When should you worry about back pain and when not?

 When should you worry about back pain and when not?

Back pain has become an epidemic in developed societies and is considered one of the most relevant health problems.

To understand this better, we have to make a proper distinction. Pain in different parts of the back has a different name that is attributed to the part where the pain is occurring.

We can have cervicitis, which is from the cervix, affecting the cervical area (neck). 

These terms are common in many medical reports, but they don't really correspond to a diagnosis, just indicating the specific area of ​​pain.

When to worry about it?

Although back pain is not usually life-threatening, a healthcare professional should be consulted whenever in doubt. Unless there is a red flag, we should remain calm.

Physiotherapists and doctors use red flags for symptoms that may indicate a serious illness in the spine or another part of the body.

Such as tingling in the limbs, loss of strength, urinary irregularity, unexplained weight loss, palpitations, pain in the breast area or fever.

Does coping with back pain affect physical development?

Psychological factors, known as yellow flags, cause pain to persist for a long period of time, after which the pain becomes chronic.

Some examples of yellow flags are: adopting a negative attitude (we should keep in mind that severe pain does not necessarily equate to serious injury or disability); Avoiding physical activity for fear of pain or that the problem will get worse (so-called kinesiophobia), thinking that passive treatment is better than exercise, and also experiencing social, family or financial problems.

Should I get an X-ray if I have back pain?

After the age of 50, it is common to develop weakness in the spine or changes in the intervertebral discs, but some people suffer from it without any problems.

The International Association of Pain, which studies pain, states that in 85 percent of cases, pain is nonspecific (ie, not linked to a specific problem). 

This question is difficult to answer without relevant information. Physiotherapists prescribe it based on each patient's needs and ailment.

On the topic of chronic low back pain, the Cochrane Collaboration, an international network of experts, indicates that a regular exercise program is more effective than other medical interventions or

However, some recent research suggests Pilates and McKenzie method exercises (which focus on back extension movements) to relieve lower back pain.

In our research we have also observed that therapeutic exercise and proper counseling of patients enhances the effect of therapy.

Therefore, several alternatives to physiotherapy are offered. Many exercises aim to improve spinal mobility and stretch smaller muscles (eg, spinal extensor muscles, hamstrings, and elbows).

Some people want muscle strength and better control, especially in the core or so-called core muscles, as well as improved posture, ie how to walk and sit.

But any activity, however simple, is beneficial.

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Therefore, rest should be reasonably justified and limited to the minimum possible time.

Participation in sports has not been shown to cause recurrence of back pain. 

As for the activity of running, it creates repetitive impacts and stress on the lower spine and your heel, as it supports a compression that ranges between 2.7 and 5.7 times your body weight. Is.

In short, the best way to treat back pain is to reassure the patient to avoid unnecessary rest, control over-medication and make lifestyle changes.