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.
Species
Isolated cases of low back pain are usually not a cause for concern.Frequent hypothermia, hard work, and heavy lifting can lead to 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 capacity.
Discovering the nature and intensity will help you discover why unpleasant sensations appear.An accurate determination of the pathology will help prescribe effective treatment to eliminate pain.
Depending on the duration of the action, lower back pain can be:
- acute - occurs 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 worries for more than six months, the pain is constant, not intense, indicates old processes 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, such as pathologies of the spine, nervous system, vascular damage and oncological tumors.
A person may feel pain in one point or in the entire back.Depending on the location, you can distinguish local pain, which does not extend beyond the boundaries of the injury, or generalized pain, which covers the entire lumbar area.
Sometimes the pain extends to the lower limb, causing a forced position when moving.This symptom occurs with serious disorders in the spine.The reflex nature of pain occurs in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or gynecological problems.
Reasons
Nonpathologic etiology may include severe low 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 cartilaginous tissue of the lumbosacral vertebrae (osteochondrosis) are complicated by the proliferation of bone tissue and the loss of elasticity of the flattened cartilage.Low back pain worsens when the intervertebral disc becomes deformed, the complication of which is an intervertebral hernia.This condition causes increased pain that extends to the hip and is sometimes reflected in the ankle area.
- Traumatic injuries due to impact or fall.
- Shortening of a limb is observed in second and third degree coxarthrosis, after injury or surgery, individual characteristics at birth and high-grade scoliosis.
- Hypothermia leads to myositis.Inflammatory phenomena in the muscle fibers cause widespread and constant pain.
- Radiculitis is a neurological pathology based on inflammation of the root of one of the spinal nerves.A sudden, sharp pain passes through the patient and forces him to bend over.
- Scoliotic curvature of the spine.
- Thrombophlebitis is damage to the vessel wall with the formation of a blood clot;With this pathology, an effect of pain in the lower limb is also observed.
- Advanced forms of atherosclerosis with circulatory disorders.
- Inflammatory kidney diseases.
- Gynecological pathologies, the pain originates in the lower abdomen and extends to the lumbar area.
- Hormonal disorders in the woman's body 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 neoplasms in the lumbosacral region or abdominal cavity.
Diagnostic measures
Understanding why your lower back hurts is important to achieving permanent pain relief.An experienced doctor should make the diagnosis.At the appointment, the 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 locate the most painful place in the lower back.
To confirm the assumption, the following procedures are carried out:
- laboratory analysis of blood and urine to determine possible inflammation in the body;
- biochemical blood test to detect 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 lower back pain will return.Treatment measures should consist of a set 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 lumbar area to create compression on the sore spot;
- Contact a medical specialist for qualified help.
At the time of acute pain, if there is no accurate diagnosis, it is prohibited to try to warm the painful lower back area so that the inflammation does not increase.It is not recommended to conduct a therapeutic massage and manual therapy session during an exacerbation.
Medications
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will relieve lower back pain and eliminate inflammation by regulating body temperature.Only a doctor can prescribe medication.Uncontrolled use of non-hormonal analgesics causes irritation of the gastric mucosa.Taking a drug that inhibits gastric acid secretion 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 the destruction of the spine.
- Antibiotics for inflammation of internal organs.This pharmacological group alters the balance of the intestinal microflora.Probiotics will help prevent the onset 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 analgesics, venom of viper, cobra, viper, scorpion.
Medicinal-based patches are convenient to wear during the day.The pepper patch is applied directly to the lower back and within a few hours a uniform therapeutic effect is produced in the painful area.
Kinesio tape is a type of pain relief.The recording gives an immediate effect;If done correctly, it can stay on the skin for up to 5 days, providing long-lasting pain relief.
Orthopedic products include the use of a rigid lumbosacral corset.The bandage is designed for static loads, provides support for the lower back and relieves pain due to compression.For radiculitis, warming corsets with dog, camel or llama hair are prescribed.
Physiotherapy
Lidocaine phonophoresis provides rapid relief of symptoms by rapidly penetrating a strong anesthetic into the deep subcutaneous layers.A safe method does not have any negative effects 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 is toned and mobility in the lumbar area improves.
Acupuncture allows you to apply acupuncture to certain points for treatment and prevention purposes.The Kuznetsov applicator is perfect for home use.Plastic needles increase blood flow and trigger natural pain relief processes.
Magnetic therapy is used to treat many diseases, including osteochondrosis, vascular pathologies and gynecological diseases.The pulsed current penetrates 7 cm below the skin, reaching damaged areas.The therapeutic effect is cumulative, it is achieved at the end of the first course and is maintained until the next session.
Prevention
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, sports training and weight lifting;
- use a lumbosacral corset for dynamic loads when the spine is tense;
- wear orthotics to absorb shock when 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.