In developed countries, almost 75 percent of the population consults a doctor at least once because of back pain.Nine out of ten people experience back pain at least once in their lifetime.Most often, back diseases affect people between thirty and fifty years old, i.e. people of active working age.More than a third of the patients who come to the clinic come because of back pain.There are effective medications for pain relief.
Types of back pain
Back pain is acute if it is located in the spine and started no more than six weeks ago.Sharp pain is difficult for patients to tolerate, but in many cases it is a relatively benign symptom that can be treated.With timely treatment, patients return to professional activity within a month.
If the pain lasts longer than six weeks, it becomes chronic, which is also a dangerous problem, as the quality of life of patients of working age deteriorates significantly.Ten percent of people suffer from chronic back pain.
Reasons
It is worth noting that the causes of the development of pathological processes in the back have been studied quite well.Back pain can occur due to both risk factors and an established disease.Back and spine pain most often occurs when:
- overweight;
- muscle tension;
- damage to the intervertebral joints;
- spasm;
- hypothermia;
- osteochondrosis;
- protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral disc;
- neuralgia.
It is well known that the presence of excess weight significantly increases the load on the locomotor system: the load on the lumbar spine increases by forty kilograms with one unit increase in the body mass index.A sedentary lifestyle, prolonged static posture with incorrect posture, and lack of physical activity can lead to acute and chronic back pain.
Osteochondrosis
Spinal osteochondrosis ranks first among the causes of back pain.Spinal osteochondrosis is a pathological destructive process that develops in the intervertebral discs.As the disease progresses, the bodies of the adjacent vertebrae, the intervertebral joints and the ligaments supporting the spinal column take part in the degenerative process.
Initially, the process develops in the core of the disc, which becomes less elastic due to the loss of moisture.These processes in a relatively localized area of the spinal segment lead to inevitable changes in the adjacent vertebrae and intervertebral joints, which ultimately impairs the mobility of the entire spinal column.
Disc herniation
Lumbar disc herniation is the most common.The patient feels back pain that radiates to the leg, buttocks, reaches the foot, or is localized on the inner side of the thigh.
Mobility is limited.Sensitivity worsens, which can appear in the form of burning and tingling.
Neuralgia
The presence of muscle neuralgia can be judged by the appearance of acute back pain.This occurs due to the compression of the nerve by the inflamed surrounding tissues.
The most common location of pain is the narrow space between the ribs on the back side.Neuralgia occurs in both childhood and adulthood.
Injections for back and lower back pain
Today, in therapeutic matters, the treating physician is guided by literature data, his own experience and that of his colleagues, since there are no standards for the diagnosis and treatment of back pain that are officially recommended by the Ministry of Health.
The following medications can be used to treat back pain:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- muscle relaxants;
- chondroprotectors;
- vasodilators and improve microcirculation;
- synthetic drugs;
- B vitamins.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
This group of drugs is indispensable in musculoskeletal diseases.Sold without a prescription.
Available in ointments, gels, tablets, suspensions, capsules, rectal suppositories, injections in the form of intravenous and intramuscular injections.
Prescribed:
- Anti-inflammatory drug from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives, with an analgesic effect.It is well tolerated and effectively relieves pain.Side effects include inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis in cartilage tissue and ulcerative properties, i.e. promoting gastric ulcer formation.
- Anti-inflammatory drug from the class of sulfonamides, with an analgesic effect.The difference from the previous agent is the prevention of the destruction of proteoglycans and cartilage tissue, the selective effect on inflammatory mediators, which reduces the risk of gastric ulcer and enhances the effect of corticosteroids.Ideal for quick relief of acute pain.Side effects include the risk of toxic liver damage.
Steroid anti-inflammatory drugs
It is used in cases where non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do not have the desired effect.
They have a quick effect, have a systemic anti-inflammatory effect, reduce pain in the pathological focus.Available in the form of ointments, tablets, injections for intramuscular, intravenous, intra-articular injections.
It is used in severe cases.They are only available by prescription because they have many side effects: weight gain, edema, osteoporosis, ulcerative processes in the stomach and intestines.
Muscle relaxants
It is used only as part of complex treatment with drugs of other groups.The action is based on muscle relaxation, which means they have no therapeutic effect.But muscle relaxation helps with prolonged, painful spasms, as well as increasing the effectiveness of manual therapy, massage, and physical therapy.
It is used both together with NSAIDs and in case of intolerance or contraindications.
They are only available with a doctor's prescription because they have side effects: sudden changes in blood pressure, convulsions, muscle weakness, central nervous system depressant effect.
Chondroprotectors
These include glucosamine and chondroitin preparations.Chondroitin promotes calcium retention and slows bone resorption.Glucosamine helps improve the function of the affected joint by increasing the production of hyaluronic acid.It is available in the form of ointments, tablets, injections for intramuscular and intra-articular injections.It is prescribed in combination with NSAIDs.There are practically no contraindications or side effects.
In this case, for the best effect, oral administration should be combined with parenteral administration:
- Injections for intramuscular administration: one ampoule three times a week for one to two months.
- Powder: dissolve in water and take half an hour before meals.Take one packet once a day for one to three months.
- Tablet: take two tablets three times a day with meals.
vasodilators
The medicine, based on the deproteinized hemo derivative of calf blood, helps dilate blood vessels, reduces trophic and microcirculation disorders by improving the delivery of oxygen and nutrients.Hypoxia decreases in the pathological focus with radiculopathies, osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernias.It is available without a prescription in the form of tablets and injections.
Intravenous injections of the purine derivative are carried out in the morning and in the afternoon, 200-300 mg of the drug.Intramuscular injections are given two or three times a day, at 100 mg.Tablets taken at the same time as injections increase the effect of the drug, and one tablet is taken two or three times a day.
B vitamins
It is used as part of complex therapy.Only three vitamins from this group are used.Thiamine is involved in energy metabolism, improves the conduction of nerve impulses, relieves pain and promotes the restoration of intervertebral discs.Pyridoxine prevents hypoxia and improves trophism of intervertebral discs.Cyanocobalamin relieves inflammation, increases tissue trophism and restores the structure of nerve tissue.
It is available without a prescription.There are practically no contraindications or side effects.It is available in tablet and injection form.Use one ampoule daily for ten days.If the pain is not acute, then 3 ampoules are used per week (every other day) for three to four weeks.
The above medicines should be combined depending on the type of disease.But whatever it is, the main goal of treatment is to eliminate pain, stop inflammation and restore the functions of the musculoskeletal system at the source of the pathology.
The following are used as therapeutic measures:
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- Physiotherapy;
- physiotherapy;
- electrical neurostimulation;
- therapeutic blockade;
- decompression and surgical stabilization.
The appropriate therapy is prescribed by a general practitioner after a complete examination.If necessary, he refers the patient to a specialist: neurologist, gynecologist, urologist.
Block for back pain
Performing a paravertebral blockade allows the drug to be delivered directly to the pathological focus, which causes acute pain.Patients experience immediate relief from the block.But it can only be performed in hospital conditions and only by a competent specialist.Pain relief is temporary but noticeable.The procedure also has diagnostic value.If the pain does not subside immediately after the blockade, then the cause is not related to spinal disease.
The blockade can be performed on the biologically active points of the muscles and tendons, in the soft tissues surrounding the affected segment of the spine, nerve sheaths, nerve ganglia, joints, joints.In this case, the injection consists of one, two, three or more drugs.These can be local anesthetics, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, vitamins, ATP.The effectiveness of blockades is undeniable in the case of osteochondrosis, disc herniation, spondylosis and spondyloarthrosis, lumbago, radiculitis, acute and chronic spinal pain.
Blockade procedure
When performing a blockade with any of the above drugs, the following can be observed:
- immediate feeling of the effect by the patient;
- almost complete absence of contraindications;
- creating a high concentration of the drug specifically in the pathological focus.
Description of the procedure:
- examination of the pathological focus by localizing the place of maximum pain;
- the patient is placed on his stomach;
- treatment of the site of blockade with an antiseptic;
- anesthetizing the injection site and administering the drug.
The blockade has few contraindications, but they do exist: pregnancy, individual intolerance to drugs, infection in the area of the procedure.
There are many ways to get rid of back pain.You should not only resort to pills or injections for back and lower back pain, but also remember home remedies.First aid at home is to apply cold to your back (ice from the fridge, frozen meat, dumplings from the freezer).Painful spasms can be relieved by massage.