Back Pain – Types, Causes, Treatment and Prevention (2)

Types of Back Pain

Back pain mostly appears in a specific part of the spine. We therefore differentiate between pain in the neck, chest and lumbar regions. It is caused by weakening of the deep stabilization muscles, where the surface muscles are overburdened. There can then be limits on movement and tingling in the limbs. This is linked to cramp of the back muscles or unpleasant back pain between the shoulder blades. Such complications appear during movement and standing for a long time and frequently lead to movement problems.

Acute Back Pain

Acute back pain is usually concentrated in one place. It arises mostly through the overburdening of muscles or following a hernia (it usually fades after approx. 3 weeks). If your back hurts constantly and intensively, go to see a rehabilitation doctor.

Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain lasts longer, mostly more than six months. It is caused by weakening of the back muscles – this leads to a limitation on movement and tingling in the limbs.

Distinctions are also made between back pain as simple and non-specific pain, neuropathic, back pain caused by injury, or caused by a serious spinal illness – inflammation, infection or a tumour.

Back pain is one of the most widespread civilizational diseases and troubles, in particular, the populations of developed countries. The most frequent causes of back pain include:

• Insufficient physical activity;
• A sedentary method of life;
• Incorrect body posture;
• Chilling of the body;
• Activity that is too strenuous;
• Being overweight and obese;
• Injury;
• Excessive stress;
• Flat feet;
• Other illnesses.

Lower back pain (over the bottom) can relate to muscle cramps or pulled muscles or ligaments. It can be caused, for example, by sharp bending over, lifting and carrying heavy loads or sitting hunched up. On the contrary, pain in the upper part of the back is caused by irritation of weakened muscles, injuries or overburdening during movement. In the case of women during menstruation (in addition to pain in the lower abdomen), pain in the kidney area also occurs.

Back pain is sometimes a signal of other inflammatory illnesses or even tumours. It can also be a symptom of various diseases – osteoarthritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, myocardial infarction, ankylosing spondylitis, a herniated disc, acute blocking of the cervical or lumbar vertebrae, gall bladder or kidney stones, Scheuermann disease and others.There can be many causes of back trouble. It is, however, always important to find and deal with the cause, not only to try to deal with it using back pain drugs that provide temporary relief (analgesics).

“Trigger points, which are painful areas that are harder to the touch, form in muscles . Some muscles can be in greater tension, which then shows itself through pain. If, at this stage, you do not pay attention to the cause of the problem and only use analgesics, there are often irreversible changes to the skeleton,” explains Mgr. Petra Placatková, chief physiotherapist at the EUC Clinic in České Budějovice.

Sudden Back Pain and Other Symptoms

A painful back is linked to a whole number of other symptoms. What is typical is muscle pain, muscle tension, stiffness, joint pain, headaches, feelings of tingling and pins and needles in the limbs. In the event of a feeling of pins and needles, we recommend rapidly seeking out a doctor. This is because you could be experiencing irritation of a nerve root. If you suddenly cannot make a movement or you cannot feel your limbs, seek out medical assistance immediately. In such case there could be pressure on the nerve root.

The extent of symptoms of a painful back range from dull to sharp stabbing pain that often makes movement impossible. Pain is either localized or spreads to the surrounding area – such as back pain shooting into the legs.

Back Pain in Pregnancy

Pregnant women often suffer from back pain, in this condition it is a quite ordinary problem. Special pregnancy exercises under expert guidance are a good idea, if your gynecologist approves of them. The increasing number of at-risk pregnant women is leading to fears about whether procedures that used to be applied to pregnant women are still suitable for them.

TIP: “In the case of pain in the lumbar spine, pregnant women like, in particular, kinesio-taping,” recommends Mgr. Petra Placatková.

What Helps with Back Pain

Exercises for Painful Backs

In the majority of cases it is possible to prevent back pain or stop it returning by correctly exercising – a physiotherapist will help you with this. He can also instruct you how to correctly lift weights, sit or how to improve your gait. Even ordinary activities can be done in a way so that a person, when his muscles are correctly set, does not strain himself so much and also does not damage his spine and joints.

We therefore always recommend getting advice about the correct performance of exercises and the types of exercises from an expert. This is because you can damage your spine with inappropriate exercises. Movement is not recommended in the case of acute back pain.

TIP: In the case of acute back pain, try adopting a relief position (the position in which you feel the least pain). One person might curl up into a ball, one person might lie on their stomach.

A physiotherapist can recommend correct exercises to fight back pain. Photo: Annie Spratt, Unsplash

Sport against Back Pain

If you suffer from back pain, avoid sports linked to jumping (volleyball and aerobics). On the contrary, swimming is recommended – except incorrectly executed breast stroke, which places marked stress on the neck vertebrae. 

Walking the Right Way to Treat Back Pain

Walking the right way, when the whole body functions in the optimum way, is also a beneficial activity. Primarily because of sedentary jobs, however, lots of people have a poor way of walking and flat feet. Footwear itself influences the way a person walks and therefore back pain. Selecting the correct footwear, however, certainly is not simple.

 “The sole of the shoe should not be too hard, so that the sole of the foot can work naturally. Barefoot shoes, for example, are popular, but they are more appropriate for walking in the countryside. What is ideal for ordinary walking on a flat, hard surface are shoes with Formthotic insoles,” says Mgr. Petra Placatková, head physiotherapist at the EUC Clinic in České Budějovice.

Early visit to the doctor = the foundation of successful treatment

Not only physical causes contribute to the onset of back pain, stress also plays a role. In addition to regular movement and correct exercise, a good prevention method is the elimination of unfavourable influences – inappropriate body weight, poor eating habits, incorrect body posture, an unsuitable mattress or footwear limiting natural movement.

If you spend hours in front of the computer, check that your monitor is at the correct height and buy a good chair. Sufficient hydration has an effect on the muscles, but the other extreme should also not be allowed. In such case minerals are washed out of the body. Carbonated drinks and alcohol do not help the skeletal system and drain it of water. Smokers suffer from narrowed blood vessels and the muscles are then poorly nourished.

Back pain should not be underestimated, it can significantly influence the quality of life and also be a symptom of a more serious disease. It therefore always pays off to visit an expert. At the end of the day, if a doctor does not reveal any more serious cause, at least he will recommend a treatment method for you.

TIP: Do you not know any expert on physiotherapy and rehabilitation? Choose one from EUC. We are the largest provider of outpatient healthcare in the Czech Republic; put yourself in good hands.