Low back pain of an episodic or constant nature usually indicates that an inflammatory or degenerative dystrophic disease is gradually forming in the body. Early diagnosis of this disease can increase the chance of a complete recovery. Pain in the lumbosacral region of the spine may indicate osteochondrosis, hernia, protrusions, infection, or problems with internal organs.
Why does the lower back hurt
If a person complains of painful manifestations in the lumbar spine, the doctor initially expresses suspicion about the patient's problems with the musculoskeletal system. And only after excluding these diseases, a thorough examination is carried out to assess the state of the internal organs.
This is because there is a general innervation of the lumbar vertebrae and intervertebral discs with the trunks of nervous tissue. For this reason, the onset of pain, for example, in Organs digestive organs, can only occur in the lumbar region. Let's get to know in detail some of the causes of low back pain.
excessive loads
It is a relatively natural source of back pain. With heavy physical work or active sports training, muscle tissue is exposed to excessive stress. It builds up lactic acid, which irritates skeletal muscle tissues. As a result, in addition to the pain, the person notices the appearance of a strong enough burning sensation. Any discomfort disappears after a brief interval as lactic acid is excreted from the muscles.
In case of lower back pain, every time during exercise, if the intensity remains unchanged for a few hours, you should consult a doctor. Excessive training, lifting heavy objects usually cause the appearance of microtraumas in the discs and vertebrae, and the formation of dystrophic-degenerative diseases.
Osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia
Lumbar osteochondrosis in stages I, II and III is the main cause of back pain. At an early stage, the patient is concerned with minor discomfort, indicating mild destruction of the intervertebral discs.
In the case where the patient in this period turned to the neurologist for help, the complete cure of the disease, as well as the partial restoration of the destroyed tissues, is possible. Sharp, sharp pain that increases when bending or twisting the trunk indicates serious damage to the structure of the spine.
In the context of radiological grade II or III osteochondrosis, the formation of hernias or protrusions is frequently observed. This leads to a penetrating pain, and it is also possible to develop serious complications - radicular syndrome, discogenic myelopathy.
gynecological diseases
Discomfort in the lumbar spine often bothers women who have been diagnosed with adnexitis, an inflammation that simultaneously affects the ovaries and the fallopian tubes (uterine appendages). In addition to the painful syndrome, patients notice the occurrence of secretion from the genitals, the appearance of problems with conception and irregularities in the menstrual cycle.
Similar symptomatology is seen with inflammation of the uterine appendages, the formation of a cyst in the ovaries, and the formation of polyps in the uterus.
Kidney disease
Since the kidneys are located directly beside the lower back, when their functionality decreases, the person may experience pain in the lower back. The fact that these paired bean-shaped organs are affected is indicated by a violation of urinary function, the appearance of purulent or bloody impurities in the urine, and a worsening of general well-being.
Lumbar spine pain is often of concern in the presence of such diseases: cystitis (including hemorrhagic), glomerunonephritis, pyelonephritis, acute and chronic renal failure.
carrying a baby
This is one of the natural factors that lead to uncomfortable manifestations in the lumbar spine. When a woman gives birth to a future baby, the uterus and fetus increase in size, whereby nerve receptors located below are violated.
During the last trimester, the mother-to-be's body begins to produce a special hormone - relaxin. This leads to relaxation of the ligaments, tendons, in order to facilitate the passage of the fetus through the birth canal. Because of this, pain intensity can increase dramatically.
endometriosis
It is a common gynecological disease, the background of which the inner uterine tissue grows beyond its limits. The endometrioid tissue has an increased sensitivity to hormones synthesized by the body, for this reason, endometriosis manifests as menstruation. As a result, inflammation develops, one of the signs of which is the painful syndrome, radiating to the lumbosacral region of the spine.
Menstruation
Painful manifestations of a moderately severe nature appear in half of women before menstruation or during bleeding. This pain is quite natural and disappears immediately after menstruation ends. Discomfort can also be felt in the lower back.
The pathological etiology of low back pain during menstruation is indicated by the presence of dyspeptic disorders, diarrhea or constipation, frequent headaches and dizziness. In a similar situation, a woman can be diagnosed with algomenorrhea or menstrual dysfunction.
breast sizes
The spine in women with large breasts is very heavy. If the mammary glands are not properly distributed, the risk of developing degenerative-destructive processes increases. Women with large breasts tend to sag, which contributes to the deterioration of the spine.
uncomfortable shoes
Painful sensations in the lumbar spine that appear at the end of a workday are a common condition for women who walk in tight high-heeled shoes. This leads to a violation of blood vessels, disturbances in blood circulation in the lower extremities and pelvic organs. As a result, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs in the lower back worsens and is destroyed. The situation is getting worse due to increased stress on the spine.
Menopause
During the menopause period in a woman's body, there is a decrease in the production of estrogens involved in the regulation of the musculoskeletal system's recovery processes. The bone structure loses the ability to fully assimilate the trace elements necessary for its restoration. It becomes fragile, which can cause frequent fractures. Painful manifestations in the lumbar spine during menopause may indicate bone resorption, the formation of osteoporosis.
Overweight
Excess weight is one of the causes of lumbosacral osteochondrosis. Excess weight increases the load on the intervertebral discs, which leads to an increased risk of microtrauma with subsequent destruction of vertebral tissues.
A person who is overweight usually does not eat well. Their diet is rich in high-calorie foods, and fresh vegetables and fruits containing essential trace elements and vitamins are not consumed in sufficient quantities. With increased loads in combination with a lack of useful substances, there is a tendency for osteochondrosis to form in the lower back.
Oncology
Changes in the genetic structure of cells lead to a violation of the regulation of their growth and reproduction. As a result, pathological tissue proliferation occurs, the formation of a tumor of a benign or malignant nature.
Lumbar spine pain can manifest itself in the context of a tumor violation of sensitive nerve receptors, the spine, soft tissue, and circulatory system. Calcium is absorbed in large amounts by the neoplasm, so a deficiency of this substance develops in the bone tissue, which leads to thinning of the bones.
Hypothermia
Skeletal muscles in the lumbosacral region are often inflamed due to the influence of low temperatures. This becomes the reason for the formation of myositis - a disease that manifests itself as a local pain syndrome in damaged muscles. Its intensity increases significantly during movement and palpation. In the context of the inflammatory process, there is an increase in muscle tone, which makes the lumbar region less mobile.
pain varieties
An initial diagnosis can be made based on a detailed description of the disturbing symptomatology. With each illness, pain manifests with different severity, frequency, and condition that precede its occurrence.
Strong pain
This pain syndrome is typical in stages II and III of lumbar osteochondrosis. At this stage, significant destruction has occurred to the intervertebral disks, and their depreciation characteristics have been lost. They are unable to lighten the load during movement, which makes the vertebral structure unstable.
This leads to soft tissue compression. The intense pain starts to bother even in an immobile state, building against the background of twists and turns, laughter, coughing and sneezing. In addition, there is a feeling of "shivering" and weakness in the muscles.
Acute pain
The reason for the onset of acute pain syndrome is compression of receptors in the spinal canal by osteophytes or discs. This is typical of a lumbago attack, often manifested in rheumatic diseases, lumbosacral osteochondrosis, radiculopathies.
The painful sensations are so pronounced, piercing, and burning that the patient cannot move. Often, a person cannot straighten their back due to fear that pain will develop.
It's a dull pain
Lumbar spine pain of a deaf, painful, and pressing character is characteristic of diseases of the internal systems, including the genitourinary and reproductive organs. This discomfort may indicate the development of osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, spondyloarthrosis.
The pain is not localized but may radiate to the hips, buttocks and ankles. Acute pain is often evidence of a destructive process in the spine or inflammation in the internal system.
Chronic pain
Pain of a constant nature in the lower back indicates the disease's transformation into chronic. It is acute, strong during relapse, radiating to areas close to the body. During the remission period, mild discomfort appears during hypothermia, physical exertion, exacerbation of other diseases, acute respiratory viral infections.
The pain syndrome increases in the context of bending, turning the torso, climbing stairs and walking for a long time.
diagnostic measures
The disease is diagnosed based on the patient's complaints, on his visual examination, on anamnestic data, on the results of instrumental and laboratory diagnoses. The most informative in identifying problems with the musculoskeletal system is the X-ray exam. In the resulting image, you can see altered vertebrae, formed osteophytes (bone formations).
If the doctor suspects the development of a hernia, protrusion, internal systems disorders, ultrasound, MRI, and CT scan are prescribed. Thanks to these diagnostic methods, it is possible to know where the disease is located, in order to assess the degree of progression of the inflammation.
A clinical study of blood and urine is mandatory. If the presence of systemic disease (gout, rheumatoid arthritis) is suspected, a biochemical and serological study is performed.
Which doctor to contact
Back pain often appears after an injury - subluxation of the vertebrae, severe bruises, spinal canal injuries. In such a situation, you will need the help of a traumatologist.
You can also consult a therapist. This doctor can diagnose diseases of the spine, internal systems. After reviewing the diagnostic results, he will determine what close consultation with a specialist (rheumatologist, neuropathologist, or orthopedist) is needed to prescribe further treatment.
First aid
If there is severe acute pain, the victim should be placed on a hard surface in a position where the discomfort is less pronounced. You can lie down with your knees slightly bent and place a rolled-up blanket under them. To quickly relieve pain, you can take any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication.
Therapeutic actions
Pain relievers can help eliminate back pain. Its effect won't last long if you don't properly treat the underlying disease. Some pathologies of the internal systems are well treated, including oncology. But complete restoration of destroyed intervertebral discs and deformed vertebrae against the background of osteochondrosis is impossible. The goal of therapy is to achieve stable remission, during which pain in the lumbar spine does not bother.
drug therapy
First, for back pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed in tablets or capsules.
In the case of oncological diseases, they resort to the help of narcotic analgesics. If pain occurs due to spasm of skeletal muscles, muscle relaxants are indicated.
In the treatment of diseases of the internal systems, analgesics are also prescribed.
Treatment with ointments and gels
Ointments and gels are used to relieve mild to moderate discomfort in the lower back. Medicines for external use are also included in therapeutic regimens to reduce the dosage of injections and medicines in pills, to reduce the pharmacological load on the body.
For back pain, the use of external agents from the following groups can be prescribed:
Injections
Choosing analgesics, the doctor is based on the type of illness, its course, the severity of the pain syndrome. To eliminate acute pain, they often resort to drug blocks with the use of glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics. The use of hormonal agents is quite harmful to the body, so such procedures can be performed at most 1 time in 1-3 months.
To eliminate severe pain, NSAIDs are prescribed in the form of injections into the muscle.
Physiotherapy
If a disease has already been diagnosed, or to prevent its development, specialists advise patients to perform therapeutic gymnastics exercises daily. This will help:
- improve blood circulation in the lower back;
- strengthen the back muscle structure;
- reduce pain intensity.
The gym complex is developed by the attending physician based on the type of illness, the complications present and the physical condition of the patient.
massage treatment
To improve the supply of blood and nutrients to tissues, to normalize the tone of skeletal and smooth muscles, to strengthen the muscles, a massage is recommended:
- classic;
- to point;
- segment;
- canned.
Massage is prescribed both for therapeutic purposes and to prevent the development of exacerbations in the chronic course of the pathology.
Thermal and cold treatment
The effect of heat on the lumbar spine helps to eliminate pain, but only after the acute inflammatory process has stopped. For these purposes, a warming pad, ointment or warming bath gel is suitable.
Under the influence of cryotherapy (cold treatment), adaptation systems are activated. At the heart of this physical therapy procedure, the body's response is not hypothermia of the outer layers of the skin.
Preventive actions
It is possible to prevent the occurrence of pain in the lumbar spine by excluding factors that can cause the problem to appear. It is necessary to stop walking with high-heeled shoes to minimize the consumption of high-calorie foods. Regular sports, swimming and yoga are good prophylaxis.