What to do at home for back pain

Back pain is a fairly common symptom. Everyone has experienced it in one way or another in their life.

Causes, frequency and risk factors for low back pain

Let's take a look at why the lower back can hurt in the country. Most often, back pain signals that you have:

• osteochondrosis and neuralgia;
• kidney disease;
• pancreatitis in the acute stage.

Let's consider each of the possible reasons in more detail.

Back pain can occur with various kidney diseases:

• glomerulonephritis - non-infectious kidney damage;
• pyelonephritis - purulent inflammation in the renal pelvis;
• the formation and movement of stones in the kidneys and ureters.

Often, hypothermia, colds or diet contribute to kidney disease; It's easy to confuse a torn lower back with kidney problems. However, there are symptoms that are characteristic of this type of ailment:

• pain is not associated with movements and physical activity;
• body temperature often rises to more than 37. 5 degrees;
• lightly tapping with the edge of the palm in the kidney area causes severe pain;
• there are problems with urination - frequent or too rare, painful;
• urine becomes cloudy, changes color.

When a person has kidney problems, the first thing to do is to call a doctor. This organ plays too important a function in the body to risk. While the doctor comes to your country house, he tries to alleviate the patient's condition.

What can be done:

• lay the patient down or help him take a comfortable position;
• in the presence of temperature - administer an antipyretic;
• give a sick antispasmodic, for example, no-shpu;
• monitor pressure, temperature;
• provide assistance if needed if the person needs to turn around.

It is often written that warming compresses or hot baths will help with kidney disease. Remember!

If the pain is caused by pyelonephritis, warming will only make the situation worse, as heat inflammation increases.

All further measures can be prescribed by a doctor after a professional examination.

Lumbar spine injury is the most common cause of low back pain.

Low back pain occurs in almost all people at least once in their lifetime. It should be noted that the pain can be in any part of the back, but, nevertheless, pain in the lumbar spine occurs more often. This is due to the fact that the lumbar vertebrae bear the maximum load from the body weight.

Low back pain is the second most common cause of visits to the doctor, right after viral infections. You may experience lower back pain after lifting a heavy object, after a sudden movement, after being in one position for a long time, or after a spinal injury. Sharp pain in the lumbar spine is often caused by displacement of the intervertebral disc and trauma to the spine.

Conditions that can cause back pain:

• Lumbar spine osteochondrosis
• Intervertebral hernia and protrusion of the intervertebral disc
• Spondyloarthrosis
• Spondylosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Compression fracture for osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, vertebral hemangioma
• Tumor in the lumen of the spinal canal

  Destruction of the lumbar vertebra in tuberculosis is a rare cause of low back pain.

• Spinal fracture after injury
• Prolonged muscle tension
• Anatomically narrow spinal canal
• Curvature of the spine (scoliosis, kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis, Scheuermann Mau disease)
• aortic aneurysm
• Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, arthrosis
• Spinal infections - osteomyelitis, discitis, spinal tuberculosis
• Pyelonephritis, urolithiasis
• Complicated course of pregnancy
• Gynecological diseases (endometriosis, ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer, etc. )

back pain with pancreatitis

A tumor in the lumen of the spinal canal is a common cause of back pain.

The pain can be various: sharp, dull, pulling, burning, it can be accompanied by tingling and goosebumps, numbness. The intensity of lower back pain can vary significantly, from mild pain to unbearable pain that makes even a small movement difficult. Pain can be combined with thigh pain, lower leg pain, foot pain.

For back pain, don't start with a spinal x-ray.

• Reduce physical activity in the first two days after starting an attack. This will help reduce the symptoms of the disease and the swelling in the pain area.
• Don't sit forward until the pain has completely subsided.
• Take pain relievers only if the pain is unbearable. It is better to do an intramuscular injection than to drink an anesthetic drug. This will protect the stomach wall from direct contact with the anti-inflammatory drug. Try to avoid taking too many medications. Do not use hormonal drugs for treatment if low back pain is not associated with an autoimmune disease.
• Sleep in a fetal position with a pillow between your legs. If you usually sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees
• A common misconception is the idea that you should limit physical activity for a long time. Bed rest is not recommended! If you don't have a fever, weight loss, involuntary urination, and bowel movements, you should stay active as long as possible. You can only reduce your activity in the first two days after the pain begins. Start doing some light aerobic exercise. By walking on the simulator, swimming will help improve blood flow to the back muscles. Consult your doctor for the choice of exercises so as not to cause increased pain.

A characteristic symptom of pancreatitis is pain in the girdle, which begins under the ribs on the left. Then it spreads to the stomach and back, forming a ring. Pain in the navel area can also indicate pancreatitis. In atypical forms of the disease, back pain, slightly above the waist, is not uncommon: they are usually mistaken for something other than a symptom of pancreatitis.

Back pain in acute pancreatitis is very serious. First aid for pancreatitis includes:

• hunger (the patient should not eat before the examination);
• comfortable position (helping the person to take it), peace and comfort;
• moderate drinking (you can gradually give plain water);
• condition control (do not leave the patient alone).

There are body positions that help reduce pain: the knee-elbow position and the fetal position.

Diagnostic methods

First you need to see a neurologist. The doctor will ask you about the nature of your pain, its frequency, its recurrence. The doctor will try to determine the cause of the pain and start treatment with simple methods (ice, mild pain relievers, physical therapy and necessary exercises).

MRI in 95% of cases will determine the true cause of back pain.

In most cases, these treatments lead to a reduction in back pain. During the examination, the doctor will determine the exact location of the pain, its irradiation, neurological reflexes. Most people with low back pain recover within 4 to 6 weeks. The diagnosis is made with magnetic resonance (eng.

MRI) of the lumbar spine, computed tomography of the lumbosacral spine, x-ray of the spine. Since the most common cause of low back pain is a herniated disc in the lumbosacral spine, the first thing you need to do is an MRI of the lumbar spine.

This study will also help rule out most causes of pain, such as a tumor in the lumen of the spinal canal, spinal tuberculosis, spinal fracture, multiple myeloma, anatomically narrow spinal canal, sponlylolisthesis, various types of spinal curvature, spondylosis and spondyloarthrosis. .

If your neurologist didn't order an MRI scan, do it yourself. The power of the MRI machine should be 1 Tesla or more. You shouldn't start the diagnosis with an x-ray and computed tomography, these methods are not safe. They can only be done in the first place if a spinal fracture is suspected.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of the patient's complaints, his external examination, data of the anamnesis and the results of instrumental and biochemical studies. The most informative in the detection of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system is radiography. The resulting images clearly display deformed vertebral bodies and a decrease in the distance between them, as well as formed bone growths (osteophytes).

If hernial protrusion, protrusion, diseases of internal organs are suspected, MRI, CT and ultrasound are performed. These studies allow to detect the localization of the pathology, to assess the degree of the inflammatory process.

Conducting general clinical blood and urine tests is mandatory. If systemic disease (gout, rheumatoid arthritis) is suspected, biochemical and serological studies are indicated.

Lower back pain due to osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease of the articular cartilage that connects the vertebrae. Due to their pathology, the roots of the spinal cord are pinched, which is the cause of the pain. Anyone over the age of 30 is at risk of osteochondrosis and recently this diagnosis is often found in adolescents and the very young.

The main cause of a back pain attack is heavy lifting, prolonged work in an uncomfortable position (e. g. weeding or gardening). The development of osteochondrosis is also provoked by long journeys in the car, when a person is constantly in a sitting position.

Such back pain can overcome almost anyone. You will be able to recognize osteochondrosis by the following symptoms:

• the lower back hurts, the pain radiates to the leg;
• the pain becomes stronger with movement, change of position, load;
• can be bothered by burning or stabbing pain - "low back pain";
• after a long stay in one position, it is difficult and painful to change it;
• the sensitivity of the legs and buttocks decreases, a feeling of "goosebumps" appears;
• the feet are cold, sweating is disturbed.

There is no temperature in osteochondrosis.

Pain in osteochondrosis can overcome at any time.

If you are completely sure that the matter is in the spine, the following measures will help the person:

• woolen belt or woolen scarf on the lumbar region;
• lie down on a hard surface: board, table, hard mattress;
• taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• local anti-inflammatory ointments.

If you are unsure of the diagnosis, consult a doctor - taking anti-inflammatory drugs for stomach or pancreatic problems can aggravate the situation.

What not to do

In no case do not try to "fix" your back yourself: this can increase pain and even damage your back.

With the exacerbation of osteochondrosis, rewarming procedures are not recommended. Under no circumstances should you take a hot bath or steam in the bathtub. After warming up, a person will feel temporary relief, so the pain will increase significantly. If such pain often bothers you, you should do an MRI (lumbar spine image) and consult a neurologist.

Important! If after taking anti-inflammatory drugs you feel relief or the complete disappearance of pain, you should not resume physical activity. The patient needs rest - up to bed rest - for a while.

How to relieve pain if it is neuralgia

Neuralgia is the inflammation of a nerve. Symptoms of neuralgic lower back pain are similar to signs of osteochondrosis: the back reacts to movements, the patient is afraid to move. But there are also specific points:

• pain spreads along the inflamed nerve;
• the nature of the pain is "jerky", it can subside and appear suddenly even at rest;
• skin color and sweating may change, tremors occur in the muscles;
• if you press on the back, pain occurs on both sides of the spine.

It is difficult to cure neuralgic pains, but it is necessary to try to relieve them. Help the sick:

• anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs;
• drugs that relieve spasm;
• complete rest.

With severe neuralgic pain, the patient is better off hospitalized. Doctors at the hospital use novocaine blocks for neuralgia.

Remember! Using medicines without medical advice and examination can put your health at risk.

Timely access to a doctor will avoid serious complications of the disease.

Conditions in which it is necessary to consult a doctor:

1. Lower back pain associated with lower leg pain and foot pain
2. Pain prevents you from taking care of yourself
3. Pain associated with urinary and fecal incontinence
4. Combination of pain in the lower back with numbness in the buttocks, thighs, legs, feet, groin
5. If you have already had back pain
6. If the pain lasts more than 3 days
7. If you are taking hormones
8. If back pain occurs after an injury
9. Previously diagnosed with cancer
10. If you have recently lost weight for unknown reasons