In the present era, one of the common conditions that we can identify globally is the problem of back pain. It can severely impact our day-to-day wellbeing and proves to be a leading cause of disability. Pain in the back can take place in several age groups for different reasons. People can notice two different kinds of back pain, namely upper back pain, and lower back pain. However, a person can take steps to avoid such problems or obtain relief. Like, sometimes it can go automatically in some days, through self-care or supportive exercises. And if the condition doesn’t settle, you can consult the problems with a professional candidate. For that, Mewar Hospitals has the availability of an experienced spine surgeon that will look after your back problems.
Before knowing different things related to back pain, let’s firstly know something about the spine.
Spine Anatomy
Also known as the backbone, it contains a total of 33 bones that are stacked on top of each other. Being a body’s central support structure, it is identified as one of the crucial assets of our body. It is helpful in attaching various parts of our musculoskeletal system. This major support helps us to perform a lot of activities like standing upright, bending, and twisting. For the smooth functioning of our spine, there is a role of some elements. For example, strong muscles and bones, sensitive nerves, flexible ligaments, and tendons, etc. If someone experiences difficulty with these elements, there can be an appearance of pain.
Some Important Things To Know Regarding Spine
The spine is constructed with a bone chain, still, it achieves flexibility due to spinal discs and elastic ligaments. Talking about the average length, it can be around 71 cm in men and 61 cm in women. Along with 33 vertebrae, you can explore five different segments of the spine. They are cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx. Let’s obtain some valuable information regarding all these segments.
1. Cervical (Neck)
It stands as the top part of our spine that has an important function to support the weight of our head. It contains a total of seven vertebrae numbered from C1 to C7. They are productive to permit us to tilt, turn, and nod our heads.
2. Lumbar (Lower Back)
It has a major contribution to bearing the weight of our body. Lumbar contains five vertebrae (L1 to L5) that make our spine’s lower part and support the spine’s upper part. They prove to have a larger size to soak up the stress of carrying and lifting objects.
3. Thoracic (Middle Back)
One of its major functions includes holding the rib cage and shielding our lungs and heart. It has a limited range of motion. It is categorized into twelve vertebrae from T1 to T12. Our ribs are attached to the thoracic spine.
4. Sacrum
It refers to a triangle-shaped bone whose major function is to link the spine to the hip bones. Five sacral vertebrae are there to observe, ranging from S1 to S5 combined. They don’t move as the baby develops them in the womb.
5. Coccyx (Tailbone)
There are a total of four fused bones of the coccyx (C1-C4) to see. They deliver an attachment for the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor.
What Are Different Kinds Of Back Pain?
Back pain is categorized into two different categories, namely acute and chronic.
1. Acute – You can identify it as a short-term pain that can go in some days or weeks. Most of the people suffer from acute pain in which they don’t have to face any residual loss of function. It also disappears within some days by adopting self-care measures.
2. Chronic – If someone suffers from this kind of pain, they will have to face problems for some weeks. Chronic back pain will be said when the pain remains for 12 weeks or even longer. Even when a primary injury or causes behind acute back pain is treated. Some treatment options are available to treat chronic back pain. But it is said that the pain may continue even after taking medical and surgical treatment.
What Are The Causes of Back Pain?
Ruptured Discs
There is a cushioning of each vertebra in our spine by the disks. If the disk is found to be ruptured, the nerve will have more pressure. As a result, it will become a cause of back pain.
Arthritis
There is a kind of arthritis called spondylosis / spondyloarthropathy by which back pain can take place. If the cartilage of joints in the lower back is deteriorated or damaged, this condition can happen. Further, it can cause the spinal column to be narrowed or spinal stenosis.
Spinal Stenosis
When the inside spaces of our spine get narrowed due to spinal osteoarthritis and most often by a herniated disc. Then, it can create painful pressure on the spinal nerves and spinal cord. As a result, a person can experience back pain.
Herniated Disc
A disc that slips out of its place or bulges is called a herniated, slipped, or bulging disc. The herniation can press on the nerve roots by which symptoms like pain can occur.
Strain
If there is a presence of strain in the ligaments and muscles, something wrong can happen. Even a person may find himself in a problematic state during a muscle tension, damaged discs, injuries, falls, or fractures. You need to be aware of some usual activities that need to be done in a proper manner. For example, lifting items properly in an improper way can lead to a problem. A person also needs to avoid lifting too heavy objects.
Tumors
Either we talk about benign or malignant, both the tumors can affect our back and create pain. Especially those who begin in the spine and pelvis-based bone and spinal cord. Or the one that spreads from some other places and appear to these regions. To detect such tumors, the doctor can take help from X-rays, CAT, MRI, or nuclear bone scanning.
Degenerative Disc Disease
If a disc is damaged in the body, it can bring pain. If there is wear and tear to be found, the discs become flatter and thinner. Due to this occurrence, they become less able to cushion the vertebrae and may tear.
Pregnancy
If a woman is pregnant, she may experience pain in the lower back. This condition can be due to stress in the lumbar spine and the positioning of the baby inside the abdomen. There can be some other reasons, that’s why few exercises and stretches can be recommended to obtain relief from pain.
Sciatica
This is also one of the renowned causes of back pain. If there is an irritation or pinch in the sciatic nerve, a feeling of pain will arise. This kind of nerve goes to the lower back by the hips and buttocks and down each leg.
Bone and Joint Injury
If there is a break (fracture) in the lumbar spine and sacrum, it will create pain in the back. Although it mostly happens to the older people suffering from osteoporosis, and particularly those who took long-term cortisone medication.
Osteoporosis
This condition can bring the bones to be breakable and porous by which compression fractures can take place. Osteoporosis can also affect the vertebrae of our spine.
Kidney Problems
Sometimes kidney stones, infections or traumatic bleeding of the kidney can also give rise to lower back pain.
Wrong Posture
If someone works on laptops and PCs for long, they need to adopt correct sitting methods. Putting yourself in a poor posture can lead to several back and shoulder problems over time.
What Are The Symptoms of Back Pain?
Apart from pain in the backside, a person can experience a range of other symptoms. Sometimes, due to back pain, a person may feel pain in other parts of the body. But it depends on the nerves which have been affected. You can consult the doctor if there is a presence of:
* Weight loss
* Leg Pain
* Fever
* Constant back pain which doesn’t settles by resting.
* A blow or fall directly to the backside, especially when hurts
* Problems in urinating
* Lack of sensation around the anus, buttocks, and genitals
* Problems to stand up properly due to pain
* Loss of bowel or bladder control
How The Condition Is Diagnosed?
If you feel something wrong with your back, we request you to visit Mewar Hospitals. Here, you can consult the problems with our spine surgeon so he could take further action. Usually, the diagnosis of back pain takes place by inquiring about the symptoms experienced or through a physical examination. There may be a need for an imaging scan and some other tests in some conditions. Like when an injury is the cause behind pain, or if the pain is there for a longer time.
Some common tests that are identifiable in many regions include X-rays, MRI or CT Scans, EMG, or bone scans. With their help, the spine surgeon can identify the problem and decide the treatment option.
Treatment For Back Pain
1. Self-Care Measures
We are recommending some valuable tips that can be productive in the condition of back pain.
Good Sleep And Correct Sleeping Position
People can find some disturbances in sleep especially during back pain. But, if someone will not take adequate sleep, it will contribute to increasing pain. Along with that, try to put yourself in a correct position while sleeping. A wrong sleeping position can also account for increasing the pain.
Have Some Walk
Sometimes, people with the occurrences of back pain feel like taking rest most of the time. As they feel that resting will motivate them to improve back pain. According to a statement, living a sedentary lifestyle can weaken the muscles around the spine and in the back. That’s why you need to continue living a healthy life. Not too much, but at least try to walk for some distance on odd days of the weak.
Make Use Of Ice And Heat
If there is an inflammation or swelling in the back, applying ice can be beneficial. Although you can also take help from heat especially when relaxing stiff or tight muscles. Both the things work in their respective places, but make sure to use them till a particular time limit. Like, not more than 20-25 minutes.
2. Do’s And Don’ts
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Obesity can also become a causes of back pain. If someone is obese, they need to cut down some weight. So it will lighten the load on the lower back.
Acquire Good Posture
Don’t continue living in a poor posture as it can prove to be worse, particularly in longer sitting habits. Try to acquire a correct position and sit upright. Keep your shoulders relaxed and keep the feet flat on the base.
Improve Physical Fitness
If there will be a presence of strong muscles, specifically in the abdominal area, they will support the back. We need to develop physical fitness at a standard level. If your strength and flexibility are improved, it will help in relieving pain and preventing such conditions.
3. Other Treatment Option For Back Pain
Although many acute back pain can be treated with self-care measures. Still, a person may find himself in a tricky situation and need to consult a doctor. If you visit Mewar Hospitals, our spine surgeon can recommend some beneficial steps to follow.
There can be some conditions where a person has to take help from different kinds of medicines. Sometimes, there can be a need for spinal injections. Or in advanced cases, the surgeon has to implement surgery to remove back-related worries.
The Concluding Message
We suggest you remain fit and take care of your spine to avoid the problem of back pain. Still, if you find any problem, we are here to provide the treatment facilities.
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