truly dangerous cause of pain, such as a compression fracture (sometimes it happens unnoticed), spinal tuberculosis or a tumor.
Most likely, the doctor will limit himself to a simple examination and prescribe 3-5 days of treatment, and then give recommendations for lifestyle correction. In the future, if the pain recurs, you will be able to cope with it on your own.
Self-initiated MRI of the spine is a waste of money and time. In most cases, the results of the examination do not affect the choice of treatment, tactics and prognosis, and thus your well-being.
You should definitely consult a neurologist: if the back pain is accompanied by leg and arm weakness, if there are sensitivity problems in the body below the painful point (numbness, crawling, tingling) or the functions of the pelvic organs are impaired (urination, erection problems), etc. ). In these cases, a more thorough investigation will be required.
Enduring pain is harmful
The pain causes muscle spasm, which increases pressure on spinal nerves and joint pain receptors and limits movement. For a faster recovery, you need to break this chain.
Therefore, in case of severe pain, bed rest is recommended for the first 1-3 days. Everyone chooses the position in which the pain is minimal, but more often it helps if you lie on your back, on a hard base, with support for the knees and lower back, with your head on a low pillow. Sometimes it's easier in the fetal position: on your side with a round back and a pillow between your bent knees.
Medicines include pain relievers and anti-inflammatories for 3-5 days. As a general rule, after 1 injection it will be much better. You can also take these medicines in tablets: the strength of the effect does not change, but the effect appears later.
Vitamins B1, B6, B12 are indicated together with pain relievers. They help to cope with pain, inflammation and improve metabolism in nerve tissues.
A neurologist or therapist may prescribe muscle relaxants. They help to relax the spinal muscles, reduce the pressure on the source of inflammation and pain, but they can have serious side effects, so it is better not to take them without the advice of a specialist.
If everything is done correctly, the pain should subside within 3-5 days. The further fate of your back is in your hands. How much your quality of life will change now does not depend on the training of the treating doctor, but on whether you are ready to properly work on your muscles and joints!
How can you move yourself?
There is a rule developed by natural selection: to avoid pain, thereby protecting the injured body part from destruction. However, back pain is an exception.
During a week of bed rest, you can lose up to 20-30% of your muscle strength, and this significantly reduces the chances of a full recovery in the future.
Why train your muscles?
First,strong back and abdominal muscles can absorb the lion's share of the load when moving, as well as stabilize the spine in the right position - so the intervertebral joints take on the optimal configuration and experience less wear and tear. It has been proven that people with poorly developed muscles suffer from chronic back pain more often.
Second,training the back muscles increases the bone density of the vertebrae. This is an excellent prevention of osteoporosis and compression fractures, which is especially important for women over 45. During movement, joint lubrication occurs, blood circulation improves, and the regeneration processes in the cartilages progress faster.
Third,proper physical activity makes the ligaments that hold the vertebrae in relation to each other stronger. This is an important element in the prevention of chronic back pain in people with joint hypermobility: those who touch the bones of the forearm of the same hand with their thumbs, or who overextend their arms at the elbows and knees.
Therefore, the best prevention of back pain is movement, but the right movement!
The three rules of physical therapy
The ideal option is to perform complex physical therapy under the supervision of an instructor: physical therapist, kinesitherapist, neurologist or chiropractor. After mastering the technique, you can practice independently without the help of professionals.
It is important to observe three rules, without which no exercise can be done!
- Exercise should become a daily habit, not a firefighting measure. Choose 4-5 exercises for flexibility and motor coordination that can be performed within 15-20 minutes of waking up each day. According to statistics, "weekend athletes" most often suffer from back pain - people who do not have time to do sports on weekdays and only have the opportunity to catch up on the lost time on weekends.
- The second part of the activity is a series of strengthening exercises. Their purpose is to strengthen the muscles of the back, abdomen, arms, legs and stabilize the spine, so they should gradually become more complex. If you finish your workout without fatigue, you've wasted your time: muscles that don't get tired don't develop. Strength training takes more time, but it also gives a long-lasting effect. Therefore, it is enough to devote 1 hour to them 2-3 times a week. If you suffer from cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, it is important that the intensity of your exercise is checked by a physical therapist, at least in the initial stages.
- The biomechanics of the spine are very complex. Therefore, there are no universal exercises to correct all types of pain. A good specialist will immediately narrow down the selection. But if you practice alone, let your feelings lead you. Training should gradually increase pain-free range of motion in the back. If this does not happen, or the pain, on the contrary, intensifies, then you are doing something wrong.
The approximate set of exercises that can be downloaded from the Internet for acute, subacute periods and remission - when the back practically does not bother you.
Should you stop playing sports?
It is advisable to replace certain types of activities with similar ones. For example, instead of running on rough terrain, it is better to try a treadmill, or an exercise bike instead of a road bike.
We recommend that you avoid clear hanging bar exercises at first and instead use back or leg supported exercises. Exercises with dumbbells or barbells are performed lying on the back or stomach, without vertical load.
Sports related to jumping and sudden twisting movements can trigger a painful attack: volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis, dance. But that doesn't mean it's time to give up your favorite activity. To get back into shape, you first need to properly develop your back and abdominal muscles under medical guidance and choose shoes with good shock absorption. And, of course, you need to warm up properly before any activity.
For most, the ideal sport for back pain is swimming and water aerobics. However, some people with spinal instability may experience increased lower back pain after swimming. In this case, you should start with dry training the muscles of the trunk.
The main causes of chronic back pain are excess weight, stress and poor posture. An active lifestyle allows you to solve all three problems at once.
How can you check your posture?
The spine has 4 bends - 2 forward and 2 backward. They are normally balanced and soften the vertical load on the vertebrae during walking and other movements. If you slouch excessively or overextend the lower back, the body weight is distributed incorrectly and the load on the individual vertebrae becomes excessive.
For example, if you tilt your head forward and round your back—the usual posture of an office worker—the stress on the joints of the neck and upper thoracic spine increases sixfold.
To check your posture, stand with your back against a wall. In general, the back of the head, shoulder blades, butt, butt, and heels should touch the wall. In the lower back, your fist should pass easily between the wall and your back, turned flat.
Sit up straight with your lower back supported. You can place a small pillow or a folded sweater under the lower back. To break the habit of crossing your legs, place a low chair or a box of office supplies under your feet. Try to change your posture more often, take regular walks around the office, stretch your muscles to relieve tension. For example, like on thematic videos on the Internet.
How not to overexert yourself?
Follow safety precautions if you need to take something somewhere.
Calculate your moves and sequence of actions in advance. Can you use surrounding objects as support? Where should the load be delivered?
Assume the pose: bend your knees and hips slightly, but do not lean forward. Tighten your abs to protect your pelvic organs. When lifting a heavy object, the legs should work, not the back.
Hold the weight at your waist or chest with the heavy end facing you.
If you have to turn, step on your feet, but don't lean to the side or twist your spine.
Keep your head straight. When you pick up the load, you look ahead, not at him.
Know your limits! There is a big difference between what you can lift and what you can lift without compromising your health. When in doubt, ask someone to help you.
Don't pull it. . . If you need to move a heavy object across the floor, it's better to push it than to drag it behind you.
Distribute your weight evenly. When carrying shopping bags or luggage, try to carry the same weight in both hands.
What else can help heal your back?
Physiotherapy, acupuncture (reflexology), various types of massage, manual therapy, and even taking antidepressants are quite effective methods used worldwide to treat various types of chronic back pain. The mechanism of their action is simple: it relieves muscle tension, improves blood circulation and metabolic processes in tissues, and corrects the biomechanics of movement.
These methods work in the hands of a professional and can be useless and even harmful in the hands of a charlatan. Therefore, always pay attention to the reputation of the clinic and the opinion of the doctor you contact.
And most importantly, all these types of treatment have only ancillary value. The main thing is correct posture, daily muscle work, proper nutrition and careful use of the spine.
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