How to treat low back pain

Back ache

When back pain occurs, the thought of radiculitis immediately arises. In fact, even pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract can become the cause of discomfort in the lower back. Therefore, before developing a treatment regimen, doctors carefully examine the patient. When the back hurts in the lumbar region, only a neuropathologist 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, additional treatment is carried out at home or in hospital.

Basics of treatment

The pain in the lumbar spine may be throbbing, throbbing, or violent and violent. If, during the examination, the patient does not have pathologies of organs of other vital systems, the following measures are included in the treatment regimen:

  • taking pharmacological drugs to relieve inflammatory processes, eliminate pain, restore damaged bones and joint tissues;
  • perform physiotherapy procedures to accelerate the regeneration of vertebrae and skeletal muscles;
  • physiotherapy or gymnastics.

In case of sharp and intense pain restricting movement, patients are prescribed drugs for intramuscular injection. As a rule, in this case, hospitalization is carried out in a hospital. After the patient's condition improved, he was sent back for further recovery at home.

The right treatment approach

The main cause of low back pain is a destructive-degenerative lesion of the vertebrae or a formed intervertebral hernia. Regardless of the success of treatment, doctors recommend that patients remove the factor that caused the pathology from their usual lifestyle. Otherwise, the disease will reappear after some time or turn into a chronic form, dangerous for its relapses.

Beginning to treat sharp pain or tightness should be in bed. When the inflammatory process becomes the cause of the pathology, even insignificant physical activity contributes to its spread. Neuropathologists advise buying an orthopedic pillow and mattress. They will reduce the load on the painful back, prevent compression and pinching of muscles and nerve roots. If it is not possible to buy special devices, then you need to choose a mattress and pillow of medium hardness for sleeping.

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

Outdoor walks with frequent lower back pain
  • Avoid all physical activity and active sports. At the stage of rehabilitation, you can do yoga, swim or just take a long walk in the fresh air;
  • Eliminate fatty and fried foods from the diet. They negatively affect the condition of blood vessels located in the lumbar spine and contribute to the deposition of harmful cholesterol. Deficiency of nutrients and biologically active substances is one of the causes of the destruction of bone tissue;
  • do not drink or smoke. If it is impossible to completely overcome the harmful addiction, at least for 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, joint and cartilage tissue in men and women.

The contribution of balanced complexes of vitamins and microelements will help speed up recovery. Some of them contain increased amounts of calcium, but these drugs can only be taken as directed by a doctor. Therefore, it is advisable to buy simple medicines.

Pharmaceutical products

Despite the effectiveness of folk remedies and physiotherapy procedures, only pharmaceutical preparations can quickly eliminate severe back pain. If the discomfort is poorly expressed, taking capsules, pills and tablets will help. And with severe pain, neuropathologists prescribe intravenous and intramuscular injections to relieve the patient's condition. Many drugs used to treat the lower back have serious side effects and many contraindications. Strict adherence to medical recommendations regarding the dosages used and the duration of the course will prevent negative consequences.

Solutions for injection

For the treatment of lower back pain, injectable preparations containing B vitamins are almost always used. They exhibit neurotropic activity:

  • normalize the innervation of skeletal muscles;
  • restore the transmission of nerve impulses;
  • promotes the regeneration of damaged nerve fibers;
  • accelerate the metabolism of substances;
  • increases the functional activity of the central and peripheral nervous system.

The preparations also contain analgesics, therefore the preparations of B vitamins have moderate analgesic properties.

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

Some drugs are structurally similar, but they may differ in the intensity of the therapeutic effect and the number of side effects. When choosing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the doctor takes into account many factors. For example, some drugs have a pronounced analgesic effect, but they seriously damage the joints and cartilage. And there are drugs that, unlike others, do not interfere with the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

Despite the effectiveness of NSAIDs in the treatment of back pain, neuropathologists prescribe them with caution, especially in injectable form. 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 who have been diagnosed with gastritis, as well as ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum. Treatment of low back pain in men and women with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be combined with any proton pump inhibitor.

Tablets, capsules, dragees

NSAIDs and B vitamins after a series of injections the patient takes tablets or capsules to consolidate the result of the treatment. If the lower back hurts, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in injection are contraindicated, the doctor will prescribe pills with such active ingredients.

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

Pain in the lumbar region of the back occurs with muscle spasm.

Tighten the nerve roots, causing the development of secondary radicular syndrome. Muscle relaxants help normalize the innervation of nerve impulses and stop the spasm. With acute pain, a short series 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 the regeneration of cartilage tissue, shark cartilage extracts and herbal remedies that help restore the bony structures of the spine. Before treating low back pain with chondroprotectors, the doctor assesses the degree of damage to joint and cartilage tissue. When diagnosing serious destructive changes, treatment with these drugs can last for more than a year.

Ointments, gels, creams, balms

In addition to drugs for parenteral and oral administration, neuropathologists prescribe drugs 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, essential oils.

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

  • homeopathic. They contain plant extracts and chemical compounds that improve metabolism and have analgesic effect. Many doctors are skeptical of homeopathy, but patients who do not view it as pseudoscience can be cured. One of the serious drawbacks of these ointments is the long duration of treatment;
  • NSAIDs. Ointment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is well absorbed through the skin and quickly penetrates into the damaged area. After a single application, the severity of the pain syndrome decreases, the mobility of the vertebrae is restored.

Effective stimulation of the normalization of tissue metabolism and relief of dystrophic changes occurs after the use of external agents with chondroprotectors.

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

Physiotherapy

Most of these treatments are not prescribed for patients with pain caused by acute inflammation. The procedures are started after its relief with pharmacological drugs. Physiotherapy is used to normalize tissue metabolism, regenerate tissue, 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 rapid delivery of drugs (NSAIDs, analgesics, anesthetics, chondroprotectors) to damaged areas of the lumbar region. In the process of electrophoresis, cotton swabs soaked in a medicinal solution are placed on the patient's back. On top, special plates are superimposed through which the current is passed. Under the influence of electrical pulses, chemical molecules quickly enter 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 enter damaged tissue. After 5-10 procedures, the patient's pain subsides due to the relief of muscle spasms and increased metabolism;
  • Laser therapy
  • . Polarized laser light is used in the treatment of destructive changes in the lumbar intervertebral discs. Under the influence of infrared radiation, blood supply to joint and cartilage tissues is restored, metabolism is normalized.Electrophoresis for the treatment of low back pain and the relief of the inflammatory processPhysiotherapy helps to remove toxins, toxins, end products of the inflammatory process in the spine;
  • Magnetic therapy
  • . During the procedure, the patient is exposed to a magnetic wave field to stimulate blood flow to damaged tissue.

Medical manipulation is prescribed to relieve further damage to the lumbar vertebrae and prevent the inflammation from spreading to healthy tissue. 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 leg, arm, tailbone, physiotherapy procedures are combined with the intake of pharmacological drugs. And during the rehabilitation period or during the remission of chronic pathologies of the spine, patients are recommended by mud, baths with mineral water, classic 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, berry and fruit compotes will help to quickly remove the end products of inflammation, toxins and toxins from the spine. As an abundant drink in traditional medicine, infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs are used. Useful plants contain biologically active substances with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic properties.

How to cure back pain with healing infusions:

  • Pour 3 tablespoons in a thermos. tablespoons of lingonberry leaves, St. John's wort and marigolds, pour in a liter of boiling water and let stand for about an hour. Strain, drink a fragrant infusion instead of coffee and tea;
  • in an enamel or glass container, place a handful of dry rose hips, blueberries and juniper berries, pour 2 liters of hot water. Simmer in a double boiler for 30-40 minutes, strain and drink 0. 5 cups of infusion before each meal.
Infusion of medicinal herbs relieves back pain, cleanses the spine of toxins and toxins

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

  1. Melt 3 tablespoons in a double boiler. tablespoons of natural honey, cool and mix with 2 tbsp. drugstore alcohol spoons.
  2. Gently add 100ml of Vaseline to the mixture and rub into damaged areas of the lower back.

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

The treatment for low back pain is usually done at home. It is only when an acute inflammatory process is diagnosed that the patient is admitted to the hospital. Depending on the cause of the pathology, treatment takes from two weeks to several months. But if the medical recommendations are followed, the recovery is considerably accelerated, as evidenced by 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 refuted such an assumption, it was so strong that it gave to the legs. They were treated in a hospital with injections of NSAIDs and a muscle relaxant, and then drank them at home for about a week. The pain was already gone on the second day, but the doctor ordered treatment until a successful recovery. "
  • “My pain gradually got worse, as I guess, after swimming in a cold river. The lower back just didn't bend, I had to take sick leave. I took all the doctor's advice, drank NSAIDs and muscle relaxant, smeared with anti-inflammatory ointment, stuck mustard plasters on my back. She was healed in five days. "
  • "The doctor warned that the pain was not the worst thing. Upon diagnosis, it turned out that my vertebrae were collapsing quickly. For about a year I took chondroprotectors and rubbed them on my back. For the pain, I drank NSAIDs with a proton pump inhibitor. After a further examination, the neuropathologist was pleased that no new injuries were discovered. "