Everything you should know about Back Pain

30 Nov -0001

Normal Spine Anatomy

The spine is among the most crucial parts of the body and provides our body with various functions. The anatomy is defined through four prime sections. These sections are divided by each number of vertebrae.

1. Cervical spine: Cervical spine is present in the neck. It consists of seven cervical vertebrae, starting from C1 and ending with C7 at the foundation of the cervical part of the spine. Neck issues can be the source of the pain that scatters down the arms to the hands and fingers.
2. Thoracic spine: Thoracic spine is present in the upper back and consists of twelve thoracic vertebrae that are joined to the ribs bones and breast bone. This part of the spine is pretty stable and rarely has an issue with motion.
3. Lumbar spine: The lumbar spine is present in the lower back and generally consists of five vertebrae that have an appreciable deal of flexibility and motion. This part of the spine allows maximum motion and carries most of the body’s weight. But this is also the part which to most back issues. 
4. Sacral region: Sacral region is present at the bottom of the spine. This consists of five bony sections merged together that generate a triangular-shaped bone that gives out as the bottom of the spine and constructs part of the pelvis. The part where the lumbar spine connects to the sacral region is a section that is sensitive to forming and degenerate back issues.

What is Back Pain?

In India, back pain is a very common issue that every third person is facing nowadays. This pain can happen as the person ages, their spine can have some degenerative changes, can appear due to an accident, or can be experienced due to some medical conditions.

But the good thing is that there are measures that can help to save people from this pain. Problems related to back pain are usually resolved through proper body mechanics and home remedies. In back pain, the doctor rarely goes for a surgical procedure.

Why does it happen?

Back pain can happen without any specific reason. If a person who suffers from back pain visits a doctor, they will easily recognize the issue with some tests. Generally, there are some reasons due to which can create back pain:-

• Arthritis: This occurs in the lower back area and can result in shrinking the space all over the spinal cord, aka spinal stenosis.
• Osteoporosis: In this, the bones become fragile, due to which the spine vertebrae begin to create soring fractures.
• Bulging disk: Disk disease normally gets identified when the patient takes spine X-rays for other reasons. In the spine, the disk works as a cushion between the bones. Sometimes, the nerve can get bulged and pressed due to the soft material in the disk. 
• Muscle strain: When a person has unexpected movement or when he/she continuously doing the heavy lifting, it then can pressure back the spinal ligaments or the muscles.

Back Pain Symptoms

The symptoms of back pain can appear suddenly. There are times when the pain happens after a particular event. And sometimes the person doesn’t even aware of the reason for the pain. Except for pain, there are other symptoms:-

• Muscle Spasms: Muscle spasms can result in serious discomfort and in this situation it is really difficult to walk, move or stand. 
• Posture Problems: Due to back pain, many people face difficulty in standing straight. They bent with their torso off to the side rather than ranging with their spine. These people can notice that their lower back is flat rather than curved.
• Stiffness: The person can detect that it's hard for them to straighten their back. If they are seated, they will take time is getting up. The range of motion gets decreases. 

Types of Back pain 

There are three types of Back pain:- 

• Acute back pain: This pain can only stay for one day to four weeks and consider to be short-term pain. Usually, acute back pain happens when someone bends the wrong way, falls down, or picks up a weighty object. This pain generally settles by itself when the swelling goes down or the muscle gets healed. In spite of that, one should stop by an orthopedic doctor if they think that the pain is serious.
• Subacute back pain: This pain stays from four to twelve weeks and it is advisable that the person should go see an orthopedic doctor.
• Chronic back pain: This pain stays for more than twelve weeks. Usually, chronic back pain gives dull pain and is in a constant mode but sometimes it can appear serious and intense. It really crucial that the person who is suffering from this pain should check with the doctor and follow their guidelines.

Orthopedic Treatment For Back Pain

Orthopedic treatments can be divided into two types:- Non-surgical treatments & Surgical treatments.

• Non-surgical Treatments: Before going for surgical treatments, doctors prefer to try non-surgical treatments to ease the discomfort:

1. Nerve Block Therapies

In this, the local anesthetic or steroids are used to prevent nerve pain.

2. Epidural Steroid Injections

This treatment is used to comfort the low back pain. 

3. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is also known as TENS. In this treatment, the battery-powered electrodes produce compulsions that prevent pain and peripheral nerve pain.

• Surgical Treatments: After not getting the expected results from the non-surgical treatments, the doctor then moves forward with the surgical treatments. 

1. Artificial Disc Replacement

Artificial disc replacement is the surgery that is done for patients who have serious disc injuries. 

2. Spinal Fusion 

In Spinal fusion, the surgeon separates the vertebrae to ease the pain that is the result of the degenerative disc disease. 

3. Spinal decompression

A spinal decompression procedure is done by the surgeon to cure spinal stenosis.

3. Nucleoplasty

In order to treat the herniated discs, the surgeons opt for nucleoplasty where they use radiofrequency.

4. Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty are a minimally invasive procedure that is done when the surgeon wants to treat compression fractures that are the result of osteoporosis.

Why Dr. Darsh Goyal is the best choice for your Back pain treatment in Delhi?

Dr. Darsh Goyal is a renowned Orthopaedic Surgeon and among the best Back pain treatment doctor in Delhi. He has experience of nearly two decades in knee and shoulder surgery. He has worked in some of the finest hospitals across the globe. He has successfully treated more than nine thousand patients. Dr. Darsh has received training from some of the most respected institutes worldwide - NHS England, Hss New York, USA, and Munich, Germany. He has written many books and international papers. Dr. Goyal’s Bones & Joint Centre is among the best centers for advanced Arthroscopy/Laser Surgery for knee and shoulder and Fast track Total knee Replacement.

FAQs

Q1) How do I know if my back pain is serious?

High fever, serious stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, loss of bladder function, and back pain caused due to an accident.

Q2) What is the most common cause of back pain?

There are some most common causes that can lead to back pain:-

• Lifting heavy objects
• Sleeping in the wrong posture
• Arthritis
• Extra stress on your spine

Q3) Is it normal to have back pain every day?

If you are in your twenties or thirties it is normal for you to have standard back pain. It can happen due to your daily activities- sitting too long or over exhaust yourself while exercising. 

If you are in your forties or above then arthritis and work injuries become common. 

Q4) Is walking good for lower back pain?

Yes, walking is good in recovering from lower back pain. Lying down lower than a day can actually be harmful to your body. So, make sure you do take time for your walking session but do not exhaust yourself.