The effectiveness of the treatment methodback-achedirectly depends on how accurate it isdiagnose. . . However, the pain syndrome itself is not some characteristic symptom - it is a general symptom, for which the cause of the disease cannot be determined. There are many different diseases that can causeback-ache, and not all of them are associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
When self-medicating, patients mistakenly believe that the most important thing is to cope with pain, and they forget that all pain has a cause. Oral pain medication is a symptomatic treatment that does not affect the outcome of the disease nor the cause of the pain.
The main cause of back pain
Main reviewSicknesscauseback-ache. . . To facilitate diagnosis, doctors divide the back into upper (cervical spine), middle (thoracic spine) and lower (back spine) sections.
Upper back pain
Neck pain needs special attention. The reason is in the unique anatomical features of the cervical vertebrae: the vertebral arteries pass through them, supplying blood to ⅓ of the brain; the first and second cervical vertebrae form a movable compound joint with the skull, responsible for turning and tilting the head; Any disease occurring at this level has the potential to cause serious neurological damage, as damage or even mild compression of the spinal cord in the cervical spine immediately leads to impaired motor function and/or sensations over the rest of the body.
Cervical spine tumor
Normally, discs, joints, ligaments and tendons do not have their own blood vessels; Their blood supply depends on the blood supply of nearby muscles and bones. If this process is disturbed, for example, in an office worker who leads a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, degenerative-dystrophic changes begin in them. The nutrition of the cartilage of the intervertebral discs and joints is impaired, the ligaments and tendons thicken, as a result of spondylolisthesis the spinal canal narrows and the distance between the vertebrae decreases.
Among non-specialists, this disease is called osteonecrosis of the spinal cord. Despite the fact that the degenerative-dystrophic process is characteristic of the entire spine, osteochondrosis is the most common cause of pain in the cervical spine. Moreover, like other parts of the spine, this disease can be complicated by a herniated disc. However, due to the anatomical characteristics of the cervical spine, even a small hernia can cause serious complications.
hurt
Although spinal cord injury is more commonly diagnosed in the lumbar spine, nearly 50% of spinal cord injuries occur with cervical spine injury. This is due to the peculiarity of the neck anatomy: the absence of a well-developed musculature and the large vertebral body, high mobility contributing to injury even in the absence of direct physical impact (eg, when stoppingsudden vehicle or being hit from behind during an accident, the so-called whiplash neck injury is common, caused by the forceful flexion that pulls in the elongation of the cervical spine). Pain is a frequent companion of any spinal injury.
Myositis
Myositis or myositis is a group of diseases characterized by muscle pain. The most common causes of banal myositis are forced posture when performing any work, hypothermia, drafts. Muscle pain can be a result of cervical osteochondrosis, herniated discs - the muscles take on most of the load on the neck, eventually leading to overactivity, muscle spasms with impaired microcirculationand inflammation.
Nerve pain
Neuralgia is a condition in which the nerve fibers themselves become the source of continuous pain impulses. The pain is paroxysmal, which may be increased and provoked by turning or tilting the head, in cold weather. The causes of sciatica are related to spinal pathologies - spondylolisthesis, disc herniation, scoliosis, etc. v. The cause of immediate pain is because the spinal cord roots are stimulated when they are compressed into the disc space, muscle spasms disrupt the metabolism of the nerves passing through the spastic muscle. Unlike neuritis or neuritis, with neuralgia the pain is cyclical, with no pathological changes in the nerve fibers themselves.
Heart disease
Cardiovascular diseases such as angina, myocardial ischemia, coronary atherosclerosis are often accompanied by pain radiating down the neck, lower jaw, shoulder and left forearm. Pain may be accompanied by numbness, tingling in the skin, simulating the pain of cervical spondylosis with a herniated disc. Usually, the patient receives massage, physical therapy, and visits to other physicians, although an electrocardiogram is sufficient to diagnose the cause.
A characteristic feature of such pain is the ability of anti-lumbar drugs that improve coronary blood flow (isoket, nitroglycerin) to relieve pain within minutes.
Pain in the middle of the back
The thoracic spine consists of 12 thoracic vertebrae, each with a pair of ribs attached to each other. Together they provide protection for the thoracic organs. The size of the thoracic vertebrae increases gradually, starting from 1 thoracic vertebra and further to the beginning of the lumbar spine - this is explained by the increasing load on them. The mobility of the mid back is significantly less than the mobility of the neck, the ribs provide additional protection, which is why traumatic damage to the spinal cord inThe thoracic spine is less common.
Curved or Scoliosis
Scoliosis or scoliosis is a disease of the spine that is curved in several planes. The cause of scoliosis is still not exactly known, the disease begins in childhood. Lack of physical activity, weak back muscles, improper posture and organization of the student's workplace were considered as contributing factors. Due to the pronounced curvature, the distribution of the load and the biomechanics of the spine are impaired, the muscles are overworked to partially compensate for the load,arisechronicback-ache.
Arthritis (spondylitis)
The disc joints, along with the intervertebral discs, unite the spine into a single whole. Each vertebra has four articular surfaces that form joints with adjacent vertebrae. Like any other joint, disc joints can become inflamed. This medical condition is called spondylitis. There are two main causes of discitis. These are systemic rheumatic diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis) or reactive inflammation occurring in response to increased load in degenerative bone disease, scoliosis, and other diseases. other pathologies of the spine. Inflammatory joints lose function: stiffness of movement, stiffness of the spine, persistent back pain.
Gastrointestinal diseases and back pain
Diseases of the abdominal organs are often the cause of reflected pain in the back and spine. There is also a direct link between diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Diseases such as chronic colitis or gastroenteritis are the basis for spondylitis or osteochondrosis of the spine.
Typically, pain that reflects back pain occurs with gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, with diaphragmatic hernia, acute or chronic pancreatitis. This phenomenon arises due to the peculiarities of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, nerve fibers are present in all organs of the abdominal cavity. Part of the pain impulses felt by them travels back to the roots of the spinal cord, simulating pain in the spine and back.
Kidney disease and back pain
The kidney is a paired organ located in the retroperitoneal space, as in the case of intra-abdominal organs, intimately connected by nerves to the roots of the spinal cord. In the presence of inflammation, stones or other pathologies of the urinary tract, part of the painful impulses is transmitted to the spinal cord, simulating a pathology of the spine.Back pain symptomsmay occur with acute pyelonephritis, renal colic, renal abscess. A characteristic symptom is tension in the muscles of the back in the projection of the kidney, which occurs due to inflammation of the kidneys or from an abscess of the tissue surrounding them.
Pain in the back spine
The dorsal spine has the greatest stress. Up to 60-70% of the adult population of the developed world complains of back pain. This is a favorite localization of herniated disc. A patient is usually diagnosed with 2-3 hernias in the dorsal spine. In addition, pain in the lower back and sacrum often occurs with gynecological and urological diseases.
Disc herniation
Herniated discs are the result of long-term bone degeneration. While in the spinal region, relatively small loads are placed on the discs, in the intervertebral region each disc exerts enormous pressure. A strong disc can offset any weight, thanks to a semi-fluid core that acts as a hydraulic shock absorber. However, due to bone resorption, the strong, fibrous cartilage (annulus fibrosus) that runs along the periphery of the disc loses its elasticity and strength, and some parts of it can crack. With a sharp increase in load, such as when lifting weights, the pressure inside the diseased disc increases, so its contents can actually "shoot" through the damaged cartilage, into the lumen of the spinal canal -This is how a herniated disc is formed.
Nuclear fragments protrude from the disc, compressing the spinal cord and spinal roots. As a result, there is swelling of the nerve tissues and impaired blood circulation, accompanied by severe pain and spasm of the protective muscle. The pain can be unbearable, until an anesthetic pain medication is needed. A characteristic feature is the irradiation of pain in the lower extremities. There may be decreased sensitivity to pain, tingling and numbness of the skin of the legs and thighs.
Disc protrusion
The key difference between disc protrusion and herniation is the preservation of the integrity of the annulus fibers. The cause of the pain is compression of the spinal cord and its roots by protrusion along the periphery of the disc. However, if this process continues, the protrusion can easily turn into a hernia. Symptoms and pain are similar to those of a herniated disc, as the severity of the pain syndrome depends not only on the size but also on the location of the protrusion or herniated mass.
Degenerative back vertebrae
Excessive loads and degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine can lead to chemotactic cartilage, which saturates with calcium salts and turns into bony protrusions or sharp growths arising along the periphery. micro of the vertebral body. With progression of the process, these outgrowths can merge with identical growths on the bodies of adjacent vertebrae. Over time, all the vertebrae grow together, the spine loses flexibility and elasticity. The pain occurs due to irritation of the spinal cord and its roots, an inflammatory response, and dystrophy of the soft tissues, ligaments, and muscles surrounding the spine.
Tooth decay
Myelitis is referred to as severe pain arising from circulatory disorders and ischemia of the spinal cord roots, compressed by hernia or protrusion with osteonecrosis of the spine. There can be many disorders of skin sensitivity in the buttocks, perineum, thighs and lower legs. Triggered sciatica leads to muscle atrophy and weakness. A characteristic symptom is pain along the sciatic nerve, which is aggravated by movement, lifting weights, and in cold weather. This condition is called sciatica or sciatica.
Spine infection
The vertebrae are composed of spongy bone tissue, rich in bone marrow. When the infection enters the bloodstream in the vertebral body, an inflammatory process can occur - osteomyelitis. Gradual breakdown of bone tissue accompanied by necrosis - this picture is also typical for tuberculosis of the spine. Pain can occur both from irritation of nerve endings and from pathological compression fractures, weakened by inflammation.
Gynecological and urological diseases
Conditions such as cervical cancer, endometriosis or adnexitis (inflammation of the uterus) in women, prostatitis or prostate cancer in men are often accompanied by severe painbounce in the dorsal spine. The nature of the pain is explained by irritation of the nerves trapped in the inflamed area, or by the growth of nerve trunks by a tumor.
Painful back muscles along the spine
Well-developed back muscles are a sign of a healthy spine, as muscle corsets help relieve some of the tension and stabilize the spine at the same time. In chronic diseases of the spine, the muscles are subjected to excessive loads that make the muscles weak and atrophied. As a result, muscle spasms occur, and due to disturbances in muscle metabolism and pain. This condition, known as myofascial syndrome, is characterized by osteochondrosis, herniated and protruding discs.
Pain after surgery
Spine surgeries are often accompanied by extensive trauma - to stabilize and restore the integrity of the vertebrae, doctors may resort to installing metal structures, screwing the vertebrae, and removingRemove tissues that cannot be moved. Pain in this case is caused not only by the disease itself, but also by surgery. With proper rehabilitation and post-operative care, the pain should gradually disappear. However, if in the postoperative period you ignore the instructions of the doctor and skip the mandatory exercises, the pain can become chronic.
How is the cause of back pain diagnosed?
To diagnose back and spine pain, it is necessary to promptly see a specialist neurologist. At the first stage, a neurological examination, a survey of the patient, a study of reflexes and symptoms are performed. An experienced and qualified doctor will know well the causes and characteristics of back and spine pain.
Back pain for no apparent reason should be especially vigilant. This can happen with pain reflected in other organs and systems, with tumors and diseases of the spinal cord.
To find out why your back and spine hurt, a neurologist may order an MRI. It is the most effective and safest method for diagnosing most possible causes of back pain. The procedure relies on the ability of magnetic fields and radio waves to give clear and detailed images of the spine and spinal cord without the use of X-rays and other harmful elements.
How to relieve spinal pain?
Back pain to relieve, not treat, let's take pain relievers for a few days, need to wait for the advice of a specialist. Usually, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are used for this purpose. However, it should be remembered that this class of drugs can cause dangerous side effects, the likelihood of which increases with prolonged use. That's why it's important not to put off seeing your doctor and getting checked out later. treatmentdiseasesbackboneand the reasonback-ache.
Spine pain treatment
As mentioned at the beginning, the effectiveness of back pain treatment depends on how accurate the diagnosis is. Although it is clear that many patients "cure" the pain for years, but not the disease itself, each visit is delayed, turning to healers, chiropractors, 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 forspeciesdisease causedback-ache. . . Many of them require the patient's perseverance and perseverance in the fight against disease. It's important to remember that there is no pill or injection that can cure osteonecrosis - only you can do this, with the hard training and physical exercises that a neurologist can provide. will show you.
Which doctor should I contact for treatment of back pain?
Back pain is one of the common neurological symptoms that occur due to the involvement of nerves and spinal cord in the pathological process. Therefore, the first specialist who should be consulted in case of spinal pain will be a neurologist. Based on the results of your exam and MRI, you may need to consult another doctor. If the back pain is caused by heart disease, the patient is referred to a cardiologist, if the problem is in the gastrointestinal tract, to a gastroenterologist. But often the pain syndrome is precisely related to the pathology of the spine.