Staying in a static position for a long time or excessive loads lead to pain in the back muscles. Everyone knows this feeling. The syndrome, which occurs occasionally, is a normal reaction of the body and quickly disappears after a short rest. If it becomes regular and intensifies, pathological changes are evident. Pain in the back muscles is a typical symptom of occupational diseases. It is well known to drivers, office workers, professional athletes and loaders. This phenomenon is called myalgia, and neglect of it can lead to a wheelchair. To avoid this, if you have constant, acute and frequent pain in the back, you must consult a doctor.
Attention! The spine is a very sensitive mechanism, the slightest changes in which often lead to dire consequences, so self-medication and the use of unqualified help in this case are completely excluded!
What are there
Musculofascial pain has its own characteristics and is divided into:
- intensity - represented by acute (strong) and weak (aching).
- duration – divided into one-time, periodic and permanent.
- origin - associated with pathologies of the spine or not related to it.
- localization - depending on the location of the lesion.
These characteristics allow you to make a preliminary diagnosis and indicate in which direction you should look for the cause of the disease. Unlike acute pain, the cause of which is identified in a short period of time, aching pain causes anxiety, since such a manifestation often hides a serious illness.
Benefits of diagnostics
Magnetic resonance imaging has clear advantages over other studies:
- Using MRI, you can obtain images in various projections.
- Possibility of making a diagnosis even at the initial stages of the pathological process.
- If necessary, you can apply contrast, which allows you to increase the information content and clarity of the images.
- The procedure does not involve any intervention in the body.
- There is no pain or discomfort observed during the examination.
- The list of contraindications is small.
- The examination usually takes no more than 40 minutes.
What causes pain
The human back represents a large set of muscles, most of which are in constant activity. Each group of muscles is in one way or another connected not only with the spine, but also with other organs, the condition of which can cause pain. As a result, muscle soreness can be caused by a large number of factors.
In case of overvoltage
Excessive muscle strain is one of the most common causes of pain in the back muscles. Among all cases of myalgia, it accounts for more than 80%. The lumbosacral region is most often affected by pain. The syndrome is caused by long-term stay of the body in one position, manifests itself after sleeping in an uncomfortable position or increased physical activity. Myalgia is caused by lactic acid released during the process. As a rule, proper rest relieves this disease in a few days. If the pain continues to bother you for more than two weeks, you should look for the cause in another area.
Sleeping in an awkward position is fraught with morning discomfort and muscle pain in the back
Back pain on the right or left may indicate overexertion caused by sedentary work and sudden movements.
For pathologies of the spine
In such cases, muscle pain in the back is usually caused by osteochondrosis, arthritis, arthrosis and scoliosis. Due to degenerative changes in the spine, the muscles are overstrained. By reflexively becoming toned, the body tries to compensate for the load on the spine, reduce the impact on the nerve endings and soothe the pain. After some period, the calmed pain in the spine is replaced by pain in the back muscles, which are constantly in a tense state. The pain increases, progresses and can become chronic. Constantly toned muscles limit the mobility of the spine, which is fraught with new pathologies - spondylitis and ankylosing spondylitis.
The causes of pain in the back muscles may lie in intervertebral hernias and protusions. Pinched nerves lead to muscle spasms, resulting in painful sensations.
For diseases of internal organs
Pain in the back of the lumbar region can result from diseases of the stomach and pancreas. Pain in the lower back is affected by the genitourinary system. If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area, it is quite possible that the person has problems with the lungs or other respiratory organs. In this case, the paravertebral muscles and oblique muscles are susceptible to pain. If the suspicion of a disease of any of the organs is confirmed, then after it is cured, myalgia disappears.
It should be noted that pain in the right side of the lumbar back can sometimes be a concomitant symptom of appendicitis.
With myositis
Another common cause of back pain is myositis. Inflammatory processes in muscle tissue occur due to:
- infectious diseases;
- hypothermia;
- injuries;
- overvoltage.
Myositis
Sometimes the syndrome is caused by intercostal neuralgia, which is infectious in nature. Its difference is acute musculofascial pain. With myositis, any part of the back of the body can become painful, but most often the disease manifests itself in the neck, lumbar spine, or the back muscles along the spine hurt.
Important! Negligence and untimely treatment of inflammation leads to chronic myositis, in which muscle atrophy is possible.
For mechanical damage
Such back pain is common among athletes, who often suffer from pain in the latissimus dorsi muscle; they accompany injuries, falls and bruises. The pain syndrome occurs due to a sharp muscle tension and an equally sharp return to its original state. As a rule, this phenomenon is typical for unheated or insufficiently developed muscles.
Children whose weak muscles cannot cope with high activity often suffer from back muscle injuries. At the slightest complaint of a child about pain in the dorsal region, he must be urgently shown to a doctor.
With prolonged compression of muscles
The pain syndrome manifests itself as a result of muscle tightening and restriction of their free movement. Caused by wearing heavy backpacks, bras with narrow straps, narrow collars of outerwear, etc.
With lumbago
Acute pain, covering the lumbar region of the back, is a consequence of lifting a significant mass or trying to reach something.
Lumbago practically immobilizes a person and is accompanied by severe pain, so everyone should know what to do in such a situation
For congenital pathologies
Musculofascial pain is a frequent companion for people with congenital pathologies. Due to the asymmetry of the body, the intervertebral discs put excessive pressure on the nerve roots, which causes pain. Muscle pain in the back area is a consequence of the following phenomena:
Why does my lower back hurt?
- short leg syndrome;
- reduced size of half of the pelvis;
- "Greek" foot;
- kyphosis;
- short shoulders.
Congenital pathologies expressed by body asymmetry must be identified and treated at an early age, since skeletal growth leads to increased asymmetry, scoliosis and chronic pain in the spinal muscles.
Are there any contraindications
Before signing up for a diagnostic procedure, we strongly recommend that you consult with a doctor and exclude contraindications.
Let's consider the limitations to diagnostics:
- The presence of metal structures in the body: plates, pins, knitting needles, implants, as well as pacemakers and pacemakers.
- The first trimester of pregnancy, since at this time the formation of the child’s nervous system occurs.
- Claustrophobia (MRI for this disease can be done in open machines).
- Diseases of the central nervous system accompanied by involuntary movements.
- Serious mental disorders.
If the doctor has prescribed additional contrast, you should make sure that there are no absolute contraindications. These include:
- Allergic reaction and individual intolerance to the components that make up the contrast agent.
- During pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Kidney failure.
- Liver diseases.
Back muscle pain during pregnancy
During pregnancy, significant changes occur in the female body. An enlarged abdomen contributes to a change in posture, and the center of gravity shifts. These factors explain the constant tone of the back muscles, which have to maintain the body in balance, which becomes the cause of muscle pain in the back during pregnancy.
For expectant mothers, back pain becomes a difficult ordeal.
Another factor that increases pain during pregnancy is the intensely produced relaxin. The tasks of this hormone include relaxation of muscle fibers, expansion of intervertebral ligaments and pelvic bones. This process has a painful effect on the muscles in the back area.
During pregnancy, women's musculofascial pain increases when wearing high-heeled shoes and being overweight.
Attention! Mild pain in the back muscles of a pregnant woman is considered normal. If the syndrome takes on an acute form, especially in the lumbar region, and becomes similar to colic and contractions, it is necessary to urgently use the services of an ambulance, since this condition threatens miscarriage.
How to deal with acute back pain
Doctors who adhere to the principles of evidence-based medicine use the following tactics for managing patients with acute dorsalgia5:
- inform the patient about the causes of pain,
- exclude bed rest and recommend maintaining usual activity,
- prescribe effective drug and non-drug treatment,
- monitor dynamics and adjust therapy.
When choosing a medication, pay attention to its analgesic effect, speed of action and safety. Nonspecific anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed first, as they have been proven effective for back pain5. One such drug is Motrin®.
Motrin® is available as tablets for oral administration and gel for external use. The drug is indicated as an analgesic for back pain associated with injury, overload, and inflammation. It also has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects, the effect can last up to 12 hours6,7. If you are unable to visit a doctor in the near future, and the pain causes significant discomfort, then you can take Motrin® as follows: 2 tablets as a starting dose and then 2 tablets every 12 hours or 1 tablet every 8 hours. The course of admission without consulting a doctor is no longer than 5 days6.
If the intensity of the pain remains, it is possible to prescribe other groups of painkillers and sedatives (sedatives).
Non-drug treatments include:
- warming;
- manual therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- physiotherapy;
- acupuncture and other alternative methods.
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Treatment
Considering the variety of characteristics of pain in the back muscles, their elimination should be resorted to only after accurately identifying the cause that caused this phenomenon.
A one-time outbreak of pain, provided that it is caused by a specific load and is not critical for the body, can be treated without medical intervention. Before relieving pain, it is necessary to provide the body with a comfortable, static position. A cold compress should be applied to the lesion and left for 2 hours. This procedure will significantly reduce pain and calm the inflammatory process.
Further actions include the use of an ointment with a warming and anesthetic effect. In the absence of muscle tears and sprains, warm compresses can be used. Under normal circumstances, pain in the back muscles completely disappears after about 3 days.
If muscle pain accompanies sports, you should reduce the intensity of training and reduce physical activity. Before exercise, it is necessary to thoroughly warm up the muscles, and between workouts give the muscles a rest, which should last at least a day.
On a note! It is worth starting treatment for back pain on the left only after the fact of pathologies of the cardiovascular system has been completely excluded.
In the event that the pain does not go away after 2 weeks and progresses or begins to appear regularly, a medical examination is required in which the patient undergoes:
- clinical examination;
- x-ray;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- computed tomography;
- laboratory research;
- myofascial diagnostics.
Only after determining why the back muscles hurt, the doctor chooses a treatment regimen.
If the syndrome is a consequence of myositis or spinal pathologies, complex treatment is prescribed:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibacterial and painkillers are used. In the presence of severe muscle spasms, muscle relaxants are used.
- Ointments are used.
- Physiotherapy is used, including electrophoresis, acupuncture, reflexology, ozokerite, etc.
Acupuncture is one of the alternative methods of treating back muscle pain
In addition, the course of treatment includes massage and exercise therapy.
When the cause of muscle pain is caused by pathologies of internal organs, all actions are aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. In parallel with this, ointments are used to relieve pain.
Treatment of chronic back pain
If the localization of pain and the source of pain impulses can be identified, then local therapy is used - blockades, intradiscal effects and other procedures. For other patients, such treatment for back and lower back pain is not used, so a different treatment regimen is used. Its main goal is to reduce the intensity of pain and maintain quality of life5.
Just as for acute pain, drugs from the NSAID group are prescribed, including Motrin®, other analgesics, muscle relaxants, and B3 vitamins. Antidepressants are recommended if necessary. Manual therapy should be carried out by a qualified specialist and exercise therapy should be prescribed. Psychotherapeutic and physiotherapeutic treatment methods are used.
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Prevention
Pain in the back muscles often becomes an unbearable torment, and treatment takes time and money. It is almost impossible to completely avoid the manifestation of this syndrome, but it is possible to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. It is enough to follow the rules that are included in the preventive measures. To maintain your back muscles in normal condition you need to:
- Do strengthening gymnastics. This will reduce the risk of injury and protect the spine from diseases.
- Take multivitamins. A lack of micro- and macroelements leads to a weakening of the musculoskeletal system and reduces immunity, which contributes to pathologies of internal organs. The selection and administration of medications should be done only after consultation with a specialist.
- Optimize physical activity. Excessively active sports, especially at the initial stage, is a direct path to overexertion, stretch marks and injuries to the broad muscle, which are inevitably followed by pain. A gradual increase in the intensity of classes and training under the supervision of an experienced trainer will help avoid the manifestation of this syndrome.
- Spend less time in one position. Sedentary work requires an hourly 10-15 minute break, which should be accompanied by light exercises. Rest will provide an opportunity to relieve muscles and normalize blood circulation.
- Make sure that your back and especially your lower back are not exposed to hypothermia. To do this, you need to avoid drafts and, when going out into the open air, dress according to weather conditions.
After sudden pain in the back muscles, even if it has completely subsided, it never hurts to see a doctor and get examined. This measure will help avoid relapse, and even more so will prevent the syndrome from becoming chronic.
How is an MRI performed?
Most often, the study is carried out in closed tomographs. You cannot bring anything metal into the office. Also, do not take credit cards or electronic devices with you - magnetic waves can damage them.
If additional contrast enhancement is required, the patient is injected with a contrast agent into a vein, after which the arms and legs are secured using soft straps. The table automatically moves inside the tomograph.
Please note that photographs and research results can be obtained not only in printed form, but also on digital media. The specialist should be warned about this in advance.
MRI with contrast
In which cases, the doctor may recommend magnetic resonance imaging with contrast. For example, this procedure is necessary if the presence of neoplasms is suspected. Using contrast, you can determine the nature of the tumor: malignant or benign.
Magnetic resonance imaging with contrast is also performed for problems with blood vessels and soft tissues. This diagnostic method is completely safe for the body. The contrast is injected into the patient’s vein, and literally within 24 hours the drug is completely eliminated from the body without accumulating in the tissues.
What else do you need to know?
If you have never had a magnetic resonance imaging scan before, here are some diagnostic features:
- During an MRI scan, a loud noise is heard inside the scanner. If desired, you can use noise-isolating headphones or earplugs.
- The main rule that the patient must remember is that while in the tomograph it is necessary to remain motionless.
- Inside the tomograph there is good lighting and ventilation, as well as speakerphone. In extreme cases, if the patient feels unwell, you can pause the diagnosis by pressing the panic button.