Back pain
Back pain is painful or painful sensations in the scapular and interscapular areas, vertebral column, coccyx, sacrum, buttocks and anus, indicating the presence of medical problems in a particular area. They can be strong or insignificant, local, widespread or irradiating, prolonged or short-term, increasing, weakening or undulating, permanent or paroxysmal. Occur under certain conditions (prolonged stay in one position, excessive load) or without connection with external events.
Back pain
To clarify the etiology of pain, data from a conversation with a patient, the results of a physical examination, instrumental and laboratory studies are used. At the initial stage of diagnosis, radiography is usually performed. In the future, it is possible to prescribe sonography, magnetic resonance or computed tomography and other techniques. Since back pain is sometimes caused by the irradiation of pain impulses when internal organs are affected, some patients require a clinical and laboratory examination to exclude the corresponding somatic pathologies.
According to the duration, pain in the back area can be acute or dull, according to the pathophysiological mechanism – nociceptive (arising from irritation of nerve receptors) and neuropathic (developing with damage to nerve fibers). The first type of pain includes pain with myalgia and damage to the joints of the spine, the second – pain syndrome with injuries and compression of nerve roots. According to the etiological factor , the following types of back pain can be distinguished:
Myofascial pains. They can be acute, provoked by overload, or chronic, observed within the framework of myofascial syndrome with the formation of painful foci of compaction (trigger points).
Radicular syndrome. It is associated with compression of nerve roots in degenerative diseases of the spine.
Traumatic pain. Caused by open or closed trauma of bone structures and soft tissues of the back.
Reflected pains. They can be observed in some acute and chronic diseases of internal organs (for example, with coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction).
Inflammatory pains. Caused by inflammatory changes and swelling of tissues. They can be detected in general acute infections, local inflammatory and infectious processes, autoimmune pathologies, tumors.
The list of diseases that can cause back pain is very wide. Traumatologists-orthopedists and neurologists are usually engaged in clarifying the cause of the pain syndrome of this localization, and proctologists are involved in the defeat of the anus area. According to the indications, the listed doctors can refer the patient to other specialists for consultation or treatment.
