When a person has persistent or acute back pain in the lumbar region, it is very difficult to do anything. It is an exhausting, debilitating sensation that leads to irritability and anger. And there can be many reasons for pain. They are not always associated with pathology of the joints or bones, but may indicate abnormalities in the internal organs. Particularly attentive to such sensations should be women, whose back pain is often accompanied by dangerous gynecological pathologies.
Causes and nature of pain
Despite the fact that there are root causes for every type of pain, the nature of the sensations may not always indicate 100% of a particular disease. Violations in the human body can be masked with various signs.
Low back pain is characterized by the following characteristics:
- Acute discomfort. The patient has difficulty moving, symptoms appear suddenly, radiate to the lower extremities. Acute pain is typical of injuries, vertebral compression, bone diseases, for example, with tumors, Cushing's syndromes, and multiple myeloma. Dislocation of the vertebrae is also associated with acute pain.
- It's a dull ache. It develops mainly with muscle spasms, spinal hernias, radiculitis and osteochondrosis. But it can occur with pathology of the genitourinary system, kidneys, intestines and other organs. Radiculitis is divided into 2 diseases: lumbago with vertebral displacement and sciatic nerve pain, in which the nerve endings are affected and lumbago appears. Very often painful aches appear with kidney pathology.
- Periodic pain of a different nature. They arise mainly against the background of excessive physical exercise, especially with prolonged inactivity and lack of warmth before playing sports. At the same time, recurrent pain can be reflected and radiated if connected to organs.
- Persistent pain. They are mainly associated with varicose veins and other vascular pathologies, muscular dystrophy, degenerative bone and cartilage diseases, as well as inflammation in these elements. Getting rid of persistent symptoms is extremely difficult.
- Shooting pains. Sharp, sudden and very strong sensations, which are accompanied by prolonged and unpleasant pain behind the lumbago. They develop against the background of careless movements, excessive stress, as well as under the influence of factors such as hypothermia.
- Radiant pain. Mainly associated with diseases of the kidneys, pelvic organs, genitourinary system. They can be abdominal pain, stones, as well as pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, including gallbladder diseases, ulcers, tumors, and pancreatic pathologies. In men, diseases of the testicles and prostate are often the cause, and in women - ectopic pregnancy, diseases of the uterus and ovaries, cysts.
With the position of pain mainly on the right, abnormalities in the liver may be suspected.
Other reasons why the lower back hurts
Among the pathologies that lead to pain in the lower back, can be distinguished diseases in which the symptoms are vague, can be weak or sharp, rare or permanent:
- osteochondrosis - refers to degenerative forms of the disorder, in which the intervertebral disc becomes inflamed, loosening of the bone surface and damage to nerve endings;
- elongation and intervertebral hernia are diseases that become stages 2-3 of osteochondrosis;
- scoliosis - a curvature of the spine to the left or right can cause very unpleasant sensations against the background of a decrease in muscle and skeletal functions;
- ankylosing spondylitis - a chronic autoimmune change in the joints of the spine, leading to loss of mobility;
- rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the large and small joints, which has many causes;
- bone infections, including bone tuberculosis, as well as infectious processes within the organs;
- pancreatitis, adhesions in the digestive tract after surgery, appendicitis, cholecystitis;
- pyelonephritis, kidney stones and abdominal pain;
- Benign and malignant tumors of organs, tissues and bones, which suppress nerve endings in the lumbar region.
Painful sensations can provoke muscle spasms, leading to cooling symptoms, as well as cramps caused by injury or sudden movements.
Characteristics of causes in women and men
In women, attractive and sometimes acute painful sensations may develop during mid-cycle ovulation. These symptoms go away quickly and do not cause serious discomfort. For some women, the pain appears after an abortion, which is known to be very stressful for the woman's health. Low back pain can last for a long time and is often associated with inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs. This occurs against the background of incorrect procedure and severe trauma to the walls of the uterus.
In women, low back pain can be caused by inflammation of the appendages and ovaries, intensely growing uterine fibroids, large cysts, as well as ovarian hemorrhage, endometritis, and endometriosis. Sometimes such a concern occurs during menopause, which is accompanied by a sharp change in hormonal balance.
In men, in addition to prostate and prostate cancer, back pain can present with epididymitis - inflammation in the epididymis, but the main symptoms are localized in the groin area.
Diagnostic methods
Before undergoing diagnosis and prescribing treatment for spinal lumbodynia, you should visit an experienced specialist - a vertebrologist or orthopedist. But it is the vertebrologist who deals with spinal diseases and knows everything about the effective therapy of these disorders.
After examination, palpation, collection of information about the patient, the doctor will prescribe several diagnostic methods:
- X-ray. With the help of an X-ray, doctors identify the stage of osteochondrosis and other degenerative processes in the spine. X-rays clearly show osteophyte growth and allow you to measure the distance between the vertebrae.
- MRI of the spine. Detects pathological changes in discs, vertebrae and joints, as well as in surrounding soft tissues. MRI easily shows osteochondrosis and spondyloarthritis even in the early stages.
- Myelography. A technique that uses a contrast agent, which helps in the detection of vascular pathologies, tumors, as well as narrowing of the spinal canal, abscesses and other similar changes.
Urine and blood are also prescribed to rule out diseases of the internal organs and to identify inflammatory processes. Sometimes a diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract is required, including enzymes of the liver, pancreas, and gastric juice.
Diagnosis for back pain helps to distinguish some diseases from others and allows you to choose the right treatment tactics. At home, just from the symptoms, it is impossible to understand which disease leads to pain.
How to relieve back pain
Regardless of the cause of the pain, the patient will be prescribed medications from the following groups to relieve the unpleasant symptoms (at the doctor's choice):
- Analgesics. They do not help all patients and act mainly on weak sources of pain.
- NSAIDs. Powerful pain relievers, which are taken in courses. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Hormonal agents. Apply within 6-10 days, they include.
- Injections and blockages. Combination drugs are often used in combination with glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics.
- Muscle relaxants. They help with muscle spasms as well as osteochondrosis and other disorders when there is muscle pain.
- Current products. Pain relievers, warming creams, gels and patches should also be used only when indicated.
In some cases, especially in the severe stages of joint or bone pathologies, several groups of drugs are used.
The doctor should prescribe medications, especially complex ones like glucocorticosteroids or hormonal blockers. Only strict adherence to the instructions and recommendations, systematic and strict administration of drugs in the prescribed dose will help to remove the unpleasant sensations.
Characteristics of treatment depending on the type of pain
For the treatment of low back pain to be effective, it is important to consider its nature. For any disorder and disease, the pain can be of one nature or another.
Treatment of myofascial pain
This is the name for pain associated with muscle spasms or spasms. They develop against the background of excessive load, improper weight lifting, as well as with the wrong approach to exercises. Myofascial pain may appear due to prolonged standing in an uncomfortable position, when carrying bags in one of the hands or over the shoulder. Sometimes this symptom appears against the background of poor posture.
With spasms, damage to the roots of the spine occurs, so the symptoms are similar to sciatica: burning pain in the thigh, in the lower legs, numbness of the limbs.
You can treat such pain with analgesics and NSAIDs in the form of ointments, injections, tablets, patches. Among the ointments, it is better to choose warming and irritating agents.
Sometimes myositis, which causes pain, is caused by infections or toxins from worms. Then you need to take antibiotics or anthelmintic drugs to defeat the cause of the pain. Compresses and heating ointments in this case are prohibited.
Crest diseases involving nerve endings
This category of diseases includes all disorders associated with dystrophic changes and injuries, be they osteochondrosis or spondylolisthesis. Requires the following treatments:
- bed rest during seizures - you should lie on a firm surface, placing a small roller below the knees;
- drug treatment - most often NSAIDs are used in the form of injections;
- irritating and distracting ointments, as well as pepper plasters, mustard plasters and iodine nets;
- mud treatment and heating as well as ozokerite are used during forgiveness;
- spasms are relieved with vacuum massage and acupuncture.
With radicular syndrome, which is expressed with severe pain, novocaine blockade or weak opiates should be used, bed rest is provided, dry or underwater traction of the lumbar spine, stimulation by electrophoresis and microcurrents.
Treatment of degenerative-inflammatory disorders
To get rid of back and spine pain in degenerative diseases (spondyloatrosis), bed rest is prescribed by bending the legs in the frog position. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also used, with severe pain being injected. Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle tension. Too often, patients suffer from chronic fatigue and pain-induced depression and seek antidepressant medication.
Treatment of tumor diseases
Benign and malignant tumors can be of very different nature: fatty lipomas, neuromas that affect the nerves, hemangiomas of the spinal cord, gliomas, osteosarcomas and chondrosarcomas. Tumor diseases require complex, long and complex treatment.
Prescription anticancer devices are mandatory, sometimes patients are prescribed strong opiates. They also carry out therapy for the causes of tumors, for which hormonal drugs, chemotherapy toxins and targeted medications can be used.
The therapy of tumor diseases is one of the most difficult, which requires responsibility from the patient and doctors. The use of chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy can worsen the patient's condition for a long time. The main thing is not to give up at this point and remember that detecting tumors up to stage 2 gives a very high chance of cure. Even with stage 3 oncology, you can count on a successful fight against the disease.
Risks and consequences of pain
If low back pain is not treated and ignored or attempted to suppress it with NSAIDs and other pain relievers, this can lead to dire consequences for the patient. Injuries are especially dangerous in this regard, as damage to the vertebrae can lead to dislocations, cracks and compression fractures. Other complications can also cause severe pain:
- the formation of chronic painful sensations, from which it is impossible to escape even when taking strong sedatives;
- spinal cord and brain diseases, extensive nervous system damage and paralysis;
- decreased sensitivity of the upper and lower extremities;
- a sharp limitation of mobility;
- complications from internal organs to paresis, fecal and urinary incontinence.
When the first symptoms of low back pain appear, it is important to undergo a diagnosis to identify the causes of the concern.
Prevention of back pain
The following prevention rules will help to avoid some diseases and concerns:
- moderate physical activity, daily gymnastics to strengthen muscle corsets and improve blood circulation;
- the use of solid surfaces for seating, the exclusion of continuous stay in upholstered furniture;
- if a person works in a sitting position for a long time, he should use the furniture recommended for this;
- to prevent many diseases, proper diet and rejection of bad habits are required;
- you need to transfer the weights correctly, distribute the weight in both hands and carefully, without shaking, lift a lot of weight.
No single person is immune from back pain. If the disease and pathological changes in the spine are detected in time, you can get rid of them quickly and accurately.