Effectiveness of treatmentbackachedepends directly on how accurately it is delivereddiagnostic. . . However, pain syndrome itself is not a characteristic symptom - it is a general symptom, according to which it is impossible to determine the cause of the disease. There are many different pathologies that can causebackache, and not all are associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
When self-medicating, patients mistakenly believe that the most important thing is to cope with the pain and they lose attention that every pain has a cause. Taking sedatives is a symptomatic treatment that affects neither the termination of the disease nor the cause of the pain.
The main causes of back pain
Consider the keydiseasecausingbackache. . . For ease of diagnosis, doctors divide the spine into upper (cervical spine), middle (thoracic spine), and lower (lumbosacral).
Pain in the upper back
Pain in the cervical spine requires maximum attention. The reason is in the unique anatomical features of the cervical vertebrae: the vertebral artery passes through them, supplying blood ⅓ to the brain; the first and second vertebrae of the cervix form a complex movable joint with the skull, which is responsible for turning and tilting the head; Any disease that occurs at this level has the potential to cause serious neurological damage, as damage or even slight compression of the spinal cord to the cervical spine immediately leads to impaired motor and / or sensory function throughout the rest of the body.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Normally, intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments, and tendons do not have their own blood vessels; their blood supply depends on how intensively the nearby muscles and bones are supplied with blood. If this process is disturbed, for example, in an office worker leading a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, degenerative-dystrophic changes begin in them. The cartilage nutrition of the discs and intervertebral joints is damaged, the ligaments and tendons thicken, due to sclerotic changes the spinal canal narrows and the distance between the vertebrae decreases.
Among non-specialists, this disease is known as spinal osteochondrosis. Despite the fact that degenerative-dystrophic processes are characteristic of the entire spine, it is osteochondrosis that is the most common cause of cervical spine pain. Moreover, as in other parts of the spine, this disease can be complicated by an intervertebral hernia. However, due to the anatomical features of the cervical spine, even a small hernia can cause serious complications.
Trauma
Although spinal cord injury is most often diagnosed in the spine, almost 50% of cases of spinal cord injury occur with trauma to the cervical spine. This is due to the peculiarities of the neck anatomy: lack of a developed muscular frame and massive vertebral bodies, high mobility contribute to trauma even without direct physical impact (for example, with a sudden stop or a long kick from behindan accident, often occurs the so-called whiplash injury of the neck, caused by the sharp bend followed by the sharp extension of the cervical spine). Pain is a constant accompaniment to any spinal cord injury.
myositis
Myositis or inflammatory diseases of the muscles are a whole group of diseases characterized by muscle pain. The most common cause of banal muscle inflammation is a forced posture when doing any work, hypothermia, sketching. Muscle pain can be a consequence of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, intervertebral hernias - the muscles receive most of the load on the neck, which ultimately leads to overload, muscle spasm with impaired microcirculation and inflammation.
Neuralgia
Neuralgia is a condition in which the nerve fibers themselves become the source of constant pain impulses. The pain is paroxysmal, may be intensified and provoked by turning or tilting the head, cold weather. The cause of neuralgia is associated with diseases of the spine - osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, scoliosis, etc. The immediate cause of pain is irritation of the spinal cord roots when they are constricted in the intervertebral space, muscle spasm, which disrupts the metabolism in the nerves that pass through the spasmodic muscles. Unlike neuritis or inflammation of the nerve, with neuralgia, the pain is periodic, there are no pathological changes in the nerve fibers themselves.
Heart dissases
Heart diseases like angina pectoris, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels are often associated with radiating pain in the neck, lower jaw, shoulder and left forearm. Pain may be accompanied by numbness, tingling sensation in the skin, simulation of pain in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with an intervertebral hernia. Often patients receive massage, physiotherapy, visit other doctors, although electrocardiogram is enough to diagnose the cause.
A characteristic feature of such pain is the ability of antianginal drugs that improve blood circulation through the coronary arteries (isocytes, nitroglycerin) to relieve pain within minutes.
Pain in the middle of the back
The thoracic spine consists of 12 thoracic vertebrae, each of which has a pair of adjacent ribs. Together they provide protection for the breast organs. The size of the thoracic vertebrae gradually increases, starting from 1 thoracic vertebra and further to the beginning of the spine - this is explained by a gradual increase of the load on them. The mobility of the middle part of the spine is significantly lower than the mobility of the neck, the ribs offer additional protection, which is why traumatic spinal cord injury to the thoracic spine is less common.
Spinal curvature or scoliosis
Scoliosis or scoliotic disease is a pathological curvature of the spine in several planes. The causes of scoliosis are not yet known exactly, the disease begins in childhood. Lack of physical activity, weakness of the back muscles, improper posture and workplace organization of students are considered as contributing factors. Due to pronounced curvature, impaired load distribution and spinal biomechanics, over-tensioning of the muscles that compensate for part of the load,birthCHRONICbackache.
Arthritis (spondyloarthritis)
The intervertebral joints, together with the intervertebral discs, join the spine into a whole. Each vertebra has 4 articular surfaces that form articulations with adjacent vertebrae. Like any other joint, the intervertebral joints can become inflamed. This pathological condition is called spondyloarthritis. There are two main causes of inflammation of the intervertebral joints. These are systemic rheumatic diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis) or reactive inflammation that occurs in response to increased loads on osteochondrosis, scoliosis, and other spinal pathologies. Inflamed joints lose their function: stiffness of movements, stiffness of the spine, prolonged back pain.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and back pain
Diseases of the abdominal organs are often the cause of pain reflected in the back and spine. There is also a direct link between pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Diseases like chronic colitis or gastroenteritis are the background of spondyloarthritis or osteochondrosis of the spine.
Most often, reflected back pain occurs with gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, with hiatal hernia, acute or chronic pancreatitis. This phenomenon arises from the features of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, the nerve fibers of which are present in every organ of the abdominal cavity. Part of the pain impulses perceived by them return to the roots of the spinal cord, simulating pain in the spine and spine.
Kidney disease and back pain
The kidneys are a pair of organs located in the retroperitoneal space, which, as in the case of the abdominal organs, is closely connected by nerves to the spinal cord roots. In the presence of inflammation, stones or other pathologies of the urinary tract, a portion of the pain impulses reach the spinal cord, simulating a spinal disease.Symptoms of back paincan occur with acute pyelonephritis, renal colic, kidney abscesses. A characteristic symptom is tension of the back muscles in the projection of the kidneys, which occurs due to inflammation of the kidneys or with an abscess of the surrounding tissue.
Lumbosacral back pain
The lumbosacral spine has the greatest stress. Up to 60-70% of the adult population of developed countries complain of back pain. This is a preferred localization of intervertebral hernia. A patient is most often diagnosed with 2-3 hernias on the lumbosacral spine. Also, pain in the lower back and sacrum often occurs with gynecological and urological pathology.
Intervertebral hernia
An intervertebral hernia is the result of a long-term osteochondrosis of the spine. While in the cervical region, relatively small loads are placed on the intervertebral discs, in the lumbosacral region, each disc has high pressure. A healthy disc is able to compensate for any weight, due to the semi-liquid core, which acts as a hydraulic shock absorber. However, due to osteochondrosis, the fibrous and strong cartilage (annulus fibrosus) passing along the periphery of the intervertebral disc loses its elasticity and strength and some of its parts may crack. With a sharp increase in load, for example, during weight lifting, the pressure inside the diseased disc increases, due to which its contents can actually "shoot" through the damaged cartilage, falling into the lumen of the canalspinal - this is how an intervertebral hernia is formed.
Fragments of the nucleus that have fallen from the disc squeeze the spinal cord and spinal roots. As a result, there is swelling of nerve tissue and impaired blood circulation, which is accompanied by severe pain and protective muscle spasms. The pain can be excruciating, down to the need to use narcotic analgesics. A characteristic feature is the radiation of pain in the lower extremities. There may be impaired sensitivity to pain, tingling, and numbness of the skin of the lower leg and thigh.
Exit of the intervertebral disc
The main difference between the elongation of an intervertebral disc and a hernia is the preservation of the integrity of the annulus fibrosus. The cause of pain is compression of the spinal cord and its roots by elongation along the periphery of the intervertebral disc. However, if the process continues, the lesion can easily turn into a hernia. The symptoms and pain are similar to those of a disc herniation, as the severity of the pain syndrome depends not only on the size, but also on the location of the lesion or hernia.
Spinal cord spondylosis
Excessive loads and degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine can lead to ossification of cartilaginous tissue, which is saturated with calcium salts and is transformed into sharp growths or growths of coracoid bone that arise along the periphery of vertebral bodies. As the process progresses, these growths can be combined with the same growths in the body of adjacent vertebrae. Over time, all the vertebrae grow together with each other, the spine loses its flexibility and elasticity. Pain occurs due to irritation of the spinal cord and its roots, reactive inflammation, and dystrophy of the soft tissues, ligaments, and muscles surrounding the spine.
Radiculitis
Sciatica is called intense pain that comes from circulatory disorders and ischemia of the spinal cord roots, suffocated by a hernia or osteochondrosis extension of the spine. Various skin sensitivity disorders in the buttocks, perineum, thighs and legs area are possible. Launched sciatica leads to muscle atrophy and weakness. A characteristic symptom is vivid pain along the sciatic nerve, aggravated by movements, weight lifting, and in cold weather. This condition is called sciatica or sciatica.
Spinal cord infection
The vertebrae are made up of spongy bone tissue rich in bone marrow. When an infection enters the bloodstream in the body of the vertebrae, an inflammatory process can occur - osteomyelitis. Gradual breakdown of bone tissue is associated with necrosis - this appearance is also typical for spinal tuberculosis. Pain can occur both due to irritation of nerve endings, and due to pathological compression fractures of the spine, weakened by inflammation.
Gynecological and urological diseases
Pathologies such as cervical cancer, endometriosis or adnexitis (inflammation of the appendages of the uterus) in women, prostatitis or prostate cancer in men are often associated with severe pain in the lumbosacral spine. The nature of the pain is explained by the irritation of the nerves trapped in the area of inflammation, or by the growth of nerve trunks from a tumor.
The back muscles ache along the spine
Well-developed back muscles are a sign of a healthy spine, as muscle corsets relieve some of the stress and also stabilize the spine. In chronic diseases of the spine, the muscles are subjected to excessive loads, which weak and atrophied muscles are unable to withstand. As a result, muscle spasms occur, and due to metabolic disorders in the muscles and pain. This condition is called myofascial syndrome, which is characteristic of spinal osteochondrosis, hernias, and intervertebral disc extensions.
Postoperative pain
Spinal surgeries are usually accompanied by extensive trauma - to stabilize and restore vertebral integrity, doctors can use the installation of metal structures, screwing screws into vertebrae, and removing unstable tissue. The pain in this case is not only due to the disease itself but also from the surgery. With proper rehabilitation and postoperative care, the pain will gradually disappear. However, if in the postoperative period you neglect the instructions of doctors and ignore the obligatory exercises, the pain can become chronic.
How are the causes of back pain diagnosed?
To diagnose back and spine pain, it is necessary in time to seek medical help from a qualified neurologist. In the first stage, a neurological examination, a study of the patient, a study of reflexes and symptoms are performed. An experienced and competent doctor knows well what diseases back and spine pain have for some reasons and characteristic features.
Back pain for no apparent reason should be especially vigilant. This can be with reflected pain of other organs and systems, with tumors and diseases of the spinal cord.
To find out why your back and spine hurt, a neuropathologist may prescribe magnetic resonance imaging. It is the most effective and safest method for diagnosing almost all possible causes of back pain. The procedure is based on the ability of magnetic fields and radio waves to deliver clear and detailed images of the spine and spinal cord without the use of X-rays and other harmful factors.
How to relieve back pain
To relieve, but not to treat back pain, let’s take analgesics for a few days, which we should wait for a specialist consultation. Most often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are used for this purpose. However, it is important to remember that this group of drugs can cause dangerous side effects, the likelihood of which increases with prolonged use. It is therefore important not to postpone the visit to the doctor and examination for later. treatmentdiseasesspineand reasonsbackache.
Treatment of spinal pain
As stated at the outset, the effectiveness of back pain treatment depends on how accurately the diagnosis is made. Despite the clarity, many patients "cure" the pain for years, but not the disease itself, each time postponing a visit to the doctor, turning to traditional healers, osteopaths and chiropractors. Moreover, for some diseases of the spine, such procedures are not only contraindicated, but also dangerous.
There are effective and scientifically proven treatments for variousspeciesdiseases they causebackache. . . Many of them require the perseverance and perseverance of the patient in the fight against the disease. It is important to remember that there are no pills or injections that can cure osteochondrosis - only you can do that, with strenuous exercise and exercise that a neurologist will tell you.
Which doctor should I contact for back pain?
Back pain is one of the most common neurological symptoms that appears due to the involvement of nerves and spinal cord in the pathological process. Therefore, the first specialist to be consulted in case of back pain will be a neurologist. Based on the results of the examination and magnetic resonance imaging, you may need to consult another doctor. If back pain is caused by heart disease, the patient is referred to a cardiologist, if the problem is in the digestive tract, to a gastroenterologist. But more often the pain syndrome is associated precisely with the pathology of the spine.