Back pain is reported by 85% of people. How to treat properly and is it possible to get rid of pain once and for all?
Does your back hurt? You are not alone! Sociological research shows that back pain is the second leading cause of injury to the elderly population after viral infections. She is born with us (according to neonatologists, 80-90% of children get spinal injuries at birth) and sooner or later ahead of everyone. It is believed that this is retribution for upright walking. As a person grows, the load on the "spine" increases, the existing problems with the spine become stronger, and stress, anxiety, obesity, overload, sedentary lifestyle exacerbate existing problems - and back pain can occur even inearly age .
What hurts there?
Most (about 95%) of the pain is related to muscles, ligaments and joints. Popularly this is called pulling back. These pains are unpleasant, but not dangerous and in most cases go away on their own in 2-3 days.
3-4% of the pain is associated with radiculopathy (radiculitis) - a lesion of the spinal cord. It is usually damaged by a hernia. The pain disappears when the swelling caused by squeezing passes.
1-2% of back pain is caused by trauma or inflammatory diseases of the spine, cancer, diseases of the cardiovascular system or gastrointestinal tract, in which the pain syndrome can spread to the back. This is the most dangerous type of back pain. To rule out such pathologies, be sure to consult a doctor.
You can't hesitate
The main indicator that you need medical help is the regularity of the pain. If you distort from time to time - there is probably nothing wrong. If the pain of low or moderate intensity haunts you mercilessly, you can not hesitate. Urgent need to consult a doctor if the pain is accompanied by fever or the pain syndrome increases during treatment.
At home
The most effective means are oral anti-inflammatory drugs. Just don't overdo it - they are only safe for the first time. With prolonged use, these drugs can cause ulcers and bleeding in the lining of the stomach. Traditional home remedies - non-steroidal ointments - can only be used as an adjunct. They are harmless but ineffective. Wearing a corset also gives relief - fixation relieves the spine, relieves spasms and limits sudden movements. Only the corset should be normal - elastic, not warm.
If the treatment has not been effective within three days, you should consult a doctor who will block with anti-inflammatory injections. By relieving spasms and relaxing muscles, the pain disappears immediately and often forever.
Forbidden!
Bath and massageunder the strictest prohibition. They worsen swelling and pain.
Apply to chiropractors for newspaper ads.Manual therapy is an area in which there are three hundred charlatans for each specialist. If you really want to find a good doctor, you should contact certified clinics where certified specialists work.
It is important to immediately correctly determine the tactics of treatment. This should be done by a neurologist or neurosurgeon. It is dangerous to treat your back yourself. 30% of the patients in the neurosurgical ward have tried home methods of treatment and thus been brought to a hospital bed.
Cut or not?
Until recently, a person diagnosed with a hernia was immediately referred for surgery. Today the operation is performed only if there are indications:
- constant pain that cannot be relieved by any pills;
- pelvic dysfunction - incomplete emptying of the bladder;
- weakness and tingling in the legs.
All these symptoms make surgery inevitable, because without it the patient can become disabled.
What are we risking
The risk of surgery delaying or abandoning it altogether is considered by many patients to be greatly exaggerated. In neurosurgery, there are technologies that allow you to accurately calculate the effectiveness of the operation and which symptoms will disappear after it and which will remain.
The probability of recurrent pain after surgery does not exceed 1-1, 5%. Hernias elsewhere may indeed occur, but this is not a complication but a spread of the disease, which is common in young undisciplined patients. As soon as the pain disappears, they return to their usual way of life: sit behind the wheel, resume training. And this is absolutely impossible to do.
Is osteochondrosis to blame for everything?
Osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic change in the intervertebral space. All people over the age of 25 have signs of osteochondrosis. It is impossible to avoid osteochondrosis, but you can save yourself from its complications that cause back pain.