Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs. The pathological condition is treatable, but it is not easy to cure it. The disease is accompanied by cough, swelling, fever, shortness of breath. Back pain is common with pneumonia. You must immediately consult a doctor. After a reliable diagnosis is made, an effective treatment regimen will be prescribed.
Causes
With pneumonia, your back may not always hurt. Usually, such a clinical picture occurs with a prolonged course of the disease or its complicated form. The pain is caused by the effect on the nerve endings located in the pulmonary pleura. It occurs in an adult patient or child for the following reasons:
- a strong and frequent cough leads to muscle strain (the more intense it is, the more painful it is);
- the spread of inflammation in the area of the intervertebral discs;
- development of pustular formations, pleurisy, adhesions;
- damage to neurocytes in the back;
- back injury (even if it was before the onset of pneumonia);
- pathological conditions of the back of a chronic nature: osteochondrosis, scoliosis, arthritis and others;
- infectious toxic myocarditis: a complication of bilateral pneumonia.
If the back is ill due to adhesions in the serous membrane of the lungs, then the pain is sharp, stabbing. The discomfort is aggravated by coughing and deep breathing. The more pathological adhesions, the more the back pulls.
When a pathological condition is provoked by infectious-toxic myocarditis, discomfort actually occurs in the region of the heart, behind the sternum. It seems to the patient that the back also hurts. The nature of the discomfort is often impossible to determine.
The pain occurs when moving, in a motionless state, lying on the back. The patient has to look for a more comfortable position in order to feel normal.
Where exactly does your back hurt?
The pain manifests itself in different areas. It extends to the chest, sides (right and left). Localization depends on the place where the inflammatory process began, which nerve endings were affected.
When the pathology is bilateral, pain occurs under the shoulder blades and spreads to the entire chest. With a unilateral lesion, discomfort is observed in the same area, but it is less bright. With a latent form of the disease, discomfort manifests itself along the entire spine, including in the lower back. They are permanent.
The symptoms of pneumonia are similar to many other respiratory conditions. For example, with bronchitis. However, pneumonia can be distinguished from it. With the defeat of the bronchi, only the chest hurts, and with pneumonia, the discomfort extends to the back area.
To determine if your back really hurts due to pneumonia, you need to look for the following accompanying symptoms:
- hyperthermia, chills, convulsions;
- general deterioration of health, weakness;
- heavy sweating (especially at night);
- migraines, pulsation in the temporal region;
- loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting;
- insomnia, confusion, delirium;
- palpitations, pallor of the epidermis, manifestation of cyanotic capillaries.
All of the above in tandem with back pain indicate pneumonia. I need immediate help from a specialist.
Treatment
Painful sensations in the back with pneumonia are eliminated with the help of complex therapy. It includes:
- taking antibacterial drugs;
- Exercise therapy;
- massage;
- physiotherapy.
The use of medications helps to relieve pain and inflammation. Medicines restore metabolic processes.
With pneumonia, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Pain relievers for oral administration are usually prescribed: Nurofen, Nimesil. From local funds, Fastum gel, Finalgon help.
In case of an inflammatory process, accompanied by pain in the back, it is necessary to take immunomodulators, a complex of vitamins B and C. The patient is recommended to bed rest.
Physiotherapy prescribing is aimed at:
- strengthening the muscle tissue of the back and pulmonary walls;
- improving the condition of the spine;
- restoration of metabolic processes.
With inflammation in the lungs, electrophoresis with calcium, paraffin therapy, electrical stimulation is prescribed. Mud baths are good for back pain. They tone the body and warm up.
Physiotherapy exercises and massage relieve pain in pneumonia, restore the body’s defenses. However, they are prescribed only during the period of remission. Treatment is prohibited in the acute stage.
Exercises of remedial gymnastics at first should be performed under the supervision of a highly qualified specialist. Otherwise, the condition can be aggravated. Once the movements have been honed, you can do them yourself at home. It must be borne in mind that excessive physical activity can harm with pneumonia.
Massage for pneumonia, accompanied by back pain, helps to relax muscle tissue, facilitates the release of phlegm. Basic movements for back pain:
- circular movements with the palms;
- stroking and massaging the spine;
- circular manipulation of the thumbs;
- tingling, tapping;
- rubbing with palms.
Also, massage improves blood circulation, contributes to the saturation of tissues with oxygen and nutrients.
Additionally, alternative therapeutic measures can be prescribed:
- osteopathic;
- acupuncture;
- vacuum therapy.
Of the unconventional methods of treatment, mustard plasters and placing cans on the back help well. The second method is popular, tested by more than one generation. It improves the flow of blood fluid, lymph. More oxygen and nutrients enter the cells. Vacuum therapy not only relieves pain in the back and sternum, but also reduces the severity of the inflammatory process.
To perform the manipulation, the patient is placed on his stomach, medical banks are placed on his back. A vacuum is created in the containers thanks to alcohol.
Self-medication is unacceptable. Any methods of therapy should be agreed with a specialist in order to avoid adverse consequences and complications.
Prophylaxis
There is no specific prophylaxis to prevent back pain from pneumonia. To reduce the likelihood of a pathological condition, the following recommendations must be observed:
- take vitamin and mineral complexes;
- avoid hypothermia;
- give up addictions;
- do not overload the back;
- promptly treat respiratory infections;
- switch to a balanced diet;
- fight obesity (extra pounds adversely affect the spinal column, respiratory activity).
After eliminating the pathology, it is important to follow the correct lifestyle so that inflammation and back pain do not recur. The recommendations listed above will help you avoid relapses.