How to treat low back pain

When back pain occurs, the thought of radiculitis immediately arises. In fact, even pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract can become a cause of discomfort in the lower back. Therefore, before designing a therapeutic regimen, doctors carefully examine the patient. When the back hurts in the lumbar region, only a neurologist can decide how to treat the pathology. Often, doctors of narrow specializations are involved in therapy - gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, oncologist, gynecologist, urologist. Depending on the diseases diagnosed, further treatment is performed at home or in a hospital.

Basic principles of treatment

Pain that affects the lower back can be excruciating, annoying or violent and violent. If, during the examination, the patient has no pathology of the organs of other vital systems, then the following measures are included in the therapeutic scheme:

• taking pharmacological medicines to relieve inflammatory processes, eliminate pain, restore damaged bone and joint tissue;
• performing physiotherapy procedures to accelerate the regeneration of skeletal vertebrae and muscles;
• physical therapy or gymnastics.

In case of sharp and strong movement that limits pain, patients are prescribed drugs for intramuscular injection. As a rule, in this case, hospitalization is performed in a hospital. After the patient's condition improves, he is released for further treatment at home.

The correct approach to treatment

The main cause of low back pain is destructive-degenerative damage to the vertebrae or an intervertebral hernia formed. No matter how successful the treatment is, doctors recommend that patients eliminate the factor that provoked the pathology from their normal way of life. Otherwise, the disease will return after a while or turn into a chronic, dangerous form for its recurrences.

Begin treating acute or traumatic back pain should be in bed. When the inflammatory process becomes the cause of pathology, then even insignificant physical activity contributes to its spread. Neuropathologists advise buying an orthopedic pillow and mattress. They will reduce stress on an injured spine, prevent squeezing and tightening of muscles and nerve roots. If it is not possible to buy special equipment, then you should choose a mattress and a pillow of medium firmness for sleeping.

To speed healing, you should follow the following medical recommendations during treatment:

• Avoid any physical activity and active sports. In the rehabilitation phase, you can do yoga, swimming, or just take a long walk in the fresh air;
• Eliminate fatty and fried foods from your diet. They negatively affect the condition of blood vessels located in the lumbar spine and contribute to the deposition of harmful cholesterol. Lack of nutrients and biologically active substances is one of the causes of destruction of bone tissue;
• do not smoke and smoke. If you can not completely overcome the harmful addiction, then at least during the duration of treatment you should forget about it. Toxic resins, nicotine, ethanol have a detrimental effect on veins, arteries and capillaries, slow down the restoration of bone tissue, joints and cartilage in men and women.

Taking balanced vitamin and micronutrient complexes will help speed up recovery. Some of them contain increased amounts of calcium, but these medications can only be taken as directed by your doctor. Therefore, it is advisable to buy simple medicines.

Pharmaceuticals

Despite the effectiveness of folk remedies and physiotherapy procedures, only pharmaceutical preparations can quickly eliminate severe back pain. If the concern is poorly expressed, a course of taking capsules, pills and tablets will help you. And with severe pain, neuropathologists prescribe intravenous and intramuscular injections to alleviate the patient’s condition. Many of the medications used to treat lower back pain have serious side effects and many contraindications. Strict adherence to medical recommendations regarding the doses used and the duration of the course will be allowed to avoid negative consequences.

Solution for injection

For the treatment of low back pain, injection forms of preparations containing vitamin B are almost always used. They exhibit neurotropic activity:

• normalize skeletal muscle innervation;
• restores the transmission of nerve impulses;
• promote the regeneration of affected nerve fibers;
• accelerate the metabolism of substances;
• increase the functional activity of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Preparations also contain analgesics, so B vitamin preparations have moderate analgesic properties.

Drug for injection is prescribed for acute pain, which is often called "lumbago". And when the pathology becomes chronic, their use does not bring the expected result. Vitamins are used as a single medicine and in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It is NSAIDs that are becoming the first choice in the treatment of low back pain. Solutions for intramuscular administration within a few minutes stop the inflammation, reduce the severity of the discomfort and eliminate the soft tissue swelling.

Some medicines are structurally analogous, but they can vary in the intensity of the therapeutic effect and the number of side effects. When choosing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the doctor takes into account many factors. For example, certain medications have a pronounced analgesic effect, but they severely damage the joints and cartilage. And there are medicines that, unlike others, do not disrupt the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

Despite the effectiveness of NSAIDs in treating back pain, neuropathologists prescribe them with caution, especially in the form of injections. The fact is that even a single intramuscular injection of the solution can cause ulceration of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. It is strictly forbidden to use NSAIDs in injections or tablets for people diagnosed with gastritis, as well as ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum. Treatment of low back pain in men and women with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be combined with any proton pump inhibitor.

Tablets, capsules, dragees

NSAIDs and B vitamins after a course of injections, the patient takes tablets or capsules to consolidate the outcome of the therapy. If the lower back hurts, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in injections are contraindicated, then the doctor prescribes pills with such active ingredients.

For the treatment of spinal pathologies, drugs with a combined composition are often used.

Pain in the lower back region occurs with muscle spasm.

Nerve roots are stretched, provoking the development of secondary radicular syndrome. Muscle relaxants help normalize the innervation of nerve impulses and stop spasms. In case of acute pain, a short course of injections is given, and then the patient continues treatment with tablets.

Chondroprotectors are recommended during the rehabilitation period. Tablets usually contain stimulants for cartilage tissue regeneration, shark cartilage extracts and medicinal plants that help restore spinal bone structures. Before treating low back pain with chondroprotectors, the doctor assesses the degree of damage to the articular and cartilage tissue. When you diagnose serious devastating changes, therapy with these drugs can take more than a year.

Ointments, gels, lotions, balms

Along with drugs for parenteral and oral administration, neuropathologists prescribe medications for external use. They are applied to the lumbar region several times a day until the painful sensations are completely eliminated. Some oils contain bee venom and snake, paprika extract, essential oils.

All these organic substances have a warming effect. Patients with sensitive skin may experience burns and symptoms of allergic reactions. And before treating low back pain provoked by an inflammatory process, you should consult with your doctor about the safety of using such external agents. As a rule, neuropathologists prescribe the following oils and gels:

• homeopathic. They contain plant extracts and chemical compounds that improve metabolism and have an analgesic effect. Many doctors are skeptical of homeopathy, but patients who do not consider it pseudoscience can be cured. One of the serious disadvantages of such oils is the long duration of therapy;
• NSAIDs. An oil with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is well absorbed by the skin and penetrates quickly into the affected area. After a single application, the severity of the pain syndrome is reduced, the movement of the vertebrae is restored.

Effective stimulation of normalization of tissue metabolism and alleviation of dystrophic changes occurs after using the course of external agents with chondroprotectors.

It does not matter if one vertebra is diseased or the inflammation has affected the entire lumbar region - oils with chondroprotectors help to restore joint and cartilage tissue damaged by the pathological process.

Physiotherapy

Most of these treatments are not prescribed to patients with pain caused by acute inflammation. Procedures begin after its relief with pharmacological medication. Physiotherapy is used to normalize tissue metabolism, tissue regeneration and prevent further degenerative changes in the lumbar spine. What physiotherapy procedures can you use to get rid of back pain:

• electrophoresis. Therapeutic manipulation aims to ensure rapid delivery of drugs (NSAIDs, analgesics, anesthetics, chondroprotectors) to the affected areas of the lumbar region. In the process of performing electrophoresis, cotton swabs soaked in a medicinal solution are placed on the back of the patient. At the top, special plates are superimposed through which current passes. Under the influence of electrical impulses, chemical molecules penetrate rapidly into the area of ​​inflammation;
• ultrasound therapy. The oscillation of ultrasonic waves stimulates blood circulation in the lower back. Nutrients and biologically active substances, as well as molecular oxygen, begin to penetrate damaged tissues. After 5-10 procedures, the patient's pain disappears as a result of relieving muscle spasm and increasing metabolism;
• laser therapy. Laser polarized light is used to treat devastating changes in the lumbar intervertebral discs. Under the influence of infrared radiation, the blood supply to articular and cartilage tissues is restored, metabolism is normalized.Physiotherapy helps remove toxins, toxins, end products of the inflammatory process from the spine;
• magnetic therapy. During the procedure, the patient is exposed to a magnetic wave field to stimulate blood circulation to the damaged tissue.

Medical manipulation is prescribed to prevent further damage to the lumbar vertebrae and to prevent the spread of inflammation to healthy tissues. The result is the disappearance of painful sensations and the restoration of the full range of motion.

For the treatment of severe pain that may radiate to the legs, arms, tail bone, physiotherapy is combined with the administration of pharmacological drugs. And during the period of rehabilitation or during the remission of chronic pathologies of the spine, patients are recommended mud therapy, mineral water baths, classical and precise massage, acupuncture.

Traditional Healer Recipes

Traditional healers recommend drinking plenty of fluids to treat low back pain. Clear water, chamomile and rose tea, compotes from berries and fruits will help to quickly remove the final products of inflammation, toxins and toxins from the spine. As an abundant drink in folk medicine, infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs are used. Useful plants contain biologically active substances with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic properties.

How to treat back pain with healing infusions:

• pour 3 tbsp into the thermos. tablespoons lingonberry leaves, cantaloupe and marigolds, pour a liter of boiling water and leave for about an hour. Strain, drink an aromatic infusion instead of coffee and tea;
• in an enamel or glass jar, place a handful of dried rose hips, cranberry and juniper berries, pour 2 liters of hot water. Boil in a water bath for 30-40 minutes, drain and drink 0, 5 cups of infusion before each meal.

Back pain can be treated with a compress or oil made from natural products. How to make a medicine:

1. Melt 3 tbsp in a water bath. spoons of natural, fresh honey and mix with 2 tbsp. spoons of pharmacy alcohol.
2. Gently add 100 ml of Vaseline to the mixture and rub into the affected areas of the lower back.

This medicine is also used for medical compresses for back pain. To do this, the mixture should not be rubbed, but spread in a thin layer on the skin. You need to put a plastic wrap on top, and then wrap it in a warm scarf. The duration of the procedure is 3-4 hours.

Treatment of low back pain is usually done at home. Only when an acute inflammatory process is diagnosed is the patient admitted to the hospital. Depending on the cause of the pathology, the therapy lasts from two weeks to several months. But if medical recommendations are followed, recovery is significantly accelerated, as evidenced by reviews of cured patients.

• “One morning I just could not get out of bed, I even thought I was paralyzed. But the pain refuted such an assumption, it was so strong that it gave way to the feet. They were treated in a hospital with NSAID injections and a muscle relaxant and then drank at home for about a week. The pain had already disappeared by the second day, but the doctor ordered him to be treated until a victorious recovery. "
• "My pain gradually got worse, I suspect, after I swam in a cold river. My lower back just didn't settle, I had to go on medical leave. I followed all the doctor's advice, drank NSAIDsand a muscle relaxant, coated with anti-inflammatory ointment, mustard plaster stuck to the back. It was cured within five days.
• "The doctor warned that pain is not the worst thing. During the diagnosis, it turned out that my vertebrae were collapsing rapidly. For about a year I took chondroprotectors and rubbed them in my back. For pain, I drank NSAIDs with a pump inhibitor. "After a new examination, the neuropathologist was pleased that no new injuries were found. "