The back is a complex structure based on the spine. The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae, starting from the 20th from the top. They are the largest of the remaining vertebrae, downward, from the first lumbar vertebrae to the fifth lumbar vertebrae, gradually increasing in size because this area has the greatest load. The back of these vertebral areas is called the lower back.
Changes in this part of the back can cause pain, which deserves serious attention. Both congenital abnormalities and acquired diseases can cause pain. These may be the consequences of injuries during periods of intense physical exertion, infections, tumors, hernias, etc.
Causes of low back pain
In most cases, low back pain is caused by osteochondrosis. But he is not the only cause of low back pain. Some people don’t even know why they have problems with their backs. Many diseases of internal organs, injuries and physical conditions are reflected in back pain. This list includes:
- Kidney and pelvic organ diseases;
- Women's physical pain during menstruation;
- Spinal injury;
- Back muscle injury (sprain);
- Digestive system diseases;
- Scoliosis;
- Rheumatoid Arthritis;
- Infections that destroy the spine and intervertebral discs (tuberculosis, epidural abscess);
- Tumor process
- Reiter syndrome.
Musculoskeletal system diseases
In 90% of cases, back pain is caused by spine and back muscle problems. The lumbar spine is more susceptible than other parts of the spine. They bear a huge load when walking and become the center of gravity of erect humans. In addition, when a person is sitting, there is a lot of pressure on the lower back.
Musculoskeletal diseases can be asymptomatic for a long time, and back pain is usually the first sign of the disease. It can have different intensity and duration-periodic low back pain or acute pain syndrome with nerve root compression.
Pathology of back pain includes:
- Osteochondrosis;
- Horizontal intervertebral herniation, vertical hernia (Schmorl) and intervertebral disc herniation;
- Primary and secondary (metastatic) malignancies in the bones and soft tissues of the back;
- Myositis of the lower back muscles;
- Osteomyelitis (infectious purulent process caused by pathogenic microbiota, such as the pathogen of tuberculosis or brucellosis);
- Ankylosing spondylitis;
- Radiculitis;
- Sciatica (sciatic nerve injury or irritation);
- Deformable spondylosis;
- Rheumatoid arthritis and Reiter syndrome;
- Sacroiliac and hip joint diseases;
- Epidural inflammation (inflammation of the dura mater of the spinal cord);
- Clostridium;
- Injuries to the bone structure, muscles and ligaments of the back;
- Metabolic changes in bone tissue (osteoporosis, osteomalacia).
Acute low back pain is often referred to as low back pain (back pain). The main reasons are vertebral displacement, intervertebral hernia and congenital abnormalities of the spine. If the "vertebrae are in place", the back pain can last for hours to days and stop suddenly.
Nephropathy pain
Usually, low back pain is accompanied by kidney disease. It does not change with the position of the body, if a person stands for a long time, it will increase. It is more common that it is one-sided, indicating that there is a chronic disease. If you have back pain and you have the following symptoms, you need to see a doctor:
- Signs of poisoning and general malaise (chills, fatigue, etc. );
- Swelling of the eyelids and face in the morning;
- Violation of the urination process (frequent, painful, etc. );
- Blood pressure rises or drops sharply;
- Nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting;
- Change urine parameters (too dark, turbid, unpleasant smell, etc. ).
Blood in the urine and severe back pain are characteristic of the onset of urolithiasis. In this case, the pain can be transmitted from the back along the ureter to the groin area, genitals and inner surface of the thigh.
Hematuria may also indicate kidney cancer. But unlike urolithiasis, in most cases, the tumor will grow asymptomatic for a long period of time, and only in the final stage of the process will you feel back pain.
Low back pain and pregnancy
During pregnancy and childbirth, women’s waists are under tremendous pressure. If the mother-to-be has back pain, then this may be a physiological phenomenon, or a sign of disease progression or deterioration.
Increase load
Any physical activity can cause back pain. It can appear after summer work, weightlifting, high-intensity strength training, etc.
Excess weight
Being overweight can negatively affect the condition of the spine. Every kilogram added is an extra burden on the waist.
In obese individuals, the risk of developing osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia is significantly increased. Obese people are also prone to kidney stones, osteoporosis and other diseases that cause back pain.
other reasons
Sometimes the back is painful for other reasons:
- Pathological. Gastrointestinal diseases (colitis, intestinal tumors, gallstones, etc. ); pathology of pelvic organs (prostatitis, endometriosis, tumors, infections and inflammations); spinal cord circulatory disorders; atherosclerosis of the abdominal aortaLike sclerosis or aneurysm.
- physiological. Long-term static load on the back, long-term work in front of the computer, long-term driving, etc.
In the case of ectopic pregnancy and "acute abdomen", low back pain can radiate to the lower back.
Types of pain and its causes
When the back pain in the waist, a person sometimes cannot even move. The nature of the pain may change throughout the day: first you feel a dull pain in your waist, then a sharp pain, and then subside again. In addition, it can be constant and will not fade away. When I was young, when my waist was constantly painful, everything was easier to bear than the elderly.
Generally speaking, pain is a mechanism for identifying problems caused by diseases. Pain reveals a hidden problem, so it plays a huge role. But, of course, you cannot tolerate her. You must contact a specialist immediately, who will determine the cause and prescribe a treatment plan.
Chronic pain
Chronic back pain is a common symptom of spinal and internal organ diseases. It is obvious and constant in cancer patients who have metastasized to the vertebrae or their primary tumor lesions.
Severe pain
Acute low back pain may indicate a serious problem that requires proactive strategies. The following diseases are attractive to her:
- Spinal fractures and other acute back injuries;
- Intensification of the joint inflammation process;
- Spinal epiduralitis;
- Intervertebral hernia;
- Deterioration of osteochondrosis;
- Acute abdomen (intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, ovarian stroke, etc. );
- Movement of stones with ICD or gallstone disease;
- Nervous nerves;
- Acute circulatory disturbances of the blood vessels in the back;
- Acute pyelonephritis.
If a pregnant woman feels very sore back, she should seek medical help immediately. Because of the severe pain in the child's lower back, the parents had to take the child to see a pediatrician.
Severe pain
If you are worried about severe back pain and taking analgesics will not help, you should consult a doctor.
sore
Usually, low back pain is considered to be the result of muscle fatigue. This is a misunderstanding. Sometimes the back is painful due to severe lesions of the small pelvis (prostate cancer in men and uterine cancer in women).
In addition, pain of similar nature is a typical feature of slow infection process, benign formation and hernia. Over time, they will intensify and be supplemented by other signs of disease.
Shift pain
When the intensity and duration of back pain, low back pain are different, the cause may not be one pathology, but multiple. You should make an appointment with a specialist and undergo a comprehensive examination.
Which doctor should I see?
If you have pain in your lower back, you first need to see a therapist. The doctor will record the medical history, describe the back pain in detail, conduct an examination, and develop a plan of diagnostic measures. Based on their results, he will prescribe treatment or consult a narrow expert:
- Neurologist
- Spinal neurologist
- Gastroenterologist
- Neurosurgeon.
diagnosis
When the lower back is painful, the complex prescribes diagnostic measures. Laboratory inspections, ultrasonic inspections, X-ray methods, instrument inspections, etc. are mandatory.
X-ray
Bone X-ray is a simple and economical method of diagnosis. For spinal pathology, all existing defects are visible in the image. Doctors make a diagnosis based on the data obtained and determine further strategies for treating patients with back pain.
CT scan
Computed tomography is to confirm the diagnosis and strictly follow the indications. On the tomogram, the bone defect is clearly visible, causing lower back pain.
NMR
Magnetic resonance imaging is a modern and highly information-based diagnostic method. It allows you to explore any area of the body. With its help, the state of blood vessels, nerve structures, spinal cord and internal organs can be assessed.
Although it is relatively safe, it cannot be assigned to "everyone in a row" who has back pain. There are many contraindications to this test.
Possible complications and consequences of pain
If you do not consult a doctor and are not sure of the cause of back pain, the consequences may be serious. A symptom cannot be ignored.
When the back is severely painful, there may be spinal injuries or acute abdominal lesions. Low back pain that ignores nerve compression can lead to continuous loss of sensitivity and motor activity. The consequences of low back pain are serious, such as internal organ rupture, bleeding, abscess, sepsis, etc.
First aid for acute pain
If you experience acute back pain, call a doctor or ambulance. Before the doctor arrives, the patient needs to:
- Adopt a "waist friendly" posture;
- Give a shot of anesthetic, if it doesn't work, repeat the medication (intramuscular injection) after half an hour;
- Use drugs to relieve cramps;
- Eliminate possible swelling by drinking diuretics or herbal tea;
- Improve tissue nutrition by taking multivitamin and mineral preparations;
- Lubricate the lower back with ointment or gel.
Sometimes they use folk methods (horseradish, pepper or nettle tincture). When your back is painful, you should stick to the "unloading" diet and eliminate any irritating factors.
How to recover from low back pain?
There are several ways to treat back and lower back pain. But they are all related to traditional (medical methods) or alternative methods.
Traditional methods include:
- rest on bed;
- medical treatement;
- physiotherapy;
- operation treatment;
Alternative methods include:
- massage;
- acupuncture;
- Yoga class.
The main goal of these methods is to relieve pain and the golden rule: "Do not hurt".
When you have back pain, you must first consult a doctor and treat it at home based on the confirmed diagnosis and the advice received. Injections and electrotherapy must be carried out in medical institutions. Back massage, lower back compresses, ointments, and medications can be taken not only in the clinic, but also at home. Self-medication and incorrectly following recommendations can only cause harm.
medical treatement
The doctor should give medication according to the cause of the back pain. It is not acceptable to self-administer medication.
Ointments and gels
It is recommended to lubricate the back for musculoskeletal diseases. Distinguish the following types of ointments:
- Combined, there are multiple effects (anti-inflammatory, analgesic, healing);
- Anti-inflammatory analgesics (contains menthol, lavender and similar ingredients);
- Irritants (plants, animals or synthetics);
- Cartilage protective agent (restores and protects cartilage tissue).
If the waist is painful but the diagnosis is not clear, topical medication should not be used.
injection
Sometimes injections are used to treat back pain. The doctor injected analgesics into the affected area. In some cases, anesthetics will be used to block.
physiotherapy
When back pain, exercise therapy is almost always recommended. Gymnastics helps strengthen the muscular framework of the lower back, improve tissue nutrition and stretch ligaments. This set of exercises is individually selected.
Massage therapy
Massage therapy can effectively eliminate back pain. You can turn to a professional for help, or do it yourself. If it is the pathology of internal organs and tumors, the back cannot be massaged.
physiotherapy
If you have back pain, physical therapy is available for many diseases. Physical therapy is particularly effective for lower back osteochondrosis. They use magnetic therapy, laser therapy, electrophoresis, pulsed current, hydrotherapy, and other techniques.
Prevent back pain
If a person has a chronic disease that can cause back pain, prevention will be to prevent the condition from getting worse. In order to avoid such symptoms in principle, the health of the spine must first be monitored. If you have back pain, the preventive measures are:
- Active lifestyle
- Daily gymnastics
- Balanced nutrition rich in vitamins and minerals;
- Enough physical activity on the back;
- Rule out lower back injuries;
- Lack of pressure
- Treatment of infected lesions.
Preventive check-ups once a year are very important for timely detection of existing health problems and prevention of back pain.