I could tell you a lot about back pain … And not from the experience of my patients, as in most cases, but from my own. No wonder even doctors have health problems! Out of a desire to avoid a possible surgery, I went through a lot: I combined traditional methods of treatment with non-traditional ones, I tried various medications, exercises, massages, acupuncture, etc.
When the results were not quite as expected, I stopped for a while and decided to study in more detail this problem, which is so common in today's society.
Thus, I found out something quite interesting, which I would like to share with you.
As you well know, back and neck pain is a widespread phenomenon. The reason for such pain is most often associated not with osteochondrosis and hernia, but with our muscles. According to statistics, 97% of people suffer from back pain precisely because of muscle overstrain.
A motionless stay in a chair for more than one hour is already an overload. Overloading leads to overstrain (spasm) of the paravertebral muscles. These muscles are tonic, that is, when overstrained, they cannot fully relax themselves. As a result, the tension becomes chronic. Chronic muscle tension leads to the appearance of trigger points.
A trigger point is defined as an area of increased sensitivity in a muscle. On palpation, it is a tangible hard lump, or a kind of "knot" in the muscle fibers. Touching these points can lead to radiating pain (specific to this muscle), local pain at the point of contact, or even vegetative reactions (sweating, gag reflex).
Why do trigger points appear?
Trigger points are caused by various types of muscle balance disorders, such as:
- eating disorders (obesity);
- metabolic disorders in muscles caused by excessive stress;
- abuse of exercise;
- sitting in a position for too long (for example in front of a computer).
There are also situations in which trigger points in the muscles appear due to improper functioning of internal organs (liver, intestines, pancreas).
From the point of view of psychosomatics, trigger points appear in response to a person's internal emotional stress in the absence of the ability to relax. Unfortunately, most people do not know how to relax and are stressed even on vacation. This state can be characterized by the following emotions: distrust, fear, closeness, low self-esteem. Thus, a person is in constant muscle tension, protecting himself from the outside world. To get out of this tension and eliminate emotional triggers, you need to work with a psychologist or use special relaxation techniques.
What is the cause of the pain?
Pain occurs when trigger points are activated. The activating factors are most often overload, hypothermia, intoxication, emotional stress or direct pressure on the trigger point.
How does this happen?
The trigger point is like a thorn. It lives in the thickness of muscle tissue and waits. While the muscle is resting, the thorn behaves quietly and the person does not feel anything. But the slightest movement of this muscle leads to the fact that the muscle is attacked by this thorn, which causes great pain.
The trigger points weaken the muscle or, in medical terms, the trigger points decrease the contractility of the muscles.
Now imagine your spine. It is surrounded by a muscular corset. What happens to the spine if trigger points appear in the muscles of this corset? It is understood that the muscles shorten by bending the spine like a string bending a bow.
A person bent over from back pain is an external manifestation of muscle contraction caused by trigger points of myofascial syndrome.
What I realized for myself is that it is very important to establish the cause of the back pain. No treatment will be effective unless we treat the muscles if they are affected by trigger points.In this context, the correct diagnosis and treatment are of particular importance. I intend to inform you about these aspects as well. Don't miss the next article if you want to know more on this topic. Maybe you will find a solution to this excruciating pain.
In the meantime, avoid a sedentary lifestyle and enjoy the beautiful weather outside.