Nearly 80% of the world’s population will sooner or later be suffer from back pain. In most cases, this back pain is mechanical and is caused by bad posture or a wrong move. On the other hand, for about one in 20 patients, the pain is of inflammatory origin. In this case, the diagnosis is often difficult to make and some patients may wait up to 10 years or more before their pain is correctly identified. Dr Laure Gossec, rheumatologist, provides an update on this subject.
Why is inflammatory back pain so difficult to diagnose?
The original back pain mechanical, the most common, is caused by carrying heavy loads, too intense physical effort or trauma. Inflammatory back pain only affects 5% of back pain.
There are several possible causes of pain, some of which are difficult to diagnose. Most often these are autoimmune diseases. When a person consults for back pain, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory drugs. In the event of inflammatory back pain, these drugs will provide relief for the patient for a few years, but the effect will lose effectiveness as the disease will worsen. Sometimes 25-30 year olds find themselves with their backs hunched because their vertebrae have fused together.
How to treat inflammatory back pain?
To avoid these extreme cases, a good diagnosis is essential. The patient suffering from an inflammatory back pain can therefore be treated properly, with a high dose of anti-inflammatory drugs adapted to his state of health, taken at more efficient times. Regular follow-up with a physiotherapist andphysical exercise to strengthen the back are also essential to help keep a good posture.
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What are the signs of inflammatory back pain?
Pain that lasts for more than three months, in a person under 45, particularly strong at night and in the morning, upon waking up and which improves during physical exercise. The aim of the awareness campaign “Don’t turn your back on him“is precisely to help the patient to orient himself, to facilitate his journey and to shorten the diagnostic times.
Can we prevent back pain?
To avoid mechanical back pain, pay attention to your back by bending your knees when bending, avoid being overweight, walk at least 30 minutes a day, and do exercises to strengthen the back and the strap. abdominal. On the other hand, there are no preventive measures to avoid inflammatory back pain.
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