Painful sensations in the back are familiar to everyone and are one of the most common reasons to see a doctor. In addition, about 80% of patients specifically complain of having lower back pain.
Sometimes the reason for the appearance of discomfort in the lower part of the spine may simply be a prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position. If the pain becomes regular, there is a reason to see a specialist.
Back pain can be a sign of a wide variety of illnesses: from osteochondrosis to malignant tumors.
The set of therapeutic measures should be based on the cause of this pain. Medicines and alternative medicine can be used.
Why does the lower back hurt: reasons
There are different factors that can cause back pain. Only an experienced specialist, based on the examination of the patient and additional examinations, can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. Distinguish between primary and secondary pain syndromes.
In the first case, the lower back hurts as a result of the appearance of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine with such diseases as:
- Osteochondrosis - is a lesion of bone and cartilage tissue, dystrophic in nature;
- Spondylarthrosis is one of the forms of osteoarthritis, characterized by damage to the intervertebral joints responsible for the mobility of the spine.
In the second case, the range of reasons why the lower back hurts is wider:
- Scoliosis, or curvature of the spine;
- Inflammation, of a non-infectious nature (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome);
- Various infectious diseases (tuberculosis, brucellosis, epidural abscess), in which the vertebrae and intervertebral discs are damaged, are a common cause of lower back pain;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (acute appendicitis, intestinal obstruction);
- Often back pain is thoughtful in nature. This situation occurs in the presence of diseases of organs located in the pelvic region (renal colic, venereal diseases, gynecological pathologies).
- A tumor located on the vertebrae or spinal cord contributes to the onset of pain;
- Stroke and pre-stroke conditions, in which there is a violation of the blood supply to the spinal cord, can cause a feeling of pain in the lower back;
- During pregnancy, the load on the spine increases significantly, in connection with this there are pulling pains in the lumbar spine;
- The most serious cause of pain is fractures of the vertebral vertebrae.
In addition, the lower back often hurts as a result of muscle stretching, displacement of the intervertebral discs, osteoarthritis of the hip joint. Suffering from severe pain, the patient adopts a forced position of the body, which quite severely limits his mobility when walking. Typically, this problem is encountered by athletes or people whose work is related to physical activity.
It happens that the lower back hurts during prolonged work in an uncomfortable position, as a result of lifting or carrying weights, falling, hitting, straightening up suddenly, hypothermia or being inAn air current. All of these causes can lead to inflammation of the deep back muscles or spasms.
Sometimes the lower back hurts from stress. The point is, this part of the spine is one of the most psychosomatic parts of the body, so it reacts strongly to various worries and experiences. Anger, fear, irritability contribute to the release of adrenaline into the blood, which, in turn, leads to an increase in the tone of the muscles of the spine. If adequate discharge does not occur, tight muscles begin to contract and pain occurs. Therefore, people with an unstable psyche often experience pain in the spine.
Lower back pain treatment
Discomfort and even painful sensations in the lower back can be of varying intensity - from insignificant mild pain to unbearable pain that makes even a small movement difficult. It can also be a sharp, dull, drawing or burning pain, which is often accompanied by tingling, goosebumps, numbness. It is often associated with pain in the hip, foot or knee.
If the lower back hurts for more than 3 days, it is imperative to consult a therapist. Depending on the results of the examination, you may need to see a specialist doctor. So, to assess the condition of the spine, back muscles or nervous system, a neurologist should be examined if there is a suspicion of a disease of the urinary system - a consultation with a urologist, in the presence of diseases of the apparatusfemale reproductive system - by a gynecologist.
In addition, a general urine and blood test is usually prescribed to rule out or confirm the inflammatory nature of the disease, an ultrasound of the hip joints, an X-ray of the spine (MSCT or MRI) and others. studies. With the exception of severe and advanced cases, the treatment of low back pain does not require surgery and can do without medication.
Conservative treatment has three main objectives:
- Relieve the patient from pain;
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to reduce negative processes in the spine;
- Return of the patient to a fulfilling life.
The fastest effect if lower back pain is given by drug therapy. Generally used in the treatment:
- Muscle relaxant drugs. They should be used at the onset of acute pain. This allows you to relieve the spasm of the muscles, eliminate the resulting compression (compression) of the spinal roots;
- Anti-inflammatory pain relievers can relieve pain and inflammation quickly. They can be used in the form of ointment and gel for external use, as well as in the form of tablets and injections.
- Chondoprotectors (drugs including chondroites and glucosamines). These substances are found in the cartilage tissue of joints and intervertebral discs;
- Vitamin therapy.
However, it is not always possible to use drug treatment if the lower back hurts. In the presence of allergies, pregnancy and certain diseases, drugs are contraindicated.
How can you help cope with back pain in this case? Recommendations:
- Massage is one of the safest treatments. The only contraindication is the presence of cancer. Massage procedures allow you to relieve muscle spasms, reduce pain, improve blood flow to all tissues;
- Physiotherapy - exposure to magnetic fields, electric currents can be considered the most effective methods in the presence of diseases of the spine. Painful sensations are reduced, tissue nutrition is improved, muscles are strengthened;
- Manual therapy and acupuncture. These methods are similar to massage, but they work on a more subtle level of interconnecting reflexes.
To reduce the risk of back pain, you need to sleep on a firm bed with a hard mattress, maintain correct posture, take breaks while working at a computer or driving a car, during which you can do simple exercises, avoidto lift weights, try not to gain excess weight, and exercise regularly. . .