Blown back: how to treat, smear

There is no such person who would not encounter back pain of varying strength and localization. A third of the adult population experiences such unpleasant sensations regularly. This symptom may hide many diseases, ranging from osteochondrosis to diseases of the kidneys, organs of the female reproductive system, tumors and their metastases in the spine.

Pain in the back muscles significantly interferes with movement and even being at rest. And most often their cause is myositis - inflammation of the muscles in the back. People simply say it was blowing or draughty.

Causes

The main factor leading to the development of an inflammatory response in the muscles is cold. “Warm” or even “hot” muscles after physical activity encounter low temperatures and immediately cool down. The body reacts to this during the first two days with inflammation, contraction of fibers and pain in the neck or throughout the back.

A person may not notice how he sits in a small draft or suddenly cools down when entering a cold room from a warm one. Symptoms most often appear in the summer after:

being under a running air conditioner;
general hypothermia (as a factor - drinking cold drinks, quickly eating ice cream);
draft - opening windows in the car, at home, at work;
freezing in the evening, when a person is dressed for summer;
physical activity on the street. When a person moves actively, he sweats, and in winter or in chilly weather, then after the end of physical activity he becomes hypothermic. Because does not have time to change into dry clothes in time;
long-term swimming in cool bodies of water - pools, rivers, lakes, sea;
Quite often a person’s home can feel drier after taking a shower or bath. This is possible because a steamed person does not feel a draft, he is hot. After a hot shower or bath, you should dress in a warm robe, stay away from an open window, and dry your hair quickly.
the back hurts after it has been blown, and in frosty times: if you dress inappropriately for the weather in winter, sit on cold benches, run or play some kind of sport.

Often, muscle spasms occur primarily during prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position or increased anxiety. This pain syndrome has a good prognosis and is well treated with medications. Damage to the back muscles may be secondary. With spinal pathology, they become tense, creating a kind of “protective corset” that holds the spinal column.

But constant tension in the back muscles becomes a source of discomfort in the area of the shoulder blades, lower back, and sides of the back. Secondary muscle damage is also caused by systemic diseases (fibromyalgia, polymyalgia rheumatica), in which there is a feeling of stiffness in movements, especially in the morning.

These factors, combined with cold exposure, create even greater preconditions for the development of symptoms.

Use a deflector screen for your air conditioner so that the cold air can be controlled.

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself from myositis, you should follow simple rules.

During the cold season, it is recommended to dress warmly, covering all parts of the body, paying special attention to the back

During the cold season, it is recommended to dress warmly, covering your back and lower back.
Drafts and strong winds should be avoided. If this is not possible, you need to cover your back - even if it's hot outside.
If you are prone to sweating a lot, it is recommended that you change your clothes more often if necessary. The main thing is not to walk in wet things, because of which you can easily see through.
If you are sweating, do not go outside, especially if there is strong wind.
Be careful with fans and air conditioners in your home. Do not leave them for a long time and do not direct air flow towards yourself. Know when to stop and don’t set the temperature too low: without even noticing, you can get myositis even in the hot season.

If you want to learn in more detail why back pain occurs when you cough, and also consider the causes, diagnosis and treatment, you can read an article about this on our portal.

Therapeutic warming products

Symptoms when you have a cold back

Unpleasant sensations in the back area will not occur immediately, but 12-48 hours after the fact of hypothermia. Their onset may coincide with an increase in body temperature and general malaise of the body. The duration of an episode of pain is usually 2 weeks, and in some patients residual effects can last up to 1 month or longer. As the inflammatory process develops, the pain intensifies.

By their nature they will:

Constant moderate or pronounced strength.
With movements of a different nature, they intensify; from aching they turn into sharp, “piercing” ones.
A person seems to “freeze” during sudden movements and stands in a forced position.
When the affected area is touched, the sensations intensify; you can notice dense formations in the form of strands or nodules (inflamed muscle fibers).
After rest, the aching, pulling sensation does not stop.
The process is asymmetrical; swelling, redness of the skin, increased temperature, and a burning sensation in the back may appear in one part of the back.
When a muscle compresses nearby nerve structures, sharp shooting pains appear in the buttock or leg.
Possible discomfort in the abdomen, frequent urination, in women - pain as during menstruation, menstrual irregularities.
The pain intensifies if a person makes sudden movements, turns, bends, laughs, hiccups.

It is difficult for a person to take care of himself in everyday life, to walk, get dressed, get out of bed or up the stairs, or sleep peacefully in any position. With acute myositis of the back muscles, a person experiences muscle weakness and general malaise. In severe cases, improper or untimely treatment, chronic myositis may develop. It occurs with periods of remission and exacerbations, is complicated by muscle atrophy, and the person experiences constant muscle weakness.

If the action of microorganisms is added to the existing inflammation:

a purulent process develops with muscle hardening and tension
a sharp rise in general temperature,
chills,
pronounced weakness.

Do not underestimate the developed symptoms: if left untreated, they can remain forever and aggravate the course of other back diseases (osteochondrosis, consequences of trauma to the spine and ribs, intervertebral hernia, displacement of the vertebrae in relation to each other, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.).

Why does hypothermia occur in the back?

Heated muscles under the influence of a draft sharply narrow, thereby causing a spasm.
In the warm season, almost none of us thinks about such a harmful phenomenon as a draft. That is why most often the back gets blown in the summer. Hot after work or just walking outside, we try to find a cool, fresh corner to relax. Or we sit next to each other, excited

What is a muscle spasm?

air conditioner Heated muscles under the influence of a draft sharply narrow, thereby causing a spasm. A good example is office workers whose place is located close to the air conditioner. There is a high probability that an employee entering his office from a hot street may simply get a cold in his back.

Diagnostics

Due to the fact that after blowing your back the symptoms are very easy to confuse with other diseases, you should seek medical help. A neurologist, rheumatologist, or physiotherapist can help.

First you need to contact a therapist, who, after an initial examination, establishes a preliminary diagnosis. The required diagnostic scope, if in the near future the patient has a strong wind, and then pain in the back appears, includes:

General blood analysis.
General urine analysis.
Biochemical blood test (determine the content of glucose, C-reactive protein - to look for differences from inflammatory diseases of the spine and systemic muscle diseases).
Electromyography (determining the state of the nerves that regulate the functioning of the affected back muscles).
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computed tomography).
Ultrasound of the pelvic organs (genitourinary system).
Gynecologist examination for women.

The list of tests and procedures can be expanded by the doctor if the patient has concomitant diseases of any organ system. For example, if a person suffers from characteristic pain and has previously had his back and lumbar region blown, an ultrasound of the kidneys and urine culture are indicated, because it may be acute pyelonephritis.

Preventive measures

Multivitamins help support the immune system
There are a number of measures that can be taken to prevent the development of back pain under the shoulder blade. Doctors advise the following:

prevent hypothermia - local and general;
do not exceed the physical activity recommended by age;
promptly eliminate problems with poor posture;
to live an active lifestyle;
eat properly and nutritiously.

If your work activity involves prolonged sitting, it is advisable to do a little warm-up regularly. Exercises can be very simple: turns right/left, bends, body rotations and others. Exercises in the pool, horseback riding - everything that helps strengthen the spine and joint-muscular system will bring benefits.

General treatment recommendations

You need rest in the first days and warming procedures.

If your back is not too cold, then treatment at home includes the following methods: the use of traditional methods, drug treatment, physical exercise, physical therapy (procedures that warm up the muscles).

What to do if you have a cold back?

Bed rest should be observed for 3-4 days, especially on the first day. The bed should not be too soft, sagging under the weight of the body. A special orthopedic mattress is ideal. The lying position will help the muscle fibers relax, stretch a little, and “calm down.”
Use warming ointments and creams. Before use, you should carefully read the instructions and take into account contraindications. Ointments have worse penetrating ability, so it is better to use gels. As soon as the gel is applied to the back muscles, you should wear a warming belt or wrap a warm scarf.
Limit yourself in taking excess fluid and salt, which lead to swelling of the muscles and subcutaneous tissue. Adding salt to food is completely eliminated.
Diet varied with foods rich in B vitamins: all types of nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.), liver, sea buckthorn, beans, peas, garlic, buckwheat, barley, oatmeal, millet, tuna, mackerel, egg, cottage cheese , cheese.

What is forbidden to do with back myositis?

Don't take a bath, limit yourself to a warm shower. Most people think it's the other way around.

Remember that if you have an acute stage, then such treatment measures are contraindicated. Spasms with swelling will intensify, and the pain will become more intense. As a result of incorrect actions, you will not be treated for 3 days, but much longer. Contraindicated:

Take hot baths;
Go to the sauna or steam bath;
Rub your back with warming ointment;
Immediately apply a hot compress.

Drug therapy

If you have a cold back, the main medications that can be treated at home are:

Warming ointments

As irritants that distract from pain with a burning sensation at the site of application. These drugs are available in ointments and gels:

Capsicam 170 RUR
Finalgon, Betanikomylon 280 rub.
Nicoflex 160 rub.
Efkamon 100 rub.
Apizartron 150 rub.
Viprosal 180 rub.

Almost all warming ointments cannot be used by pregnant women at any stage. Also, you should not apply these gels and ointments to the kidney area.

It is necessary to provide warmth for the affected area: a blanket, a scarf, a blanket, a woolen belt, a heating pad of moderate warmth (after placing a cloth).

NSAIDs – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

These drugs relieve pain and reduce the inflammatory response. They can be used both topically and orally:

Topical forms that can be applied to the skin of the affected area of the back. These remedies are suitable if the pain is not very intense:

Ketoprofen (50 r.), Artrosilene gel (200 r.), Bystrum gel (150 r.), Ketonal (200 r.), Fastum gel (200 r.), Flexen (150 r.), Febrofid gel (200 r.).
Nise and Nimulid (120 rubles).
Diclofenac, Diclovit (80 rub.) and Voltaren (250 rub.), Diclak (180 rub.), Diclogen (40 rub.), Dicloran (100 rub.), Diclofenacol cream (40 rub.), Ortofen (40 rub.).
Piroxicam Verte (90 rubles) Finalgel (360-420 rubles).
Ibuprofen (30 rubles), Dolgit (100-220 rubles), Nurofen gel (140 rubles)
Butadion (120 rubles)

Systemic - in the form of tablets or injections. They have a stronger effect because they immediately enter the bloodstream:

Diclofenac 40 rub. (Voltaren 200 rub., Ortofen 20 rub., Diklak 100 rub.)
Ketolorac 60 rub. (Ketanov, Ketarol)
Nimesulid (Nise 140 r. Nimulid, Nimika)
Ketoprofen (ketoprofen 150 rubles, Bysrumkaps 270 rubles, Flexen 170 rubles), injections: Arthrosilene (6 pcs. 180 rubles) Ketonal (10 pcs. 200 rubles) Flamax (5 pcs. 100 rubles). Flexen (6 pcs. 270 rub.) Meloxicam 40 rub., Movalis 250 rub. Amelotex (amp. 280 RUR) Arthrozan (amp. 190 RUR).
Ibuprofen 20 rub. (Nurofen 110 rub., Faspik 100 rub., Burana 80 rub.)

See Painkillers for injection pain, creams, ointments for back pain.

Nimesulide and Meloxicam are safer for the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract: they are less likely to cause damage in the form of erosions and ulcers. In any case, such drugs should be taken under the cover of Omeprazole and its analogues (Omez, Gastrozol, Ultop, Ortenol, etc.).

Muscle relaxants

As a supplement, muscle relaxants are suitable - medications that relax muscles, not just the back. These include:

Tolperisone (Mydocalm 400 rub.), Tolperisone 200 rub.
Tizanidine 200 rubles, Sirdalud 300 rubles, Tizalud 140 rubles.

B vitamins

If prescribed by a doctor, you can give injections with combination preparations containing vitamins B1, B6, B12. They have a moderate analgesic effect (especially vitamin B12). As well as a positive effect on processes in the nervous system, on metabolism, they participate in the transmission of excitation, in the metabolism of mediators, and contribute to the restoration of damaged nerves. These include:

Milgamma (5 amp 280 RUR)
Combilipen (5 amp. 160 RUR)
Neurobion (without icecaine 3 amp. 270 RUR)
Compligamv (160 rub.)

Novocaine blockades

In severe cases of severe back pain, the doctor may prescribe novocaine blockades if the patient has no contraindications to the use of hormonal drugs. Novocaine with a corticosteroid drug is injected into the inflamed back muscles.

Diagnostic measures

For pain on the left, if there is a suspicion of intercostal neuralgia, an electrocardiogram of the heart is done.
The muscles in the area of the scapula can become inflamed for various reasons. The doctor’s task is to determine the true factor that provoked back pain localized in the area of the shoulder blades.

First of all, the doctor carefully palpates the area of inflammation. He needs to determine the most painful areas, as well as detect formations uncharacteristic of muscle tissue.

To confirm the diagnosis and determine the causes of pain, the following laboratory and instrumental tests are prescribed:

CT, MRI. The techniques are used to identify tumors of all types, as well as signs that accompany the destruction of the nerve sheath.
Electrocardiography. The study helps to assess the electrical activity of the myocardium. The technique is indicated for suspected intercostal neuralgia, whose symptoms resemble angina attacks.
Radiology. It is used if there are suspicions of various types of formations in the area of the scapula or respiratory organs.
Lab tests. The results obtained allow us to determine the existing inflammatory process.

If the need arises, the patient is assigned consultations with other specialists.

Traditional methods of treatment

In addition to ointments for the back muscles, you can use time-tested folk recipes:

You can apply a pepper patch.
Make compresses from alcohol or vodka.

Cabbage compresses with honey

After washing the white cabbage leaves, apply honey to the entire surface and place on the skin over the area of pain. The sheets need to be secured with a gauze bandage, and insulated on top with the same scarf. To achieve maximum effect, add horseradish, mustard, and pepper to honey. In this case, do not forget to evaluate the condition of the skin from time to time: whether there is a lot of redness or blistering (chemical burn).

Fir balsam

Buy ready-made balm at the pharmacy or make it yourself (equal parts of fir oil and melted fat). Before going to bed, apply a compress for an hour, then rinse and warm up. Repeat the procedure for up to 2 weeks. You can rub this balm in a circular motion throughout the day, and then wrap your back. Take into account the absence of allergies to the components of the product by applying a drop of fir oil to the skin of your back for 15 minutes (there should be no prolonged “redness”).

Dandelion flower tincture

Products made from dog hair are very useful. Knitted belts are a lifesaver in such situations.

Place dandelion flowers in half a liter glass jar and fill the remaining volume with alcohol. Let the mixture brew in a dark cabinet, then pass through cheesecloth. The tincture is suitable for long-term use, including for preventive purposes: rub the sore spot with it three times a day.

Boiled potatoes

Boil the potatoes in their skins and mash until pureed. Place a cotton cloth on the painful area and warm potatoes on it. Place another layer of cotton and a warming item (plaid, scarf or blanket) on top. As the puree cools, remove the top layers of cloth one by one. At the end, rub your back with alcohol or alcohol-based cologne, and warm up again. Such compresses are suitable for use before bedtime.

Badyagi powder

Mix a quarter teaspoon of badyagi powder with a teaspoon of butter. This mixture is something that can be smeared once a week on the affected areas, warming them afterwards.

Lard with horsetail

Add butter or lard in a 4:1 ratio, add horsetail grass powder. Rub this homemade ointment onto your back muscles 3 times a day and wrap them in a warm scarf.

Dry compresses with salt

Heat table salt in a frying pan, pour it into a bag, wrap it in a cloth and apply it to the area of pain. It is believed that dry heat is more effective in this case.

The effectiveness of each folk recipe has not been proven, but it helps many. In some mild cases, it is safer and faster to treat the back when it is cold, using folk remedies.

Physical exercise

Physical activity helps relieve muscle spasm, warms them up, and eliminates compression of the nerves of the back and, as a result, pain. At the first manifestations, you can limit yourself to three exercises, which will then serve as preventive measures:

We rest our knees and the palms of our hands on the floor. Slowly and carefully bend your head and back, holding the position for about 10 seconds. Next, just as carefully, we straighten up to the maximum and hold for 10 seconds. One approach takes a minute.
We lie on our stomach, bend our arms at the elbows at the level of the pelvis, and connect our legs into a single line. By stretching our arms forward, we imagine that we are reaching for some object. We repeat several times.
We lie on our backs and carefully slowly pull our bent leg towards our stomach with our hands. Hold the position for 20 seconds and straighten up. We repeat the same with the second leg. The approach lasts the same minute.

In the future, perform the exercises in accordance with the video tutorial (see below).

Learning to take care of yourself - prevention

As you know, it is often easier to prevent pain than to get rid of it. It is very important to treat your body with care, to lead a healthy lifestyle, not burdened by bad habits, but, on the contrary, aimed at preventing all kinds of diseases. All this will help to significantly reduce the severity of diseases and their frequency.

There are several recommendations (and extremely easy to follow) on how to avoid/prevent back or lower back pain. It is important to learn to control the situation so that the pain that manifested itself at a young age does not develop into complicated forms of the disease over the years.

So, preventive measures are very simple and consist of the following:

avoid hypothermia so as not to catch a cold in the back and cause inflammation of the muscle fibers of the lower back;
do not be lazy to do warm-up physical exercises to strengthen your back muscles;
follow the correct diet to provide the body with vitamins and microelements to fight diseases and strengthen the immune system.

It is also pleasant to note that in most cases, preventive measures do not put a dent in the wallet and do not require mandatory planning - it is important to simply take time for yourself, take care of your well-being, and always remember that our health is in our hands.

Physiotherapy

Once the “acute” period has passed and the pain has subsided, physiotherapy is applicable - a method using natural factors for medicinal purposes. It has a lot of advantages: it does not cause allergies, enhances metabolism and renewal in tissues, improves blood flow and the body’s immune response. You can go through the following procedures:

Massage (general using movements such as rubbing, vibration and stroking, as well as local pressure on specific points of the body).
Myostimulation (“training” muscles with electrical impulses).
Reflexology : Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (electrical impulses block pain signals from nerves).
Acupuncture (treatment of an organ by needle stimulation of points on the body).
Electroacupuncture (the principle is the same as described above, but the effect of current is added).

Phonophoresis (delivery of drugs into the body using ultrasound).

Electrophoresis (penetration of anti-inflammatory drugs into tissues using small electrical impulses from a device).

Myositis of the back muscles, as a rule, responds quickly to treatment and the chronic stage rarely occurs. If you follow the doctor’s recommendations, carry out the full course of therapy and do not make mistakes when treating at home, there will be no complications.

Physiotherapy

When the disease is in an acute stage, physiotherapy helps. The doctor will prescribe it in combination with other methods or separately. With this treatment method, medications are not used, which reduces the load on the patient’s liver and kidneys and makes him feel better.

After the physiotherapeutic influence of the doctor, blood flow in the affected area improves, metabolism is activated, and immunity is raised. Thanks to these measures, tissues return to normal faster and inflammation is relieved.

How to train your back muscles, watch the video: