Back pain

Author Marketing BMM | 2022.07.20.

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More than three quarters of people experience back pain for longer or shorter periods in their lives. Back pain can be caused by a wide variety of reasons, ranging from the most common bananas to more serious illnesses. Whatever is causing the symptom, it makes everyday life more difficult and has a major impact on quality of life. There is no reason for anyone to get used to back pain, as there is always a way to relieve or even eliminate it. What are the symptoms of back pain? What are the most common causes? How can the cause of back pain be investigated and what treatments are available to relieve it?

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Symptoms and types of back pain

Back pain is a symptom in itself, but it can take many forms. Depending on the type of pain, back pain can include an uncomfortable feeling of stiffness in the back muscles, a dull ache or a sharp pain at one point. Back pain can occur during movement or rest. The location of the pain can also vary. It can occur in the lower back, in the middle, around the shoulder blades, or in the upper back.

Back pain can be traumatic, for example caused by a fall or an accident. Back pain is not always caused by a disease, it can also have a physiological cause, for example it is very common in pregnant women. It can also be caused by excessive anxiety. This is due to excessive tension in the back muscles.

Back pain can also be caused by being in the same position for too long, which is very common nowadays because of the prevalence of sedentary work. Incorrect posture causes the curvatures of the spinal column to straighten in the cervical and lumbar spine and increase in the back, resulting in a hunched posture and, over time, a hunched back. The lumbar vertebrae are subjected to a lot of stress, which over years can lead to the development of severe disc problems.

Back pain caused by diseases

Back pain can be caused by many different conditions. Here are some of the more common ones:

Hernia of the cervical spine (also known as herniated disc):
Herniated disc is a neurological disease, which is caused by a sedentary lifestyle, forced work and a lack of back muscle tone. Typical symptoms include back pain, pain radiating to the limbs, muscle weakness, numbness in the limbs and, in more severe cases, paralysis of the limbs.

Isias (also known as a sitting leg):
In sciatica, the back pain takes the form of sudden, sharp pain in the lower back, often radiating to the legs. The condition is more common over the age of 40-50 and is caused by the pinching and inflammation of the sciatic nerve, the longest peripheral nerve in the body. The pinching of the nerve may be caused by a herniated disc, slipped vertebrae or a disease of the vertebrae due to wear and tear.

Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis may not cause any symptoms for years, so by the time the first symptoms appear, it may be advanced. This common metabolic disease is characterised by a slowing down of bone-building processes and an acceleration of bone loss. The first symptom of osteoporosis may be back pain, but unfortunately it is also common for a fracture to reveal a significant reduction in bone mass. Osteoporosis is more common in women, typically occurring after menopause. As the disease tends to remain hidden for long periods of time, it is recommended to have a bone density measurement every few years after menopause. This test can detect the disease in time to make it easier to treat.

Bekhterev's disease:
Degenerative arthritis affecting the hips and spine, which over time can cause complete stiffness of the spinal column. It is a chronic, incurable spinal condition that can cause severe back pain. It requires lifelong treatment to slow down the process of calcification and significantly reduce back pain.

How is back pain diagnosed at the Budapest Musculoskeletal Private Clinic?

At the Budapest Musculoskeletal Private Clinic, the aim is to diagnose back pain accurately and quickly, so that treatment can begin as soon as possible and back pain can be relieved.

We know how much pain can make everyday life difficult, so we can make appointments for very severe back pain quickly, even within 1 day in urgent cases. The aim of the medical examination is to diagnose the cause of your back pain. The first step is to take a medical history. Our specialists will listen in detail to the patient's complaints, other current and past medical conditions, and will also ask about their work and lifestyle - focusing on factors that may be associated with each lesion. With this information, many diseases can be ruled out, but at the same time some diseases may be suspected.

Taking a medical history is followed by a physical examination, which provides the specialist with additional information and is sometimes sufficient to determine the cause of the back pain. However, in many cases imaging studies are also required. X-rays show problems affecting the bones, while a scan of the soft tissues, discs, articular cartilage, muscles and tendons gives accurate information about the condition of the tendons. In some cases, a CT scan or for MR examination may also be needed. If neurological involvement is suspected, a neuroconductive neurophysiological study (EMG/ENG) may also be ordered by your doctor. These tests can assess the extent of nerve damage.

Back pain treatment

Our doctors will make a diagnosis based on your medical history and tests and recommend a personalised treatment plan for your back pain. This can vary depending on the specific condition and the patient's condition. Most often, conservative therapy can provide significant relief from back pain. In such cases, therapy may include pain and anti-inflammatory tablets, creams and injections, physiotherapy, massage and physical therapy.

If your back pain is caused by sedentary work and excessive muscle tension from too much stress, lifestyle changes are important alongside treatment. It is recommended to get up from your desk every hour, take a short walk and stretch your limbs. If you haven't already done so, it's worth taking up regular exercise, swimming for example is very beneficial. It's also a good idea to learn some relaxation techniques and practice them regularly to reduce muscle tension and thus relieve pain.

For advanced disease and in cases where conservative therapy no longer brings relief, surgery may be necessary. In our private practice, we have all the technological and professional conditions to help our patients get rid of their painful symptoms.

Professionals to contact for back pain

Patients with back pain who want to heal are treated by highly skilled and experienced rheumatologist and orthopaedic doctors and physiotherapists are welcome in our private practice. Their profession is a true vocation, and they are all on a mission to help our patients regain their freedom of movement as soon as possible and to get rid of back pain permanently and for the long term.