There is probably no person who has never experienced lower back pain.In addition, complaints can occur at any age, regardless of gender, work activity and other factors.
Back pain in the lumbar region, of various types and causes, makes life significantly more difficult.Neglecting obvious pathological symptoms can aggravate the situation.
Types of pain syndrome
The main classification of pain syndrome is as follows:
- Primary.
- Secondary.
The first option is characterized by pathology of the spine and the entire musculoskeletal system.The muscles, ligaments and tendons undergo a series of changes that lead to back pain.
Secondary complaints are not directly related to the lumbar region.Usually its development is influenced by indirect pathologies.
Depending on the cause of its occurrence, lower back pain varies differently.The symptoms can be acute and sharp or, conversely, painful and dull.It is necessary to understand the nature of each option in more detail.
Sharp and stabbing pain
It cannot be considered an independent pathology.Typically, acute lower back pain is a sign of illness.They most often appear after the age of 30.
Severe lower back pain can have various causes.One of them is hypothermia of the specified area.The muscles become weaker and are easily susceptible to negative effects.Lower back pain hinders movement and deprives the patient of mobility.If you have severe back pain, it is almost impossible to do anything on your own.The right thing to do would be to call a specialist.
A sudden malfunction can have various causes:
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Excessive loads.
- Injury.
What to do if you have severe lower back pain?The best option is to see a doctor.If this does not succeed immediately, the inflammatory symptoms must be alleviated with medication.
Dull and aching pain
The causes of aching lower back pain are varied.To determine them, a complete examination of the body is required.The accuracy of the diagnosis depends on many signs.Here are the most important ones:
- Place where discomfort is concentrated.
- Age category of the patient.
- The patient's diet.
- The presence of bad habits (smoking, alcohol addiction, etc.).
- Body weight of the patient.
Women of childbearing age often experience throbbing pain in the lower back.A pulling sensation in the lower back occurs for the following reasons:
- Fatigue.Reducing physical activity helps relieve discomfort.Warming the problem area with a heating pad or ointments has a positive effect.
- Pregnancy.A special bandage comes to the woman's aid and reduces the burden.
- Menstruation.Medications help alleviate the situation and relieve dull pain.
- Poor posture, osteochondrosis, osteoporosis.
- Intervertebral hernia, osteoarthritis.
- Pathologies of the urogenital system.
- Radiculitis.
- Any injuries.
To understand why your lower back hurts, you should do a little experiment.The patient must stand with his back straight and lean against the wall.Next, slowly lower your chin and press it to your chest.The resulting pain or pulsation on any side (top, bottom, side) helps determine the root cause of the aching pain.
Causes of illness in women
In addition to the general ones, there are a number of reasons that apply only to the fair sex.
This may include:
- Pregnancy.
- Problems in gynecology.
- Menses.
- Mechanical abortion.
Women usually don't know what to do when they experience back pain due to severe shock or unnecessary worry.The situation can only be improved through psychological therapy.
Problems in gynecology
The presence of gynecological diseases in a woman is often the starting point for the development of pain.
The following problems may occur:
- Inflammation of the external genitalia (vulvitis).
- Tumor of any node of the urogenital system.
- Adnexitis (in other words, inflammation of the limbs).
- Myoma.
The symptoms of pathology are as follows:
- The presence of copious discharge.
- An infection, the foci of which are concentrated in the vagina.
- Problems conceiving a child.
Often a woman complains of pain in the lower abdomen.Sometimes the pain radiates into the lumbar region.
pregnancy
The gestation period of the female body does not go without a trace.In the last trimester of pregnancy, the load on the bones of the spine increases significantly, which is explained by an increase in the size and weight of the fetus.
Due to its physiological structure, the lumbar spine is most affected.Lower back pain is natural and clearly noticeable.Typically, lower back pain goes away after the baby is born.
menstruation
Such a well-known phenomenon for a woman can be accompanied by pain in the lower back.
This is explained by the following factors:
- Release of the follicle from the ovary.
- Enlargement of the uterus.
- Pathologies of the reproductive system.
In addition, pain can also occur during menopause.This is usually due to hormonal changes and imbalances.With the onset of menopause, a woman's bones become more brittle and brittle, which is characteristic of osteoporosis.
abortion
Mechanical abortion also leaves its mark and places considerable strain on the body.During the contraction of the uterus, an inflammatory process begins.The latter focuses on the inner surface of the organ.
Please note: Women are more prone to lumbar pain than men.
Causes of illness in men
Men, just like women, suffer from pain in the lumbar region.
The most obvious reasons are:
- Prostatitis.At first it only hurts in the anus.As the poisoning progresses, the patient experiences discomfort in the lower back.
- In other words, epididymitis is an inflammatory process in the epididymis.Therefore, the back does not hurt, but sometimes unpleasant sensations arise.
- Oncology of the urogenital system.Men of pre-retirement age (over 50 years of age) are often affected.
- Bodybuilding, bodybuilding.
- Muscle injuries.Lumbar pain is caused by strain on the latissimus muscle.
Occupational activity plays an important role in determining the cause of back pain.
Causes of illness in children
Pathology in children develops due to the following factors:
- Spinal hernia.
- Wrong posture.
The cause of the latter is usually flat feet.But choosing a comfortable briefcase and the right shoes is also important.
Please note: In the early stages, a child's spinal curvature can be corrected.Physiotherapy helps a lot with this.
connection with diseases
The above classification is not the only one.Pain can be periodic or constant.
In the first case, the malaise is directly related to the following factors:
- Excessive physical activity.
- Exacerbation of existing diseases.
- Some features of physiology.
Periodic pain subsides as the symptoms of the underlying pathology are relieved.
Serious lesions of deep vessels and injuries to the musculoskeletal system can lead to permanent malaise.Treatment alleviates the situation somewhat, but does not completely resolve it.
Spinal diseases
The causes of constant pain in the lumbar region are as follows:
- Curvature of the spine.The disease is characterized by skeletal deformities, poor posture and the appearance of a hump in the rib area.Sometimes scoliosis remains asymptomatic for a long period of time.
- Intervertebral osteochondrosis of the lumbar region.The pathology destroys bones and cartilage and affects nerve fibers.Sometimes the disease becomes a catalyst for the development of protrusions, sciatica, lumbar radiculitis and herniated discs.
- Destructive changes to the vertebrae.They cause lumbago (lumbago).Typically, acute pain in men occurs during excessive physical activity.Inadequate treatment has irreversible consequences.
- Spondylosis.The joint system of the lumbar spine ages, becomes thinner and loses its mobility.This process is completely natural.
- Inflammation of all bone tissue nodules (osteomyelitis).The nature of the process is contagious.
- Osteoporosis (increased bone fragility).Usually diagnosed in children and menopausal women.
- Thrombophlebitis, phlebothrombosis.In the deep veins, blood flow comes to a complete or partial standstill.This leads to pain after walking for a long time.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.Chronic inflammation begins in the joints of the lumbar spine and affects muscles, cartilage and ligaments.This systemic disease is commonly observed in women.The cause of the pathology is problems with the immune system.
- Arteriosclerosis in the final stage.It is commonly diagnosed in older men.
Some people have lower legs of different lengths.A large range of values (more than 1-3 cm) is one of the causes of pain in the lumbar region.
Diseases of the internal organs
The development of diseases is not only influenced by problems with the spine.
Pain syndrome is manifested in the following diseases:
- Inflammation of the appendix.A person suffers from discomfort in the right lower abdomen, sometimes the pain radiates to the back.
- Cholecystitis (inflammation of the walls of the gallbladder).
- Pathologies of the small intestine.The lower back hurts because the disease affects the nerve fibers of this area.
- Spikes.Usually the result of surgery.
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).The pathology is accompanied by a pain syndrome of a shingles character.Signs of the disease include vomiting, intestinal problems (diarrhea or constipation), plaque on the tongue and nausea.Lower back pain cannot be diagnosed by palpation.
- Kidney disease.
- Tuberculosis of the bones.
- Inflammatory processes in the muscular system.The type of tissue damage is different (infectious, bacterial, viral).Sometimes inflammation occurs due to hypothermia.The process is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and general malaise.
- A tumor in the lumbar region that grows along nerve fibers.
Overweight and obesity also cause problems.Pain occurs due to excessive strain on the lower back.
Additional symptoms
To determine why your lower back hurts, you should consider all possible signs of the disease.
Here they are:
- Sprains are accompanied by painful cramps and the damaged muscles are restricted in their movement.The discomfort sometimes extends to the back of the lower limbs and the buttocks region.
- Limb numbness occurs when the nerve roots of the lower back have been injured.
- Pupil dilation.
- Excessive sweating.
- Increased heart rate.
- Fever.
If lower back pain is the result of a pathology, the symptoms appear gradually.
Diagnosis of the problem
What to do if your lower back hurts?First of all, a complete examination of the patient is required.
Diagnosis is based on procedures such as:
- Analysis of urine and blood in the laboratory.Biochemistry will also be required.
- Ultrasound examination of the heart, internal organs of the abdominal cavity.This is relevant if you suspect kidney or gastrointestinal diseases.
- X-ray of the lumbar spine.
- CT AND MRI.With their help you can determine the cause of the pain.
- Dopplerography (vascular examination).
Carrying out all these activities makes it possible to establish a catalyst for the development of pathology and establish methods for its elimination.
Treatment
Elimination of pathology must be comprehensive and can be carried out in different ways.
To avoid aggravating the situation, you should not do the following:
- Heat the lumbar area.
- Take medications at your own discretion.
- If you adjust the vertebrae yourself, contact a chiropractor.
Please note: without identifying the root cause of the complaint, self-medication is dangerous.
Physiotherapy and massage
Treating lower back pain is possible through physical therapy.
If the patient cannot move due to severe pain, he or she will be shown:
- Massage.Applicable when the patient suffers from lower back pain or has difficulty bending.
- Mud therapy.
- Paraffin applications.
- Therapeutic gymnastics.
Sometimes acupuncture and manual therapy are helpful.They strengthen the skeletal system and relieve muscle tension.
Medication
If a patient feels pain in the lumbar region after physical exercise, drug therapy is indicated.
The following groups of drugs help relieve the disease and relieve pain:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Muscle relaxants.
- Narcotic painkiller.
- Corticosteroids.
- Chondroprotectors.
It is permissible to apply ointments locally.If the effect does not occur, injections are used.Only a specialist has the right to prescribe lower back treatment.
Folk remedies
Along with medication, you can treat a sore lower back using traditional methods.
The following recipes are applicable:
- Grind the garlic clove, add a little petroleum jelly and 1 tsp.lemon juice.Apply the resulting ointment to the inflamed areas.
- Take a bath with mustard (200 grams of powder).Then rinse your body with clean water, dry yourself and dress warmly.
- If walking hurts, make a horseradish compress.Grate it (can be replaced with radishes), add sour cream and place on a thin cloth.Apply to the sore spot, fix and wrap.
The dosage for taking folk remedies or medications should be prescribed by your attending physician.
You can heal your lower back with an alcohol tincture of eucalyptus.You need to rub the inflamed area thoroughly.
Preventive measures
Feelings of heaviness in the lower back can be prevented by prevention.
To do this you need:
- Do gymnastics regularly.
- Control your posture.
- Strengthen your immune system, exercise, give up bad habits.
- Get checked annually.
- Drink at least 1.5 liters of water regularly.
Remember that nervous shocks and experiences can also trigger the development of an illness.It is important not to start self-medication, but to contact competent specialists.The time spent on unskilled therapy can sometimes be crucial.