Dorsalgia

Dorsalgia is a medical term used to describe pain in the upper, middle, or lower back. It is a common condition that affects people of all ages and can be caused by a wide range of factors such as poor posture, muscle strain or injury, spinal stenosis, herniated disc, osteoporosis, scoliosis, or degenerative disc disease.

Symptoms of the disease:

• Pain and burning in the back.
• Girdle pain in the back.
• The appearance of swelling and redness.
• muscle hypertonicity.
• Migraine and dizziness.
• Problems with urination.
• Posture disorder.
• Sleeplessness and irritability.

Complications of the disease:

• Decreased motor activity.
• Dysfunction of the pelvic organs.
• Paralysis.
• Disability.

Varieties of pathology at the place of their localization:

1. Thoracic. Dorsalgia of the thoracic region manifests itself in the vast territory of this area. Its dislocation extends from the cervical region to the lumbar region. Sneezing and coughing provoke an increase in pain that does not go away for a long time. After the end of the attack, an unpleasant sensation remains in the area of ​​​​the shoulder blades, which emit a characteristic crunch when trying to take the elbows back.

2. Cervical. The location of the pathology is the cervical vertebrae. In most cases, cervical dorsalgia has a chronic form with frequent relapses. At the slightest sharp turn of the head, a person feels significant pain, which subsides within an hour. The patient with loss of sleep begins to suffer from migraines and complains of memory impairment.

3. Lumbar. This type of pathology is considered the most common. Dorsalgia of the lumbar is pain in the area from the ribs to the coccyx and buttocks. Against the background of these unpleasant symptoms, there are problems with urination and the functioning of the digestive tract. The patient experiences marked relief when he lies down on his stomach during sleep.

4. Lumbosacral. With this type of dorsalgia, torso tilts should be avoided, which can permanently deprive a person of his ability to work.

Pain in dorsalgia:

1. Superficial spasm. It manifests itself in the form of nerve impulses of rather strong intensity. In some cases, there is a feeling that the surface of the affected area is pierced by an electrical discharge.

2. Attacks of a progressive nature. The patient is literally exhausted by aching and pulling pains. In a conversation with a doctor, he cannot clearly determine exactly where the epicenter of the spasm is located.

3. Pain of visceral etymology. It occurs with dysfunction of internal organs. The intensity of discomfort depends on the course of the underlying disease.

4. Chronic pain. Relapse is often accompanied by periodic attacks during the rehabilitation period. Sometimes they are felt in the patient for six months. Chronic manifestations are usually activated during sleep.

Many people take their health lightly and view back pain as a minor cause for concern. Such ignoring of the alarming signals of the body ends with severe complications. It is necessary to visit a doctor during back pain if you have:

• a sharp increase in temperature and fever;
• pain in the abdomen or throbbing in it;
• problems with bowel movements or urination;
• a strong blow to the back or a fall on it;
• back pain at rest;
• weakness in the legs and their trembling;
• sudden changes in weight indicators;
• redness of the epidermis on the back.
• It is necessary to visit a doctor periodically not only in the presence of the listed signs of pathology, but also for people from the alarm zone:
• patients diagnosed with spinal tumors, scoliosis, osteoporosis, myositis and spondylosis;
• victims of spinal injury (stable and unstable) and displacement of the vertebrae;
• employees with hypodynamia and workers with hyperdynamia.

The diagnosis of dorsalgia is made due to the following provocative factors:

• osteochondrosis and complications of the disease;
• proliferation of bone tissue in spondylosis;
• various forms of curvature of the spine;
• congenital malformations of the structure of the vertebrae;
• dysfunction of the muscular corset due to stretching;
• excessive physical activity (work, sports);
• being in critical temperature conditions;
• uncomfortable posture during 50 – 80% of the working time;
• mental overstrain and stress;
• acute inflammation of the joints and internal organs;
• persistent dependence on smoking and alcohol.

Primary diagnosis of pathology:

1. Studying the medical history. Patients often turn to medical centers, already having the results of the studies in their hands.

2. Inspection and questioning. After palpation of the spine, the attending physician asks questions aimed at obtaining information about the patient’s condition at the moment.

In this mode, the patient must be examined by a rheumatologist, vertebrologist and orthopedist.

Diagnostics in the laboratory:

1. X-ray. Radioactive rays will fix changes in the integrity of the lumbar column. With dorsalgia, four sectors of the main support of the skeleton are examined: the neck, chest, lower back and sacrum.

2. EMG. Electromyography is performed using a small discharge to recognize the degree of muscle activity during contractile movements and at rest.

3. Densitometry. Bone density is determined in two ways: using a gel and in water. In the first case, the epicenter of pain localization is treated with a special composition. Do not confuse this method with the classic ultrasound procedure. In the second case, the patient is in distilled water taken into the bath. The alarm will be the results of the study of bone density, which exceed the indicator 2.

4. Osteoscintigraphy. The three-phase procedure – the introduction of a radioactive component, the distribution of the substance through the bloodstream, the acquisition of an image – will allow you to fully study the musculoskeletal system.

5. MRI. This diagnostic method allows, with excellent image quality, to track problems with nerve endings and all vertebrae. The disadvantage of the procedure is its duration, because not all patients are able to stay in one position for 15 minutes or more.

6. CT. The reason for the appointment of the procedure is the need for a detailed scan of the spine. CT examines bone formations clearly if it is possible to diagnose inflammatory processes.

7. Taking a puncture. Cerebrospinal fluid is needed to study the nature of spinal tumors. A puncture is also prescribed if there is a likelihood of hemorrhage in the organ of the central nervous system.

Prevention of dorsalgia:

• keeping the body in a straight position and monitoring the correct posture;
• diagnosis of a potential disease at the first symptoms of its manifestation;
• proper improvement of the workplace and bed without the use of soft mattresses;
• injury prevention by avoiding hazardous activities;
• wearing warm clothes and timely seeking help for hypothermia;
• regular monitoring of the body index, which should not fluctuate significantly.

Folk recipes for illness

To mitigate discomfort, you can use the following folk remedies:

1. Rubbing. With it, the treatment of dorsalgia of the thoracic spine is effective in the absence of heart problems. Horseradish juice in equal proportions with alcohol / vodka is necessary for treating problem areas without affecting the lymph nodes during rubbing.

2. Compress. To prepare it, you need to mix 50 g of finely grated raw potatoes and honey. With the resulting composition, it is necessary to lubricate the painful zones and leave it to soak for an hour.

3. Infusion. Small pine buds, collected before the beginning of May, are cut into rings and sprinkled with sugar. Proportions of the drug: 100 g of kidneys per 200 g of a sweet product. The exposure time of the infusion is two weeks. The resulting juice is taken three times a day for 1 tsp.

4. Water procedures. In the typed bath, add a decoction of horse chestnut. Prepare it from 8 tbsp. l. fodder plant boiled for 15 minutes in 0.5 l of water. The duration of water procedures is 15 – 20 minutes. Relaxation in a healing bath should not last longer than a week.

Lifestyle:

• refusal of hard, harmful and sedentary work;
• 2-5 day bed rest during an attack;
• wearing a bandage as needed;
• rejection of bad habits;
• intake of 2 liters of liquid daily.

Ways to treat?

1. Physiotherapy procedures
2. Physiotherapy
3. Medical treatment
4. Surgery

How to treat?

Physiotherapy procedures

List of possible treatments:

1. Paraffin therapy. Especially this method helps with problems with the cervical spine. The compress is applied for an hour, but one procedure will not be enough to relieve pain. The minimum number of sessions should be 15 visits to the physiotherapy room.

2. Apitherapy. Bee venom is used in the manufacture of warming ointments. Dead insects are the basis for a medicinal tincture, and living ones are a stinging agent during apitherapy.

3. Acupuncture. Acupuncture is performed using thin objects made of various materials. Spasms are blocked with injections with an interval of one day. After treating the problem area with alcohol, the doctor introduces disposable sharp devices at the right points.

4. Mud wrap. In addition to the rejuvenating effect, this procedure helps to relax muscles and reduce back pain. Mud wrap is also necessary to improve the microcirculation of blood flow.

Physiotherapy

Exercise therapy is prescribed to patients on an individual basis, depending on the diagnosis. However, doctors can offer a general complex for strengthening the spine.

The technique of Bubnovsky is interesting in its practicality. A doctor with extensive practice recommends that you initially familiarize yourself with the introductory briefing:

1. Learn to breathe properly while exercising.

2. Do not break the sequence of the proposed complex.

3. Combine exercises with swimming and a massage course.

One of Dr. Bubnovsky’s complexes:

1. Preparatory stage. To warm up, you need to get on all fours, clearly fixing the pose with your palms and knees. Next, in this position, start moving around the perimeter of the room. A prerequisite is the simultaneous movement forward of the right arm / left leg and vice versa.

2. Main stage. Without changing the posture, it is necessary to bend forward when exhaling, and backward when inhaling. As pain occurs, the exercise is performed 15 times with a standard of 20 manipulations. Move the body forward to the maximum without arching the back, remaining on all fours. Inhale – bend the arms at the elbows – exhale – slowly lower the body down – inhale – lift – exhale – straighten the arms – focus on the foot and stretch it. Exercise is performed until a feeling of slight exhaustion.

The final stage. Lie down on the mat and stretch your arms along the body. Take a deep breath and lift your pelvis off the floor while exhaling deeply. This is followed by an attempt to depict a small bridge without the desire to arch to the maximum. As you exhale, lie down on the mat. The number of half-bridges performed is 15 times.

Medical treatment

Drugs that are prescribed for the elimination of back pain:

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs. You can’t do without them if we are talking about pains of strong intensity. On this basis, the method of introducing the drug into the body is chosen. With unbearable pain, injections are prescribed. In the case of pronounced discomfort, therapy is limited to taking pills. An intramuscular injection of Diclofenac is a block protection against infectious agents with a parallel anesthetic effect. Of the tablets, Indomethacin is often prescribed, which has a small number of side effects.

2. Antispasmodics. Muscle relaxants relieve hypertonicity of the back muscles. Compared with anti-inflammatory drugs for pain syndromes, they do not cupuriate in all cases. Mydocalm tablets are often prescribed in the postoperative period. The scheme of its reception is calculated even for 3-month-old children.

3. Chondroprotectors. They are prescribed for damage to cartilage tissues, but one should not expect a quick effect from them. Effective preparations based on chondroitin – Structum, Chondrolon and Mukosat. The doctor may also prescribe medicines from the cartilage extract of animals – Rumalon, Biartrin and Rumalaya.

4. Glucocorticoids. Drugs relieve swelling of soft tissues and relieve pain. They belong to the group of steroid hormones widely used in rheumatology. Therapy according to this scheme implies getting the maximum benefit from the minimum dosage of the drug. Prednisolone (tablets) is a corticosteroid prescribed for Bechterew’s disease. It is this pathology that often provokes the formation of dorsalgia.

5. Angioprotectors. They are usually prescribed for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. With dorsalgia, Askorutin, Troxevasin and Detralex contribute to the patency of blood flow. With prolonged use, they help prevent soft tissue swelling.

6. Bioactive medicines. Stimulants of this pharmacological group are necessary to accelerate the process of tissue regeneration. Fibs is a drug that is injected subcutaneously for a month. A daily serving of 1 ml is enough to treat muscle pain and joint inflammation.

7. Vitamin complex. To keep the body in good shape, doctors recommend Milgamma injections. Injections are prescribed for neurological diseases and radicular syndrome.

Surgery

The need for surgical procedures arises in isolated cases. Vertebroplasty is sometimes performed to strengthen the spinal column. Minimally invasive surgery involves the use of bone cement.

The preparatory stage includes a consultation with a neurologist and a series of examinations. Immediately before vertebroplasty (12 hours before), the patient is prescribed a course of antibiotics – cephalosporins. This precaution is necessary to minimize possible complications after surgery.

The procedure is carried out in stages: finding the damage zone – making a puncture – introducing a fixing mixture – polymerization process – heating bone cement – heat treatment of nerve endings – solidification of the composition – strengthening the damaged vertebra from the inside.

Contraindications to vertebroplasty: chronic osteoporosis, allergy to bone cement components, extensive malignant tumors and the possibility of pain relief with medications.