Back pain: what to do and who to turn to?

When a doctor is approached with just one complaint about back pain, he can immediately name more than a dozen diseases of various organs and tissues that can be hidden under such a symptom. When we say the word "back", we mean a certain part of the body. The back is not a separate independent organ, it is a collective concept reflecting the back or rear side of the human body.

In the back area, there are several sections that correspond to the sections of the spinal column - these are the thoracic, lumbar and sacral. The cervical and coccygeal sections could also be attributed to the back, but still, we will consider them to be located outside its territory.

Causes and risk factors for back pain

Some causes of back pain have already been partially touched upon, these are problems with curvature of the spine, genitourinary problems and problems with the muscular apparatus of the back. But the problem would not be so acute and difficult to solve if everything were so simple. With the development of technology to super-high indicators, it does not give a 100% guarantee of complete healing of the back in some cases of its diseases. Very often, after identifying the main damaging factor, a person has to put up with constant or periodic pain for life. The back hurts not because the cause is unclear, but because it is almost impossible to eliminate the root cause, it remains only to alleviate the situation. But more about everything in more detail.

Common predisposing factors for the occurrence of back pain include:

• trauma (fractures, bruises, consequences of severe injuries) of the spinal column and its components (discs, vertebral processes, in rare cases the bodies of the vertebrae themselves);
• inflammatory processes in the joints of the back;
• conduction disturbance in the central and peripheral nerve trunks located in the back area;
• rupture, contusion, strain, infection, cold of the back muscles;
• pathological changes in organs and organ systems located in the thoracic, abdominal, lumbar and pelvic regions;
• some mental disorders;
• obesity, excess weight;
• congenital malformations of the musculoskeletal system;
• incorrect work and rest regime: frequent lifting of heavy objects, neglect of active movements during sedentary work;
• smoking.

The list of problems can be continued for a long time, indicating all the factors that directly or indirectly lead to back pain. The main thing to consider is the fact that any carelessness, any abuse of physical activity can lead to a malfunction of our body. In cases of lifting weights, it is necessary to do it correctly. The back does not hurt every time and not from every heavy physical activity. In cases where the lumbar region is protected by special tightening means, and when lifting weights, the main emphasis is on the legs, then a breakdown in the back muscles can be avoided. Many problems can be avoided if you know which of them lead to what consequences. To do this, you need to at least superficially study the structure of your body. Any mechanism that surrounds us in everyday life has its own service life, after which we have to resort to maintenance. The same is true for our body. The back, its cervical and lumbar regions, experiences the greatest pressure and tension throughout the life cycle than other parts of the body.

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What is the back and what are its functions?

The human body is thought out to the smallest detail and there is nothing superfluous or unnecessary in it, as, indeed, in the whole organism as a whole. In a natural state, all parts of the body are in strict proportion, the spinal column is a kind of support center, which, with the help of the rest of the skeleton, plays the role of a frame on which everything else is held. One bone skeleton is not enough for a frame, therefore there are additional connecting links, which are muscles and tendons. Our body can perform flexion and extension movements, tilts and turns, has flexibility and plasticity. We owe all this to multiple joints, joints and intervertebral discs. Thanks to a straight, even posture, our organs are located correctly, have the right shape and size, do not interfere with each other in work and the whole organism as a whole is a single mechanism.

In cases where curvatures begin in the musculoskeletal system, and consequently the territory of one or more organs begins to be infringed, they are forced to change their position relative to their neighbors, often taking them out of normal life activity. A person begins to experience discomfort. The back hurts, internal organs suffer, and the reason for this is a curvature in one of the sections of the spine. Even from school, we are taught the correct posture, taught to keep our back straight, straight, develop the habit of sitting and walking correctly, not slouching. It is in early childhood that the formation of a correct, strong muscular skeleton of the back will help to avoid problems with the spine in adulthood, because trained, accustomed muscles will hold the spinal column straight, not allowing it to "go" from the desired trajectory.

So, the back has a skeletal function - maintaining a straight, natural position of the body in space. In addition to the skeletal function, the back plays the role of a shield, protecting everything that is located behind us from the effects of the external environment. First of all, the spinal cord needs protection. It is protected better than all other organs. Thanks to the muscular skeleton of the back, it is protected from the outside, and from the inside it is protected by the powerful bone skeleton of the spinal column. Vital centers are located in the spinal cord, responsible, for example, for breathing. Imagine if the spinal cord was easily susceptible to various injuries, what would it be like to live in constant fear for your safety? The back protects us from this fear. Healthy muscles and bones give us freedom, and unhealthy ones - pain, fear and helplessness.

The back also protects the organs located in the lumbar and pelvic region. If the back hurts in the lumbar region, it can be assumed that there are inflammatory processes in the uterus and appendages, when it comes to women, or problems in the genitourinary system in men. The main large blood vessels and nerve trunks running along the spinal column also owe their safety to the back muscles. Thus, the back is the main protector, shield and talisman of our body.

How is diagnosis made if the back hurts?

Pain, wherever it is localized, should be divided into:

• primary;
• secondary;
• chronic.

Primary pain occurs for the first time, and after its appearance, the first course of treatment is carried out, which can lead to a complete cure of the underlying cause. Secondary pain occurs after a fairly long period of time after the first pain attack. It can be a consequence of the manifestation of primary pain and its underlying cause, or it can be a result of the impact of a completely different factor. Chronic pain is the transition of primary pain to a protracted stage due to a complete lack of treatment or an incorrectly chosen course of treatment.

If your back hurts for the first time, you should undergo a full medical examination. Visual examination, data obtained by palpation (probing) of the painful area, analysis of the history preceding the pain syndrome - all this, in most cases, allows you to make a correct diagnosis. In order to exclude the likelihood of error and to avoid missed complications and serious pathological processes occurring in the internal organs, giving pain syndrome to the back, a number of instrumental studies should be carried out:

• radiography
• magnetic resonance imaging technology
• computer tomogram

Laboratory tests, including all blood and urine test results, will also help confirm the correctness of the diagnosis.

In severe cases, when the pain is chronic and the results of treatment are modest, a spinal puncture is performed to determine the underlying causes, with the help of which cerebrospinal fluid is taken for examination. Rectal examinations are also used to identify diseases of the lower intestine, laparoscopy in women, which allows identifying problems with the reproductive system. Many gynecological problems, such as uterine fibroids, endometritis, can cause intense back pain.

Who should I contact if my back hurts?

The complex concept of "back pain" contains a wide range of possible treatment options, from the use of traditional medicine to surgical intervention. Everything depends, again, on the underlying cause that triggered the pain. When the back hurts, all means are good for eliminating pain. Before going to the doctor, any painkillers will do to relieve an attack of pain. Postpone the use of any warming compresses and warming ointments until you have consulted a specialist. And do not experiment with self-medication. Which direction in treatment to trust - traditional or scientific - is a purely personal matter, but in order to select the appropriate direction in therapy, you need to accurately determine the cause that should be fought in the future, and prevent its recurrence. And this is possible only with professional diagnostic and laboratory equipment.

There can be many preventive measures, as well as therapeutic ones. But always, with any problems with the body, in particular, when the back hurts, serious errors in the lifestyle are revealed. A person abuses the "kindness" and endurance of his body and when the body begins to fail, most of us begin to think about a healthy lifestyle, try to give up bad habits, pay more attention to the muscles. Of course, it is never too late to take the first step, but it is better to take care of yourself from a young age, without interruption, without poisoning yourself with the poisons of alcohol and nicotine, not bending your back in unnatural positions for a long time and giving a measured and constant physical load on all muscle groups.