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Back pain is a common condition that affects many people. This is pain along the back, which may be caused by an incorrect sleeping position, back problems, or injuries. Back pain is often caused by a sedentary lifestyle. In order to prevent this ailment, a healthy lifestyle, physical activity and correct body posture are important.
What are back pain?
Back pain is a common ailment that has many causes, which makes it very difficult to make a XNUMX% accurate diagnosis. It affects the entire area of the spine from the neck to the coccyx. However, it usually affects the lumbar region, neck and nape.
Back pain is most common in people whose work is sedentary, do not perform any physical activity or have bad postural habits. In women, wearing high-heeled shoes increases the risk of this condition.
Inappropriate posture habits can lead to more serious diseases, such as scoliosis or lordosis, which cause pain in virtually every part of the back. The diagnosis of pain occurs only when we feel its intensification, e.g. during lifting or inactivity. On the other hand, back pain of any other cause does not worsen when moving, so it may suggest the presence of more serious medical conditions.
- Read: How to treat reduced cervical lordosis?
The causes of back pain
Staying in a standing or sitting position at work for a long time, and then at home in front of a computer or TV, using the elevator and car – all this means that we move less and less and we gain more and more kilograms. This is combined with childhood posture defects, often resulting from bad habits, such as slouching, carrying a schoolbag on one shoulder or adopting a bad body posture at a school desk, etc.
All these factors lead to a deterioration of the spine’s flexibility, its uneven load, weakening of the strength of the back muscles and their excessive tension. The result is pain that can be eliminated by regular movement, e.g. gymnastics, swimming, or frequent change of body position. If there is no improvement, it is worth using a series of professional rehabilitation or massages that relax tense muscles.
You can arrange physiotherapy treatments at FootMedica facilities. The offer is available at medonetmarket.pl.
Back pain can also be caused by a number of medical conditions, including:
- a falling out disk; this name means a hernia of the intervertebral disc, which causes severe pain, sensory disturbances and problems with movement;
- vertebral fractures, e.g. due to osteoporosis;
- injuries in the form of sprains or twists of the spine caused, for example, by sudden, sharp braking while driving a car;
- degenerative changes of the vertebrae resulting from the aging of the human body, inflammatory diseases and microtraumas;
- rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis.
Other (non-vertebral) causes of back pain:
- aortic dissection,
- acute meningitis
- shingles,
- pneumonia or pleurisy,
- temporomandibular joint syndrome,
- urinary tract ailments, such as prostatitis or pyelonephritis,
- Paget’s bone disease,
- abdominal aortic aneurysm,
- autoimmune ailments in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, e.g. ankylosing arthritis, arthritis in the course of inflammatory bowel diseases,
- inflammation of the pancreas,
- appendicitis,
- dissection of the carotid or vertebral artery,
- ovarian cancer
- Ectopic pregnancy,
- infarct,
- angina.
For back pain, try the regular use of the Neck, Back, Shoulder and Neck Electrostimulator, which you can buy at Medonet Market at a promotional price. We also recommend a shiatsu massager for the neck and back.
Back pain – risk factors
All of us can develop back pain, and it can even affect children and adolescents. However, the main risk factors for back pain are:
- age – back pain occurs more often as you get older, starting around the age of 30 or 40,
- lack of physical activity – weak, untrained back and abdominal muscles can cause back pain
- overweight – excess body weight causes additional strain on the back, and therefore pain,
- diseases – some types of arthritis and cancer can contribute to back pain
- psychological conditions – back pain is more common in people suffering from depression and anxiety,
- smoking – smoking causes reduced blood flow to the lower spine, which can stop the body from supplying enough nutrients to the discs. Smoking also slows healing.
- incorrect lifting,
- sedentary lifestyle.
Also check: An innovative device that reduces back pain
Back pain – symptoms
The main symptom of back pain is simply back pain (in the general sense of the word) or back pain that is localized to a specific location on the back. It also happens that back pain radiates to the buttocks or legs.
Back pain often goes away, but if you get any of the following symptoms you should see a doctor as soon as possible:
- weight loss
- high fever,
- inflammation or swelling in the back
- persistent back pain where lying or resting does not help
- pain in the legs
- pain that goes below the knee
- urinary incontinence
- difficulty urinating
- fecal incontinence or loss of bowel control
- numbness of the genital organs,
- numbness around the anus
- buttocks numbness.
Sign up for a primary care physician at a telemedicine clinic. Use the possibilities of telemedicine and chat with your family doctor as part of the National Health Fund – fill in the PHC change form on the haloDoctor platform
Also read: Spine fractures – how dangerous are they?
Pain in the upper back
The upper back is the area between the base of the neck and the lower chest. This area is made up of 12 vertebrae that doctors call the thoracic spine.
The first vertebra of the upper back begins at the base of the neck and the 12th vertebra ends just below the rib cage. Upper back pain can occur anywhere between these vertebrae. Most people describe upper back pain as a burning or pulling sensation in one place.
The main causes of upper back pain include:
- incorrect posture,
- deformation of the spine muscles,
- overload of the spine muscles,
- trauma to the thoracic spine,
- disk eject
- osteoarthritis,
- myofascial pain,
- spine infection,
- lung cancer.
Pain in the upper back can also be caused by the following conditions:
- scoliosis,
- fibromyalgia,
- spine deformity,
- pathological kyphosis.
Treatment for each of the above-mentioned conditions will vary and will have varying degrees of success.
Read: Spine X-ray – how to interpret the results?
Do your symptoms require medical consultation? Check it out for yourself in a short medical interview.
Pain in the lower back
Pain in the lumbar region is mainly associated with diseases of the osteoarticular system. When the cause of pain is degenerative disease of the spine – it radiates to the lower limbs, even to the buttock. Pains in the lumbar region make everyday functioning difficult. Other factors that increase lower back pain:
- osteoporosis,
- bone tuberculosis,
- posture defects (congenital),
- spine cancer,
- pelvic and spine injuries.
Also check: Not only surgery – scoliosis can be treated differently
Back pain in a child
Back pain in children is becoming an increasingly common problem. It affects girls relatively more often than boys. It is estimated that 30 out of 100 children experience back pain. G.The main causes of back pain in children are overloading of the spine muscles, which is caused, for example, by carrying a heavy backpack and finding them – the lack of physical activity is of key importance here.
However, in the case of children, special attention should be paid to the following symptoms:
- pain at night (especially pain that wakes the baby from sleep)
- constant pain symptoms
- symptoms of a generalized disease (fever, chills, malaise, weight loss),
- symptoms for more than a few weeks
- symptoms in very young children
- leg pain, numbness or weakness.
These symptoms do not necessarily indicate a more serious disease, but should be the basis for a quick consultation with a doctor.
Backache – home remedies
First, think about exercises to strengthen your back and back muscles. For this purpose, you can go to the gym or swimming pool, which is especially recommended for people who are struggling with this type of ailments. In addition, you should pay attention to the position that we take both day and night.
If your work requires long periods of sitting in front of the computer – take breaks from time to time to perform simple exercises (a short walk, moving your arms, moving your head).
In the case of troublesome back pain, it is worth:
- take a warm bath,
- take an anti-inflammatory
- rub a warming or analgesic ointment into the sore spot (we recommend e.g. ointment for joints made of green lip mussels),
- apply warm compresses – try the Vitammy Warm-Up pillow,
- lie down in a comfortable position to relieve your aching spine.
In case of back pain, the Thermolka warming gel or the painkiller CBD cream with glucosamine for muscular and joint ailments will be available on Medonet Market. We also recommend Mentholk cooling patches, which contain hemp oil, glycerin and purified oil.
Back pain – treatment
Usually, back pain is not a serious condition, but there may be situations where its presence should be an immediate indication for a doctor’s visit, for example:
- back pain lasts more than a week,
- in addition to pain, the patient develops a high temperature and chills,
- the patients developed limb paresis and mobility problems,
- the cause of back pain is difficult to diagnose
- back pain is severe and comes on suddenly.
Imaging tests are used to find the cause of back pain. If necessary, painkillers or physical therapy are given.
The editorial board recommends: Too often, too aggressive treatment is recommended for backache
How to prevent back pain?
1. Take care of the right amount of physical activity.
2. Try to avoid distorted body positions, such as when sitting for long periods or carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder.
3. At work, make sure that your position has an appropriate desk height, a comfortable chair and a backrest. The computer screen should be facing your face and the chair should be adjustable.
4. Avoid heavy physical work.
5. Take care of a well-chosen mattress and pillow for sleeping.
6. Try to incorporate more vitamins, minerals and proteins into your diet. The most needed are calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins D3 and B6.
7. Do not become overweight or obese (if you already have it, lose unnecessary kilograms).
8. If you have to pick up a heavy object, instead of bending down, bend your knees and lift it up.
9. Household appliances should also be adjusted to your height, eg a baby cot, ironing board, kitchen counter.
10. Women should limit their walking in high heels to prevent the curvature of the spine from worsening and straining the lumbar spine.
11. Try to rest and change your position at regular intervals to prevent possible muscle spasms and overloads.
12. When you are talking on the phone – do not press the receiver down with your shoulder.
If your back hurts, use the Arnica Active FLOSLEK Cooling Gel for relief and a refreshing sensation.
Read also: Discopathy – are we doomed to it?
Examples of back pain exercises
Bridge
To do this exercise:
- lie on the ground and bend your knees, placing your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart
- press your feet to the floor, holding your hands by your sides,
- Lift your buttocks off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- squeeze your buttocks, leaving your arms on the floor,
- lower your buttocks to the ground and rest for a few seconds,
- repeat this 15 times, then rest for 1 minute.
- do 3 series of 15 repetitions.
Lower back twists
Lower back twists can help reduce stress on the lower back and torso. It also gently affects the core muscles, improving its stability.
To perform a rotational lower back stretch:
- lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground
- keeping your arms firmly on the floor, gently roll both bent knees to the side
- hold the position for 5-10 seconds,
- return to the starting position,
- gently turn the bent knees over, hold, and then return to the starting position,
- repeat this exercise 2-3 times on each side twice a day.
Pelvic tilt
Pelvic tilt exercises can relax your back muscles and keep them flexible.
To do this exercise:
- lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat, hands at your sides,
- gently flex your lower back and push your stomach out
- hold this position for 5 seconds and then relax.
- lower your back and pull your navel towards the floor
- hold this position for 5 seconds and then relax
- increase the number of repetitions each day, increasing to a maximum of 30 repetitions.
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