Back pain is a common symptom found in people of all ages and genders, especially working-age individuals who have to sit for long periods or sit in the wrong posture. Some people experience mild pain that can heal on its own, but others suffer severe pain that becomes “chronic back pain”, which affects daily life. Therefore, it is important to know the true cause of back pain to seek timely treatment!
Why do we have “back pain”?
Back pain is a feeling of soreness, tightness, radiating pain, or aching in the back. It may result from the spine being in an improper or incorrect position for a long time, such as sitting at work or in front of a computer screen that is not properly arranged according to the user’s proportions and body structure. Some people may have incorrect movements, such as lifting heavy objects or twisting the neck or back. If left untreated, this can cause “chronic headaches.”
Risk factors that cause back pain
- Lack of exercise causes the muscles around the spine to be not strong enough to support the spine
- Obesity or being overweight causes the spine to bear more weight
- Jobs that require regularly lifting heavy objects
- Jobs that require sitting for long periods, such as office workers or sitting on the floor
- Jobs involving vibration, such as driving cars or motorcycles
- People with stress or anxiety conditions
Symptoms found from back pain
- Back pain or pain radiating to the hips or legs
- Pain in areas served by the compressed nerve
- Pain resembling numbness or weakness
- Constant pain or pain only in certain positions such as coughing, sneezing, or twisting
- Difficulty urinating or numbness in the back or genital area
Symptomatic treatment… but surgery is not always necessary
Treatment for patients with chronic back pain depends on the duration and the type of structural damage to the bones. There are 3 methods:
- Conservative treatment such as physical therapy and medication to relieve inflammation or pain
- Surgical treatment in cases where other methods are ineffective or when structural correction of the bones is necessary
- Interventional treatment without surgery (Spine Intervention)
4 non-surgical treatments… that can relieve back pain
- Local injection to relieve specific pain (Selective Nerve Root Blocks; SNRB), which can be done in the cervical and spinal areas, such as injecting medication into the nerve root foramen or epidural steroid injection
- Using sound waves to repair the disc (Nucleoplasty), which gently releases energy to shrink the gel-like fluid inside the spine, reducing nerve compression
- Injecting liquid cement to replace bone and treat vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis (Vertebroplasty). Patients with this condition have porous, thin bones with cavities and often feel pain when moving. The doctor injects cement into the vertebral body to fill the gaps and restore bone density. The doctor monitors the bone and cement movement continuously through special X-ray imaging (C-Arm). The cement hardens within 5 minutes and acts as bone. This method is very safe and provides immediate pain relief
- Inserting a balloon to expand the vertebral space (Balloon Kyphoplasty) to reduce spinal curvature, then injecting cement to replace the balloon so the cement acts as bone, straightening the back
If you have back pain, you should consult a specialist to diagnose the cause and receive targeted treatment to reduce pain, lower the risk of disability, and improve your quality of life!
