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Back problems can have very different symptoms and depend on the episode they concern. Ailments related to the cervical spine are manifested differently, differently with the thoracic spine, and differently with the lumbar spine. Angelika Wałach, MD, physiotherapist at the Obesity Treatment Center, Medical Group, talks about the main causes and symptoms of back problems.
- Malfunctioning of the spine affects the entire body and even the psyche
- An unhealthy lifestyle most often contributes to the development of back problems.
- – It’s overweight, obese, sitting in front of the computer for many hours or lack of physical activity – says physiotherapist Dr. Angelika Wałach
- Symptoms may include dizziness and headaches, tinnitus, visual disturbances, tingling in arms and legs, chest tightness, constipation or flatulence
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
How to tell if the spine is not working properly
Cervical symptoms may include dizziness and headaches (especially in the occipital part), tinnitus or visual disturbances. Other worrying symptoms include numbness, tingling, and disturbed feeling in the arms and hands, which can go hand in hand with muscle weakness.
In case of problems with thoracic segment the signals most often come from the chest area.
– These can be various types of pressure and pains in this area, often intensifying at night – explains Dr. Angelika Wałach, physiotherapist at the Obesity Treatment Center, Medical Group. – There may also be shortness of breath or hyperventilation. The chronic pain symptoms between the shoulder blades or – during deeper breathing – in the ribs and the spine itself in this section should also be alarming. Problems with the thoracic region can also manifest as tingling and numbness in the upper limbs.
Common symptoms of malfunction lumbar region it’s just his pain radiating down his legs. It is also accompanied by a very strong tension of the paraspinal muscles. Other symptoms may include tingling and numbness in various parts of the body, and muscle weakness.
All the presented symptoms, as long as they persist for a long time, should prompt the patient to seek professional help.
Symptoms less specific, but equally important
Slightly less frequent is the numbness of the hand and decreased sensation, although these are also very important symptoms. It is also worth remembering about the pain radiating down the shoulder or elbow. Similarly, in the case of problems with grasping small objects, which may also indicate overload of the spine, in this case the cervical segment.
- Find out more: Unusual symptoms of back problems
Pain under the knee, calf or foot – may be a symptom of problems with the lumbar spine. Less specific symptoms may also include chest tightness (although in this case coronary diagnosis should be performed first), headache, dizziness, constipation and gas.
What happens to our body when the spine is not working properly?
Malfunctioning of the spine affects the entire body and even the psyche. The common consequences for the body are slouching, body stiffness and a depressed mood. However, it is worth remembering that the symptoms accompanying the malfunctioning of individual sections are specific, characteristic for a given part of the spine. Therefore, any ailment that may be related to abnormalities of the spine should not be taken lightly.
The most common causes of problems
An unhealthy lifestyle most often contributes to the development of back problems.
– Overweight, obesity, long hours of sitting in front of the computer or lack of physical activity – they are in most cases responsible for the problem – explains Dr. Angelika Wałach.
- You may be interested in: Exercises for the spine – TOP 5 exercises for a healthy spine
– Other causes may be related to injury, age or serious illness. It is estimated that about 50 percent. people struggling with overweight and obesity suffer from pain in the spine, back and peripheral joints – he adds.
To reduce pain and warm up muscles and joints, use Poplar lining for overloads, which is worth applying to sore parts of the body.
Obesity is the main cause of problems
In a man with a weight within the normal range, physically fit, without pain, in whom the myofascial corset is functioning flawlessly, the spine stabilizes the entire torso in a proper way. Thanks to this stability, the upper and lower limbs can work in an ergonomic way.
Most of the muscles in the torso are attached to the spine. Likewise, the fascia surrounding the internal organs.
– In the thoracic section, the fascia forms the membranes: the pleura and the pericardium, and in the abdominal cavity – the peritoneum. Fascia, in the form of an omelet, intramedullary or a pony, surround every muscle. The body forms one whole and there is no such thing as a separate work of only one muscle – describes the CLO expert Medical Group.
In a properly developed, healthy person, the fascia and muscles are also properly developed: they work in a synchronized way, making the movements performed smoothly. Everyone’s spine is made up of joints that connect each higher vertebra to the vertebra below. As a result of the correct muscle tension, the man keeps the spine in the correct position, so that the joints are not overloaded.
Angelika Wałach, MD, PhD from the Obesity Treatment Center Grupa Medyczna (www.clogrupamedyczna.pl) is a graduate of the Academy of Physical Education in Krakow in the field of Physiotherapy. Completed post-graduate studies at the Department of Health Protection of the Institute of Public Health, Collegium Medicum at the Jagiellonian University, in the area of Hospital Management / Public Health Administration. In 2004, she obtained the 2007st degree specialization in the field of physical rehabilitation, and in 2007 – the title of dr. n. med. at the Department of Health Protection of Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University. She started her second degree specialization in the field of physiotherapy in XNUMX. He is involved in social campaigns and supports charity initiatives. He is the vice-president of the Foundation for Combating Obesity. She received the distinction “Children’s Friend” and the Medal of dr. Henryk Jordan awarded for special contributions to the development of health care and promotion of physical culture among children and adolescents.
The organism of a healthy person with a correct body weight functions in accordance with the principles of ergonomics, so his posture does not “hang” on the joints, so he does not suffer from any ailments. Such a model is a good starting point for understanding what is happening in a person “lifting” extra, unnecessary kilograms.
The body is not adapted to the additional load, although the body is initially able to bear a few extra pounds asymptomatically. It does not mean, however, that the overload changes do not take place even then. If you don’t stop gaining in time, your weight gain will build up over time, leading to a host of problems.
- See also: The structure of the spine. Everything you need to know about the spine
Fat is deposited mainly in the abdominal cavity, which puts a strain on the muscles of this area. Their chronic strain makes them less efficient over time. The abdominal muscles are connected with the lumbar section through the lumbar fascia, which smoothly transforms into the oblique abdominal muscles, and thus: one affects the other. So they have a direct effect on the spine.
As the fascia is very innervated, pain symptoms can appear quickly. Another problem of the lumbosacral region in overweight people is pain of muscle origin. The reasons are similar – overload makes the muscle strain to keep everything in a relative balance.
– Excessive fatty tissue on the abdomen pulls a person forward, which translates into tension and shortening of muscles, for example, the extensor of the spine – says the physiotherapist. – The intervertebral joints, joint capsules and ligaments are also strained. Overstrained muscles slowly lose their proper functionality, but the abdominal fat still has to hang on them. That is why there are problems of a pain nature or limitation of mobility. In such a situation, disks will also pump out water faster, undergo dehydration and degenerative changes – he adds.
Dehydration is a condition that lowers the height of a disc and causes adjacent vertebrae to come closer together, causing them to overlap nerves. In addition, the fascia surrounding the internal organs also have to work harder with the extra ballast surrounding the organs. Therefore, extra kilos generate many problems that a healthy person does not have to deal with.
Obese patient – big problems
One of the biggest problems in the work of a physiotherapist is explaining to the patient what causes ailments within the lumbosacral spine.
– When I talk about obesity or overweight, there are usually two types of reactions. One is to be aware of the problem and to make efforts, but to no avail. The second is the lack of time for weight loss, but only visits to a physiotherapist in the event of worsening of symptoms – reveals the physiotherapist of the Obesity Treatment Center Medical Group.
If you feel pain in the spine area or you want to relax your muscles, try Dermaticus Klimuszko monastery lining for the skin in the area of joints and spine.
While in the first situation, the patient’s awareness alone increases the motivation to work, in the second case, the entire responsibility is transferred to the physiotherapist. The problem is that a physical therapist can’t lose weight for someone else. Visiting the office from time to time will not stop the progressive changes in the spine permanently.
– There are many causes of overweight and obesity. However, if the patient does not have a problem with metabolic diseases, it is worth answering the question what will be better for him: overweight and pain problems, or losing weight, which will stop negative changes in the spine – the specialist concludes.
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