More than 25% of the world's population and more than 50% of people of working age suffer from back pain.Unfortunately, evolution did not ensure that people over the age of 35-40 lived comfortably.The biomechanical structure of the spine is such that the absence of back pain is not a guaranteed reality, but a happy (and, unfortunately, temporary) coincidence.Especially now, when the body of the average office worker has to sit at the computer for 8-12 hours straight.But we have adapted from millions of years of evolution in nature to a completely different, much more active way of life!
Is it possible to treat spinal pain yourself?
Unfortunately, not everyone asks themselves this very precise question.The answer is: self-medication based on information from the Internet is extremely dangerous.This is a major risk that can lead to disability.If we are talking about such internal pain as pain in the back and back, then it is especially not worth "diagnosing" yourself and "prescribing" treatment.Nerve endings in internal organs are located differently than on the surface of the skin.Pain inside is difficult to localize and sometimes it seems that one thing hurts, but in fact the reason is something else.For example, back pain can be caused by cancer of the gastrointestinal tract.And the 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 advice: do not try to learn the names of spinal diseases, understand their etiology, diagnosis, etc. Spondyloarthritis, glenohumeral periatrosis, cervicobrachialgia - all these terms are not useful to you. There are dozens of such diseases in various textbooks and medicine. learn and remember the name of your diagnosis when a doctorqualified does it, but not before."
Alarming symptoms
Unpleasant sensations most often occur in the cervical and lumbar spine, but chest pain is much less common.It is subjected to less stress, so osteochondrosis, protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral discs do not affect it very often.However, chest and chest pain can be caused by problems with the spine.
Occasional discomfort may occur, but is often not dangerous.If this is muscle pain (although it may not be similar to the pain in the muscles of the hands after a hard work and may be felt more strongly), then the cause is most likely due to overstrain due to staying in one position for a long time or too high a load.If the pain goes away after a change in position or a short walk and does not return, then the problem is unlikely to be serious.Although you have to deal with small problems, for example, change your usual postures, increase your physical activity and do physical exercises.And only a doctor can determine the seriousness of the problem.If there is even the slightest possibility, then you should definitely go to the doctor: it is always much easier (and cheaper) to cure a disease in the early stages than an advanced case.
What is really dangerous?Here is a list of "alarm signals", after the appearance of even one of which it is necessary to start diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible:
- the pain does not stop, changing the position of the body does not help;pain does not decrease with rest;pain worsens at night;
- numbness (decreased sensitivity) or decreased strength of the limbs appears;
- problems with urination and defecation arise (for example, loss of the sensation of emptying the bladder; urinary and fecal incontinence or, conversely, retention; not to be confused with constipation);
- the temperature rises, but there are no other reasons that can explain this, for example, ARVI;
- pain wakes you up and interrupts your sleep;
- complications after suffering from malignant tumors (the statute of limitations does not matter);
- unexplained weight loss;
- complications after years of taking steroids;
- complications after recent serious illnesses;
- complications after recent infectious diseases;
- loss of anal reflex;
- weakness in hips and knees;
- neurological deficit;
- progressive deformation of the spine;
- back pain that gets worse at rest;
- chest pain (ACS - ECG);
- general illness.
Please note that you should not wait for everything to start together.If at least one of these symptoms appears, consult a doctor immediately.
Yoram Anekstein, Tel Aviv Medical Center: "The question often arises: I made an appointment with a doctor, but my back no longer hurts. Should I go or not? Definitely go."
Articles on the Internet often try to describe what types of pain are characteristic of osteochondrosis, and what types of pain are characteristic of sciatica, etc.This is the wrong approach, the reasons for which we have already explained above.It doesn't matter what kind of pain: on the left, on the right, in the tail, everywhere, shooting, lasting a few seconds or hours and days.All of these are symptoms that scream that qualified medical attention is needed.
Causes of back pain
The most common cause is non-specific pain associated with muscle strain, overstretching of tendons, ligaments and fascia.
Much less often, the pain is associated with a disc herniation affecting a nerve root (~3% of cases).
Osteoporosis (including pathological fractures), infections (spondylodiscitis), tumors, tuberculosis, trauma and other rheumatological diseases cause pain much less often (about 1%).
Diseases of internal organs can also cause back pain (pancreatic cancer, peptic ulcer, for example, or acute coronary syndrome).
Degenerative changes, called osteochondrosis and consisting of a complex of components (decreased elasticity and strength of the disc substance, reduced disc height, elongation, hernia, changes in the vertebral bodies (Modic I-III), ligaments (spondylosis), facial joints (spondyloarthrosis) are not directly related to pain and other clinical manifestations.
It should be understood that only in the group of spondylitis and spondyloarthritis are included more than 10 diseases with different causes, course characteristics, symptoms, etc.The number of diseases, especially of the back and spine, is very large.But from the above descriptions, you yourself can understand that they are united by seriousness.Back pain cannot be ignored.Many of these diseases occur slowly, with long periods of remission.But at the same time, in each acute phase, the risk of complications (up to complete loss of mobility) increases.