A back pain normally passes with rest and anti-inflammatory drugs. If he persists, we must consider other causes (bad posture, poor approach, diseases …). How to know? Who to consult?
One in five people would suffer from chronic back pain (back pain that persists). Too often trivialized, back pain, when it has been going on for more than 3 monthscan strongly sound about the daily lives of people who suffer from it. Why does my back pain not pass? When to worry and consult? How to treat a back pain that persists?
What are the causes of persistent back pain?
Chronic back pains often manifest after 40 years in the form of repeated lumbago. In most cases, Lumbar pain is of mechanical origin and can result:
- A bad posture (at the office, on the sofa …)
- Unsuitable gestures when you pick up an object or when you wear an object
- Of a bad sleep position
- Bad
What disease can hide back pain?
For about 1 in 20 patients, back pain can also be of inflammatory origin, that is to say that it is most often linked to autoimmune diseases, as Spondylarthritis. The first symptoms of inflammatory back pain usually appear in adolescents and young adults around 20 or 30 years old. At that age, we are very concerned about his health, and we often think, wrongly, that back pain will disappear as quickly as he appeared. Except, that it is the opposite: back pain takes over and ends up impacting student or professional life. “The result is that we see Frequent diagnostic delay,, explains Doctor Philippe Goupille, head of rheumatology (CHRU de Tours). Some patients sometimes wait until 10 years, or even more, so that their back pain is properly identified. “ Years during which patients suffer physically, but also psychologically. Not to mention the social consequences: repeated absences at work, incomprehension of those around them, etc. “At 30, you imagine how complicated it can be And Handicap! “
Unlike mechanical back pain, which fades with rest, back pain of inflammatory origin is aggravated by rest. “People are often awakened by strong pains around 5 or 6 in the morning,, notes the doctor. And to relieve them, they need to set in motion. After this morning unlocking, they are generally much better. “ Faced with such symptoms, persistent for more than three monthsdo not hesitate to learn, therefore, talk to it to his general practitioner, even to a rheumatologist.
What exams do in case of persistent back pain?
“”For the patient, it is reassuring to know the origin of his discomfort. And it is also a form of recognition after years of physical but also psychological suffering, describes Philippe Goupille. Some patients even come to take antidepressants. The problem is that back pain is not seen from the outside, and that it is too often badly perceived by those around them, both in privacy and in the professional world … When you finally have the diagnosis, we can finally prove that the pains exist and that It’s not in the head! “, continues the doctor. “”Back pain is trivialized, both by those who suffer from it, as by general practitioners. And the problem is that if we do not seek the origin of back pain, we do not find it … “, Deplores Philippe Goupille again. In addition, when it comes to inflammatory back pain, radiographs are sometimes normal, which can still delay the diagnosis. “Without that we do not know why, the spondylitis has evolved. Several years ago, it had a very characteristic ankylosing evolution and Recognizable: The vertebral column took a curved curvature. Men were also more frequently affected. In short, vaulted men were easily identified. Today, this disease affects women as much as men. In addition, s‘There is still genetic terrain, it seems that environmental factors also play a role in the appearance of the disease, Without that exactly we know. “
Who says early diagnosis, says better management. In most cases, it consists in taking Anti-inflammatory drugs when pain appears. At the start, there is a test phase, during which several treatments are tried. Once you have targeted the one that is suitable, the idea is to take it in the spot, when you feel the need. And side of life, what do we do? “Physical activity is recommended, in particular stretching in the morning, as well as softeningsadvises Philippe Goupille. However, it is not a question of moving to move. I do not prohibit sport with my patients, they can do everything. But If it is to pay it afterwards, and put a week to recover, it is useless … In fact, it is on a case by case. HASu final, it is Each patient to make his “little kitchen”! ”
Thank you to Doctor Philippe Goupille, head of rheumatology (CHRU de Tours).
