What to do when nothing helps with back pain? Answered by a sports medicine doctor

Candidate of Medical Sciences, expert of the Medical Faculty of Synergy University

“According to the World Health Organization, more than 620 million people suffer from back pain and problems every year.”

Causes of back pain

Muscle tension is often caused by hard physical work, lifting objects improperly, or sudden movements. It is usually felt as a sharp or pulling pain that increases with movement.

The second common problem is improper posture. Due to uneven distribution of loads, some parts of the back get tired faster, and, for example, office work or a long car ride can lead to chronic back pain.

In some people, due to chronic back strain and weakness of the ligamentous apparatus, problems with the intervertebral discs, such as bulging (protrusion) or herniated discs, begin to occur. In this case, the intervertebral discs press on the nerves, causing pain that spreads to the legs or arms.

A dangerous symptom of this condition is that the pain does not depend on the load and duration of stay in a certain position, and can bother a person constantly. Also, many people, especially after the age of 40, develop diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis. The build-up of pain in this case is gradual. Often in the initial stages, many people do not pay attention to them at all and delay going to the doctor.

What to do if my back hurts?

If the pain in the back bothers periodically, then most often a person says to himself: lie down, go to massage, do exercises or steam in the bath – and everything will pass. But this is not always the case. All these measures and methods should be considered first of all as prevention, not as treatment.

If you notice that the pain bothers you regularly and causes significant limitations in life or work, you should definitely see a doctor and do a CT or MRI scan. Depending on the diagnosis and the cause of the pain, the doctor will draw up a treatment and rehabilitation program.

CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are different medical imaging techniques. CT uses X-rays to create detailed images of internal structures, while MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, and intervertebral discs.

Here are some universal tips that are included in all programs, according to international standards:

• Strengthen your muscular frame. Regular exercise, especially swimming and Pilates, strengthens your back and abdominal muscles, providing better support for your spine;
• maintain proper posture. Watch your body position when sitting, standing or lying down. Use special orthopedic pads, insoles and pillows. This helps avoid putting extra strain on your back;
• take breaks from sitting. If you sit a lot at work, try to take frequent short breaks during the workday. These help to activate and relax your muscles and prevent spasms. You can also organize yourself a standing place to work: many furniture manufacturers offer special tables and stands for this;

• Learn the technique of lifting weights. Use your legs, keep the load close to your body, avoid rotating your torso. Try not to lift things that are too heavy on your own. Sometimes one wrong move can put you out of commission for weeks;
• stick to your diet and maintain a healthy body. Every extra pound increases the strain on your back proportionally and can cause more pain. Reducing excess weight not only relieves pressure on your back, but also benefits all other body systems.

Why back pain does not go away?

The effect of any conservative treatment methods comes after a certain time. If a person, for example, performs exercises as prescribed by the doctor, and the back continues to hurt, then, most likely, he performs an insufficient number of exercises, or does it incorrectly or irregularly. Therefore, they have no meaningful effect on improving his condition.

With the right amount, regularity and proper technique, these treatment methods (physical therapy, recreational gymnastics, massage, etc.) are often effective. Their ineffectiveness is most often associated not with the incorrectness of the methodology itself, but with the fact that it is the mode of application that is violated.

However, there may be exceptions. These techniques may be useless in some types of pathology – for example, when there are pronounced changes in the cartilage, that is, a hernia, which can no longer be stabilized with conservative methods. In such cases, surgical treatment is indicated, which is performed by neurosurgeons.