Back is the part of the body between the waist and the lower part of the neck. Back pain accompanies many diseases. And so often, that the number of complaints to the health institutions take the second place after respiratory diseases.
The most common causes of pain
What to do when the back pain? Of course, consult with a doctor. Treatment back do neurologists, orthopedists, General practitioners, chiropractic doctors. They find out the real cause of the disease, prescribe the course of treatment. The cause of the pain can be:
- osteochondrosis;
- spondiloarthrosis;
- ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's disease);
- lumbago;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- pregnancy;
- congenital and acquired curvature of the spine – scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis;
- professional factors;
- long-term exercise with a back muscle strain;
- tumor, metastases in the spine;
- pain gives back in some diseases of the internal organs.
The main diseases that cause pain in the back, can be combined into several groups: degenerative, inflammatory, myofascial, a rare disease. Especially, be considered pregnancy as a physiological condition of the organism.
Degenerative diseases of the spine
Osteochondrosis and spondiloarthrosis is a common disease, accompanied with pain in the back. The reason lies in the pathological changes in various structures of the spine. Differences and similarities between the two diseases is the following:
| The name of the disease | The pain caused | Reasons |
| Osteochondrosis | Defeat of the cartilage, intervertebral disks, starting with the nucleus pulposus. The suffering of the body adjacent vertebrae with the formation of osteophytes, hernia. | Injuries, falls, physical and static load, the age. |
| The faceted spondylosis or arthropathy | Dysfunction of the small (aspect) of the vertebrae with the formation of bony growths. Degeneration of the fibrous ring of the intervertebral discs, ligaments pathology. | Low back pain, injury, exercise, posture, and function of the foot. |
Sciatica, lumbago, intercostal neuralgia, radicular syndrome are synonyms of the same disease. It is a consequence of the degenerative disk disease, complicated with hernia. Hernia irritate, compress nerve roots, causing tension and spasm of the intercostal muscles. As a consequence, there is strong pain in the lower back that can radiate into the legs. Do not treat the disease leads to paresis. The patient feels "pins and needles, numbness, reduced sensitivity of the foot. Leg difficult to lift and to correct them. Terrible pain when sitting, try to sit or straighten the other leg.
If you have back pain due to degenerative disc disease or spondylarthrosis, you need to seriously difficult to treat. In the initial stages, especially among young people, the disease is reversible. In the contrary, takes a chronic course with periods of exacerbations and remissions. Over time, the frequency of exacerbations will increase, and of pain back to grow.
Inflammatory diseases
Ankylosing spondylosis
He ankylosing spondylitis, chronic severe involvement of the joints of the spine. There is a genetic predisposition. Often affects young healthy people in the Prime of life. Sooner or later, the disease leads to disability. Spondylosis begins with the changes in the discs. As the disease goes on the vertebrae, which are firmly bonded with each other by connective tissue to a fixed structure (bamboo stick). The spine is fully transferred to the stationary state.
If you receive stiffness, dull pain back, you will lose the elasticity of the spine, seek medical assistance immediately. The development of the disease it is still possible to suspend and to continue during physical activity.
Disease Kümmel-Verneuil
As ankylosing spondylitis belongs to a group of nonspecific spondylosis. It only happens after the injury. The tragedy of the disease is that a traumatic pain will soon pass. The disease is "quiet" for an indefinite period of time. The injured man considers himself completely healthy. The disease suddenly manifested necrotic changes of the vertebrae, fractures, relapses are frequent, terrible pain.
Spondylitis
Specific and nonspecific inflammation of the spine caused by a variety of reasons. Specific spondylitis caused by:
- tuberculosis of the vertebrae (Pott's disease);
- syphilis;
- gonorrhea;
- brucellosis;
- intestines, bruchnotifozna stick.
Diseases are accompanied by destruction of vertebral bodies with a very strong persistent pain on the back, the spinal deformity.
Myofascial pain
The name suggests that the disease affects the muscles and fascia of the back. Excessive muscle strain, injuries, posture, osteochondrosis in the fascia and muscles form trigger point. It is a tight painful education in the form of lumps or strands. When pressed on the point and massage has a strong pain.
Trigger zones are active and passive. Active areas are places of increased sensitivity and excitability of the muscle fascia. Sharply reacting to the slightest movement of the muscles. In the passive areas of pain only appears after pressing.
Internal medicine
Pneumonia, pleurisy cause pain in the back. Cardiac pain may radiate under the shoulder blade. Kidney disease accompanied with continuous pain in the lower back, the lower part of the back. But, for somatic disorders, other than pain, in the first place are the other symptoms. For example, in pneumonia, pleurisy, cough, fever, shortness of breath, etc.
Physiological pain
Pregnancy – a physiological state of women, with frequent pains of the back. In the period of carrying the child of the woman of the body down to radical hormonal changes. Increases the load on all the organs of the system, including the spine. The change of the emotional condition of the pregnant woman.
Lower back pain in early pregnancy occur when the risk of miscarriage. They nagging, aching, sometimes cramping. Pain in the later stages is associated with an increased burden of the back muscles and spine. Woman's changing body posture, increasing the lumbar lordosis is another reason for pain in the pregnant.
With the threat of miscarriage there is a medical emergency. To reduce the load on the spine, wearing prenatal bandage. In this crucial period it is important for all, even the heel height, it should be small.
Other reasons
Tumors
Benign and malignant, metastases in the spine of the adenoma of the prostate, myeloma cause unbearable terrible pain of the spine and the back.
Osteomyelitis of the spine
A rare disease caused by infection and inflammation of the vertebrae of microorganisms: Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus. Affect different parts of the spine. Often develops in men after 40-50 years. The disease is acute pain in the affected Sector, high temperature, intoxication.
Paget's Disease
Or osteodystrophy, occurs when the violation of the synthesis and restore of bone tissue. Appears on the background of autoimmune diseases, ankylosing spondylosis, fracture. Is characterized with instability and increased instability of the bones of the spine.
Diagnosis
If the pain in the back, it is necessary to be fully tested. First, the doctor carefully examines the patient. Further the diagnosis is based on clinical and instrumental indicators.
During the inspection it turns out the character of the pain, localization, time of appearance in the course of the night, when you change body position during exercise, on holiday, etc. taking into account the presence of comorbidities that can cause pain in the back, pneumonia, pleurisy, tumors, mental illness, back injury. Then there are other studies:
- biochemical and blood analysis;
- radiography in two projections;
- Spine CT – computer tomography;
- RESONANCE imaging of the spine – magnetic resonance imaging;
- bone scintigraphy – obtaining 2-dimensional images after administration of radioactive isotopes and other types of surveys.
Better ill doctor knows what kinds of diagnostics to do. Sometimes to find out the cause of the disease, enough radiography. Sometimes resort to additional, more informative types of tests.
Treatment
Depending on the type of disease and severity, select the desired method of treatment – conservative or surgical. Patients with acute pain and severe course of the disease being treated in a hospital, other outpatient. Surgery are very rare. Preference is given to the conservative treatment which affects the basic disease. When the pain is shown:
- non-steroidal drugs;
- synthetic adrenal hormones;
- muscle relaxants;
- chondroprotectors;
- synovial braces.
Sharp pain shoot novocain blockades, injections of hydrocortisone, analgesics. Outside the aggravation shown ointments, massage, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, chiropractic and reflexology. Good idea to stay in the resort. For the temporary relief of the patient's spine, are from a special part for corsets.
The pain is not only a source of discomfort. In the initial period of the disease acts as a protective response, suggesting that the body is not in a row, and we need to take action.