Lower back pain treatment

To determine the most appropriate treatment for lower back pain, first, pass the examination in the hospital. Then, you can start following the physician’s recommendations. For each patient, a different therapeutic method of treatment is applied, which comes from a general set of measures to get rid of the pain.

Back pain is the most common complaint in middle-aged and older people. One of the reasons for pain in adults is a wrong sitting position during the working day. Seniors also suffer from radiculitis and osteochondrosis. Patients can talk about their problems at an appointment with a therapist, who can prescribe a treatment. 

When the disease gets chronic, the quality of life is rapidly declining. Often, due to unbearable back pain, the patient cannot fully perform their work related to physical activity. Degenerative changes in the trunk of the spine are a primary cause of back pain.

The nature of the pain syndrome that has arisen in most cases is directly related to diseases of the spine. Backache can be sharp or dull, with varying degrees of intensity – only a doctor can identify the causes and prescribe early and further treatments.

Symptoms and early treatment of lower back pain

Pain symptoms

The most important signals to not ignore are:

• pain and tension in the lower back, especially when the soreness goes further – in the groin, legs, buttocks;
• a feeling of chills in the legs, numbness;
• leg cramps;
• pain in knees and hip joints;
• anxiety;
• for women – painful menstruation, irregularities, problems with conception;
• for men – erectile dysfunction, problems with potency;
• pain symptoms in the coccyx, small pelvis, especially when they intensify, if you change the position of the body and take a steam bath;
• problems with the gastrointestinal tract that cannot be cured by a gastroenterologist;
• increased pain while sitting in a wrong position for a long time, which is often observed in drivers and office workers;
• inability to stand for a long time due to back pain.

Early treatments

The basis of acute spinal ache is muscle irritation, suppression, and inflammation of the spinal cord root. The spinal nerves are damaged due to pathological changes in the spine. Backache of this nature requires immediate identification of the cause and initiation of treatment.

Acute pain sensations are most often delivered to patients with diseases of the degenerative-dystrophic group:

• osteochondrosis;
• protrusion;
• spondyloarthritis;
• spondylosis,
• intervertebral hernia.

An equally important role is played by the spasm of the spinal muscle. Due to the prevailing discomfort, the muscles are instantly blocked and become immobile. This ailment is called radiculitis.

Some pain sensations may come on suddenly. A back pain attack, usually, catches people unawares.

How to remove acute pain symptoms on your own

For moderate and non-specific low back pain, physical activity does not harm the back. The pain goes away more quickly if you stay physically active and keep doing your daily activities for as long as possible despite the pain.

When the pain subsides, you can try more vigorous back exercises. In the case of more complex conditions, rehabilitation is necessary.  However, in any case, you should not do physical exercises without the advice and\or permission of your doctor.

 There are other ways to treat pain besides physical activity: get enough sleep, quit smoking, manage stress, and lose weight to normal.

Tips for recovering from back pain:

1. For back pain, you need to move and gradually increase the load.
2. If your back hurts, relax, breathe calmly, move and try to move your back as usual.
3. Movement and low loads keep your back strong and healthy.
4. Your free time activities are not harmful to your back.
5. Leaning forward is safe.
6. Try to get back to work as soon as possible.
7.  Move regularly if you feel better.
8.  Have a good night’s sleep.
9. Quitting smoking helps keep your back healthy.

Manual therapy and prophylaxis of lower back pain

Pain treatment with manual therapy

Manual therapy is a method of treating, diagnosing, and preventing musculoskeletal system diseases with the help of hands. This is the oldest method of therapy, officially recognized by domestic and foreign medicine.

The therapeutic effect of manual therapy is noticeable. After the first session, the patient’s condition improves significantly. During therapy, the following effects are observed:

• complete elimination of pain;
• restoration of blood circulation;
• relief of muscle tension and clamps;
• elimination of pain symptoms of impaired sensitivity: burning, “goosebumps”, tingling of the lower extremities;
• improving the work of internal organs.

In this case, the vertebrae gently and painlessly “rise” to the previous position (the displacement is eliminated).

The duration of the course is determined individually and depends on the severity and type of the disease. As practice shows, usually 5-10 procedures are required, but sometimes it can be more.

Lower backache occurs due to various factors, such serious diseases as osteochondrosis, osteomyelitis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc. Therefore, do not delay diagnosis and early treatments.

Prophylaxis

The main method of prevention is physical exercises. The loads are selected individually, this should be done by the therapy doctor. Physical activity can be:

• morning workouts;
• industrial gymnastics;
• training in the gym on simulators;
• swimming etc.

All possible causes of lower back pain are reduced to physical inactivity. Therefore, not only regular exercises are a blessing for the spine and its muscles – but normal daily physical activity is also important.

Also, the bed should not be too soft, but, on the other hand, too hard; if there is no doctor’s recommendation, to sleep on an absolutely hard surface.

FAQ

• Why do girls have lower back pain?

 Low back pain is often manifested as a consequence of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, for example, osteochondrosis, radiculitis. Women can suffer pain due to gynecological diseases. Back pain in the lumbar spine is characterized as “cutting”, “dull”, “stabbing”, “pulling” and others.

• What injections help with lower back pain?

Dexamethasone, Diprospan, Flosteron are pain-relieving injections for back pain, which have not only anti-inflammatory but also anti-rheumatic and anti-allergic effects. Methylprednisolone is a first-generation steroid drug with anti-inflammatory, anti-shock, and antitoxic effects.

• Why does the upper back hurt?

Often, pain in the upper back is associated with the pathology of the ligaments,  vertebral joints, or deep back muscles that attach to the vertebrae – such injuries occur during physical exertion, sudden movements, twisting of the torso, and injuries.

• Why do the muscles on the back hurt?

Muscle pain in the back can be caused by physical strain, hypothermia, bruises. In such cases, muscle inflammation is caused not by microbes, but by metabolic disorders. Most often it occurs due to osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.