What to do if your back hurts?

Back pain

It is quite common to hear complaints about back pain. And this is normal, since he bears most of the daily load, the vital organs are located near the spine.

A person can be haunted by various unpleasant symptoms: pain between the vertebrae, in the middle of the spine, strange sensations in the back, pains and difficulties. In some cases, this is just evidence of being overworked or sleeping in an uncomfortable position. However, such discomfort may indicate the presence of injuries or complex developing diseases.

As people get older, almost everyone knows what treatment is needed if they feel an unpleasant sensation of spinal pain, shoots, pain in or in the middle of the back, radiating, pressing, sharp or stabbing. Ointments and gels are most often used in recurrent encounters with similar symptoms to alleviate the condition before consulting a doctor. An alternative solution is patches containing therapeutic substances that are released over several hours or days.

To understand, for example, the reason why the vertebrae hurt when pressed on the back, or certain back bones, you need to see a doctor and undergo a thorough examination.Sometimes very minor identified violations can indicate the development of a serious pathology.

An examination by a neurologist will help you find out the cause of your back pain

The reasons

Doctors and scientists have developed the real map of back pain, a diagram that describes the types and locations of discomfort, depending on the possible causes. This had to be done because there are dozens if not hundreds of changes that make our main supporting body part feel bad.


If you've ever wondered what could be causing your back pain, which makes your spine crackle and start to ache, is it indicative of some disease, and why did it develop, then take a look at the list of causes.

Your back can hurt because of:

  1. Prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position: driving, sitting in a work chair.
  2. Excessive or incorrect load. This is especially common in novice athletes after the gym or when resuming training after a long break.
  3. Excess body weight.
  4. Severe pregnancy and childbirth.
  5. Osteochondrosis.
  6. Protrusions of the intervertebral discs.
  7. Hernia formation.
  8. Congenital and acquired diseases that lead to severe deformity.
  9. Arthritis.
  10. Vertebral tuberculosis.
  11. Delayed fractures or cracks. Other injuries.
  12. Tumor formation within the spinal canal.
  13. Diseases of adjacent internal organs.
  14. Urolithiasis disease.
  15. Diseases of the female reproductive system.

The only correct answer to the question of what to do if the spine hurts very badly on the sides or in the middle of the back on a particular side, in order to understand the reasons for this, is to see a therapist. or a neurologist and perform an examination.

Types of pain

Acute back pain due to overuse or injury

To identify a specific problem, it is not enough to just say, "My back hurts. "

There are several types of pain, and based on their characteristics, the strength and frequency of the manifestation, specialists determine the possible diagnosis during the initial examination.

The main types of back pain are:

  • Sharp and strong. Indicate the presence of excess tension, damage to muscles, ligaments or injury.
  • Shot in the leg. It often occurs with a herniated disc that irritates or pinches the nerve root.
  • Sore.They often talk about the occurrence of an inflammatory focus, they also appear in the presence of neoplasms.
  • Chronic.Signs of a long-term disease, such as osteochondrosis. Such symptoms usually require more supportive treatment.
  • Displaced (reflected).A person feels pain in the neck, chest or lower back, but in fact there is a pathology of the internal organs located near the spine.

What does the localization of back pain in the middle between the vertebrae mean, which is also proven by the needle-like pain that occurs when pressing on the middle of the back, which, when pricked in the same place, becomes a sign of disease? These questions remain unanswered until further investigation. After all, the same type of pain can indicate completely different diseases.

If you experience long-term back pain, you should see a doctor

In which cases should you consult a doctor?

In fact, to find out why the spine often hurts every day, the middle of the back constantly hurts inside, if it hurts for a long time without a middle cause, and what can be done about it, it is only possible. contact the clinic and undergo an examination. Otherwise, using painkillers or folk remedies, you can only harm yourself, significantly worsening the condition.



There are times when you need to see a doctor urgently, as this can be a serious life-threatening condition with additional disability.

You should see a doctor immediately if you notice the following symptoms:

  1. As a result of pain, sensation in the lower or upper limbs is lost completely or in a specific part.
  2. At the same time, the lower back, legs and feet in the joints hurt.
  3. Symptoms appeared after an injury, even a minor blow or an unsuccessful fall.
  4. The severe pain does not go away for three days or more, it only decreases while the painkillers are working.
  5. Lower back pain is accompanied by frequent or infrequent urination, numbness of the perineum (these symptoms require immediate medical attention! )

There can be many reasons why one vertebra hurts when pressed in the middle of the back, in the middle part where the spine or in the middle part constantly hurts, only after you understand what exactly. handing over the diagnosis. Such a feeling of well-being is even a symptom of a compression fracture, so you should not delay a visit to the doctor.

Diagnostics

An X-ray is a necessary diagnostic method if your back hurts

What should a person do if walking in the middle, in the middle, on one side, or even on the whole back, shooting in the spine, sharp or dull pain, how to find out the diagnosis? The answer is simple and logical: contact the experts. After all, it is only with the help of modern laboratory equipment that it is possible to determine exactly what is happening to you.


After visiting a therapist or neurologist with the complaint that lower back pain does not go away in the middle or throughout, the cause must first be identified in order to establish a diagnosis.


After a preliminary survey and a thorough examination, when the doctor has a preliminary opinion, the patient is prescribed hardware and laboratory tests.

To find out the causes of severe stabbing pain in the back, above the waist in the middle, to understand what the terrible symptoms indicate andwhat to do, how to treat, what drugs to use in this condition, many diagnostic methods are used:

  • Blood analysis.Recognizes the lack or excess of certain materials. With the help of a blood test, infections or viral infections in the body can be determined. And severe iron deficiency can be one of the symptoms of the development of oncology.
  • Radiographyit allows you to examine in detail the area where you feel particularly strong discomfort and identify deviations in the structure of the bones. Even the degree of discoloration of the bones makes it possible to determine their condition and, if necessary, take timely measures to strengthen them.
  • ultrasoundorgans that have a direct effect on the spine and can cause pain in the spinal region.
  • Bone scanit is necessary if there is a suspicion of a compression fracture of the bones due to the developed osteoporosis, or the presence of tumors that violate the normal location and integrity of the tissues.
  • Electromyographymakes it possible to determine the condition of the nerve tissue. Our nerves transmit pain signals, so if something happens to them, getting rid of this unpleasant feeling will not happen until complete recovery.
  • CT(computed tomography) allows the presence of vertebral fractures and the nature of violations of the skeletal structure in this area.
  • MRI- the most accurate and complete research method. It not only enables a detailed view of the condition of the spine, but also the collapse of the discs, hernias, tumors, the presence and extent of nerve compression, inflammatory changes and the consequences of injuries.

After receiving the results, it is no longer a mystery to the doctor why there are strong, stabbing, sharp pains in the spine in the middle of the back, the causes of the condition and how to treat the patient in order to get rid of it. reduces discomfort and restores ease of movement.

Manual therapy for back pain

Treatment

After determining the spinal diseases related to the back, the treatment is selected taking into account the symptoms and causes. In each case, it is strictly individual. Most often, the doctor decides what to do, based on the causes of pain in the middle of the spine, and prescribes the most gentle treatment.

Conservative therapy or surgery is used, followed by recovery.

Conservative treatment- This is the application of medicinal and non-medicinal methods aimed at getting rid of the symptoms and completely eliminating the cause of the disease that has arisen. Most often, doctors combine several therapies to achieve the best results. However, it should not be forgotten that each patient, even if the symptoms are the same, such as a wandering back pain, may have a different cause, and thus the treatment.

There are several types of therapy.

Medical treatment

If you have pain in the middle of your back, along the entire spine or with pressure in certain areas, the pain is sharp, sharp, strong, aching, regardless of the cause, certain drugs are prescribed. At least painkillers are regularly used for symptomatic treatment.

These may be nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or other pain-relieving medications. In some cases, the application is short-lived, but in the case of other diagnoses, a long course must be taken. In addition to NSAIDs, tablets and capsules belonging to the group of muscle relaxants are often used to reduce muscle tone, as well as B vitamins.

Ointments and gels help to get rid of back pain

Ointments and gels

Another "assistant" for such problems is the means of external influence. While the doctor finds out why the spine hurts in the middle of the back in a certain area or in the whole, when it is pressed and decides what needs to be done to reduce the effect of the pain, they also prescribe local drugs.

Ointments and gels- These are thick substances that are applied to the affected area and then absorbed. They are easy to use in home treatment, almost anyone can apply the product independently to the place that bothers them.

There are several types of ointments to relieve pain:

  1. Anti-inflammatorywith an analgesic effect.
  2. With its vasodilating effect,promotes blood flow in the smeared area.
  3. Chondroprotectorsused for the maintenance and restoration of cartilage tissue.
  4. Combination drugs, which anesthetize, relieve inflammation and have a healing effect.

Injections

Sometimes, when deciding what to do and how to treat it, when the whole back or a vertebra hurts in the middle or in another area, on the side, in the middle of the back, additional symptoms determine what the cause may be. and why it brings so much suffering.

In such cases, in order to save the patient from painful sensations, strong drugs are used - injections directly into the painful area, sometimes blockades, which allow to completely extinguish the pain symptom and carry out full-scale examinations and treatments.

Blockage in a sore spot in the middle of the back

Distinctive features of injections that help to cope with discomfort:

  • The speed of action is almost instantaneous.
  • Extremely high efficiency due to the high concentration of medicinal substances.
  • Only a specialist working in special circumstances is authorized to administer medicine.
  • The drug must be prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient, since the probability of side effects is high.

In such cases, in order to save the patient from painful sensations, strong drugs are used - injections into the buttocks or directly into the painful area (blockades), which make it possible to temporarily relieve the pain symptom and carry out full-scale examinations and treatments.

Treatment of back pain with physical therapy

Physiotherapy

When you ask your doctor why your back hurts all the time, it is often as if you are suffering from some disease, what can it be and what should be done, if this happens and medicines do not always help, then physiotherapy is prescribed.

These are aids that complement medical treatment, help to quickly restore health and maintain it at the required level.

Depending on the diagnosis and the individual characteristics of the patient, they may prescribe:

  1. Certain types of massages.
  2. Conducting physical therapy courses.
  3. Hardware physiotherapy.
  4. Courses with a special trainer.
  5. Acupuncture (reflexology).
  6. Manual therapy or osteopathy.

The listed physiotherapy methods can be effectively combined with each other and can be used in an integrated approach with tablets, injections and blockades.

At the same time, only the attending physician can tell you what to do in the case of illnesses, if your back hurts, and what problems may arise if the prescribed procedures are not carried out. It is highly not recommended to independently prescribe any physiotherapy effect for yourself, as there is a high probability of a significant deterioration of the condition.

Surgical intervention

Sometimes back pain requires surgery

Sometimes, after finding out why the middle of the back hurts in the middle when it is pressed, or why the whole spine suffers a lot, the only decision to do if we want to stay healthy is surgery.

In such situations, surgical intervention of varying complexity is performed before medical and physiotherapy treatment. The essence of the operation is the removal of the hernia, the insertion of metal elements into the collapsing vertebrae, or the removal of growths and tumors that have a negative effect on the nerves and compress large blood vessels.


Often after severe injuries, operations are performed to restore the functions of the spine and the entire musculoskeletal system. This is a coercive measure that is resorted to only when conservative treatment definitely does not give results.

After surgical correction, it is often impossible to do without additional rehabilitation measures, which mean ensuring normal mobility of the affected department.

During sedentary office work, breaks must be taken to avoid back pain

Prevention

So that back pain complaints no longer arise in your life, as well as questions about why your back hurts so much, what to do if this happens, you must constantly follow preventive measures. By following a few simple rules, you will stay healthy for decades. And not just the musculoskeletal system.


There are four main principles that allow you to protect yourself from rear discomfort:

  • Make time for regular exercise every day. Here we are not talking about a specific sport, but about general strengthening complexes, the main task of which is to strengthen all muscle groups and maintain them in good condition. Lessons should be given 20-30 minutes a day. This can be gymnastics or a morning run, swimming in the pool, yoga, or even a brisk walk.
  • Maintaining the water-salt balance. Adequate fluids should be drunk to avoid incomplete dehydration, excessive strain on the kidneys, and excessive edema. At the same time, preference should be given to clean water, since most popular drinks (tea, coffee, sweet soda) put an additional heavy burden on the kidneys.
  • Eat properly. By limiting the amount of fatty, salty and spicy foods, you will not only lose weight, but also reduce the load on most internal systems. Properly cooked food, rich in protein, nutrients, vitamins and trace elements, preserves your health better than any medicine, especially in adulthood.
  • Visit your doctor regularly. This is especially true for the growing, emerging organism, and in adulthood, when various diseases can develop due to stress, constant stress and predisposition. Once a year, at the examination at the clinic, you can make sure of your health, get the necessary advice and identify diseases in the initial stages, when they can be easily cured.
Exercise is an excellent prevention of back pain

In order not to find out in the doctor's office why your back hurts, why you feel spinal pain and discomfort, pricks, what to do so that it doesn't hurt, you need to follow a few more rules.

They are specifically aimed at preserving the health of the human spine:

  1. Constantly monitor your posture. When a person bends over, it causes a deformation of the spine.
  2. When carrying heavy objects, carefully distribute the load evenly between both hands so that you do not feel the strain on only one side and do not show the distortion of your back.
  3. Sitting office work requires regular breaks for mobile activities. Once an hour, do a little 5 minute exercise, stand up and walk around to stretch your muscles.
  4. For sleeping, choose a hard orthopedic mattress and a pillow prescribed by a doctor.
  5. Avoid sitting in uncomfortable positions, especially if you will spend a lot of time in this position. Do not put extra load on the spine and do not bend it in the process.
  6. Lift the weight correctly. Do this without bending, but you will strain your knee joints. Sit on the object and lift it from this position with a straight back to avoid injury.
  7. In your free time, engage in physical activity that promotes balance, coordination, and proper breathing. The most accessible ways are brisk walking outdoors, yoga, Pilates, swimming, dancing.

If, following all the rules, your back suddenly and sharply hurts, see a doctor immediately to find out why this happened and what to do. Self-use of painkillers and delay in seeing a specialist can harm your health in the future.