What to do if your back hurts?

Life becomes no fun if your back hurts. Considering that the problem of a sore back has become quite common in recent years, it can be assumed, without relying on data from statistical centers, that almost every third person cannot fully enjoy all the delights of life.

Active movements, sharp turns and bends, lifting heavy objects, fast walking, all this is impossible to do with a sore back. Restrictions in life follow in all areas, from movement to taking a horizontal position by the body. If the back hurts, sitting, lying down, also have to be in certain positions and, preferably, on a completely flat, dense surface.

What causes back pain?

Speaking about the back and problems associated with it, you need to know that pain appears due to disturbances in the structure or integrity of the musculoskeletal system of the back itself. Let's call such pains actually back pains. Pain can be provoked by problems in the internal organs, the leading symptom of which will be back pain. Let's consider the reasons that can cause actual back pains.

The back is a solid muscle, located in several layers, with different directions of muscle fibers. Some muscles help to straighten the body, others provide tilts at different angles. There are abductor and adductor muscles. According to the shape, two large muscles are distinguished in the back, which are paired on both sides, one is called the latissimus dorsi, the other is the trapezius. The spinal column, consisting of many bones and joints, is also the back. In addition, one should not exclude the vessels and nerves. The main vessels - veins and arteries, as well as nerves with all their branches - pass along the entire back. And if the back hurts, the integrity and normal functionality of all the listed "structural elements" of the back should be checked.

Myositis

Back pain can be provoked by serious pathological changes, such as a herniated disc, or a common muscle cold. Myositis occurs from prolonged exposure of a muscle area or group of muscles to cold temperatures. Although sometimes, a couple of minutes of exposure to a draft is enough to cause signs of muscle inflammation. Pain in myositis occurs at the moment of tension or movement in the damaged area of the muscle. The muscle is tense and painful to the touch. A slight increase in overall body temperature is possible.

As a rule, a person immediately establishes the cause of the pain by comparing recent events, for example, hot and sweaty, went out into the wind without outerwear, or sat by the window for a long time and because of this the lower back "froze". You can often hear the expression "my back is blown". The mechanism of the occurrence of this disease has been well known since ancient times, and even without knowing the medical term describing a cold, muscles can easily cope with such ailments at home. The main thing is to be sure of the correctness of the diagnosis, for which it is better to undergo an examination by a doctor.

Modern society, as usual, heads to the drugstore instead of going to the doctor to solve any problems. In drugstore queues, you can hear phrases like "give me something for my back." If your back hurts, then "some ointment" or "something for my back" bought at the nearest drugstore can have a detrimental effect, instead of solving the problem once and for all. Treatment in this way is fraught with many consequences.

Osteochondrosis

If your back hurts, you should also think about a disease that progresses slowly and for a long time - osteochondrosis of various parts of the back. At first, it can manifest itself in minor pain, muscle tension and soreness during palpation. In some patients, attacks occur abruptly, with pronounced soreness, while in others it may not manifest itself for a long time, until a certain moment.

Herniated discs

The menacing name of this disease reflects its essence, duration of the course and treatment. Intervertebral discs, with constant pressure on them, tend to wear out. They, in fact, play the role of a gasket and shock absorber between the bones, providing them with free, smooth and even movement. A clear example can be given on a water tap. It contains a rubber gasket that ensures the normal operation of the mechanism, water flows into the tap. If its integrity is violated, the tap fails, water flows out in different directions or does not flow out at all. Wear of the gasket in the water tap can be eliminated by replacing it, which cannot be used in the case of an intervertebral disc. If the back hurts and the reason is that the intervertebral cartilage has gone beyond its normal location, this can only be detected by specially directed instrumental diagnostic methods.

Sciatica and poor posture

Overcooling of the body is dangerous due to the occurrence of a number of serious diseases, among which sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve) occupies an honorable place; it causes severe pain in the lumbar region.

Back fatigue due to improper posture and poor posture can also cause back pain that appears at the end of the day.

How to treat back pain?

Whether to treat back pain with folk remedies or trust professionals is a personal matter for everyone. However, advanced inflammatory processes lead to a number of complications and a long, drawn-out painful process. A timely identified cause and a correctly chosen course of treatment are the key to quick and high-quality relief from back pain.

If your back hurts, you should seek help from an osteopath or surgeon; it would be a good idea to visit a neurologist to rule out problems with nerve conduction disorders.

The reason for contacting a therapist is that it is necessary to confirm the absence of pathology on the part of internal organs, which will also be an addition to the correct diagnosis.

After the cause is established, a course of treatment is prescribed, which will include, depending on the situation and cause, painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, warming ointments and compresses, therapeutic exercise and massage of the affected area.

Back muscle training as a pain prevention

Even the most complex mechanism requires constant maintenance. People are very careful about expensive equipment, personal transport, - forgetting that their own body also needs constant care. Exploiting our body, we do not think about the processes occurring inside us, about those mechanisms that give us freedom of movement, and rarely are anyone forgiven merciless loads and errors in lifestyle. If your back hurts, then it is too late to start an active lifestyle, you need to think about methods of getting rid of the causes of pain and select special sets of exercises that will be aimed at training the back muscles in a gentle mode. The back is designed in such a way that its muscles are not capable of daily passive training. The muscles of the arms and legs perform many contractions and relaxations throughout the day, this leads to their natural training. Which cannot be said about the back muscles. Most of the time they are only in a tense state.

What we take for a state of rest, putting our body in a horizontal position, does not relax the back muscles completely. Moreover, the back muscles will not relax, even during the night, if you sleep on soft, uneven mattresses or sofas. To allow the muscles to completely relax, you need to lie down on the floor, place your arms along your back, and bend your legs at the knees. Lying in this way, you can feel how the spinal column straightens out and the muscles relax. Complete relaxation in this position will not occur, but it will still be greater than with a simple horizontal position. If your back hurts, especially in the lumbar region, and by evening there is strong muscle tension, lie on the floor with your legs bent at the knees for ten minutes and you will feel how the tension leaves your muscles.

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