The old man sat for a long time playing mahjong, and his waist and back were sore and painful! He was actually "targeted" by this disease!

Uncle Zhang has been suffering from soreness and pain in his back and waist after frequent long periods of sitting and playing mahjong. Some of the symptoms can be relieved after resting, but he did not pay enough attention to it. The pain gradually worsened and he could not even sleep at night, which seriously affected his daily life. So he went to the Hunan Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine) to seek treatment from Deputy Chief Physician Feng Shuaihua in the Spine Surgery Clinic. The MRI of the lumbar spine showed that Uncle Zhang had lumbar myofasciitis. After treatment with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, his symptoms were significantly alleviated. Today we will learn about the causes and consequences of lumbar myofasciitis.

1. What is lumbar myofasciitis?

Myofasciitis is common in the back and waist, and is a common clinical disease that is easily ignored or misdiagnosed. It is caused by cold, dampness, and chronic strain, which causes edema, exudation, and fibrosis of the fascia and muscle tissue in the back and waist, resulting in a series of clinical symptoms.

Acute attacks may manifest as referred pain, which worsens after changing body position. Pressing the pain point may cause conductive pain in the buttocks and thighs. In severe cases, muscle spasms may occur. Chronic pain may manifest as a slow onset, with dull pain at first, followed by gradual intensification. It may be relieved after activity or massage, and the pain may worsen again after fatigue.

2. What are the common causes of the disease?

1. History of trauma

Many patients have a history of trauma to varying degrees, resulting in tearing and bleeding of the waist muscles and fascia. Failure to receive timely treatment or improper treatment causes local soft tissue adhesion, which in turn forms one or several trigger points.

2. Chronic strain

Long-term bending over, sitting for long periods of time at work, and poor posture can cause tissue edema and adhesion, resulting in symptoms similar to acute injuries. For example, Uncle Zhang, who came to the hospital for this visit, suffered from this condition due to long-term sitting.

3. Environmental factors

Due to the damp living environment, wading in the rain, alternating hot and cold weather, etc., the wind, cold and dampness invade the human body, causing tissue metabolism disorders, tissue adhesions and contractures, and symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the invasion of wind, cold and dampness and blood stasis due to fatigue are the external causes of this disease, while kidney deficiency and fatigue are the internal causes of this disease.

4. Physical factors

It is generally believed that patients with low resistance or developmental deformities are weak and have poor immune function; or congenital variations (deformities) of the lumbar sacral spine; or degenerative spinal diseases (bone hyperplasia) are prone to induce lumbar myofasciitis.

3. How to correctly treat lumbar and back myofasciitis?

1. General physical therapy

General physical therapy mainly includes scientific waist and back muscle training, physical massage, and thermal therapy (various hot baths, infrared, ultrashort waves, microwaves, shock waves, etc.). It is the basic treatment for myofasciitis and has a good effect on pain relief. Many mild to moderate patients can be cured by persisting in physical therapy.

2. Drug treatment

Oral or topical use of some anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-edema and antispasmodic drugs can quickly relieve symptoms and improve quality of life, especially for patients in the acute phase. Local pain point injection therapy is also effective for many patients, but care must be taken to prevent possible complications.

3. Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment

Traditional Chinese medicine has great characteristics and advantages in the treatment of lumbar myofasciitis. It has been clinically confirmed that many Chinese medicines for internal use, external application (muscle relaxation and pain relief prescriptions), and targeted penetration of Chinese medicine (analgesic prescriptions) can achieve the purpose of reducing swelling, inflammation, and relieving spasms and pain. Traditional Chinese medicine cups, finger acupressure, and acupuncture treatments are also effective for many patients.

4. Interventional or surgical treatment

Patients with stubborn or long-term uncured diseases can consider this method, such as acupuncture, radio frequency or surgical therapy, which can have a good effect on more serious lumbar myofasciitis, but the surgical indications should be strictly controlled.

4. Rehabilitation and prevention of lumbar fasciitis

1. Avoid being in a humid and cold environment for a long time, and pay attention to keeping your waist and back warm.

2. Pay attention to safety at ordinary times and avoid trauma to the lumbar spine. If acute lumbar muscle injury occurs, you should actively seek treatment and get enough rest to avoid it turning into chronic strain.

3. When doing sports, you should do warm-up exercises and wear protective gear to protect your lumbar spine when necessary. You should regularly perform back and waist muscle function exercises, such as five-point support and flying swallow movements.

4. Avoid bending over for too long, bending over a desk too low, etc. Do not stay in the same posture for a long time and do not overwork. You should combine work and rest. It is recommended to get up and walk around to stretch your muscles after sitting for 1-2 hours.

5. Eat in moderation, control your weight, and reduce the pressure on your waist.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Peng Zhifei, Department of Orthopedics II (Spinal Surgery), Hunan Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

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(Edited by YT)