Back pain affects over 25% of the world population and over 50% of people of working age. Unfortunately, evolution hasn't bothered to 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 fact, but a happy (and, unfortunately, temporary) coincidence. Especially now, when the body of an average employee has to sit at the computer for 8-12 hours straight. But we have been adapted from millions of years of evolution in nature to a completely different and much more active lifestyle!
Can spine pain be cured on its own?
Unfortunately, not everyone asks this very correct question. The answer is this: Internet information-based self-medication is extremely dangerous. This is a huge risk that can lead to disability. If we are talking about an internal pain such as pain in the back and spine, the more it is not necessary to "diagnose" yourself and "prescribe" treatment. Nerve endings in internal organs are located differently than on the surface of the skin. The pain inside is difficult to locate, and sometimes it feels like one hurts, but in reality the reason is in another. Let's say back pain can be caused by gastrointestinal cancer. And pain that another person may describe on a forum or in an article as being very similar to yours can 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, scapular periatosis, cervicobrachialgia - all these terms are useless for you. dozens of such diseases in the textbooks for medical universities and even with various clarifications and modifiers. You should know and remember the name of your diagnosis when it is delivered by a qualified doctor. 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 subject to less stress, so osteochondrosis, protrusion and herniated intervertebral discs do not affect it very often. However, chest and thoracic back pain can be caused by spinal problems.
Unpleasant sensations may occasionally occur, but they are often not dangerous. If it is muscle pain (although it may not be like arm muscle pain after hard work and feel more severe), the cause is most likely due to overexertion due to a long stay in one position or a load. too high . If the pain goes away after a change in posture or a short walk and doesn't recur, the problem is unlikely to be serious. Although it is necessary to deal with minor problems, for example, change the usual postures, increase your physical activity and do physical education. And only a doctor can determine the severity of the problem. If there is even the slightest opportunity, then you should definitely go to the doctor - it is always much easier (and cheaper) to cure the disease in the early stages than in an advanced case.
What is really dangerous? Below is a list of "alarms", upon occurrence of even one of which it is necessary to start diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible:
- the pain does not stop, the change in position of the body does not help; pain is not relieved by rest; pain worsens at night;
- numbness (decreased sensitivity) or decreased strength of the limbs occurs;
- there are problems with urination and defecation (for example, the sensation of emptying the bladder is lost; incontinence of urine and feces, or vice versa, delay; not to be confused with constipation);
- the temperature rises, while there are no other reasons that can explain it, for example SARS;
- pain wakes up, interrupts sleep;
- complications after postponed malignant tumors (the status of limitations does not matter);
- unexplained weight loss;
- complications after taking steroids for many years;
- complications after recent serious illnesses;
- complications after recent infectious diseases;
- loss of the anal reflex;
- weakness in the hips and knees;
- neurological deficit;
- progressive deformity of the spine;
- back pain that gets worse at rest;
- chest pain (ACS - ECG);
- general malaise.
Note that you don't have to wait for everything to start together. If you experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away.
Yoram Anekstein, Tel Aviv Medical Center: "The question often arises: I made an appointment with a doctor, but my back has already stopped hurting. Should I go or not? Definitely go. "
Articles on the Internet very often try to describe which types of pain are characteristic of osteochondrosis and which are for sciatica, etc. This is the wrong approach, the reasons why we have already explained above. No matter what kind of pain: left, right, tailbone, everywhere, shooting, lasting a couple of 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 nonspecific pain associated with muscle tension, excessive stretching of tendons, ligaments, and fascia.
Much less often, pain is associated with a herniated disc affecting the nerve root (~ 3% of cases).
Osteoporosis (including pat. 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 (a decrease in the elasticity and strength of the disc substance, a decrease in the height of the disc, protrusion, hernia, changes in the vertebral bodies (Modic I-III), ligaments (spondylosis), facet joints (spondylarthrosis) of a direct relationship with pain and other clinical manifestations do not have.
It should be understood that only the group of spondylitis and spondyloarthritis includes more than 10 diseases with various causes, features of the course, symptoms, etc. The number of back and spine diseases in particular is very high. But from the above descriptions, you yourself can understand that they are united by seriousness. Back pain cannot be ignored. Many of these diseases proceed slowly, with long stages of remission. But at the same time, in each acute stage, the risk of complications increases (up to a complete loss of mobility).