Back Pain
Are you one of those people who complain about back pain when they wake up early in the morning? Or sitting for a long time makes it harder for you to walk and stand straight?
Back pain is a result of any problem in the vertebrae, discs, spinal cord, abdominal muscles, pelvic muscles, problems of ligaments, bone problems, and spinal cord nerves. However, this list is not exhaustive. It can also occur due to other reasons.
Any degenerative disease, malignancy, or injury can also be the reason for back pain. Many people complain about it after falling down or after meeting an accident.
Since it is hard to predict the exact reason that is causing you back pain, you must visit an Best Orthopedic Surgeon in Lahore for the detection of the underlying cause and to get the right treatment.
Causes of Back Pain
The reasons that cause back pain are;
- Injury of back
- An accident like falling down or a road accident
- Disc slip
- Muscle strain
- Muscle tear
- Injury to ligament
- Muscle spasm
- Lifting weight in the wrong way
- Lifting too heavyweights
- Making fast and awkward movements
- Jumping
- Osteoporosis
- Bulged disc
- Abnormal curvature of the spine
- Sciatica
- Pregnancy-associated back pain due to pressure on it
- Kidney problems
- Malignancies like multiple myeloma that affect the bones
- Overstretching
- Muscle tension
- Sitting for too long in the same posture
- Sitting or lying in a bad posture
- Constant cough
- Sneezing
- Standing for a long time
- Driving a car for a long time
- Carrying weight on the back
- Carrying a child for a long time
- Urinary tract infections
- Periods in women
When to see a doctor
Under normal conditions, back pain comes and goes on its own. It may get better if you take a painkiller or get a hot massage. But when it does not go away on its own, you must consult with a top Orthopedic Surgeon in Pakistan.
Following is a list of symptoms when you should see a doctor about back pain.
- Pain in the back that causes numbness in the legs
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Pain accompanied by inflammation
- Urinary incontinence
- Pain that starts from the back and radiates forward
- Fecal incontinence
- Leakage of urine
- Numbness around genitals
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding in women
- Difficulty in passing urine
- You have had a back injury
- Back pain along with recurrent fractures
Treatment For Back Pain
Back pain often gets better once you change the posture or after getting a massage done. Other treatment options for it are as follows.
Medicines
Mostly, the healthcare provider will prescribe you a painkiller drug like ibuprofen or naproxen to treat back pain.
Exercise
Regular exercise can help in treating back pain, especially when it occurs due to muscle strain. But, make sure you do that on the advice of a physiotherapist or an orthopedic.
Topical applications
Topical applications also help in getting rid of back pain. Mostly, they contain analgesics like diclofenac or ibuprofen that give some relief. Moreover, topicals containing lidocaine may also help in back pain treatment as it numbs the area.
Muscle relaxants
Muscle relaxants help in treating back pain, especially when it occurs due to muscle strain or muscle tear.
Antidepressants
At times your healthcare provider may prescribe you antidepressants to treat back pain, as an on off-label use. Antidepressant-like amitriptyline may help in getting rid of it.
Conclusion
Back pain can hinder your day to day activities. To prevent it, you must:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Sit in the right posture
- Use back care in your office or car where you sit
- Incorporate exercise in your routine
- Drink one to two glasses of milk a day
- Take calcium and vitamin D supplements
You should visit the healthcare provider soon as the back pain starts. Do not prolong the symptoms as doing that can worsen the condition. If you keep working while you have a muscle strain, your back pain will invariably get worse.
