When a person has constant or acute back pain in the lumbar region, it is very difficult to do something. It is an exhausting, debilitating sensation that leads to irritability and anger. And there can be a lot of reasons for pain. They are far from always associated with pathologies of the joints or bones, but they can indicate abnormalities in the internal organs. Particularly attentive to such sensations should be women, whose lower back pain is often associated with dangerous gynecological pathologies.
Causes and nature of pain
Despite the fact that there are primary reasons for each 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 by different signs.
Low back pain is characterized by the following features:
- Acute discomfort. The patient has difficulty with movement, the symptoms appear abruptly, they radiate to the lower extremities. Acute pain is typical for injuries, compression of the vertebrae, for bone diseases, for example, with tumors, Cushing's syndromes, and multiple myeloma. The displacement of the vertebrae is also accompanied by acute pain.
- It's a dull pain. It develops mainly with muscle spasms, hernia of the spine, radiculitis and osteochondrosis. But it can occur with pathologies of the genitourinary system, kidneys, intestines and other organs. Radiculitis is divided into 2 diseases: lumbago with displacement of the vertebrae and sciatica, in which nerve endings are affected and lumbago occurs. Very often aching pains appear with kidney pathologies.
- Periodic pains of a different nature. They arise mainly against the background of excessive physical exertion, especially with prolonged inactivity and the absence of warming up before playing sports. At the same time, periodic pains can be reflected and radiating if they are associated with organs.
- Constant pain. They are mainly associated with varicose veins and other vascular pathologies, muscle dystrophy, degenerative diseases of bones and cartilage, 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 after the lumbago. They develop against the background of careless movements, excessive stress, as well as under the influence of factors such as hypothermia.
- Radiating pain. Associated mainly with diseases of the kidneys, pelvic organs, genitourinary system. It can be colic, stones, as well as pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, including diseases of the gallbladder, ulcers, tumors and pathologies of the pancreas. 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 predominantly on the right, abnormalities in the liver can be suspected.
Other reasons why lower back hurts
Among the pathologies that lead to lower back pain, diseases in which the symptoms are ambiguous, can be weak or sharp, rare or permanent, can also be distinguished:
- osteochondrosis - refers to the degenerative forms of the disorder, in which the intervertebral disc becomes inflamed, loosening of the bone surface and damage to the nerve endings;
- protrusion and intervertebral hernia are diseases that become stages 2-3 of osteochondrosis;
- scoliosis - a curvature of the spine to the left or to the right can cause very unpleasant sensations against the background of a decrease in the functions of muscles and skeleton;
- ankylosing spondylitis - an autoimmune chronic change in the joints of the spine, which leads to loss of mobility;
- rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of large and small joints, which has many reasons;
- bone infections, including bone tuberculosis, as well as infectious processes inside the organs;
- pancreatitis, adhesions in the digestive tract after surgery, appendicitis, cholecystitis;
- pyelonephritis, kidney stones and colic;
- benign and malignant tumors of organs, tissues and bones, which compress the nerve endings in the lumbar region.
Painful sensations can provoke muscle spasms, leading to constraining symptoms, as well as sprains caused by injury or sudden movement.
Features of the causes in women and men
In women, pulling and sometimes acute painful sensations can develop during ovulation in the middle of the cycle. These symptoms go away quickly and do not cause severe discomfort. For some women, pain occurs after an abortion, which is recognized as very stressful for a woman's health. Lumbar pain can persist for a long time and is often associated with inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs. This happens against the background of inaccurate 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, intensively growing uterine fibroids, large cysts, as well as hemorrhages in the ovaries, endometritis and endometriosis. Sometimes such discomfort occurs during menopause, which is associated with a sharp change in hormonal balance.
In men, in addition to prostate cancer and prostatitis, back pain can appear with epididymitis - inflammation in the epididymis, but the main symptoms are localized in the groin area.
Diagnostic methods
Before undergoing diagnostics and prescribing treatment for lumbodynia of the lumbar spine, you need to visit an experienced specialist - a vertebrologist or orthopedist. But it is the vertebrologist who deals with diseases of the spine 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-ray clearly shows the growth of osteophytes and allows you to measure the distance between the vertebrae.
- MRI of the spine. Reveals pathological changes in discs, vertebrae and joints, as well as in the surrounding soft tissues. MRI easily shows osteochondrosis and spondyloarthrosis even in the early stages.
- Myelography. A technique using a contrast agent, which helps to detect vascular pathologies, tumors, as well as narrowing of the spinal canal, abscesses and other similar changes.
To exclude diseases of internal organs and to identify inflammatory processes, urine and blood are also prescribed. Sometimes a diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract is required, including enzymes of the liver, pancreas, and stomach juice.
Diagnosis for back pain helps to distinguish some diseases from others and allows you to choose the right treatment tactics. At home, by symptoms alone, it is impossible to understand which disease leads to pain.
How to relieve low back pain
Regardless of the cause of the pain, the patient will be prescribed medications from the following groups to relieve unpleasant symptoms (at the doctor's choice):
- Analgesics. They do not help all patients and act mainly on weak sources of pain.
- NSAIDs. Potent pain relievers, which are taken in courses. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Hormonal agents. Applied within 6-10 days, they include.
- Injections and blockages. Combined drugs are often used in combination with glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics.
- Muscle relaxants. They help with muscle spasms, as well as with osteochondrosis and other disorders when there is pain in the muscles.
- Topical products. Pain relievers, warming creams, gels and patches should also be used only when indicated.
In some cases, especially in severe stages of joint or bone pathologies, several groups of medicines are used.
The doctor should prescribe medications, especially such complex ones as glucocorticosteroids or hormonal blockade. Only strict adherence to instructions and recommendations, systematic, strict administration of drugs in the prescribed dosage will help get rid of unpleasant sensations.
Features of treatment depending on the type of pain
For low back pain treatment to be effective, it is important to consider its nature. For each disorder and disease, pain can be of one nature or another.
Treatment of myofascial pain
This is the name for pain associated with muscle stretching or spasms. They develop against the background of excessive load, improper weight lifting, as well as with the wrong approach to exercise. Myofascial pain may appear due to prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position, when carrying bags in one of the hands or over the shoulder. Sometimes this symptom occurs against the background of poor posture.
With spasms, the infringement of the spinal roots occurs, so the symptoms are similar to sciatica: burning pain in the thighs, lower legs, numbness of the limbs.
You can treat such pains 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 triggered by infections or toxins from worms. Then you need to drink antibiotics or anthelmintic drugs to defeat the cause of the pain. Compresses and warming ointments in this case are prohibited.
Diseases of the ridge involving nerve endings
This category of diseases includes all disorders associated with dystrophic changes and injuries, be it osteochondrosis or spondylolisthesis. Requires the following treatments:
- bed rest during seizures - you need to lie down on a hard surface, putting a small roller under your 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 warming, as well as ozokerite are used during remission;
- spasms are relieved by vacuum massage and acupuncture.
With radicular syndrome, which is expressed by intense pain, novocaine blockade or weak opiates must be used, bed rest, dry or underwater traction of the lumbar spine, stimulation by electrophoresis and microcurrents are provided.
Treatment for degenerative-inflammatory disorders
To get rid of back and lower back pain in degenerative diseases (spondyloatrosis), bed rest is prescribed with the legs bent in a frog position. Non-steroidal drugs are also used, with severe pain they are injected. Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle tension. Very often, patients suffer from chronic fatigue and depression caused by pain and require antidepressant medication.
Treatment of tumor diseases
Benign and malignant tumors can be of very different nature: fatty lipomas, neuromas affecting nerves, spinal cord hemangiomas, gliomas, osteosarcomas and chondrosarcomas. Tumor diseases require complex, long and complex treatment.
Prescription anticancer devices are mandatory, sometimes potent opiates are prescribed to patients. They also carry out therapy for the causes of tumors, for which hormonal drugs, chemotherapy toxins and targeted medications can be used.
Therapy for tumor diseases is one of the most difficult, requiring 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 moment and remember that detection of tumors up to stage 2 gives a very high chance of recovery. Even with stage 3 oncology, you can count on a successful fight against the disease.
Dangers and consequences of pain
If low back pain is left untreated and ignored or tried 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, since damage to the vertebrae can lead to displacement, cracks and compression fractures. Other complications can also cause severe pain:
- the formation of chronic painful sensations, from which it is impossible to get rid of even when taking strong painkillers;
- diseases of the spinal cord and brain, extensive damage to the nervous system and paralysis;
- decreased sensitivity of the upper and lower extremities;
- a sharp limitation of mobility;
- complication from internal organs up to paresis, fecal and urinary incontinence.
When the first symptoms of low back pain appear, it is important to undergo diagnostics to identify the causes of discomfort.
Prevention of back pain
The following prevention rules will help to avoid certain diseases and discomfort:
- moderate physical activity, daily gymnastics to strengthen the muscle corset and improve blood circulation;
- the use of hard surfaces for seating, the exclusion of constant stay on 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, a correct diet and rejection of bad habits are required;
- you need to correctly transfer weights, distribute the weight on both hands and carefully, without jerking, lift a lot of weight.
Not a single person is immune from back pain. If the disease and pathological changes in the spine are detected in time, you can quickly and correctly get rid of them.