Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical help. Sometimes it becomes difficult to work due to sever Back pain. It is a leading cause of disability worldwide.

Causes of Back Pain:

Causes commonly linked to back pain include:

• Muscle or ligament strain. Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments. For people in poor physical condition, constant strain on the back can cause painful muscle spasms.
• Bulging or ruptured disks. Disks act as cushions between the bones in the spine. The soft material inside a disk can bulge or rupture and press on a nerve. However, a bulging or ruptured disk might not cause back pain. Disk disease is often found on spine X-rays, CT scans or MRIs done for another reason.
• Arthritis. Osteoarthritis can affect the lower back. In some cases, arthritis in the spine can lead to a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord, a condition called spinal stenosis.
• Osteoporosis. The spine’s vertebrae can develop painful breaks if the bones become porous and brittle.
• Ankylosing spondylitis, also called axial spondyloarthritis. This inflammatory disease can cause some of the bones in the spine to fuse. This makes the spine less flexible.

Back Pain is common among all age groups, even children.

These factors can increase the risk of developing back pain:

• Age. It is more common with age, starting around age 30 or 40.
• Lack of exercise. Weak, unused muscles in the back and abdomen might lead to pain.
• Excess weight. Excess body weight puts extra stress on the back.
• Diseases. Some types of arthritis and cancer can contribute to back pain.
• Improper lifting. Using the back instead of the legs can lead to back pain.
• Psychological conditions. People prone to depression and anxiety appear to have a greater risk of back pain. Stress can cause muscle tension, which can contribute to back pain.
• Smoking. Smokers have increased rates of back pain. This may occur because smoking causes coughing, which can lead to herniated disks. Smoking also can decrease blood flow to the spine and increase the risk of osteoporosis.

Orthopedic Specialist at Shreya Hospital, Ghaziabadwill examine your back and assess your ability to sit, stand, walk and lift your legs. Doctor might ask you about how your pain affects your daily activities. It helps in the diagnosis of Back Pain. You might be asked to follow some tests like:

• X-ray. These images show arthritis or broken bones. These images alone won’t show problems with the spinal cord, muscles, nerves or disks.
• MRI or CT scans. These scans generate images that can reveal herniated disks or problems with bones, muscles, tissue, tendons, nerves, ligaments and blood vessels.
• Blood tests. These can help determine whether an infection or other condition might be causing pain.
• Nerve studies. Electromyography (EMG) measures the electrical impulses produced by the nerves and how the muscles respond to them. This test can confirm pressure on the nerves caused by herniated disks or narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis).

Treatment

Most back pain gets better within a month of home treatment, especially for people younger than age 60. However, for many, the pain lasts long. Pain relievers and the use of heat might be all that’s needed.

Continue your activities as much as you can with pain. Try light activity, such as walking. Stop activity that increases pain, but don’t avoid activity out of fear of pain. If home treatments aren’t working after several weeks, your doctor might recommend medications or other therapies.

Medications

Medications depend on the type of back pain. They might include:

• Pain relievers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), might help. Take these medications only as directed. Overuse can cause serious side effects. If pain relievers you can buy without a prescription don’t help, your health care provider might suggest prescription NSAIDs.
• Muscle relaxants. If mild to moderate back pain doesn’t improve with pain relievers, a muscle relaxant might help. Muscle relaxants can cause dizziness and sleepiness.
• Topical pain relievers. These products, including creams, salves, ointments and patches, deliver pain-relieving substances through the skin.
• Narcotics. Drugs containing opioids, such as oxycodone or hydrocodone, may be used for a short time with close medical supervision.
• Antidepressants. Some types of antidepressants — particularly duloxetine (Cymbalta) and tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline — have been shown to relieve chronic back pain.

Physical therapy

A physical therapist can teach exercises to increase flexibility, strengthen back and abdominal muscles, and improve posture. Regular use of these techniques can stop recurring of Back Pain.

Surgical and other procedures

Procedures used to treat back pain may include:

• Cortisone injections. If other measures don’t relieve pain that radiates down the leg, an injection of cortisone plus a numbing medication into the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots might help. A cortisone injection helps decrease inflammation around the nerve roots, but the pain relief usually lasts only a month or two.
• Radiofrequency ablation. In this procedure, a fine needle is inserted through skin near the area causing the pain. Radio waves are passed through the needle to damage the nearby nerves. Damaging the nerves interferes with pain signals to the brain.
• Implanted nerve stimulators. Devices implanted under the skin can deliver electrical impulses to certain nerves to block pain signals.
• Surgery. Surgery to create more space within the spine is sometimes helpful for people who have increasing muscle weakness or back pain that goes down a leg. These problems can be related to herniated disks or other conditions that narrow the openings within the spine.