Back pain is reported by 85% of people. How to treat it properly and is it possible to get rid of pain once and for all?
Does your back hurt? You're not alone! Sociological research data show that back pain is the second leading cause of disability in the adult population after viral infections. He was born with us (according to neonatologists, 80-90% of children suffer from spinal cord injuries at birth) and sooner or later precedes everyone. It is believed that this pays off for straight walking. As a person grows, the load on the "spine" increases, existing problems in the spine intensify, and stress, anxiety, obesity, overload, a sedentary lifestyle exacerbate existing problems - and back pain can occur even at an early age.
What hurts there?
The vast majority of pain (about 95%) is related to muscles, ligaments, and joints. This is popularly called withdrawal. These pains are unpleasant but not dangerous and in most cases go away in 2-3 days.
3-4% of the pain is associated with radiculopathy (radiculitis) - a change in the spine root. Usually a hernia is damaged. The pain disappears when the swelling caused by the squeezing goes away.
1-2% of back pain is caused by spinal trauma or inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal diseases in which pain syndrome can spread to the back. This is the most dangerous back pain. Be sure to consult a doctor to rule out such pathologies.
You can't hesitate
The main indicator that requires medical attention is the regularity of pain. If you twist it from time to time - there’s probably nothing wrong. If the low to moderate pain is relentlessly accompanied, you should not hesitate. A doctor should be consulted immediately if the pain is accompanied by a rise in temperature or the pain syndrome worsens during treatment.
At home
The most effective medicine is oral anti-inflammatory drugs. Just don’t overdo it - they’re only safe for the first time. With prolonged use, these drugs can cause ulcers and bleeding in the lining of the stomach. Traditional home treatments - non-steroidal ointments - should only be used as an adjunct. They are harmless but ineffective. Wearing a corset is also a relief - the fixation relieves the spine, relieves cramps and limits sudden movements. Only the corset should be normal - elastic, not warming.
If treatment has not been effective within three days, consult a doctor who is blocking anti-inflammatory injections. By relieving cramps and relaxing muscles, the pain goes away immediately and often forever.
Forbidden!
Bath and massageunder the strictest prohibition. They make the swelling and pain worse.
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It is important to immediately determine the correct treatment tactics. This should be done by a neurologist or neurosurgeon. It is dangerous to self-heal your back. In the neurosurgery ward, 30% of patients tried home treatment methods and were thus hospitalized.
To cut or not?
Until recently, a person diagnosed with a hernia was immediately referred for surgery. Today, the operation is only performed if there are indications:
- persistent pain that cannot be relieved with any tablets;
- disturbance of pelvic functions - incomplete emptying of the bladder;
- weakness and numbness in the legs.
All of these symptoms make surgery unavoidable because without it, the patient may become disabled.
What we risk
The risk of surgery, which causes it to be postponed or abandoned altogether, is considered by many patients to be grossly excessive. In neurosurgery, there are technologies that allow an accurate calculation of the effectiveness of the operation and which symptoms disappear after that and which remain.
The probability of recurrence of pain after surgery does not exceed 1–1. 5%. The hernia may indeed appear in other places, but it is not a complication but the spread of the disease, which often occurs in young undisciplined patients. As soon as the pain goes away, they return to their usual lifestyle: they sit behind the wheel, they continue training. And this is completely impossible to do.
Is osteochondrosis the fault for everything?
Osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic lesion in the intervertebral space. All people over the age of 25 have signs of osteochondrosis. It is impossible to avoid osteochondrosis, but it can save you from the complications that cause back pain.