Back Myositis - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Back myositis

Back myositis is an inflammation of the muscle fibers of the back with impairment of their functioning, contractility, blood circulation and nutrition. The disease can be provoked by multiple factors, it can have a mild, moderate and severe course, it can be acute and chronic.

The following back muscles may be involved in the inflammatory process:

• Trapezoidal;
• The widest;
• Diamond-shaped;
• Serratus posterior (upper and lower);
• Muscle that straightens the spine.

Back myositis can occur at almost any age, in any person. It was found that people of the following specialties are more susceptible to the disease: drivers, athletes, office workers, PC operators.

Content:

• Back myositis symptoms
• Causes of myositis of the back
• Treatment of myositis of the back

Back myositis symptoms

The symptoms of myositis of the back are primarily reduced to the occurrence of pain. The pain is sometimes so intense that it restricts a person's movements, forcing him to take uncharacteristic postures. The pain tends to increase on palpation, during palpation, muscle cords can be found.

Muscle pain occurs with any form of myositis of the back, other symptoms may vary slightly:

• Purulent myositis is accompanied by severe symptoms. The pains become intense, pulsating, swelling increases in the affected area. The body temperature rises, signs of intoxication of the body join: headache, chills, leukocytosis, muscle cramps are possible. In this case, the symptoms are growing rapidly and require immediate medical attention.
• Chronic myositis does not manifest itself clearly, it can be expressed in mild periodic pain in various parts of the back. The maximum intensity of pain is observed in the morning hours, when a person has been immobilized for a long time or when he slept in an uncomfortable position. If chronic myositis is not treated, it threatens the development of more serious forms of the disease: polymyositis, myositis ossifying.

• Infectious myositis of the back manifests itself in characteristic pain and an increase in body temperature against the background of a concomitant disease, or develops immediately after its completion. Diseases that more often than others provoke myositis of the muscles of the back are severe flu, SARS, tonsillitis, tonsillitis. It will be possible to get rid of the symptoms of infectious myositis of the back only after eliminating its root cause.
• Myositis of the muscles of the back, caused by parasitic invasions, is expressed in pain, in tension of the muscles of the back, in their swelling. Sometimes, against the background of toxic poisoning of the body, the body temperature may slightly rise, a blood test reveals leukocytosis. In addition, myositis has an undulating course, which is associated with the cyclicality of the life of parasites.
• Ossifying myositis can develop in the muscles of the back if it is the result of an injury. In this case, only those dorsal muscles that are located near the site of injury, sprain, fracture, etc. will be affected. In this case, the person experiences pain, muscle weakness. Over time, the formation of calcifications occurs, which will need to be removed surgically.

Separately, polymyositis and dermatomyositis should be noted, since they have a certain effect on the muscles of the back.

With polymyositis, not only the back muscles are involved in the pathological process, but also other muscle groups. The main symptom of this type of disease is both muscle soreness and increasing weakness. Over time, they atrophy, tendon reflexes disappear. In parallel, the heart muscle, blood vessels, skin, and lungs can be involved in the inflammation process.

Symptoms characteristic of dermatomyositis are the appearance of heliotropic rashes of a bright red or burgundy color. In addition, there is weakness in the muscles of the shoulder girdle and other skeletal and smooth muscles. The patient, as the disease progresses, will find it difficult to perform elementary movements: climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, just walking.

Causes of myositis of the back

The causes of myositis of the back can be very different, but most often the disease develops due to a past viral infection - influenza and ARVI. Bacterial and fungal agents cause inflammation less frequently. Microorganisms are able to influence the muscles of the back both directly and through the secreted toxins.

Other reasons for the development of myositis of the back include:

• Back injuries (bruises, cuts, fractures, sprains);
• Parasitic invasions, while in addition to the toxic-allergic effect on muscles, some parasites are able to lay eggs right inside the fibers;
• Physical overstrain, which is often observed with improperly selected workouts, or with non-compliance with the exercise technique;
• Being in an uncomfortable position for a long time, which is often provoked by the costs of professional activity;
• Hypothermia of the body as a whole, being in a draft, which is especially dangerous in combination with overstrain of the back muscles;
• Disorders of metabolic processes, which is often observed in diseases of bone tissue, in diseases of the joints, with hernias of the spinal column;
• Muscle cramps;
• Taking certain medications: statins, alpha interferon, plaquenil, colchicine;
• Alcohol and drug abuse.

A separate reason leading to the development of myositis of any muscles is autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleradema. In this case, the disease is rather difficult and requires high-quality, long-term treatment.

Treatment of myositis of the back

Treatment of myositis of the back must begin with the need to establish the cause of its occurrence.

Depending on this, the therapy will be as follows:

• With bacterial myositis, antibacterial agents are prescribed. Most often these are protected penicillins (Amoxiclav), cephalosporins (Cefotaxime), or macrolides (Erythromycin, Azithromycin).
• With parasitic myositis, it is necessary to take anthelmintic drugs (Albendazole, Mebendazole) and antihistamines (Suprastin, Diphenhydramine, Desloratadin, Loratadin).
• If myositis is caused by autoimmune disorders, it is necessary to take immunosuppressants (Azathioprine, Methotrexate, Cyclosporin) and glucocorticoids (Prednisolone, Methylprednisolone, etc.).

During the acute stage of the disease, patients are advised to adhere to bed rest, limit physical activity on the sore muscle. If there is an increase in body temperature, then it is necessary to use antipyretic drugs.

Pain can be relieved with the help of analgesics, and inflammation by taking drugs from the NSAID group (Diclofenac, Ketonal, Nurofen, etc.).

Warming ointments, such as Nikoflex, Finalgon, Apizartron, etc., are effective for eliminating the symptoms of myositis of the back. They have a relaxing effect, relieve tension and pain.

It is possible to visit a massage therapist's office, perform physiotherapy complexes, undergo physiotherapy. However, massage, application of ointments and exercise therapy is strictly prohibited with purulent myositis of the back. An excellent effect in myositis of the back is given by paraffin applications, UHF, galvanic currents.

The purulent form of the disease requires opening and drainage of the pathological focus, followed by the administration of antibacterial drugs.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.