Back pain relief for lumbar hernia
Lumbar disc herniation pain is a common problem that any patient suffering from the disease can face. Coping with unpleasant sensations is sometimes so difficult that people are ready for any steps, just to restore mobility to their spinal column, and a normal quality of life for themselves.
What can relieve pain in the lower back with a hernia? Which means are best suited for use, and how to use them correctly so as not to cause even more damage to your health.
Why does pain appear
Before you figure out what medications can be used to get rid of the pain syndrome, you need to figure out how the hernia hurts and why there are discomfort.
A spinal hernia is a pathology in which the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc comes out of the fibrous ring. Most often, the ring ceases to contain the core due to various defects, such as cracks, which allow the gelatinous contents to seep out.
But why is such a protrusion accompanied by acute pain? The reason is that the nucleus pulposus, not being completely liquid, is able to exert pressure on the nerve fibers that are located in the spinal canal.
It is interesting that each part of the spine, including the lumbar, has its own nerve fibers that perform strictly defined functions. Accordingly, the symptoms of damage to different sections of the column can vary quite significantly, which in some cases makes it difficult for doctors to diagnose.
A hernia of the lumbar spine often leads to the appearance of such unpleasant symptoms as:
- pain in the affected area with irradiation to the back, lower extremities;
- stiffness of movements in the affected area;
- inability to fully turn or make another movement;
- numbness of the lower extremities.
The hernia of this department is especially dangerous because it can be accompanied by paralysis, which can be very difficult to deal with.
A hernia in the lumbar region is often accompanied by such a problem as the malfunction of internal organs. The patient may, in addition to pain, complain of uncontrolled defecation and urination, in men, the disappearance of an erection is possible.
Basic principles of therapy
How to relieve the pain of a hernia, if at the moment it is she who causes the patient the maximum amount of inconvenience? An integrated approach to therapy is needed, which is based on the impact on damaged tissues, the acceleration of regeneration processes in them. It is necessary to quickly stop back pain, if only because the patient suffering from them loses his ability to work, as well as the ability to make a minimum range of movements, which can be perceived by him quite painfully.
Today, you can relieve the pain of an intervertebral hernia using two main methods:
1. Passive therapy.
The main objective of this approach to treatment is to provide the patient with maximum peace and eliminate pain. They achieve this by recommending bed rest. In the same period, the patient is given a variety of drugs aimed at relieving pain.
If the discomfort is very strong, then it is recommended to perform special blockades, in which the doctor injects drugs directly into the affected area.
2.Active therapy.
In this case, direct intervention is made on the spinal column. The method of choice is the extension of the spine, which is performed in stationary conditions with the help of special devices. Thanks to stretching, it is possible to stop the main pain syndrome, reduce the severity of the hernia, and remove some of the load on the spinal column.
It is important to remember that active therapy is not applied at home. Pulling without special preparation will only aggravate the general condition of the patient, and not improve it.
The choice of the optimal method of therapy always remains with the doctor. He, having assessed the situation, will be able to choose the best option that will be optimal for a particular patient. Naturally, it is possible to combine several methods of treatment at the same time to obtain the most stable and pronounced result.
Medicines as painkillers
To get rid of vertebral pains, painkillers can be used, which can significantly alleviate the general condition of the patient in a short period of time. It is important to remember that analgesics do not eliminate the cause of the onset of discomfort, and their effect is only a temporary effect. Alas, many patients forget about this, using painkillers for hernia on a regular basis and forgetting about other approaches to therapy.
Meanwhile, these funds exist solely to stop the most severe pain syndrome and allow doctors to carry out the necessary diagnostic or therapeutic measures. Should they be abused? Definitely not!
All drugs that have the effect of analgesics are potent drugs that, in addition to positive effects, also have negative ones. So, for example, they significantly increase the load on the liver, can provoke peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum with bleeding, and negatively affect the functioning of the renal apparatus.
In total, there are five main groups of drugs that are used in the fight against acute pain syndrome:
1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Any painkiller from this group is the easiest and most affordable way to cope with pain, even in your own home. Most drugs are available not only in the form of injections, but also as tablets, which makes it possible to simplify the process of taking the medicine as much as possible. Medications block the synthesis of a number of substances that trigger the inflammatory process, which makes it possible to reduce pain. The group includes, for example, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Ketoprofen, Indomethacin, etc.
2. Muscle relaxants.
Pain-relieving tablets and injections from this group are used somewhat less frequently. Their main effect is the elimination of muscle spasm, due to which it is possible to partially or completely eliminate discomfort. The most commonly used of all muscle relaxants is a remedy such as Mydocalm . It not only provides muscle relaxation, but also helps to eliminate nervous tension, has a beneficial effect on the mental activity of the patient.
3. Narcotic preparations of synthetic origin.
Pain in a hernia of the lumbar spine can be so severe that the doctor decides to prescribe analgesics from the group of narcotic drugs. Their use is justified only when, due to pathology, a person has already lost mobility, and the disease is only progressing.
Means from this group provide a complete block of pain receptors, making it so that the brain is completely unable to perceive nerve impulses that notify it of some kind of malfunction in the body.
Narcotic analgesics are used only in very advanced cases, when drugs from other groups are not able to have any significant effect on the body. The most commonly used today are Vicodin, Morphine. Due to the high likelihood of addiction, single use or short courses are recommended, which should be carefully monitored by a doctor.
4. Glucocorticosteroids.
Removal of hernia pain with glucocorticosteroids is recommended only in severely advanced cases. These drugs are injected directly into the affected area, where they mainly have an anti-inflammatory effect, thus stopping the pain syndrome at the same time. The drugs in this group include Dexamethasone, Prednisolone, etc.
5. Auxiliary medicines.
The impact of this group of medicines is not aimed at stopping the pain syndrome, but at maintaining the nervous system, which suffers due to pathology. First of all, of course, many doctors prescribe a course of antidepressants, which improve the general condition of a person and his mood. For example, Amitriptyline, Gabapentin, etc. are used. A course of injections of vitamin B is also recommended, which will also have a supporting effect on the body's nerve cells, improving the general condition of the patient.
If a vertebra or several elements of the column are damaged due to a hernia, it is necessary to carefully select medications that will allow you to stop the pain syndrome in a short period of time. This is necessary in order to improve the general condition of the patient and in a short time to return him to work.
blockades
Separate anesthesia for hernias of the lumbar spine is a blockade. They are carried out with the help of injections of novocaine or special means for epidural anesthesia.
In the first case, the principle is quite simple. A solution of novocaine is injected directly into the place where the protrusion occurred. Upon contact with nerve fibers, novocaine locally blocks the transmission of pain impulses, allowing you to eliminate discomfort.
There are three types of novocaine blockades:
- parasternal or lateral;
- back;
- front.
Each method has its own indications and contraindications. The main aspect that the doctor performing the blockade should take into account is the position of the nerve bundle, on which the main effect of the drug is calculated.
When performing an epidural blockade, the solution is injected into a special space that separates the dura and periosteum in the spinal canal. This space is called the epidural space, and therefore the name of the injection is of the same name.
Today, performing an epidural blockade is considered one of the best options for dealing with pain. This is explained not only by the duration of exposure, but also by the easier penetration of medicinal substances into the lumen of the spinal canal. Naturally, the effect of such a blockade also develops faster.
Blockades are procedures that are strictly forbidden to be performed in medical conditions without specialized medical education. An attempt to independently perform manipulation can lead not only to a deterioration in the general condition of the patient, but also to his disability.
External means to get rid of discomfort
If a hernia of the lumbar spine has developed, pain relief with oral or parenteral is not always possible. The situation is especially complicated in cases where a person suffers from any pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, which makes it impossible, for example, to take NSAIDs.
In this case, it is still possible to anesthetize the patient, but external means of influence will have to be used. For example, it is possible to use a variety of creams, gels, ointments. Due to the method of delivery to the sore spot, they do not have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. True, external agents are effective only if the hernia in the patient is not running too hard.
Most often in medical practice, external agents are used, for example, Voltaren or Fastum gel. Both drugs contain NSAIDs in their composition (in one case it is ketoprofen, and in the other diclofenac), as well as additional excipients.
A cream or ointment is applied to the affected area several times a day and helps relieve severe pain due to the fact that medicinal substances enter directly into the affected area through the skin.
True, it is important to remember that, as in the case of tablets, such ointments only eliminate the symptom, but do not affect the pathology itself, and therefore it is not advisable to use only them for therapy.
Non-drug pain relief
There are other ways to relieve pain in the absence of medicines.
For example:
- simple therapeutic massage, which is performed by a specialist outside of attacks of exacerbation of the pathology;
- rubbing the affected area with a mixture of honey and mummy, which have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect when used in combination;
- rubbing with various essential oils (suitable, for example, St. John's wort, fir, etc.);
- rubbing the painful area with tincture of cinquefoil, which is easy to prepare at home.
Additionally, various methods of physiotherapy can be used as non-drug agents. Physiotherapy should be performed under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital, but with the right selection of procedures, it gives a good effect, relieving the patient from discomfort.
Pain in the hernial protrusion of the lumbar can cause significant inconvenience to patients, greatly affecting the quality of life. Sometimes a person even loses mobility due to discomfort, which leads to loss of working capacity and other problems. To cope with the pathology, various drugs from the group of analgesics are used, which are the best way to solve problems.
