Back pain, particularly in the low back and also in the neck, is one of the most common causes of pain. In fact, it is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Some 92% of people suffer from it at some time in their lives. And 10% acknowledge that low back pain is the most common.
The spine plays a fundamental role in almost all daily movements and is essential for standing upright. When you suffer from back pain you understand this perfectly.
It is always essential to investigate the cause of the pain, so the role of your doctor in the diagnosis and treatment is fundamental, since it cannot always be treated with over-the-counter medication and it is very easy for it to become chronic. This can also lead to drug abuse from which it is sometimes difficult to escape without expert help.
Can it be classified into types?
It can be acute or chronic. Acute pain is pain that lasts less than three months and is cured within a reasonable period of time. On the contrary, chronic pain is continuous or recurrent and lasts three months or more, extending beyond the reasonable healing period. It is also usually classified according to the area affected.
Its causes range from malformations, injuries and wear and tear of the structures of the spinal column, such as bones, discs or joints, to malfunctioning of the back muscles, or other rarer causes today, such as infections, kidney or digestive diseases, rheumatic disease, or dysfunctions or alterations of the nervous system (what we know as neuropathic pain) and, exceptionally, tumors. Depending on its cause, it is classified as mechanical back pain, inflammatory back pain or neuropathic back pain.
What are the initial symptoms of back pain?
When your back hurts you may experience a tingling or burning sensation, accompanied by a dull or sharp pain. Back problems may also be reflected as pain or weakness in other parts of the body, including the legs, hips or soles of the feet and, more rarely but should alert us, problems with urination or constipation. Compression in cases of nerve compression or tumors we may encounter more general symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss or depression.
Is there any way to prevent it?
Some simple lifestyle changes and exercise can prevent and alleviate it and is the first step. Weight loss is essential if we are overweight and, of course, it is essential to avoid prolonged inactivity and maintain a minimum level of exercise.
How is back pain treated?
It is advisable to consult a physician when the patient has the following symptoms:
- Numbness or tingling in the back or extremities.
- Severe pain that is not relieved by rest
- Pain resulting from a fall or injury
- Pain at night and with rest
- Pain accompanied by one of the following problems: difficulty urinating, weakness, fever, weight loss without dieting
Treatment for back pain will depend on the type of pain you have.
How can a pain specialist help me?
A Pain Unit, and the specialists who run them, are units specialized in the management and treatment of all types of complex pain conditions, especially those that are resistant to conventional treatment, or in cases of special patients who do not tolerate these treatments or require special drugs or treatment techniques.
Many times local infiltrations can relieve pain and avoid prolonged drug treatments. On other occasions, these infiltrations are test techniques to identify the cause of pain and indicate advanced non-surgical techniques.
In other cases, they can avoid more complex, invasive and painful surgeries by sufficiently improving quality of life.
And finally, when there are no other curative options we can accompany you to minimize discomfort and give you the best quality of life.