It turns out that back pain in the lumbar region is very common.
According to biologists, such a symptom is a consequence of our upright posture, in which the load falls mainly on the lumbar region and is not evenly distributed throughout the spine. Pain in the lower back can indicate very serious problems not only in the spine, but also in the internal organs.
If the pain is severe and accompanied by a fever, call an ambulance.
If no such symptoms are observed, then for an accurate diagnosis it is worth contacting a therapist. Let's see why these symptoms occur, how they can be treated and prevented.
The main causes of low back pain.
First, let's find out the reasons for these unpleasant symptoms. The pain can be primary with pathologies of the spine or secondary with diseases of internal organs.
Along with the reasons, it is important to identify the factors that increase the pain syndrome.
Are here:
- Characteristics of the profession: intense physical activity for builders and loaders and weight lifting for athletes.
- Prolonged sitting.
- Sedentary and overweight lifestyle.
- Inadequate nutrition and lack of protein, calcium and phosphorus in the body.
- Bad habits: alcohol and alcoholic beverages.
Even by reducing the impact of these factors, you will noticeably alleviate your condition and the health of your spine.
Primary factors
The primary factors are associated with degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.
These include:
- Osteochondrosis is a change in the cartilage and intervertebral discs that leads to herniated discs or disc deformations.
- Spondylosis is characterized by the formation of bony growths on the vertebrae. With this growth, a spasm of the muscles around the spine occurs, limiting its mobility. The appearance of lesions in the lumbar area.
- Spondyloarthrosis is a degeneration of the articular surfaces of the vertebrae, as well as their participation in the pathological process of ligaments, joints and muscles. In this case, the deformation of the intervertebral discs occurs and the mobility of the spine is also limited.
- Spondylolisthesis is manifested by the displacement of the vertebrae, as a result of which the lumen of the spinal canal changes.
- Herniated discs.
- Radiculopathy is a nerve root injury.
Secondary factors
The secondary ones arise with concomitant pathologies:
- Metabolic problems
- Curvature of the spine.
- When it is located near the spine of malignant formations.
- Infectious diseases: spinal osteomyelitis, tuberculous spondylitis, spinal epidural abscess.
- Spinal injuries.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Painful symptoms of a psychogenic nature.
- Diseases of the digestive system.
- Pelvic organ diseases.
- Menstrual pain.
Also, problems with the spine can be affected by flat feet, that is, flattening of the arch of the foot.
Pregnancy can also cause pain. In the early stages, they appear when progesterone is exposed to the ligaments and muscles, also with the threat of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
After delivery, pain may appear as a result of stretching of the pelvic muscles or with increased tension in the spine, with frequent carrying of the baby in the arms.
What diseases does such pain signal?
The location of the pain is also important.
So, let's look at each case:
- Sore pain to the right and above the lower back may indicate a pathology of the lungs. These symptoms are accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, and fever. Also about gallbladder or liver problems. In this case, the nature of the pain is stabbing;
- if you feel discomfort above your lower back on the left, this may be a sign of pancreatitis, myocardial infarction, pericarditis or pleurisy on the left side;
- pain symptoms in the lumbar region indicate osteochondrosis in this area, intervertebral hernias and compression fractures;
- a symptom of pain under the lower back, radiating to the lower abdomen, is a sign of diseases of the pelvic organs. Such diseases include fibroids, endometriosis, prostate disease, colon disease, and infectious gynecological diseases. It can also indicate that the kidneys are out of order.
Which doctor will help you?
Most of the time, back pain occurs temporarily. Only in rare cases, such symptoms indicate complex diseases.
In any case, it is worth knowing which doctor can help in such a situation. Acute pain often occurs with increased physical exertion.
In other cases, you can seek help from a surgeon, urologist, or even a chiropractor who will make a more accurate diagnosis and prescribe rather than treat a similar problem.
Also, with such pains, you may need to consult a traumatologist, orthopedist, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist, proctologist, or gynecologist.
Treatment characteristics
Depending on the causes of back pain, the doctor prescribes the following therapy options:
- drug treatment with analgesics and hormones;
- locks, which are injections into the intervertebral joints;
- manual techniques;
- physiotherapy procedures;
- physiotherapy;
- acupuncture.
If conservative treatment does not help, surgery is used.
In the treatment of herniated disc against the background of osteochondrosis, physiotherapeutic methods are used in addition to the main treatment.
Healing blocks are used when other methods do not give the desired effect. Most of the time, anesthetics are injected into the lumen of the affected joint for this.
Acupuncture is recommended for disc bulges, osteochondrosis, or hernias. If the pain radiates to the leg, physical therapy is also used.
Wearing a special corset allows you to restrict movement in the lower back. This helps reduce pain in the area of joint inflammation.
For back pain, the doctor may give the following recommendations:
- Rest in bed on a hard surface for 2-5 days.
- Wearing a special bandage.
- The use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.
- To get rid of muscle spasm, muscle relaxants are prescribed. Special medications are also used to help relax the muscles.
- To improve blood circulation and reduce edema, vascular and diuretic drugs are used.
- All kinds of gels and ointments are used as local therapy.
- To consolidate the positive result, physiotherapy procedures are prescribed. This can be electrophoresis, phonophoresis, and magnetotherapy.
Physiotherapy and special massages help improve blood circulation, relieve muscle tension and eliminate inflammation.
If the pain in the lower back is not associated with complex diseases, then yoga will help alleviate the condition.
You can do these exercises at home and they don't take long.
Hypothermic pain
Did you know that hypothermia is a common cause of back pain? In this case, you don't even need to freeze, just sweat and go under the air conditioner.
In this case, the hot surface of the body will come into contact with a stream of cold air. And the next day it will be difficult to straighten or lift.
In such a situation, the pain becomes constant and painful.
First of all, you need to warm up your back. A warming ointment is suitable for this. If there is no remedy, regular alcohol will also help. After rubbing, the lower back should be wrapped in something warm.
A similar procedure is carried out every day. In case of severe pain, it is worth seeking the help of a doctor. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to relieve pain.
If you suffer from hypothermia often, get a belt made of sheep's or dog's wool.
What to do with lumbar lumbago?
Such pain occurs with intense physical exertion. A sharp pain appears that passes to the leg when using any weight.
A similar symptom is characteristic of lumbosacral radiculitis, which is called lumbago or lumbago. In such a situation, you need to lie on a hard surface.
Take a pain reliever to ease the pain.
Remember that with such signs, you cannot take a hot bath or take a steam bath. In this case, dry heat will help more.
For example, a special ointment. It is also advisable to limit your intake of salt and fluids for several days.
What will help with a hernia?
With a hernia, there is a sharp, constant pain that increases with any movement. Relief comes only in the supine position.
You may also feel numbness in the lower back. To relieve pain, you should take bed rest and pain relievers. Then you need to call a doctor.
In the acute period, serious and qualified treatment is needed.
What to do for prevention?
Do not wait for severe pain to appear, start taking preventive measures.
Are here:
- Identification and treatment of concomitant diseases that can cause low back pain.
- Proper nutrition with sufficient amounts of phosphorus, calcium, and other vitamins.
- Strenuous physical exertion and heavy lifting should be avoided. In this case, the load must be evenly distributed. Do not make sudden movements.
- Lead an active lifestyle. Go for a walk, swim, or yoga.
- Take therapeutic massage courses from time to time.
- When you're sedentary, take a break every hour and get some exercise.
- The bed should be comfortable, for example with an orthopedic mattress.
For prevention, you can use special elastic belts, posture correctors or bandages.
These devices are recommended for pregnancy and heavy physical exertion.
It is important to control your weight, as a large body weight increases the load on the spine. Get rid of bad habits and also get a routine checkup every year.
Physiotherapy
Exercise at home to strengthen your back muscles and prevent pain. Exercise should be done regularly.
A well-designed set of exercises will help improve posture, increase muscle tone, and also activate blood circulation.
In such a complex, you can use the following movements:
- the body leans in different directions. First from left to right, and then back and forth;
- turns of the body to the sides;
- on the knee - in the elbow position, you need to bend your back up and down;
- lying on the back with the legs bent at the knees, the pelvis is raised;
- From a prone position, the straight legs should be bent at the knees and pulled toward the chest.
Do each exercise 8 to 10 times.
Do not ignore the symptoms of pain in the lumbar region, go to the doctor and take preventive measures that will help you normalize your well-being and strengthen your health.