Back pain is a common health problem that affects people of all ages. It can be caused by a variety of reasons, causing varying degrees of pain and inconvenience to patients. Understanding the causes, characteristics, and effective treatments of back pain is important for relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.
1. Causes of back pain
The causes of back pain are complex and diverse, involving multiple systems and structures of the body. Here are some common causes of back pain:
▸ Muscle and ligament strains
In daily life, improper posture, excessive physical labor, or sports injuries can cause strains in the back muscles and ligaments. For example, bending over for a long time to lift heavy objects, twisting the body suddenly, or engaging in intense physical activities without adequate warm-up can overstretch or tear the back muscles and cause pain. When a muscle is strained, the patient will feel localized pain and limited movement, especially when the injured part is exerted or moved.
▸ Intervertebral disc problems
The intervertebral disc is located between the vertebrae and plays a role in cushioning and supporting. As we age, the intervertebral disc may gradually degenerate, lose water, and lose elasticity, leading to disc herniation or bulging. When a disc herniates, it compresses the surrounding nerve roots, causing radiating pain that may extend along the nerve distribution area to the legs or buttocks. In addition, the degeneration of the intervertebral disc may also cause the intervertebral space to narrow, further irritating the nerves and causing back pain.
▸ Abnormal spinal structure
Abnormal spinal structure such as scoliosis, kyphosis (hunchback) or lordosis (excessive forward bend of the back) will cause uneven force distribution in the spine, causing long-term tension in muscles and ligaments in certain parts, thus causing back pain. These structural abnormalities may be congenital or gradually formed due to poor posture, long-term weight bearing and other reasons. For example, long-term work at a desk without paying attention to sitting posture can easily lead to increased lordosis of the spine, which in turn causes low back pain.
▸ Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that is mainly manifested by decreased bone density and brittle bones. It is more common in the elderly, especially in postmenopausal women. Due to osteoporosis, the strength of the spine is weakened, and compression fractures are prone to occur under slight external force or long-term gravity. This fracture can cause severe back pain, and the patient may experience changes in body shape such as shortened height and hunchback, which seriously affects the quality of life.
▸Other disease factors
In addition to the common causes mentioned above, some other diseases may also cause back pain. For example, kidney diseases such as kidney stones and pyelonephritis may cause pain in the waist or back; certain infectious diseases, such as spinal tuberculosis, can also invade the spine and cause back pain; in addition, some autoimmune diseases, such as ankylosing spondylitis, mainly affect the spine and sacroiliac joints, causing chronic back pain and stiffness, and in severe cases, it may also affect the patient's ability to move.
2. Characteristics of back pain
The manifestation of back pain varies from person to person, and different causes can lead to different pain characteristics. Understanding these characteristics can help to initially determine the cause of back pain and provide a reference for subsequent treatment.
▸Pain location
Back pain can occur in any part of the back, but the most common area is the lower back, namely the lumbosacral region. This is because the lumbosacral region bears most of the body's weight and has a larger range of motion, making it more vulnerable to injury during daily activities. Upper back pain is often associated with muscle tension, poor posture, or chest disease, while neck pain is often associated with cervical spine problems, muscle strain, or nerve compression. If the pain radiates from the buttocks to the lower limbs, it may be caused by a herniated disc compressing the sciatic nerve.
▸Nature of pain
The nature of back pain varies, and common ones include dull pain, tingling, burning pain, and radiating pain. Dull pain is usually caused by muscle or ligament strain or strain, and the pain is more persistent and may worsen during activity. Tingling is more common in cases of nerve compression, such as a herniated disc compressing the nerve root. The patient will feel a needle-like pain, and this pain may occur suddenly and last for a short time. Burning pain may be caused by inflammation or damage to the nerves, and there will be a burning sensation in the painful area, often accompanied by numbness or tingling. Radiating pain is pain that radiates to a distance along the distribution area of the nerves, such as sciatica, where the pain extends from the waist or buttocks to the lower limbs and even to the feet.
▸ Pain level
The degree of back pain can range from mild discomfort to severe pain. Mild back pain may only be a short-term discomfort after maintaining the same posture for a long time, which can be relieved by simple rest and activity. Severe back pain may make the patient unbearable, affect daily activities, and even cause the patient to be bedridden. The assessment of the degree of pain is important for judging the severity of the disease and choosing the appropriate treatment method. Generally speaking, back pain with a milder degree of pain may be relieved by home treatment and self-conditioning, while back pain with a more severe degree of pain and a longer duration requires timely medical treatment for professional diagnosis and treatment.
▸ Associated symptoms
Back pain may be accompanied by other symptoms, which can help further clarify the cause. For example, if back pain is accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, and sweating, it may be caused by infectious diseases such as spinal tuberculosis or pyelonephritis. Back pain accompanied by numbness, weakness, or urinary and bowel dysfunction in the lower limbs may be a signal of severe compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots. This situation requires high attention and timely medical treatment to avoid irreversible nerve damage. In addition, back pain accompanied by symptoms such as chest tightness and palpitations may be related to cardiovascular disease and requires further examination to rule out heart problems.
3. Treatment of back pain
Home treatment of back pain mainly focuses on relieving symptoms, improving local blood circulation, promoting muscle relaxation and restoring normal spinal function. The following are some common home treatments:
▸Hot compress
Hot compress is a simple and effective way to relieve back pain. Through hot compress, local blood vessels can be dilated, blood circulation can be promoted, and the excretion of metabolites can be accelerated, thereby relieving muscle tension and pain. Commonly used hot compress methods include hot water bottle hot compress, electric blanket hot compress and hot towel hot compress. When using a hot water bottle, the water temperature should be controlled within an appropriate range to avoid overheating and burns. Place the hot water bottle on the painful area, and each hot compress time is about 15-20 minutes, which can be done multiple times a day. When using an electric blanket for hot compress, you can spread the electric blanket on the bed, adjust it to the appropriate temperature, and let the patient lie on it so that the back is fully hot. Hot towel hot compress is more convenient. Soak the towel in hot water, wring it dry, apply it to the painful area, and reheat it after the towel temperature drops. It should be noted that when applying hot compress, direct contact with the skin should be avoided to avoid burns. A thin layer of cloth can be wrapped around the towel or hot water bottle.
▸ Cold compress
The mechanism of action of cold compress is opposite to that of hot compress. It relieves pain and swelling by lowering local temperature, constricting blood vessels, reducing inflammatory response and the transmission of pain signals. Cold compress is suitable for acute back pain, such as muscle strain, sprain, etc. Common cold compress methods include ice pack cold compress and cold compress spray. When using an ice pack, put the ice cubes in a plastic bag, wrap it with a towel and apply it to the painful area. Each cold compress lasts about 15-20 minutes and can be repeated every 1-2 hours. Cold compress spray can be sprayed directly on the painful area. When using it, it should be operated according to the requirements of the instructions to avoid excessive spraying and causing frostbite of the skin. It should be noted that the cold compress time should not be too long to avoid local tissue ischemia and necrosis.
▸ Massage
Massage is a treatment method that stimulates the back muscles and soft tissues through manipulation to promote blood circulation and relieve muscle tension and pain. When performing massage, you can use a variety of techniques, such as kneading, massage, and tapping. Kneading is to use fingers or palms to knead the muscles of the painful area. The strength should be moderate and the patient can tolerate it. The massage method is to use fingers or palms to massage along the muscle direction on the back. Through massage, the meridians can be unblocked and muscle spasms can be relieved. The tapping method is to tap the back gently with the palm or fist. The strength should be gentle to avoid excessive force that may cause the pain to worsen. When massaging, you should pay attention to avoid obvious painful areas and protruding bone areas to avoid unnecessary damage. Each massage lasts about 15-20 minutes and can be performed 1-2 times a day. For some specific acupoints, such as Yaoyangguan acupoint (located in the waist, 1.5 inches below the spinous process of the fourth lumbar vertebra) and Weizhong acupoint (located in the middle of the knee pit), massaging can also help relieve back pain.
▸ Stretching exercises
Proper stretching exercises can increase the flexibility of the spine, relieve muscle tension, and improve blood circulation in the back, thereby relieving back pain. Common stretching exercises include cat-cow pose, spinal twist and back stretch. Cat-cow pose is a simple yoga move that can effectively mobilize the spine and relieve back stiffness. The specific method is: get on your hands and knees, keep your back parallel to the ground, raise your head and chest when inhaling, and concave your back; lower your head and arch your back like a cat when exhaling, and repeat 10-15 times. Spinal twist can promote rotation of the spine and relieve low back pain. The method is: sit on the ground, straighten your legs, bend your left leg, place your left foot on the outside of your right knee, place your right hand on your left knee, support the ground with your left hand, then slowly twist your body, and look in the direction of your left shoulder.
