What is back pain?
Back pain is very common among the population. They usually go away in a few weeks or months. The most common is lower back pain, but it can be felt throughout the spine.
In most cases, the pain does not have a serious cause, but sometimes it lasts for a long time or disappears and returns repeatedly.
How to reduce back pain
If you want to ease your back pain, try doing these few things:
- Stay active and do not deviate from daily activities. Long periods of rest only exacerbate the pain.
- Do stretching exercises for back pain or another walking, swimming, yoga, or pilates.
- Take anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as Ibuprofen, but be sure to consult your doctor first.
- Use compression pads that are either hot or cold and provide short-term pain relief. You should use a bottle of hot water, or a bag of frozen vegetables covered in a blanket if you do not have it on hand.
- Even if it sounds easy to say, you need to remain optimistic and think that the pain will pass soon. It is proven that optimistic people recover faster.
When you need to see a doctor
Normally, back pain goes away on its own in a few weeks or months, and then it is not necessary to visit a specialist.
It is recommended that you get specialist help if:
- There are no improvements after a few weeks.
- The pain is so strong that it prevents you from carrying out your daily activities.
- The pain worsens over time.
- You become worried and can no longer cope.
You can go to the family doctor, who will refer you to a specialist if necessary. You can also seek the help of a physiotherapist, depending on your preferences.
Treatment of back pain
Your family doctor, specialist, or physiotherapist may recommend additional treatments if the pain does not subside. These may include:
- Exercise group classes to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture.
- Massage, especially in the spine
- Psychological support, therapy is necessary, especially if you are going through difficult times trying to cope with the pain
- Surgery is rarely used in these cases, only if a specific condition causes back pain.
Causes of back pain
It sometimes happens that doctors do not identify the causes of pain, being called “nonspecific pain”. Sometimes, the pain can be caused by an injury, such as a sprain, but often occurs for no reason, is very rarely caused by something.
Possible causes can be:
- A displaced disc, i.e., a cartilage disc of the spine, presses a nearby nerve,
- Sciatica – irritation of the nerve from the pelvis to the feet.
These conditions can also cause numbness, weakness, or tingling.
Prevention of back pain
- Do regular exercises and stretches.
- Be active – 150 minutes of exercise per week recommended for adults.
- Avoid sitting in excess.
- If you have to sit in a chair, make sure the position is correct, with your back straight.
- Choose a mattress suitable for the bed.
If you are overweight, you are more exposed to back pain. In this case, it is recommended to lose weight through a healthy diet and exercise.
Emergencies
You should receive specialist help immediately if, in addition to your back pain, you have the following symptoms:
- Numbness or tingling around the genitals and buttocks,
- Difficulty urinating,
- Loss of bladder control,
- Chest pain,
- Fever,
- Inexplicable weight loss,
- Swelling or deformity of the back,
- Worsening of symptoms overnight,
- You were involved in a car accident
Learn more about what to do for chronic or acute back pain?
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