Back pain, tension and stiffness in the lumbar spine — common problems, which, sooner or later, most of the people faced.
Most back pain because the lumbar spine has the largest flexibility, and carries the weight of the upper half of the body. Pain in the lumbar spine on a name of its own — lumbago, if you are exuding in your leg — sciatica. Less pain and the back in the thoracic spine. If the pain is acute and distributed (given away) in the page or the Hand, it is called "lumbago" or "sciatica". This type of pain usually associated with compression Band nerve.
Pain in the back and in the waist can suddenly raise the weights to make if awkward. Sometimes discomfort in the back can develop gradually due to years of stress, or incorrect posture. Less commonly, the cause of the pain. The pain may escalate in the night, under load, or after long periods of remaining in an inconvenient pose, for example, after a long trip in the car. Often the pain goes away lying down on a flat, solid surface.
In most cases, back pains for a few days or weeks, and then the health improves, and the range of motion completely restored. Speed recovery for the pain and a special mode of motor activity: peace only in the first 1-2 days of intense pain, and then a gradual return to an active life-style help. However, in some cases, or back pain for a long time, more than 6 weeks. Then you talk about the development of chronic pain in the back and additional treatment to prescribe.
Plays an important role in your mood. Because of the pain you may be difficult, a good mood, but studies show that positive-minded people, have a rest in General, faster than those in the Depression.
Causes of back pain
The health of the back depends on the coordinated work of a complex mechanism of bones, muscles, nerves and joints. Often, the cause of the pain is determine exactly can be difficult. Fortunately, serious diseases or injuries of the back are rare. Most often pain in the lower back or back is caused by the light injuries, muscular overexertion, strains and sprains, injury, and inflammation of the nerves. Discomfort in the back can suddenly grow to occur or develop gradually. Possible causes of back pain and lower back:
- awkward movement: tilting or rotating of the housing;
- the rise or the transfer of heavy objects, prolonged tilt of the upper body;
- poor posture while walking or sitting;
- excessive stretching of the back muscles;
- a long journey behind the wheel without a break.
Sometimes the disease begins in the back for no discernible reason, for example, in the morning after sleep.
Risk factors for back pain
Certain risk factors increase the likelihood of pain in the back or the loin:
- Overweight on the spine an additional burden. To understand whether your weight is normal, calculate the Body Mass index.
- Smoking — it is the tissue damage to the back and the smoker can lead, in General, less of a healthy life-style.
- Pregnancy — the spine of the woman undergoes an additional burden, which increases with the increase in the volume of the stomach.
- Prolonged intake of drugs, the reduction of the density of the bone, e.g., corticosteroids.
- Stress — it is believed that the constant agitation causes the tension of the muscles of the back and neck, which can cause pain.
Diseases to pain in the back and loins:
- Osteochondrosis and its complications, for example, Hernia of the spine — degenerative diseases, in which bulbosus cartilage is destroyed, which leads to pain. These diseases often develop with age, particularly in people who experienced a great burden on his back.
- Petrified movements and muscles — which is often after excessive physical exertion or unpleasant.
- Different types of Arthritis — inflammatory disease of the joints. In this case, in addition to pain celebrated morning stiffness in the joints, and movement impairments.
- Diseases of the kidneys, such as Pyelonephritis can cause pain in the lower back.
It is pain is also dangerous, but very rare causes of back. For example, cancer, tuberculosis of the spine, aneurysm of the Aorta (dissection of the walls of the main blood vessel), etc. All are usually diagnosed in the course of the examination by a doctor.
Diagnosis pain in the back and in the waist
To cope with pain in the back and in the waist is usually at home with medicines for sale in pharmacies without a prescription. Treatment in hospital is usually not required. If the pain is expressed, please call the doctor. If the pain is not there to move them fully, you can get the doctor to the house.
During the examination the doctor will ask you to sit, stand, walk, lift the legs alternately, and examine the mobility of the back. He may ask you about your illness or injury, your lifestyle and the type of work, as well as:
- When started the pain?
- Where does it hurt?
- You worried about spinning in the past?
- Can you describe the pain?
- From what the pain increases or goes?
In a survey and examination, the doctor will try to exclude the probability of infection, illness and fractures, although they are very rare. In the case of the controversial diagnosis, you can direct on additional investigation: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or x-ray of the spine. In order to exclude kidney disease, the doctor prescribes urine analysis.
In most cases, pain in the back can be removed for a few days. If the treatment does not help, back pain for longer than 6 weeks (the so-called chronic pain in the back), or the cause of the complaints is a serious disease, the therapist directs you to a specialist. Usually the treatment of back pain or back pain is the neurologist. In addition, for the treatment of such medical doctors, osteopath, reflexologist, manualniy the Internist can.
The treatment of the back and the loin
The treatment of back pain depends on their duration and intensity, as well as their personal preferences and needs. Usually pain you can lose weight by prescription drugs without a prescription drugs and treatments at home.
Motor operating. In previous years, it was believed that in the case of pain in the back needs to rest. Now recognized to move that people start earlier, in full, to deal with faster, with pain in the back and loins. Complete rest and bed rest shows only 1-2 days in the acute Phase, if the pain is extremely pronounced and does not move. It is recommended, on a hard and smooth surface. As soon as the state improved slightly, gradually life back to the sedentary, to expand the range of motion a little each day.
Gradually you will be able to, in the house move or go shopping. You need to avoid certain ailments and learn all the things, what is causing a lot of pain. A few days later you can get back to work, without having to wait until the pain in the back or the loin is completely (unless, of course, their work is not related with unwanted stresses on the spine). Early activation will help you get back to a normal day's work and get away from the pain.
Anesthetics. These drugs relieve pain, inflammation and swelling. Depending on the severity of the health condition, the doctor can pain prescribe these drugs in the Form of injections, tablets or external resources — ointments of back. In General, the treatment with injections begins. As soon as the pain subsides, the administration of drugs to adjust, if necessary, you can take use the tablets or ointments. These funds have a number of contraindications, therefore before taking ask your doctor and read the instructions in Detail. Pill better to take painkillers after eating, drinking their milk.
Muscle relaxants are drugs that take the spasms of the skeletal muscles, the muscles to relax. You have, in those cases, when excessive tension of the muscles of the spine reinforces the pain, what is possible, for example, if the aggravation of the osteoarthritis, or a herniated disc. Muscle relaxants have side effects, many of them do not take behind the wheel. Therefore, a medical consultation is.
Treatment with heat and cold. To alleviate some of the pain, and helps to heat, e.g., warm bath or hot water bottle on the affected area. The state can also facilitate and refrigeration, for example, if you look at the loin of ice cream or a package of frozen vegetables. Do not apply ice directly on the skin, as this frost can cause damage. You wrap him in a damp towel and place on the painful area. You can also alternate the treatment with heat and cold take turns to put ice and heating pad.
Posture for sleep. Change of posture for sleep can relieve Stress from your back and pain. If you sleep on your side, pull the legs slightly at the chest and place a pillow between the legs. If you have back-to-back, place a pillow under the knees, to the natural curvature of the spine in the lumbar area.
Relaxation is a very important part of fighting the pain, just as when you are greatly upset, it triggers muscle spasms that worsen the pain. As the study shows, positive-minded people tend to recover faster. Pain you have not transferred in a protracted, chronic. There are various relaxation techniques. In General, exercises and simple exercises, alternating between tension and relaxation of the various muscles of the body is recommended to control breathing.
Physical exercise and a healthy way of life. They are trying to prevent the cause of the back pain that your return in the future. The most common causes of back pain — being overweight, bad posture and Stress. Regular exercise and an active lifestyle will help your back be strong and healthy. Most of the people prefer for this walking, swimming and Yoga. The most important thing — choose what you like and no pain caused. Sometimes the teaching is done in groups under the guidance of a qualified instructor. In General, in the classroom, exercises to strengthen the muscles and improve the posture as well as Aerobic Training and stretching exercises.
Treatment of chronic back pain
If back pain longer than 6 weeks (the so-called chronic pain in the back), in addition to pain medications, and muscle relaxants uses the following methods for dealing with pain. These treatments help those with pain in the back interferes with the Routine Affairs and alarming.
Manual therapy performed manual therapist, or osteopath, and includes various techniques including Manipulation, mobilisation and Massage.
Technique Alexander — prevents excessive muscle tension, and teaches you how to properly sit or stand, how to efficiently move. You teach, and to hold the Balance of the body and the posture.
Acupuncture (acupuncture) — the ancient Chinese method of treatment, in different parts of the body, fine needles are injected. It helps pain in back and loins.
Antidepressants are the chronic back pain in cases where pain medications and other methods do not help. Mostly, the ingestion of tricyclic antidepressants, e.g. amitriptyline in a small dose is recommended. These drugs were originally developed for the treatment of depression, but proved to be effective for the treatment of certain types of pain.
Psychotherapy can have an impact on the pain in the back and in the waist also, in cases where the other methods are powerless. Back pain is very Real, but the way they treat you and how you think about it, may exacerbate or weaken. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) will help you to relieve pain in the back, due to the change in the relationship to her. Studies show that people in the course of psycho-therapeutics, pain less. You have a Motivation, an active lifestyle, regular physical activity, which, in turn, reduces the severity of the pain.
The Operation is normally displayed only in cases, when all other treatment methods unsuccessfully. To surgery use, only when the pain in the back is so strong or constant, which robs you of sleep and rest. Type of surgery depends on the type of pain and its cause.
For example, in the case of the intervertebral disc of the spinal column incidents required a special procedure. Today, the surgeon can carry out the Operation through a very small incision, using micro-surgical instruments. Such operations are considered to be less traumatic. Read more about this in the section "treatment of hernias of the spine".
Spinal fusion is a complex and less common procedure. The results do not always correspond to the expectations. For example, after surgery, you may feel still partially pain. Spinal fusion leads to a reduction in the mobility of the spine, because during the procedure, a few vertebrae, the pain, immobile, fixed to each other by the Implantation between the living bone tissue. After healing of the vertebrae are fused together, so that the motion on the nerves in the vicinity. This pain syndrome weakens. Before agreeing to an Operation, you need to thoroughly discuss the risks and benefits with a neurosurgeon.