Many people on this planet have experienced lower back pain at least once.According to statistics, only 10% of the population does not know what pain in the lower back is.In recent years, lumbago in the lumbar region began to appear in patients at a young age, not only after intense physical activity, but also with various diseases.
Species
Isolated cases of lower back pain usually do not cause concern.Frequent hypothermia, hard work, and heavy lifting can trigger destructive changes in the spine.The occurrence of pain is a sign of the development of a pathological process that must be treated to maintain full motor ability.
Knowing the nature and intensity will help you find out why unpleasant sensations appear.Accurate determination of pathology will help in prescribing effective treatment to eliminate pain.
Depending on the duration of the action, lower back pain can:
- acute – occurring suddenly, accompanied by high intensity, duration of symptoms not exceeding thirty days, and often painful in nature;
- chronic – the patient worries for more than six months, the pain is constant, not severe, indicating a long process in the body;
- periodic - appears during the acute stage, disappears completely with the arrival of the remission period;
- Constant pain accompanies many conditions that require immediate treatment, these can be pathologies of the spine, nervous system, vascular damage, and oncological tumors.
A person may feel pain at one point or all over the back.Based on the location, one can distinguish local pain, which does not go beyond the border of the lesion, or general pain, which covers the entire lower back.
Sometimes the pain spreads to the lower limbs, causing a forced position when moving.These symptoms occur with serious disorders of the spine.The nature of the reflected pain occurs in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or gynecological problems.
Reason
Non-pathological etiologies may include severe back pain after prolonged physical activity.The accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles produces a painful effect that disappears on its own after a few days.
Main reasons:
- Dystrophic changes in the cartilage tissue of the lumbosacral vertebrae (osteochondrosis) are complicated by the proliferation of bone tissue and the loss of flat cartilage elasticity.Lower back pain worsens when the intervertebral disc changes shape, the complication is intervertebral herniation.This condition causes increased pain that spreads to the hip and is sometimes reflected in the ankle area.
- Traumatic injury due to impact or fall.
- Shortening of one limb is observed in coxarthrosis of the second and third degree, after injury or surgery, individual characteristics at birth, and high grade scoliosis.
- Hypothermia leads to myositis.The phenomenon of inflammation in muscle fibers causes widespread and persistent pain.
- Radiculitis is a neurological pathology based on inflammation of the root of one of the spinal nerves.A sharp pain that suddenly pierced the patient, forcing him to bend over.
- Scoliotic curvature of the spine.
- Thrombophlebitis is damage to the vessel wall with the formation of blood clots;with this pathology, the effects of pain are also observed in the lower limbs.
- Advanced form of atherosclerosis with circulatory disorders.
- Inflammatory kidney disease.
- Gynecological pathology, the pain originates in the lower abdomen and spreads to the lower back.
- Hormonal disturbances in the body in women during menopause.
- Inflammation of the prostate gland in men.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Infectious diseases: tuberculosis, brucellosis and some others.
- Pancreatitis and cholecystitis cause referred pain in the lower back.
- Malignant neoplasm in the lumbosacral region or abdominal cavity.
Diagnostic steps
Understanding why your lower back hurts is important to lasting pain relief.An experienced doctor should carry out the diagnosis.At the appointment, the medical history is collected, complaints are heard and the patient's ancestry is explained.
Visualization and palpation are carried out to identify the deformed area of the spine and localize the most painful place in the lower back.
To verify the assumption, the following procedure is carried out:
- laboratory analysis of blood and urine to determine possible inflammation in the body;
- biochemical blood tests for indicators of possible rheumatological factors;
- An X-ray examination of the spine will determine the presence of a hernia or protrusion;
- ultrasound examination of blood vessels and pelvic organs;
- computed tomography of the spinal column;
- An examination by an infectious disease specialist, rheumatologist, phthisiatrician or gynecologist is scheduled if necessary.
Treatment
Taking painkillers will have a short-term effect, after which the back pain will return.Treatment measures should consist of a set of primary and additional treatment procedures.
A sudden attack requires immediate help.Actions to help alleviate the situation:
- take painkillers;
- wrap the lumbar area tightly to make compression on the sore spot;
- contact a medical professional for qualified help.
At the moment of acute pain, if there is no accurate diagnosis, it is forbidden to try to heat the painful lower back so that the inflammation does not increase.It is not recommended to carry out therapeutic massage sessions and manual therapy during exacerbations.
Medicines
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will relieve back pain and eliminate inflammation by controlling body temperature.Only a doctor can prescribe medicine.Uncontrolled use of non-hormonal painkillers leads to irritation of the gastric mucosa.Taking a drug that inhibits the secretion of gastric acid half an hour before the NSAID will prevent the pathological condition.
- Glucocorticosteroids are prescribed for severe inflammatory reactions.
- Diuretics will relieve swelling by removing excess fluid, which will reduce pain.
- Muscle relaxants will relieve spasms and relax skeletal muscles.
- Chondroprotectors to prevent destruction of the spine.
- Antibiotics for inflammation of internal organs.This pharmacological group disrupts the balance of intestinal microflora.Probiotics will help prevent the appearance of dysbiosis.
- To strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
Local treatment
Medicines intended for local treatment will help relieve pain.Ointments and creams for external use may contain active ingredients: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers, viper, cobra, viper, scorpion venom.
Patches with a medical base are easy to use during the day.The pepper paste is applied directly to the lower back, and in a few hours there is a uniform therapeutic effect on the painful area.
Kinesio tape is a type of pain reliever.Taping gives an immediate effect;if done correctly, it can stay on the skin for up to 5 days, providing lasting pain relief.
Orthopedic products include wearing a rigid lumbosacral corset.The bandage is designed for static loads, provides support for the lumbar region, and relieves pain due to compression.For radiculitis, a warming corset with dog, camel, or llama hair is prescribed.
Physiotherapy
Phonophoresis with lidocaine provides rapid symptom relief by rapidly penetrating the strong anesthetic into the deep subcutaneous layer.The safe method does not have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract, which is an additional advantage.
Massage is effective during the painless period.After the course, blood circulation improves, the muscular system becomes toned, and mobility in the lumbar region improves.
Acupuncture allows you to use acupuncture on specific points for treatment and prevention purposes.The Kuznetsov applicator is suitable for home use.Plastic needles increase blood flow and trigger a natural pain relief process.
Magnetic therapy is used to treat many diseases, including osteochondrosis, vascular pathology, and gynecological diseases.The pulsed current penetrates 7 cm under the skin, reaching the damaged area.The therapeutic effect is cumulative, achieved at the end of the first course and maintained until the next session.
Prevention
To keep your lower back healthy, you need to follow the well-known rules:
- lead an active lifestyle;
- avoid heavy loads during professional activities, during sports training, and weight lifting;
- wearing a lumbosacral corset for dynamic loads when the spine is tense;
- wearing orthotics to provide shock absorption while walking;
- eat right and monitor your weight so that extra pounds do not contribute to the development of additional diseases;
- Seek advice from a medical professional if suspicious symptoms appear.