When back pain occurs, the thought of radiculitis immediately arises. In fact, even pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract can cause discomfort in the lower back. Therefore, before preparing 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 the therapy involves doctors with a narrow specialization - gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, oncologist, gynecologist, urologist. Depending on the diagnosed diseases, further treatment is performed at home or in a hospital.
Basic principles of treatment
Pain affecting the lumbar spine can be irritating, irritating, or severe and severe. If during the examination the patient does not have pathologies of organs from other vital systems, then the following measures are included in the therapeutic scheme:
- taking pharmacological drugs to relieve inflammatory processes, eliminate pain, repair damaged bone and joint tissues;
- conducting physiotherapeutic procedures to accelerate the regeneration of vertebrae and skeletal muscles;
- physical therapy or gymnastics.
In case of acute and severe pain restricting movement, patients are prescribed drugs for intramuscular injection. As a rule, in this case the hospitalization is performed in a hospital. After the patient's condition improved, he was discharged for further recovery at home.
The right approach to treatment
The main cause of low back pain is destructive-degenerative damage to the vertebrae or formed intervertebral hernia. No matter how successful the treatment is, doctors recommend that patients remove the factor that provoked the pathology from their normal lifestyle. Otherwise, the disease will return after some time or will become a chronic form, dangerous for its recurrence.
Start treating acute or pulling back pain should be in bed. When the inflammatory process becomes the cause of the pathology, then even insignificant physical activity contributes to its spread. Neurologists advise to buy an orthopedic pillow and mattress. They will reduce the stress of the inflamed back, prevent squeezing and pinching of muscles and nerve roots. If it is not possible to buy special devices, then you should choose a mattress and pillow with medium firmness for sleep.
To speed recovery, you should adhere to the following medical recommendations during treatment:
- avoid any physical activity and active sports. At the stage of rehabilitation 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, contribute to the deposition of bad cholesterol. Deficiency of nutrients and biologically active substances is one of the reasons for the destruction of bone tissue;
- do not drink or smoke. If you can not overcome the harmful addiction completely, then at least during treatment you should forget about it. Toxic resins, nicotine, ethanol have a detrimental effect on veins, arteries and capillaries, slow down the recovery of bone, joint and cartilage tissues in men and women.
Taking balanced vitamin and micronutrient complexes will help speed recovery. Some of them contain increased amounts of calcium, but these drugs can only be taken as directed by a doctor. That is why it is advisable to buy simple medicines.
Pharmaceuticals
Despite the effectiveness of folk remedies and physiotherapy procedures, only pharmaceuticals can quickly eliminate severe back pain. If the discomfort is mild, a course of capsules, pills and tablets will help. And with intense pain, neurologists prescribe intravenous and intramuscular injections to relieve the patient's condition. Many of the drugs used to treat the lower back have serious side effects and many contraindications. Avoidance of adverse effects will allow strict adherence to medical recommendations regarding the doses used and the duration of the course.
Solutions for injection
For the treatment of lumbar pain are almost always used injectable forms of preparations containing B vitamins. They show neurotropic activity:
- normalize the innervation of skeletal muscles;
- restores the transmission of nerve impulses;
- promote regeneration of affected nerve fibers;
- accelerate the metabolism of substances;
- increase the functional activity of the central and peripheral nervous system.
The preparations also contain analgesics, due to which the preparations of B vitamins have moderate analgesic properties.
Injections are prescribed for acute pain, often called lumbago. And when the pathology becomes chronic, their use does not bring the expected result. Vitamins are used both as a single drug and in combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs are becoming the first choice in the treatment of low back pain. Intramuscular solutions stop inflammation within a few minutes, reduce the severity of discomfort and eliminate soft tissue swelling.
Some drugs are structurally similar, but they may differ 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, some drugs have a pronounced analgesic effect, but they severely damage joints and cartilage. And there are drugs that, unlike others, do not disrupt the gastrointestinal tract.
Despite the effectiveness of NSAIDs in the treatment of back pain, neurologists prescribe them with caution, especially in injectable forms. The fact is that even a single intramuscular injection of the solution can cause ulceration of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. The use of NSAIDs in injections or tablets for people diagnosed with gastritis, as well as ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum, is strictly prohibited. Treatment of low back pain in men and women with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be combined with any proton pump inhibitors.
Tablets, capsules, dragees
NSAIDs and B vitamins after a course of injection, the patient takes tablets or capsules to consolidate the outcome of therapy. If the lower back hurts, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in injections are contraindicated, then the doctor prescribes pills with such active ingredients.
Combined drugs are often used to treat pathologies of the spine.
Lumbar back pain occurs with muscle spasm.
The nerve roots are stretched, provoking the development of secondary radicular syndrome. Muscle relaxants help to 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 pills.
Chondroprotectors are recommended during the rehabilitation period. The tablets usually contain stimulants for cartilage regeneration, shark cartilage extracts and medicinal plants that help to restore the bone structures of the spine. Before treating low back pain with chondroprotectors, the doctor assesses the degree of damage to joint and cartilage tissues. When severe destructive changes are diagnosed, therapy with these drugs can last for more than a year.
Ointments, gels, creams, balms
Along with parenteral and oral medications, neurologists prescribe medications for external use. They are applied to the lumbar region several times a day until the painful sensations are completely eliminated. Some ointments contain bee and snake venom, paprika extract and 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, neurologists prescribe the following ointments 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 a pseudoscience can be cured. One of the serious disadvantages of such ointments is the long duration of therapy;
- NSAIDs. The ointment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is well absorbed by the skin and quickly penetrates the damaged area. After a single application, the severity of the pain syndrome decreases, the mobility of the vertebrae is restored.
Effective stimulation of normalization of tissue metabolism and alleviation of dystrophic changes occurs after a course of use of external agents with chondroprotectors.
It does not matter if one vertebra is diseased or the inflammation has affected the entire lumbar region - ointments with chondroprotectors help to restore joint and cartilage tissues damaged by the pathological process.
Physiotherapy procedures
Most of these treatments are not prescribed to patients with pain caused by acute inflammation. The procedures begin after its relief with pharmacological drugs. Physiotherapy is used to normalize tissue metabolism, tissue regeneration and prevent further degenerative changes in the lumbar spine. What physiotherapy procedure can you use to get rid of back pain:
- electrophoresis. Therapeutic manipulation is designed to ensure the rapid delivery of drugs (NSAIDs, analgesics, anesthetics, chondroprotectors) to the damaged areas of the lumbar spine. In the process of electrophoresis, cotton swabs soaked in a healing solution are placed on the patient's back. Special plates are superimposed on top, through which electricity is passed. Under the influence of electrical impulses, chemical molecules quickly penetrate the area of inflammation;
- ultrasound therapy. The oscillation of ultrasound waves stimulates blood circulation in the lower back. Nutrients and biologically active substances, as well as molecular oxygen, begin to penetrate into damaged tissues. After 5-10 procedures, the patient's pain disappears as a result of relieving muscle spasm and increased metabolism;
- laser therapy. Laser polarized light is used in the treatment of destructive changes in the lumbar intervertebral discs. Under the influence of infrared radiation, the blood supply to the joint and cartilage tissues is restored, the metabolism is normalized.
Physiotherapy helps to remove toxins, toxins, the end products of the inflammatory process from the spine; - magnetic therapy. During the procedure, the patient is exposed to a wave magnetic field to stimulate blood circulation in the damaged tissues.
Medical manipulation is prescribed to stop 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 full range of motion.
For the treatment of severe pain that may radiate to the leg, arm, coccyx, physiotherapy procedures are combined with the administration of pharmacological drugs. And during the rehabilitation period or during remission of chronic pathologies of the spine, patients are recommended mud therapy, mineral water baths, classical and precise massage, acupuncture.
Recipes of traditional healers
Traditional healers recommend drinking plenty of fluids to treat low back pain. Pure water, chamomile and rosehip tea, fruit and fruit compotes will help to quickly remove the end products of inflammation, toxins and toxins from the spine. Infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs are used as a rich drink in folk medicine. Useful plants contain biologically active substances with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic properties.
How to treat back pain with healing infusions:
- pour 3 tablespoons into a thermos. tablespoons blueberry leaves, St. John's wort and calendula, pour a liter of boiling water and leave for about an hour. Strain, drink aromatic infusion instead of coffee and tea;
- in an enamel or glass container put a handful of dried rose hips, blueberries and juniper berries, pour 2 liters of hot water. Simmer in a water bath for 30-40 minutes, strain and drink 0, 5 cups of infusion before each meal.
Back pain can be treated with a compress or ointment made from natural products. How to make a decoction:
- Melt 3 tablespoons in a water bath. tablespoons of natural honey, cool and mix with 2 tbsp spoons of pharmacy alcohol.
- Carefully 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. For this purpose, the mixture should not be rubbed, but distributed in a thin layer on the skin. You need to put plastic wrap on top and then wrap it with a warm scarf. The duration of the procedure is 3-4 hours.
Low back pain is usually treated at home. Only when an acute inflammatory process is diagnosed is the patient admitted to hospital. Depending on the cause of the pathology, therapy takes from two weeks to several months. But if medical recommendations are followed, recovery is greatly accelerated, as can be seen from the examinations of the cured patients.
- "One morning I just couldn't get out of bed, I even thought I was paralyzed. But the pain disproved such an assumption, it was so strong that it gave on his feet. They were treated in hospital with injections of NSAIDs and a muscle relaxant and then drank them at home for about a week. The pain disappeared on the second day, but the doctor ordered treatment until a victorious recovery. "
- "My pain gradually worsened, I suspect, after swimming in a cold river. The lower back just didn't unfold, I had to go to the hospital. I followed all the doctor's advice, drank NSAIDs and a muscle relaxant, applied anti-inflammatory ointment, and applied mustard patches to my back. She was cured in five days. "
- "The doctor warned that pain is not the worst thing. During the diagnosis, it turned out that my vertebrae collapsed quickly. For about a year he took and rubbed chondroprotectors on his back. I took NSAIDs with a proton pump inhibitor out of pain. After a new examination, the neurologist was pleased that no new injuries were found. "