Flat back - a condition in which the physiological curves in the spinal column are significantly reduced. Patients with this symptom cannot maintain one position for a long time, as this provokes severe pain in the spinal column. Such people quickly get tired, cannot work normally, complain of unpleasant pain sensations. Due to a decrease in the depreciation of the spine, a person may experience microtrauma of the spinal cord and brain, which lead to pain and other unpleasant symptoms.
Status Description
The main symptoms of a flat back are severe pain in the groin, hips, upper back. To maintain the position of the body, patients have to bend and unbend the legs at the hips and knees. Such symptoms are considered very dangerous, since as a result they can lead to disability, significantly restrict a person's movement, and lead to the need to regularly use narcotic and pain medications. There are many photos of a flat back.
With this syndrome, doctors identify the following symptoms:
- long neck;
- straighthead;
- lowered and slightly forward shoulders;
- flat stomach, chest and buttocks;
- shoulder blades lagging behind the back, which are strongly pronounced against the background of the body.
Such a disease can, with untimely treatment and diagnosis, lead to the development of scoliotic disease.
Why does it appear?
A physiologically correct spine has some curvatures that are important for maintaining a posture in one position and ensuring upright walking for a person. With mild or smoothed curvatures, a person begins to actively develop such a condition as a flat back.
Also, the cause of such a lesion may be violations in the structure of the intervertebral discs during their rapid wear. Violations in the anatomy of the back can develop with compression cracks in the vertebrae, ankylosing spondylitis and osteoporosis. It is important to remember that a flat back and poor posture are directly related to each other.
Often this condition is diagnosed in children with some kind of physical impairment or lack of activity, for example, those who have been in bed for a long time due to a certain disease. Often such a disease occurs against the background of flat feet and other disorders in the structure of organs.
In addition to children who are lagging behind in physical development, damage can also occur when the body grows too fast, as well as when the development of muscles lags behind the bones of the skeleton.
Diagnosis of lesions
When diagnosing a flatback in a child, the doctor collects an anamnesis about the patient's condition (pain syndrome, discomfort, recent surgery), he also pays special attention to the symptoms that the patient manifests when he is in one position for a long time.
The main diagnostic study that helps to make an accurate diagnosis is considered to be an X-ray examination with a lateral image. It gives accurate information about the condition of the discs, vertebrae and spinal cord patency. Additionally, the doctor prescribes CT and MRI.
Features of treatment
Treatment of a flat back will be prescribed by the attending specialist after all diagnostic measures have been taken and an accurate diagnosis has been established. Before starting treatment, it is important to accurately determine the cause of the deformity, which requires correction of the spinal axis.
With standard treatment, the doctor prescribes a course of physiotherapy exercises to the patient, which helps to correct the axis of the spine and quickly restore its condition.
General treatment measures
All patients, regardless of the diagnosis, are recommended to follow the following general therapy plan for the treatment of a flat back:
- Wear only corrective shoes that will help restore posture and form the correct bend. Based on orthopedic examinations, in childhood, the back may be formed due to different leg lengths or inappropriate shoe sizes.
- Rest on hard or semi-hardbeds. The mattress in the child's bed should be selected according to the sensations. If the child has an unpleasant pain syndrome after waking up, then it is important to choose a softer bed for him, as well as a shoulder-width pillow.
- In order to strengthen the muscular frame of the back well, it is important to move regularly, do physical exercises, play sports.
- During a long stay at the table, it is important to carefully monitor your posture with a flat back, do not stand on one leg for too long, and also do not carry a briefcase on one shoulder.
Medications
The use of medicines helps to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease and other disorders that prevent a person from moving normally and playing sports. To eliminate ailments and improve the general condition, the specialist prescribes drugs aimed at improving blood circulation, anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants. To eliminate the pain syndrome, the anesthetic Novocain is most often used.
Therapeutic exercise
Exercises for gymnastics with a flat back are selected for each patient individually. The main goal of such physical education is to restore the previous mobility of the spine when tilted in different directions, to strengthen the muscles of the shoulders and chest.
Therapeutic physical education and exercises for flat back syndrome are used to eliminate deformity, increase mobility and restore the condition of the spinal column, improve the body's endurance toloads, normalization of the nervous system of the patient. When performing exercises, the doctor does not allow intense arching, as they can only increase the pain syndrome and worsen the general condition.
Professional doctors, together with a set of flat back exercises for treatment, add procedures on the Evminov inclined board, gymnastic stack and other devices that additionally help strengthen the muscles of the body. Also in the treatment it is customary to use massages, breathing exercises and mechanotherapy.
When straightening thoracic kyphosis, the chest is severely damaged, which as a result can lead to the development of problems with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in the body.
To stop the process of contraction of the lungs, specialists often add classes according to Strelnikova and Katarina Schroth to the complex of therapeutic exercises. To strengthen the child's body, you should additionally start engaging in active games, swimming and hiking.
Massage
In the treatment of a flat back, a good effect can be achieved from the use of massage sessions. This procedure improves the metabolic process, restores normal blood circulation, and suppresses pain during movement. At the same time, a professional massage therapist corrects the spinal column, strengthens muscles, improves the functioning of the respiratory system and other important departments.
In this condition, the patient can choose one of the following massage methods:
- Local. This type of massageaffects the joints and muscles, which have the greatest load from exercise. The duration of the procedure varies from 15 to 20 minutes, it is carried out daily.
- General massage is done every week for 30-40 minutes per session.
- Pre-massage. Such a procedure is needed to prepare the muscles and joints for complex physiotherapy exercises. The procedure lasts 10 minutes.
A set of exercises according to Paul Bragg
A set of exercises helps to achieve curvature of individual sections of a flat back. In just 6 months, the patient will be able to stop the development of the pathological process and even completely get rid of it. To do this, the patient only needs to perform 5 exercises. This method of treatment is based on observing dogs and cats who constantly arch their backs when they stretch.
This treatment method is an exercise tailored to the physiological capabilities of a person, without the use of sudden movements.
Begin to carry out physiotherapy exercises should first be with swinging movements, which over time will increase the overall amplitude.
Execution technique
The correctness and duration of the exercise will directly depend on motivation:
- Eliminate pain in the head and lower back, alleviate the condition of the upper back, you can use the following exercise: lie on the floor, face down, palms should be placed under the chest, legs apart shoulder-width apart. Over time, you should raise your torsoup, arch your back and lean on your palms. In this case, the pelvis should be above the head, the limbs are straightened. The number of repetitions in the first times reaches 2-4 times, after this figure increases to 12.
- Strengthen the muscles of the lower back and skeleton, restore the functioning of the kidneys, liver and gallbladder using the following method: the position remains the same as in the previous exercise, but when raising the pelvis in this case, it should be turned first to the right, then to the left.
- You can ease the muscles and relieve heavy load by the following exercise: sit on the floor, put your hands behind your back, lean on them, then you should lift your pelvis up, resting on straightened legs and arms. Raise the torso to a horizontal position, then lower it back.
- You can improve the condition of the spine and spinal nerves with the following exercise: lie on your back, wrap your arms around your body, touching your knees with your chin. In this position, you should fix for 5 seconds, perform 2-4 repetitions.
- Another effective exercise is crawling around the room on all fours. When performing the exercise, the head should be lowered, the back arched, and the pelvis raised.
Additional exercises
Specialists identify other exercises for a flat back, they are performed with leg raises from a prone position:
- Scissors. Straight legs rise up, parted to the sides, then brought together, the right and left legs alternate. The lower the legs are located in relation to the floor, the more difficult it will be to train, but the effect of this can be achieved.much more.
- Bicycle. Limbs in turn lift up, bend and unbend, simulating cycling. Legs need to be twisted first forward, then back.
- Angle. Raise both legs up at once until a right angle is obtained between the torso and legs. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat.
Also, a doctor can prescribe exercises aimed at developing the chest and increasing lumbar lordosis. For example, spinning a hoop helps develop coordination, improve overall balance, and bring all the muscles to work.
With a flat back, gymnastic exercises should be followed in accordance with all the recommendations of a specialist. It is important to remember that with such a back injury, the muscles are constantly in a relaxed state, so exercises help to maintain normal posture and get rid of the syndrome. The most important thing in this case is the regularity of execution.
Additional sources of help
If you do not start correcting your back in time, the syndrome can lead to complications that are dangerous for the he alth of the child. The following treatment methods are distinguished:
- wearing an orthopedic corset, which does not always give a good result, and sometimes weakens the condition of the back muscles even more;
- operation - is appointed only when the curvature of the back axis threatens the life of the child;
- manual therapy - massage, therapeutic exercises and kinesitherapy.
Before fixingflat back, it is important to carefully prepare for the procedure and visit a doctor.
