Back pain when breathing

Breathing is a vital process for humans, which cannot be dispensed with under any circumstances. Therefore, despite back pain when breathing, care should be taken not to keep breathing shallow so that the body is supplied with sufficient oxygen. The respiration-related pain can have various causes.

In the case of a severe cold or bronchitis, breathing in and out can cause temporary back pain. If these get worse or do not improve, a doctor should be consulted to clarify possible causes. However, injuries to the ribs or spine caused by violence can also lead to respiratory back pain.

Since the back muscles, as well as the abdominal and respiratory muscles have their attachment to the spine, there is a close connection here. If the back muscles are damaged, they are moved passively by breathing, which can lead to pain. Inflammation of the muscles (myositis) can also become noticeable through pain when breathing.

This can be caused by an undersupply of oxygen to the muscles and should be treated as soon as possible in order to preserve the muscles. The pleura, which surrounds both lungs, can become inflamed in the course of pneumonia or due to other influences. This inflammation (pleuritis) can cause severe pain, which is usually stronger when inhaled than when exhaled. Respiratory back pain is treated with painkillers in the acute state and then, depending on the cause, appropriate therapy is carried out.

Treatment of back pain

Since back pain can have many different causes, it is first necessary to narrow down the cause as precisely as possible in order to be able to treat it accordingly. When choosing the appropriate therapy, the extent of the pain and the possible impairments or paralysis should be taken into account. Painkillers (e.g. ibuprofen) are usually used to relieve acute back pain.

Although these are freely available in pharmacies, they should not be taken without medical advice, especially in cases of permanent back pain. Also anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g.B. Paracetamol) can help against acute pain.

In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs, for example cortisone, can be injected directly into the painful region with the help of a cortisone syringe to achieve a rapid improvement in pain. If the pain is very severe, opioids may have to be used for a few weeks. These have an anesthetic effect and can be combined with anti-inflammatory drugs.

Back pain often leads to tension due to a relieving posture, which can cause additional pain. Muscle-relaxing medications, so-called muscle relaxants, help to counteract this. These are rarely prescribed by a doctor, however, as they have strong side effects and can lead to temporary unfitness to drive, among other things.

Although back pain brings with it a certain amount of restraint and restriction in many activities, sufficient exercise is nevertheless important for the healing process. Sitting or standing for too long and heavy lifting should be avoided, but light activities should still be performed as far as possible. Back pain is often caused by instability of the spine or a permanent incorrect load.

Therefore, physiotherapy is often part of the standard therapy for back pain. Since the spine is not only held by the back muscles but also by the abdominal muscles, shoulder and neck muscles and hip muscles, the goal of physiotherapy is to stabilize this entire holding apparatus in order to achieve optimal support for the back. But massages can also be part of physiotherapy.

This releases tension and promotes blood circulation to relieve pain. In addition, heat patches, e.g. ThermaCare®, can help to relax the muscles. In the case of inflammatory processes, however, we usually find cold to be more pleasant, so that cold therapy (cryotherapy) is recommended.

In addition, electrotherapy can be used, in which electrical currents are applied from the outside to stimulate blood circulation and initiate the healing process. Furthermore, the so-called Blackroll, a self-massage roll, can also provide relief for back pain. Another option for mild back pain is to apply some horse ointment to the affected area to treat the symptoms.

For chronic back pain that has no apparent cause and lasts longer than 12 weeks, multimodal therapy should be initiated. This means that doctors, pain therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists work together to identify and treat a possible psycho-social cause. In the long run, in the case of back pain, care should be taken to ensure that the workplace in particular is designed to be back-ergonomic.

It is often helpful to have desks that are adjustable in height so that parts of the work can be done standing up. If there is back pain due to a herniated disc and the conservative methods do not lead to pain relief, surgery should be considered. There are different methods possible.