Back pain - VnExpress Health

Low back pain, pain in the area from the lower ribs to the buttocks, is a common condition and one of the leading causes of disability in adults.

This article was professionally consulted by Dr. Nguyen Phoi Hien, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Campus 3.

Reason

Low back pain is often caused by diseases of the spine or muscles and ligaments next to the spine. In most cases, back pain has a mechanical cause, the most common of which is lumbar spine degeneration.

- Non-specific back pain (muscle strain, lumbar sprain): Usually starts after trauma such as lifting heavy objects or twisting movements.

- Spinal degeneration.

- Herniated disc.

- Spondylolisthesis.

- Spinal stenosis.

- Diffuse idiopathic osteogenesis: Characterized by calcification and ossification of ligaments and tendon attachments near the spine.

- Neoplasm: In some patients, the tumor can compress and cause lumbar radiculopathy or cauda equina syndrome.

- Infection: Infectious discitis and epidural abscess can also cause radiculopathy or cauda equina syndrome.

- Inflammation: A group of diseases that cause back pain.

- Osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

- Referred pain: Some vascular, digestive, genitourinary, and retroperitoneal diseases sometimes also cause back pain.

Clinical manifestations

- Back-ache:

* Mechanical back pain: Due to anatomical or functional abnormalities of the spine, not due to inflammatory or malignant diseases. The pain is often worse when moving and standing or sitting, and is reduced when resting and lying down (95%).

* Inflammatory back pain: Common in spinal inflammation, men under 40 years old. Pain accompanied by stiffness of the spine when waking up, lasting more than 30 minutes, worse at midnight to early morning. This condition improves with movement but does not decrease with rest.

- Sciatica: Is a syndrome characterized by pain along the sciatic nerve. The pain in the lumbar spine radiates to the outer or back of the thigh, the outer or back of the calf, the outer ankle, the heel and all the way to the toes.

Consequence

Depending on the cause, there can be different consequences:

- Limited spinal mobility.

- Loss or reduction in ability to work.

- Prolonged pain.

- Cauda equina syndrome.

- Progressive leg weakness.

- Muscle atrophy.

Characteristic

- Low back pain may or may not be accompanied by sciatica.

- Depending on the cause, treatment can cure completely or not.

* Acute back pain: Prognosis is usually very good, more than 90% will recover within 8 weeks of treatment.

* Chronic back pain: Many patients with chronic back pain maintain motor function and can work normally, but the pain is often not completely gone.

Treatment

- Modern medicine: Symptomatic treatment using anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers, muscle relaxants, surgery in cases of cauda equina syndrome, progressive leg weakness, muscle atrophy, not responding to medical treatment after 6-8 weeks.

- Traditional medicine: Depending on the cause of the disease and clinical manifestations, depending on each disease syndrome on each specific individual, there will be appropriate treatment methods.

* Medication: Oriental medicine uses herbs to dispel wind, disperse cold, remove dampness, promote blood circulation, and nourish the liver and kidneys, such as Duhuo Tangji Sheng Tang, Shen Thong Truc U Tang, and Yi Yi Ren Tang combined with Nhi Dieu Tan...

* No medication: Acupuncture (acupuncture, electroacupuncture, auricular acupuncture, thread implantation, laser acupuncture, hydroacupuncture), massage...

Preventive

- Keep your spine upright when sitting or standing for long periods of time. You can wear a back support belt.

- Avoid cold and prolonged humidity.

- Avoid sudden movements, incorrect posture, and heavy lifting.

- Practice swimming or yoga to increase the endurance of back muscles.

- Timely treatment of degenerative spinal diseases to prevent sciatica.

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