Many people on the 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.
The types
Isolated cases of back pain usually do not cause concern.Frequent hypothermia, hard work and heavy lifting can provoke destructive changes in the spine.The appearance of pain is a sign of the development of a pathological process that must be treated to maintain full motor ability.
Discovering the nature and intensity will help you understand why the unpleasant sensations appear.An accurate diagnosis of the pathology will help determine an effective treatment to eliminate the pain.
Depending on the duration of the action, back pain can be:
- acute - appears suddenly, is accompanied by high intensity, the duration of the symptom does not exceed thirty days and is often painful in nature;
- chronic - the patient is worried for more than six months, the pain is constant, not strong, signals old processes in the body;
- periodic - appears during the acute phase, 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 can feel pain in one point or in the whole back.Based on the location, one can distinguish local pain, which does not extend beyond the borders of the lesion, or generalized pain, which covers the entire lower back.
Sometimes the pain spreads to the lower limb, causing a forced position during movement.This symptom appears with serious disorders in the spine.The reflected nature of pain occurs in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or gynecological problems.
reason
Non-pathological etiology may include severe pain in the lower back after prolonged physical activity.The accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles produces a painful effect that goes away 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 elasticity of flattened cartilage.Pain in the lower back worsens when the intervertebral disc is deformed, a complication of which is an intervertebral hernia.This condition causes increased pain that spreads to the groin and is sometimes reflected in the ankle area.
- Traumatic injuries due to impact or fall.
- Shortening of a limb is observed in coxarthrosis of the second and third degree, after injury or surgery, individual characteristics at birth and high degree scoliosis.
- Hypothermia leads to myositis.Inflammatory phenomena in the muscle fibers cause widespread and persistent pain.
- Radiculitis is a neurological pathology based on inflammation of the root of one of the spinal nerves.A sudden sharp pain pierces the patient, forcing him to bend over.
- Scoliosis curvature of the spine.
- Thrombophlebitis is damage to the wall of blood vessels with the formation of a blood clot;with this pathology, a pain effect is also observed in the lower limb.
- Advanced forms of atherosclerosis with blood circulation disorders.
- Inflammatory kidney diseases.
- Gynecological pathologies, pain originates in the lower abdomen and spreads to the lower back.
- Hormonal disorders 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 provoke pain referred to the lower back.
- Malignant neoplasms in the lumbosacral region or abdominal cavity.
Diagnostic measures
Understanding why your lower back hurts is important for permanent pain relief.An experienced doctor should make the diagnosis.At the meeting, a medical history is collected, complaints are heard and the patient's heritage is clarified.
Visualization and palpation are performed to identify deformed areas in the spine and to locate the most painful place in the lower back.
To confirm the assumption, the following procedures are performed:
- laboratory analysis of blood and urine to determine possible inflammation in the body;
- Biochemical blood test for indicators of a possible rheumatological factor;
- 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 spine;
- If necessary, an examination by an infectious disease specialist, rheumatologist, phthisiatrician or gynecologist is scheduled.
Treatment
Taking painkillers will have a short-term effect, after which the back pain will return.Treatment measures should consist of a series of primary and auxiliary treatment procedures.
A sudden attack requires immediate help.Actions to help alleviate the condition:
- take a pain reliever;
- tightly wrap the waist area to create compression in the injured area;
- contact a medical specialist for qualified help.
At the moment of acute pain, if there is no correct diagnosis, it is forbidden to try to warm the lower part of the injured back so that the inflammation does not increase.It is not recommended to perform a session of therapeutic massage and manual therapy during an exacerbation.
MEDICINES
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will relieve back pain and eliminate inflammation by regulating body temperature.Only a doctor can prescribe medications.Uncontrolled use of non-hormonal sedatives leads to irritation of the gastric mucosa.Taking a drug that inhibits the secretion of gastric acid half an hour before NSAIDs 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 in the spine.
- Antibiotics for inflammation of internal organs.This pharmacological group disrupts the balance of intestinal microflora.Probiotics will help prevent the occurrence 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 pain relievers, viper, cobra, viper, scorpion venom.
Medicated patches are suitable for use during the day.The pepper patch is applied directly to the lower back and within a few hours it has a uniform therapeutic effect on the injured area.
Kinesio tape is a type of pain relief.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 area and relieves pain due to compression.For radiculitis, heating corsets with dog, camel or llama hair are prescribed.
Physiotherapy
Phonophoresis with lidocaine provides rapid relief of symptoms by quickly penetrating a strong anesthetic into the deep subcutaneous layers.The safe method does not have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract, which is an additional advantage.
Massage is effective during the pain-free period.After the course, blood circulation improves, the muscular system is toned and mobility in the waist area is improved.
Acupuncture allows you to apply acupuncture to specific points for treatment and prevention purposes.The Kuznetsov applicator is perfect for home use.Plastic needles increase blood flow and stimulate natural pain relief processes.
Magnetic therapy is used to treat many diseases, including osteochondrosis, vascular pathologies and gynecological diseases.The pulse current penetrates 7 cm under the skin, reaching the damaged areas.The therapeutic effect is cumulative, it is achieved at the end of the first course and is preserved until the next session.
Preventing
To keep your lower back healthy, you will need to follow the well-known rules:
- lead an active lifestyle;
- avoid heavy loads during professional activities, during sports training and lifting weights;
- wear a lumbosacral corset for dynamic loads when the spine is tense;
- wear orthotics to provide shock absorption while walking;
- eat properly 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 occur.