Causes and treatment of back pain

Pain in the muscles of the back can be taken by surprise. Well, if the cause is already known (lifting weight, falling, or other), you can immediately take appropriate measures. And if not? What pain in the back area can talk about, and what needs to be done - more on that later.

There are many factors that cause pain in the muscular tissue of the back. Among them are both acquired and congenital pathologies and diseases. Some can be so serious that delay threatens with sad consequences.

Conventionally, the causes of back pain are divided into several groups:

To assume a particular disease, to find out the cause of pain in the muscles of the back, it is not enough to focus only on the fact of its occurrence and intensity. It is necessary to try to clearly determine the localization of sensations, the nature and accompanying symptoms.

Localization of pain and accompanying symptoms

Muscular back pain is rarely blurred, more often it is clearly manifested in some place. In some cases, accompanying symptoms occur:

• Right-sided pain can be evidence of numerous disorders of both the spine and internal organs. Among them are possible: osteochondrosis, disc herniation, myositis, tuberculosis, diseases of the kidneys and pancreas, heart attack and gynecological disorders. Therefore, such localization of pain requires an immediate visit to a specialist.
• Pain in the muscles on the left side of the back, most often, indicates the presence of problems with the spine. It may be accompanied by visual disturbances, dizziness, discomfort in the hands.
• When a pain syndrome occurs in the region of the rhomboid muscle, the ability to move in the shoulder girdle is lost.
• Pain in the longitudinal muscles can tell about the location of the hernia or protrusion. It occurs mainly due to compression of the nerve processes. Another reason could be muscle tension.
• Osteochondrosis of the neck, in addition to pain in the muscles of the back, will “give out” many accompanying symptoms. Among them: shortness of breath, migraine, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, fainting and paresis are possible.
• Thoracic osteochondrosis manifests itself quite clearly: muscle pain in the area of ​​the shoulder blades and ribs, cough reflex, difficulty swallowing, increased blood pressure, discomfort in the region of the heart.
• Osteochondrosis in the lower back is manifested by muscle pains not only in the back, but also in the pelvis, legs, perineum. Difficulties with urination, skin sensitivity disorders are possible.
• The trapezius muscle can hurt due to tension, stress, experiences. This is often accompanied by pain in the head, neck, shoulder girdle.

ATTENTION! Even if you have found a place of pain and suggested a possible cause, you should not self-diagnose and rush to the pharmacy. This information is provided for informational purposes only. Only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Symptoms to watch out for

With pain in the muscles of the back, symptoms may occur that require the immediate call of an ambulance team. This:

1. there was weakness, numbness of the lower extremities or perineum;
2. pain does not go away even after taking an anesthetic;
3. pressing sensations on the left side of the body, behind the sternum;
4. defecation and / and urination began to cause difficulty;
5. body temperature has risen.

Be sure to call an ambulance if pain in the muscles of the back (lower back) suddenly appeared during pregnancy (especially at the same time as vaginal discharge).

Diagnostics

To find out the cause of muscle pain in the back, you can contact a local therapist or a narrow specialist - a neuropathologist, a traumatologist.
At the initial appointment, the doctor will conduct an examination, collect an anamnesis, and prescribe the necessary diagnostic examinations. First of all, you will need to donate blood and urine to the laboratory (by the way, if possible, it is better to do this in advance). Based on the results of general analyzes, the specialist concludes about the presence / absence of the inflammatory process.

Additionally, depending on the history and other circumstances, you will need to undergo such diagnostic procedures as:

• x-ray (will reveal violations in the bone tissue);
• MRI or CT (make it possible to determine the degree of soft tissue damage);
• Electrocardiogram (allows you to exclude heart disease).

If necessary, data on the state of the stomach, pancreas and other organs may be required.

Treatment Methods

Treatment of pain in the muscles of the back, in the first place, is aimed at eliminating pain, regardless of the cause. If the pain is tolerable, then you can only apply cold, with a pronounced syndrome, drug treatment is recommended. Until the cause is clarified, it is impossible to talk about any specific treatment regimen.

With muscle strain and overstrain, you can alleviate the condition on your own until you see a doctor. To do this, apply a cold compress and provide complete rest to the back. In the absence of pronounced signs of inflammation (redness, swelling, fever, etc.), the next day, a warming composition (gel, ointment) is applied to the injury site.

Medical therapy

Drug treatment of muscle pain in the back is symptomatic. If the pain is acute, topical anesthetics and/or oral pain medications are used. In some cases, blockades are required using novocaine, lidocaine.

In inflammatory processes in muscle tissue (myositis), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are indicated, for example, Indomethacin, Ibuprofen. Sometimes the inflammation is so severe and the pain unbearable that corticosteroids are prescribed. If the inflammation is accompanied by a purulent process, then antibacterial agents are added to the list of drugs.

Traditional medicine recipes

If the cause of pain in the back muscles has not been clarified, then in the treatment it is best to use those folk recipes that have a local anesthetic effect. It is not recommended to use a heating pad, warm compresses, apply compositions that irritate the skin. To alleviate the condition, you can apply a cabbage leaf or a burdock leaf, grated raw potatoes to the affected area. For internal use, you can prepare decoctions of chamomile, sweet clover, sage, yarrow.

Physical therapy exercises, massage

Massage procedures are also best postponed until the exact cause of the pain syndrome is clarified. If it is reliably known that the pain is caused, for example, by overexertion, then you can do a light massage of the damaged muscle 1-2 times a day.

Both during the treatment period and for prophylaxis for the back muscles, exercises of the medical complex should be done. After the pain subsides, you can gently stretch from different positions of the body, bending, stretching, turning, hanging on the horizontal bar. Swimming is very useful for the muscular corset of the back.

Surgery

Surgery for muscle pain in the back is done according to the doctor's indications, if conservative methods do not give a positive result. An emergency operation is performed with a displacement of the vertebrae, serious injuries, a sharp exacerbation of existing pathologies. In any case, surgical treatment is prescribed only after a thorough diagnosis.

Preventive actions

While there are many causes of muscle back pain, many of them can be prevented by following these simple guidelines:

• If you need a long and motionless standing, you need to find a point on the feet so that the back is as relaxed as possible.
• If possible, change position, alternating between standing and walking, shifting from foot to foot.
• When sitting at a table for a long time, try to maintain your posture. Periodically it is recommended to relax the back, arching it with a “hook”.
• At the moment of lifting a heavy object, you should first sit down, take it, and then stand up, straightening your legs. The back must be absolutely straight.
• Body weight has a great influence on the muscles of the back. Watch your weight, not allowing it to be overweight or underweight.
• While walking, it is unnecessary to look at your feet, this leads to the formation of a stoop.
• Be sure to include swimming in your lifestyle and routine.
• Watch the mattress: it should be straight, moderately hard.
• Eat rationally, consuming as many natural vitamin and mineral products as possible.
• Don't forget to recharge. It does not have to be in the morning, it can be performed at any time of the day, but rather a few times a day.
• Observe safety precautions during sports training, dancing.

Finally, protect your back from hypothermia by dressing appropriately for the weather.