Diseases of the back and spine are one of the main problems of representatives of all ages. Probably, there is no person who, at least sometimes, does not have a backache. And in most cases, people either courageously endure pain, or drink an anesthetic. But in fact, one cannot neglect one's health and ignore back diseases. The doctor must definitely examine the patient and find out what is associated with a painful syndrome in the spine. Maybe it’s just caused by fatigue or physical stress. Or maybe this is a sign of one of the serious diseases that require immediate medical attention.
Symptoms and causes of back disease
The modern sedentary lifestyle is the reason that those diseases that have recently been observed only among representatives of the elderly, can now occur in very young people. The causes of back diseases can be very different.
The process of degeneration of the spine begins gradually. At the very beginning, intervertebral discs are exposed to it and a back disease occurs - osteochondrosis. In this case, there are changes in the cartilage, the height of the intervertebral disc becomes much smaller, and this leads to the fact that the nerve endings are compressed. At this stage, a person practically does not feel pain, there is only a slight discomfort at the end of the day, as well as severe fatigue even with a slight load.
After this, pathological processes such as spondylosis and spondylarthrosis begin to develop. The essence of these processes is that osteophytes at the ends of adjacent vertebrae of the disk that is damaged begin to grow. Along with this, the process covers the joints of neighboring vertebrae. And this gives the patient even more discomfort and pain. Diagnosis of this disease occurs precisely at this stage, because, suffering from pain, a person finally turns to the doctor.
In the event that the patient continues to ignore the symptoms of back disease and does not seek medical help, the onset of protrusion between the vertebrae and then the hernia begins. Vertebrae begin to squeeze out a portion of the disc altered by pathology, a protrusion of the hernia occurs. In this case, serious complications such as pressure on the nerve endings of the hernia or compression of the spinal cord can occur. These complications may well cause disability.
Absolutely all parts of the spine can be affected by such pathological processes. In most cases, the lumbar and cervical regions undergo changes.
Spinal deformity and impaired posture
The position that a person usually occupies in his daily activities is his posture. At the time when spinal growth occurs, the process of posture formation is in progress. If a person leads an incorrect, sedentary lifestyle, does not monitor his position during work, then his posture can simply be catastrophically spoiled.
As a result of the incorrect position of the spine, the back muscles become very tense, and this leads to the pathologies already mentioned. Therefore, parents should pay close attention to the child’s posture from childhood. This will help to avoid serious back problems in the future.
Spinal changes can be acquired. If the pathology in the child was detected in early childhood, then, of course, it was eliminated with the help of surgical intervention in that period.
Types of acquired curvature of the spine
Most often, these pathologies include:
- scoliosis;
- pathological kyphosis;
- pathological lordosis.
With scoliosis, the spine is bent to the side, with pathological kyphosis, it deviates backward, and with pathological kyphosis - forward.
As a result of these processes, the back muscles are constantly in tension and this leads to severe pain that is permanent. At the same time, the joints wear out prematurely due to improper gait and excessive load on them. Human internal organs can also be negatively affected by this pathology, which leads to the emergence of various diseases.
The development and symptoms of radiculitis
Radiculitis, or radiculopathy, is the result of the inflammatory process of the roots of the spinal cord emerging from the spine. Nerve tissues, due to the constant pressure that they experience from the hernia, or spasmodic muscles, lead to the development of radiculitis.
Symptoms of the disease can be very different. They directly depend on where the inflamed nerve endings are located. In this case, painful sensations develop in the area where the nerve leaves the spinal canal, and then they spread to neighboring areas. There are also problems with tactility and muscle weakness in the inflamed areas. In no case should you ignore this back disease. Treatment should be prescribed immediately.
Rheumatological diseases
In the spine there are a large number of ligaments and joints. Therefore, back diseases are also rheumatological disorders.
One of these pathologies is ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis). Representatives of the male at a relatively young age suffer from such an ailment. This disease negatively affects the joints of the spine, which causes subsequent damage to the internal organs of the person and joints.
At the beginning of the disease, a person feels severe discomfort in the lumbar region and a partial inability to perform the usual actions. If the patient ignores these symptoms and is in no hurry to seek medical help, they continue to develop. The result is constant pain and a complete loss of performance.
Osteoporosis: Symptoms and Development
In most cases, older women are affected by this type of disease. Osteoporosis can also be a symptom of a disease such as hyperparathyroidism. In this disease, the parathyroid glands have an increase in hormone secretion. Osteoporosis leads to the loss of minerals in bone tissue, so a woman can often suffer from bone fractures.
It often happens that a lady does not even realize that in her bones the process of demineralization has begun, since there are no pronounced symptoms. Only with ease undergoing fractures, even with minor loads on the bones, the patient can guess that she develops osteoporosis. In most cases, women of advanced age suffer from hip fractures, as well as compression fractures of the spine.
Upon reaching 50 years, it is advisable for any lady to be examined by a doctor in order to determine and control the content of necessary trace elements in the blood. Only in this way can she protect herself from such pathologies and bone fractures.
Treatment involves the intake of vitamins and micronutrients, and the course of therapy can last several years.
Myositis
Myositis is an infectious or aseptic inflammation of the back muscles. This disease can be acute and chronic.
In acute myositis, pain in the inflamed area increases very quickly. Sometimes the skin at the site of localization of pain can acquire a red tint and swelling. These symptoms are joined by:
- chills;
- weakness;
- loss of appetite.
With this disease, painful nodules appear in the depths of the muscles. The main signs of the disease are absent.
The chronic process usually affects the broadest spinal muscle, muscle fibers of the neck and shoulders. Myositis can occur as a result of a trauma. Also, viruses can be the cause of its occurrence.
Tumor diseases
Cancer can also cause severe back pain. In most cases, it can be diseases such as:
- lymphoma
- myeloma;
- lymphogranulomatosis.
The primary tumor causes rapid growth of metastases, which lead to damage to the vertebrae. A variety of malignant neoplasms can affect the spine with metastases. Chemotherapy is used for treatment, but in the presence of metastasis, the chances of a cure are extremely small.
Many other spinal cancers can also develop, which can only be diagnosed by a doctor based on tests.
With a sharp occurrence of severe back pain for no clear reason, you should immediately contact a medical institution to determine the etiology of these pains.
Spinal injury
Spinal injuries are divided into uncomplicated, in which the spinal cord is not affected, and complicated, in which the spinal cord is damaged.
Fracture of the spine refers to severe injuries and requires treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery. There are a large number of fractures:
- regional;
- compression;
- comminuted and many others. other
The development of symptoms directly depends on the site in which the fracture occurred and on the presence of a spinal cord injury. So, a neck injury with a violation of the function of the spinal cord can lead to instant death or complete paralysis of the injured.
Back Disease Prevention and Treatment
Everyone knows that diseases of the back and spine directly affect the health of all internal organs of a person, on the quality of his life. Therefore, from an early age, it is necessary to pay close attention to it. You need to monitor the correct posture, exercise and observe proper, healthy nutrition. The slightest signs of back disease cannot be ignored.
If you have problems with the spine, you need to contact a doctor to find out the causes and prescribe adequate treatment. With various diseases of the back, physiotherapy exercises, as well as various massages, are of great benefit. In some cases, a course of manual therapy or other procedures is indicated.
Do not forget about such an effective measure for the prevention of back diseases, like swimming. It helps strengthen the spine and all muscles, forms the correct posture, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the whole organism.
A measure of prevention of any back disease can also be hardening of the body, for example, using a contrast shower. It is necessary to ensure that the spine is not exposed to excessive physical exertion, and also try to avoid stressful situations and hypothermia.
Total
There are a huge number of back diseases that pose a potential threat to human life. Therefore, even the most minor discomfort in this area should not be ignored, since only an early definition of the disease will help to get complete healing from this ailment.