If we put aside the 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 in different countries, but the essence does not change: with age, due to metabolic disorders, as well as asymmetrical or excessive loads, the cartilage, which is located between the vertebrae and ensures their mobility, thins and thickens. This leads to microtrauma and inflammation of the intervertebral joints and surrounding tissues.
Inflammation can be quickly extinguished with the help of medications, but cartilage regeneration is a long process: cartilage wears out faster than it is restored. Therefore, having arisen once, pain in the spine, as a rule, periodically returns.
What to do: get an MRI and see a neurologist, get your bones cracked by a chiropractor, take pills or resort to alternative medicine?
First of all, see a neurologist!
This is where you should start when your back first hurts. The doctor must exclude all truly dangerous causes of pain, for example, 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 you treatment for 3-5 days, 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.
Doing an MRI of the spine on your own initiative is a waste of money and time. In most cases, the results of the study will not affect the choice of treatment, tactics and prognosis, and therefore, your well-being.
You definitely need to see a neurologist: if back pain is accompanied by weakness in the leg, arm, if there are problems with the sensitivity of the body below the sore spot (numbness, crawling, tingling) or the functions of the pelvic organs are impaired (problems with urination, erection, etc. ). In these cases, a more in-depth examination will be required.
Enduring pain is harmful
Pain causes muscle spasms, which increases pressure on the spinal nerves and pain receptors in the joint, and also limits movement. To recover faster, you need to break this chain.
Therefore, in case of severe pain, bed rest is indicated for the first 1-3 days. Everyone chooses for themselves the position in which the pain is minimal, but more often it helps to lie on your back, on a hard base with a bolster under your knees and lower back, with your head on a low pillow. Sometimes it becomes easier in the fetal position: on your side, with a round back and a pillow between your bent knees.
Medications include painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs for 3-5 days. As a rule, after 1 injection it becomes much better. You can also take these medications in tablets: the strength of action will not change, but the effect will come later.
Vitamins B1, B6, B12 are indicated along with painkillers. They help cope with pain, inflammation, and improve metabolism in nervous tissue.
A neurologist or therapist may prescribe muscle relaxants. They help relax the spinal muscles, reduce pressure on the source of inflammation and pain, but 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 depends not on the qualifications of the attending physician, but on whether you are ready to properly work on your muscles and joints!
How to get yourself moving?
There is a rule developed by natural selection: to avoid pain, thereby protecting the damaged part of the body from destruction. But back pain is an exception.
During a week of bed rest, you can lose up to 20-30% of muscle strength, and this significantly reduces the chances of full recovery in the future.
Why train muscles?
Firstly,strong back and abdominal muscles are able to take on the lion's share of the load when absorbing movement, as well as stabilize the spine in the correct position - so that the intervertebral joints take on the optimal configuration and experience less wear and pain. It has been proven that people with poorly developed muscles suffer more often from chronic back pain.
Secondly,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 years of age. And when moving, joint lubrication is produced, blood circulation improves, and regeneration processes in cartilage proceed faster.
Third,proper physical activity makes the ligaments that hold the vertebrae relative to each other stronger. This is an important element in the prevention of chronic back pain in people with joint hypermobility: those who can reach the thumb of the hand to the bones of the forearm of the same hand or can hyperextend their arms at the elbows and knees.
Therefore, the best prevention of back pain is movement, but the right movement!
Three rules of physical therapy
The ideal option is to undergo a complex of physical therapy under the supervision of an instructor: a physical therapy doctor, kinesiotherapist, neurologist or chiropractor. Having learned the technique, you can practice on your own without the help of specialists.
It is important to follow three rules, without which no exercises will work!
- Exercise should become a daily habit, not a firefighting measure. Choose 4-5 exercises for flexibility and coordination of movements that can be performed within 15-20 minutes after waking up every day. According to statistics, the people who most often suffer from back pain are "weekend athletes"—people who don’t have time for sports on weekdays and only have the opportunity to catch up on lost time on weekends.
- The second part of the activity is a set of strength exercises. They are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back, abs, arms, legs and stabilizing the spine, so they should gradually become more complex. If you finish a workout without feeling tired, then you wasted your time: muscles that don’t get tired don’t develop. Strength training takes more time, but also gives a longer-lasting effect. Therefore, it is enough to allocate 1 hour for them 2-3 times a week. If you have diseases of the cardiovascular system and lungs, it is important that the intensity of exercise is controlled by a physical therapy doctor, at least at the initial stage.
- The biomechanics of the spinal column is very complex. Therefore, there are no universal exercises to correct all types of pain. A good specialist will immediately narrow down the choice. But if you practice on your own, be guided by your feelings. Training should gradually increase the 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.
An approximate set of exercises for acute, subacute periods and remission - when the back practically does not bother you, can be downloaded on the Internet.
Will you have to quit sports?
It is advisable to replace some types of activities with similar ones. For example, instead of running on rough terrain, it is better to try a treadmill, instead of a road bike, try an exercise bike.
It is advisable to avoid exercises with pure hanging on the bar at first, replacing them with exercises with support for the back or legs. Exercises with dumbbells or a barbell are performed in a lying position on your back or stomach, without vertical loads.
Play sports associated with jumping and sudden twisting movements can provoke a painful attack: volleyball, basketball, football, tennis, dancing. But this doesn’t mean it’s time to give up your favorite activity. To get back into shape, you will first need to properly work out your back and abdominal muscles under the guidance of a doctor and choose shoes with good shock absorbers. And of course, before any activity you need to warm up properly.
For most, the ideal sport for back pain is swimming, as well as water aerobics. However, some people with spinal joint instability may experience increased lower back pain after swimming. In this case, you need to start with dry training to strengthen the muscles of the torso.
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 to check your posture?
The spine has 4 bends - 2 forward and 2 backward. Normally, they are balanced and soften the vertical load on the vertebrae when walking and other movements. If you slouch excessively or overextend your lower back, your body weight is distributed incorrectly and the load on individual vertebrae becomes prohibitive.
For example, if you tilt your head forward and round your back—the standard posture of an office worker—the tension in the joints of the neck and upper thoracic spine increases 6 times.
To check your posture, stand with your back to a wall. Normally, the back of your head, shoulder blades, buttocks, game and heels should touch the wall. In the lower back area, your fist should easily pass 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 your lower back. To get rid of the habit of crossing your legs, try placing a low stool or a box of office equipment under your feet. Try to change your body position more often, periodically walk around the office, stretching your muscles to relieve tension. For example, like on thematic videos on the Internet.
How not to overstrain yourself?
Follow safety precautions if you need to take something somewhere.
Calculate your movements and order of actions in advance. Can you use surrounding objects for support? Where should the load be carried?
Assume the pose: bend your knees and hips slightly, but do not lean forward. Tighten your abdominal muscles to protect your pelvic organs. When lifting something heavy, your legs should work, not your back.
Hold the weight at your waist or chest, with the heavy end facing you.
If you need to turn, step on your feet, but do not lean to the side or twist your spine.
Keep your head straight. When you pick up a load, look in front of you, not at it.
Know your limits! There is a big difference between what you can lift and what you can lift without endangering your health. If in doubt, ask someone to help you.
Don't pull. . . If you need to move a heavy object across the floor, it is better to push it than to drag it behind you.
Distribute your weight evenly. When carrying shopping bags or luggage, try to carry equal weight in each hand.
What else will help cure your back?
Physiotherapy, acupuncture (reflexology), various types of massage, manual therapy and even taking antidepressants are quite working methods that are used to treat various types of chronic back pain all over the world. The mechanism of their action is simple: relieve muscle tension, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in tissues, correct the biomechanics of movement.
These methods work in the hands of a specialist and can be useless and even harmful in the hands of a charlatan. Therefore, always pay attention to the reputation of the clinic and reviews of the doctor you are contacting.
And most importantly, all these types of treatment have only auxiliary value. The main thing is correct posture, daily muscle work, proper nutrition and careful use of your spine.
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