Dorslgia It means back or spine pain, including low back, mid-back, and sciatic pain. It does not include pain related to scoliosis or lordosis.
However, dorsalgia is more than just simple back pain. If we talk in specific terms, the pain involved in dorsalgia comes from the spine.
What Is Dorsalgia?
The word dorsalgia comes from “dorsal,” which means back, and “algia,” which means pain. Dorsalgia generally refers to back or spine pain.
However, while dorsalgia includes spinal-related pain like lower back pain, mid back pain, and sciatica pain, it does not suffer from scoliosis or lordosis.
What is spinal cord compression due to Dorsalgia?
Spinal cord compression is caused by any condition that puts pressure on your spinal cord. Also, It can occur anywhere from your neck down to your lower back. Symptoms include numbness, pain, and weakness.
However, Depending on the compression cause, symptoms may develop suddenly or gradually.
What are the symptoms of spinal cord compression due to Dorsalgia?
Symptoms of spinal cord compression can develop quickly or slowly, depending on the cause. However, Tumors or infections may cause symptoms that develop over days or weeks.
Some of the common symptoms are:
- Pain and stiffness in the neck, back, or lower back.
- A burning pain spreads to the arms, buttocks, or down into the legs.
- Numbness or weakness in the arms, hands, or legs.
- Loss of sensation in the feet.
- The trouble with hand coordination.
- “Foot drop,” weakness in a foot that causes a limp.
What Causes Dorsalgia?
Bulging or herniated discs can cause dorsalgia. It can result from bulging or herniated discs, injury, overuse, and stress. One of the major causes includes sciatica.
Sciatica:
Sciatica is a term used to describe nerve pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. It originates in the lower back, radiates deep into the buttock, and travels down the leg. Also, you may experience mild to severe pain anywhere along the sciatic nerve path.
It usually affects only one leg at a time. Also, it can occur in both legs at the same time. Acute sciatica resolves within 1 – 2 weeks. In some cases, Home remedies may be adequate for relieving sciatica pain.
However, certain patients may develop chronic sciatica pain, which may wane but remains present over many years.
Herniated Disk:
Disks act as cushions between the bones in your spine. The soft material inside a disk can bulge or rupture and press on a nerve.
However, you can have a bulging or ruptured disk without back pain. Disk disease is often found when you have spine X-rays for some other reason.
What are the Diagnoses for compression due to Dorsalgia?
Dorsalgia can be diagnosed through the following:
Physical Examination:
Your healthcare provider will likely begin with a physical examination. They may ask you to sit, stand, walk, and pick your legs up off the floor.
Imaging:
In more complex cases of dorsalgia, imaging may be necessary. MRIs can be useful in diagnosing dorsalgia. You may also want to ask your doctor about the potential of X-rays or a CT scan helping you find a diagnosis and successful treatment plan.
How can we treat Dorsalgia?
Treatments like physical therapy, home remedies, and medication may be recommended for dorsalgia. If those treatments fail to relieve your pain, slightly more invasive therapies like dry needling or injections could help you.
However, If your pain persists, then surgery may be necessary.
Physical Therapy:
Physical therapy is a first-line treatment for responding to backache associated with dorsalgia. In some cases of chronic back pain, physical therapy can be more effective than surgery.
While rest can be an important part of healing from back pain. However, supervised exercise therapy prescribed by a physical therapist can accelerate your recovery and help prevent future injuries.
So, some exercises are given below for good posture
1) Isometric rows
This exercise helps to relieve pain and stiffness from sitting in one place for too long. Isometric pulls work your shoulder, arm, and back muscles, giving you the strength to maintain good posture.
To do this:
- Sit in a chair with a soft back.
- Breathe deeply, and you hold this position for 10 seconds.
- On an inhale, slowly release to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement for 1 minute.
Do this exercise several times throughout the day
2) Side plank
You can use a side plank to maintain the alignment of your spine and legs. This energizing pose works the muscles in your sides and glutes. Strengthening and aligning these muscles helps to support your back and improve posture.
To do this:
- Bring your left hand slightly into the center from a high plank position.
- Align your body in a straight line from the crown of your head to your heels.
- Look straight ahead of you or up toward your hand.
- Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
3) High plank
The high plank pose helps relieve pain and stiffness throughout your body while strengthening your shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings. It also enables you to develop balance and strength in your core and back, both important for good posture.
To do this:
- Come onto all fours, straighten your legs, lift your heels, and raise your hips.
- Straighten your back and engage your abdominal, arm, and leg muscles.
- Lengthen the back of your neck, soften your throat, and look down at the floor.
- Make sure to keep your chest open and your shoulders back.
- Hold this position for up to 1 minute at a time.
NSAIDs:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly recommended for backache. They are available over-the-counter and can be taken as capsules, topical creams, and gels. However, Popular NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, Aleve, and Indocin, may help.
Muscle Relaxants:
If your pain is persistent and doesn’t respond to first-line, over-the-counter treatments, you may want to talk to your doctor about muscle relaxants.
Dry Needling:
Dry needling can treat pain in the thoracic spine. The therapist relaxes the muscles by inserting a small needle into a muscle’s trigger point and increasing blood flow in the painful area. However, It is commonly used in sports medicine.
Facet Injections of Lidocaine or Steroids:
Especially in the case of acute lumbar back pain, facet injections of lidocaine and steroids have demonstrated therapeutic effects.
However, Cortisone can relieve pain for months, but you may not feel pain relief until several days after the injection.
TENS:
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a possible therapy for middle back pain. TENS units are small, handheld, battery-operated devices that block nerve impulses.
Surgery:
If you have unrelenting pain associated with leg pain or muscle weakness caused by nerve compression, you might benefit from surgery.
However, there are a few surgical options that your doctor may recommend.
- Discectomy: Quite literally, discectomy means “cutting out the disc.” For this procedure, a surgeon removes one or more damaged discs.
- Disc arthroplasty: This relatively new spinal surgery allows surgeons to replace damaged discs with artificial disc implants.
- Spinal fusion: Spinal fusion eliminates movement between two or more vertebrae in the spine by fusing them.
How can we prevent compression due to Dorsalgia?
You can help control symptoms of spinal cord compression caused by gradual wear and tear by keeping your back as strong and healthy as possible.
- Get regular exercise. Exercise strengthens the muscles that support your back and helps keep your spine flexible.
- Maintain good posture and learn how to lift heavy objects safely. Other good body mechanics include sleeping on a firm mattress and sitting in a chair that supports the natural curves of your back.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts more stress on your back and can contribute to developing symptoms of spinal compression.
