Back pain affects more than 25% of the world's population and more than 50% of people of working age. Unfortunately, evolution has not ensured that people over the age of 35 to 40 live comfortably. The biomechanical structure of the spine is such that the absence of back pain is not a guaranteed given, but a happy (and, unfortunately, temporary) coincidence. Especially now when the body of the average office worker has to sit in front of the computer for 8-12 hours at a stretch. But we have been adapted by millions of years of evolution in nature to a completely different, much more active way of life!
Can spine pain be treated by myself?
Unfortunately, not everyone asks this very correct question. The answer is this: Self-medication based on information from the Internet is extremely dangerous. It is a huge risk which can lead to disability. If we are talking about internal pains such as back pain and spine pain, it is all the more necessary to "diagnose" oneself and "prescribe" treatment. Nerve endings of internal organs are located differently from the surface of the skin. The pain inside is difficult to locate, and sometimes it seems like one hurts, but in fact the reason is in another. Let's say back pain can be caused by gastrointestinal cancer. And pain that another person may describe on a forum or in an article as very similar to yours may be caused by completely different reasons and require radically different treatment.
Yoram Anekstein, Tel Aviv Medical Center: "Very important tip: do not try to learn the names of diseases of the spine, understand their etiology, diagnosis, etc. Spondyloarthritis, scapular periatrosis, cervicobrachialgia - all of these terms are unnecessary to you. There are dozens of such diseases in the textbooks of medical universities, and even with various clarifications and modifiers. You should know and remember the name of your diagnosis when issued by a qualified physician. But not earlier. "
Alarming symptoms
Unpleasant sensations most often occur in the cervical and lumbar spine, but chest pain is much less common. He is under less stress, therefore, osteochondrosis, protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral discs do not affect him very often. However, chest and chest pain can be caused by problems with the spine.
Occasionally unpleasant sensations may occur, but often they are not dangerous. If it is muscle pain (although it may not look like pain in the muscles of the arms after hard work and feel more severe), the cause is probably due to overexertion from a long stay. in a position or at too high a load. . If the pain goes away after a change in posture or a short walk and does not return, the problem is unlikely to be serious. Although it is necessary to cope with minor problems, for example, change the usual postures, increase your physical activity and do physical education. And only a doctor can establish the seriousness of the problem. If there is the slightest opportunity, you should definitely go to the doctor: it is always much easier (and cheaper) to cure the disease at an early stage than an advanced case.
What is really dangerous? Here is a list of "alarms", after the appearance of even one, it is necessary to start diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible:
- the pain does not stop, the change in the position of the body does not help; the pain is not relieved by rest; pain worse at night;
- numbness (decreased tenderness) or decreased strength of the limbs;
- there are problems with urination and defecation (for example, the feeling of emptying the bladder is lost; urinary and fecal incontinence, or vice versa, delay; not to be confused with constipation);
- the temperature is rising, when no other reason can explain it, for example SARS;
- pain wakes up, interrupts sleep;
- complications after postponed malignancies (the limitation period does not matter);
- unexplained weight loss;
- complications after taking steroids for many years;
- complications after recent serious illnesses;
- complications after recent infectious diseases;
- loss of anal reflex;
- weakness of the hips and knees;
- neurological deficit;
- progressive deformation of the spine;
- back pain that gets worse with rest;
- chest pain (ACS - ECG);
- general discomfort.
Note that you don't have to wait for it all to start together. If any of these symptoms appear, see your doctor immediately.
Yoram Anekstein, Tel Aviv Medical Center: "The question often arises: I made an appointment with a doctor, but my back has already stopped hurting. Should I go or not? Definitely go there. "
Articles on the Internet very often try to describe what types of pain are characteristic of osteochondrosis, and which are related to sciatica, etc. This is the wrong approach, the reasons we have already explained above. It does not matter the type of pain: left, right, in the coccyx, everywhere, pulling, for a few seconds or hours and days. These are all symptoms that call for qualified medical attention.
Causes of back pain
The most common cause is non-specific pain associated with muscle tension, excessive stretching of tendons, ligaments and fascia.
Much less often, pain is associated with a herniated disc involving the nerve root (~ 3% of cases).
Osteoporosis (including pat. Fractures), infections (spondylodiscitis), tumors, tuberculosis, trauma and other rheumatic diseases cause pain much less often (about 1%).
Diseases of internal organs can also cause back pain (pancreatic cancer, peptic ulcer disease or acute coronary syndrome).
Degenerative changes, called osteochondrosis, and consisting of a complex of components (decrease in elasticity and resistance of disc substance, decrease in disc height, protrusion, herniation, changes in the vertebral bodies (Modic I-III), ligaments (spondylosis), facet joints (spondyloarthrosis) a direct relationship with pain and other clinical manifestations do not have.
It should be understood that only the group of spondylitis and spondyloarthritis includes more than 10 diseases with various causes, features of the course, symptoms, etc. The number of diseases of the back and the spine in particular is very high. But from the above descriptions, you yourself can understand that they are united in seriousness. Back pain cannot be ignored. Many of these diseases progress slowly, with long stages of remission. But at the same time, with each acute stage, the risk of complications (up to complete loss of mobility) increases.