How to deal with back pain

Back pain, or dorsalgia, as doctors call it, is familiar to almost every person. There are many reasons why back pain can occur, but the most common of them, according to experts, is degenerative spinal lesions, that is, the condition commonly called osteochondrosis.

Unwavering statistics from the World Health Organization show that about 801% of working-age people, from 30 to 50 years old, suffer from osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis is a group of chronic diseases that damage the intervertebral discs and the adjacent bone structures of the spine. Normally, the vertebral disc or intervertebral cartilage serves as a kind of gasket between the vertebrae. Performing the same role as shock absorbers in a car, they soften shocks during walking, running and jumping, and also provide mobility and flexibility of the spine.

The main reasons why cartilage tissue is destroyed include:

• Excess weight
• Injuries and birth defects
• Excessive physical exertion
• Lack of physical activity – hypodynamia
• Posture disorders and much more

In the early stages of the disease, osteochondrosis may not cause discomfort, but later, as the disease progresses, its clinical manifestations depend on the severity and type of changes that have occurred in the spinal column. Nerve compression, herniated intervertebral disc, spasm of the muscles surrounding the spine - all this is manifested by various, often extremely painful, symptoms, including a constant headache in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

What to do if you are suffering from back pain?

Obviously, if the pain has occurred for the first time in life, it is necessary to establish its cause. Modern diagnostics, as a rule, include a medical examination and, if indicated, an MRI of the spine.

In the future, when the “diagnosis of osteochondrosis” of the spine is documented, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of a neurologist and a few simple rules.

Eat right
Very often, osteochondrosis bothers people who are overweight, because in such conditions the load on the spine increases tenfold, and therefore the intervertebral cartilage wears out faster. In the case of osteochondrosis against the background of excess body weight, the primary task is to reduce weight. In addition:
Avoid saturated and trans fats in favor of unsaturated fats. In other words, replace sausage and fast food with fatty fish: mackerel, salmon, halibut, sardines. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are rich in fish, have a positive effect on blood vessels and the body as a whole.

Drink enough fluids.
It is not necessary to follow the controversial "8-glass rule", but it is really important to drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day. One of the primary mechanisms of the development of osteochondrosis is "dehydration" of cartilage, so a sufficient amount of water can have a healing effect.

Don't forget about calcium
To strengthen the bone tissue of the spinal column, it is important to maintain the necessary amount of minerals in the diet, primarily calcium. A large amount of it is contained in hard types of cheese, dairy products, cottage cheese, as well as legumes and green salad leaves.

Natural chondroprotectors
The destruction of cartilage tissue that occurs in osteochondrosis can be slowed down by eating special substances that “protect” cartilage – mucopolysaccharides. They are found in such products as jellied meat, jelly, fish in jelly, and fruit jelly.

It hurts to walk – swim!

A dosed load on the spine without excessive strength exercises strengthens its muscular corset. The ideal type of physical activity for osteochondrosis of the spine is considered to be regular swimming in the pool. Due to the lightening of a person's weight in the water, the spine is relieved of excess load, and spinal column deformations are straightened. In addition, trained back muscles also "straighten" the spine over time.

Use NSAIDs only on prescription
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) really do relieve pain, which is why they are often prescribed for spinal osteochondrosis, which manifests as back pain. However, taking them is not safe, because Drugs in this group raise blood pressure, increase the risk of developing vascular accidents - stroke and myocardial infarction, as well as the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, stomach ulcers, liver damage and hematopoietic system damage.

Consider cartilage repair
The creation of safe and highly effective chondroprotectors, drugs that restore damaged cartilage tissue, has become a real breakthrough in the treatment of osteochondrosis. These drugs increase cartilage hydration, thus acting on the main link in the development of the disease. Modern standards of complex therapy for osteochondrosis provide for the mandatory prescription of drugs - injectable chondroprotectorsAt the same time, injections of chondroprotective drugs not only restore damaged cartilage, but also effectively eliminate pain, that is, they can be used even in the acute stage of the disease.