Pain in the lower back is a companion of about a quarter of the country's population, it appears once or becomes common and accompanies a person for almost his entire life.Low back pain usually affects men and women between 35 and 45 years old.
In recent years, due to physical inactivity, poor diet, excess weight and constant stress, low back pain syndrome occurs more and more in adolescents and children.Therefore, many people are increasingly concerned about the question of what to do if their lower back hurts.
Low back pain
Spinal pain in the lower back may be dull, aching, stabbing, and there may also be girdling pain in the lower back.They can appear on the left or right side of the body, disappear without a trace, or constantly return, worsening a person's quality of life and physical activity.Patients complain that their lower back hurts a lot.It is important for the doctor to determine why the lower back hurts and for the patient to receive quality treatment.
Causes of low back pain.
Sometimes severe lower back pain can be caused by excessive physical activity.Working in the fields, excessive effort in the gym, carrying heavy loads and a sedentary lifestyle cause the process in which the lower back hurts.However, the pain usually disappears after a few days.But if relief does not occur, you should definitely consult a doctor to find out the causes of lower back pain.
Common reasons
Back pain in the lumbar region can have several causes.Pain can be caused by congenital diseases of the spine, malignant or benign tumors of the pelvic organs, and infectious processes.Doctors have enough data to explain why the back hurts in the lumbar region.The following causes of pain are identified:
- Acute or chronic spasm of the back muscles.
- Protrusions (bulging of the intervertebral disc) and herniated discs.
- Osteochondrosis (dystrophic damage to the joints or intervertebral discs), spondylosis (deformation, proliferation of bone tissue of the vertebrae), arthrosis (damage to the joints caused by metabolic disorders).
- Ankylosing spondylitis (a chronic disease that causes immobilization of the spine).
In men and women, the most common pathology is osteochondrosis, which causes curvature of the spine, compression of the roots of the spinal cord and severe pain in the lumbar spine.
One of the best-known syndromes is lumbago, a type of lumbago in which the lower back or sacrum hurts a lot.
In the lumbar region, the pain is usually throbbing, tearing, lasts several minutes, but sometimes several hours or days, and disappears suddenly.
Dull, aching pain radiating under the ribs, associated with stretching of the kidney capsule, is characteristic of kidney disease.This can be acute pyelonephritis (an inflammatory process that affects the tubular system of the kidneys) or blockage of the ureter with stones (stones).
Persistent pain in the lower back develops with persistent allergic syndrome, hormonal imbalance and tuberculosis.In this case, the destruction of the vertebrae occurs.
Pain in the lower back, radiating to the right, can be a symptom of diseases of the pancreas, duodenum, stomach ulcers, aneurysm (dilation) of the abdominal aorta.With phlebitis (inflammation of the walls of venous vessels), proctitis (inflammation of the rectum), the lower back also hurts.Appendicitis or cholecystitis is characterized by pain that radiates to the right side of the lower back.
Shingles in the lower back can be caused by several types of herpes.Often, the virus does not manifest itself as a rash, but rather as aches and pains.To find out what medications and how to treat pain, you should contact an infectious disease specialist for advice on taking antiviral medications.Waist pain in the lower back also accompanies inflammation of the peritoneum, osteochondrosis, radiculitis and myositis.
in women
Low back pain in women is due to several reasons.The main ones are pregnancy, menopause, kidney diseases, digestive system disorders, osteochondrosis or hernias of the spine.This pain in the lower back not only causes discomfort, but can also alter the monthly cycle and cause infertility.
Persistent pain in the lower back occurs with gynecological problems.These can be inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs, endometriosis (pathological growth of the uterine epithelium), cysts in the ovaries, polyps, fibroids or other formations in the uterine cavity.
Only a specialist can determine what can cause lower back pain in a woman.Therefore, you do not need to decide for yourself what to do if your lower back hurts.First of all, it is necessary to visit a gynecologist.
Women often have lower back pain during menstrual periods.The reasons are a temporary change in hormonal levels, an increase in the amount of estrogens that increase the sensitivity of the body, water retention, increased load on the spine and physiological contractions of the walls of the uterus.
Low back pain during pregnancy occurs in almost all women, but often does not require treatment.Pain in the lumbar region is associated with an increase in the pregnant woman's body weight and pressure on the spine, hormonal changes in the body, a slight change in the center of gravity and a weakening of the musculo-ligamentous system of the lower abdomen.
Sometimes women complain that their back hurts even after childbirth.Experts say that postpartum causes of low back pain appear after microtrauma to the musculoligamentous apparatus and joints of the spine.
Spinal instability is another problem for women of any age, even those with mild obesity.Other common causes are damage to the intervertebral discs or joints.
Physical activity and prolonged standing in an upright position cause pain in the spine, pain in the lower back, difficulty in straightening the body and the desire to lie down and rest.Osteoporosis can develop during the postmenopausal period.
in men
The appearance of periodic back pain in men may be due to professional activities associated with excessive physical activity, uncomfortable body postures and working in the cold.The culprit of pain radiating to the lower back or groin may be epididymitis, an inflammation of the testicles, which is manifested by swelling of the scrotum and fever.With prostatitis, inflammation of the bladder, a man is bothered by a dull pain on the left side of his back.
Low back pain in men over 40 years of age is usually caused by herniated intervertebral discs.It is characterized by back pain when coughing, sneezing, difficulty bending and straightening the back.Pain in the lower back intensifies when standing, so these patients tend to go to bed faster.An advanced hernia and lower back pain sometimes require surgery.
The listed specific male diseases and other pathologies in which the lower back hurts constantly and severely should not be treated without the supervision of a doctor.Self-medication can aggravate and complicate the pathological process and cause disability.Treatment of the lumbar spine can only be performed by certified specialists.
Diagnosis of diseases.
If the exact cause of the pain is not yet known, diagnostic measures should begin with a visit to a therapist.Treatment of low back pain should begin after establishing an accurate diagnosis, which is carried out after a comprehensive examination.The exam includes:
- anamnesis study (questioning the patient about the disease);
- visual inspection of painful points;
- blood and urine tests (general and biochemical);
- ultrasound examination (ultrasound);
- X-ray examination of the spine;
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
- computed tomography (CT).
Since pain in the lumbar region is caused not only by neurological, but also by somatic causes, the patient should be examined by a neurologist, vertebrologist, therapist and nephrologist.Women, if they have pain in the lower back, should definitely be examined by a gynecologist, and men - by a urologist.
Low back pain treatment
Once a correct diagnosis of low back pain has been made, the specialist prescribes a specific treatment for this pathology, which aims to eliminate the causes of the disease.
If your back hurts, you should not look for the answer to the question of how to relieve lower back pain from your neighbors, acquaintances or on the Internet.Low back pain has different causes, so the treatment for each disease is individual.Only a doctor knows how to cure a patient and how to relieve pain.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to relieve lower back pain.These drugs have a negative effect on the gastric mucosa, so they should be taken simultaneously with drugs that reduce acidity and protect the walls of the stomach from damage.For pain, you can use appropriate ointments or gels as prescribed by your doctor.
Since pain in the spine and lower back is due to various reasons, only specialists can prescribe the right treatment for the lower back.Therefore, at the first opportunity it is necessary to consult a doctor and not self-medicate.Only a doctor can determine why the lower back hurts and how to get rid of lower back pain.
At home, treatment of lower back pain can be carried out only after a medical examination and examination;Otherwise, incurable complications may arise.
If your lower back hurts, then the treatment can be complex, that is, you can use both traditional and folk methods.
Prevention
It is better to prevent pain in the spine, then you will not have to look for the answer to the question of how to treat lower back pain.The prevention rules are simple but effective.The main thing is not to forget to fulfill them.
According to statistics, more than 25-30% of people have experienced this condition when their back hurts.Planned preventive monitoring of the state of health and timely consultation with a doctor allow you to identify an incipient pathology, diagnose why the spine hurts in the lumbar region and why the lower back is pulled.
Morning exercises, jogging, brisk walks, gym classes, swimming are the main physical activities necessary for the muscles of the spine and back.At least 20-30 minutes a day, without strong tension or overload, will help strengthen muscle tissue.
To reduce the load on the spine, it is necessary to adjust the body weight.Excess weight and physical inactivity are the enemies of the spine.
To properly reduce body weight, you should not get carried away by diets found on the Internet.It is best to consult a nutritionist or your doctor for competent recommendations on nutrition and maintaining water-salt balance.
Routine medical exams are important to prevent back pain in the lumbar region.Women should visit a gynecologist every year, men a urologist.Many spinal diseases begin in childhood.
Parents should closely monitor the child's health, teach him to exercise, play active children's games and correct posture.School-aged children should have a routine medical exam every year before the start of the school year.
If your lower back hurts, a positive attitude, faith in success, compliance with all the instructions of specialists allows you to reduce or completely eliminate the pain and lead a full life.