Lower back pain accompanies about a quarter of the country's population, occurs once or becomes commonplace and accompanies a person almost throughout life. Low back pain often worries men and women over the age of 35-45.
In recent years, due to physical inactivity, malnutrition, overweight, constant stress, lower back pain syndrome is increasingly common in adolescents and children. This is why many people are increasingly concerned about what to do if their lower back hurts.
Back pain
Lower back pain can be dull, and there may be pain, shooting, and low back pain. They can appear on the left or right side of the body, disappear without a trace or return constantly, disrupting a person's quality of life and physical activity. Patients complain of severe low back pain. It is important for the doctor to find out why the lower back hurts and for the patient to receive quality treatment.
Causes of lower back pain
Sometimes severe low back pain can be caused by excessive exercise. Working in the country, overexertion in the gym, carrying heavy weights, sedentary lifestyle provoke the process when the lower back hurts. However, the pain usually disappears after a few days. But if the relief doesn't come, you should definitely see a doctor to find out the causes of lower back pain.
Common causes
Back pain in the lumbar region can have various causes. Pain can be caused by congenital diseases of the spine, malignant or benign tumors of the pelvic organs, infectious processes. Doctors have a sufficient number of facts explaining why back pain in the lumbar region. There are the following causes of pain:
- Acute or chronic spasm of the muscles of the back.
- Protrusion (protrusion of the intervertebral disc) and herniated intervertebral discs.
- Osteochondrosis (degenerative damage to the joints or intervertebral discs), spondylosis (deformity, proliferation of the bone tissue of the vertebrae), arthrosis (joint damage caused by metabolic disorders).
- Ankylosing spondylitis (a chronic disease that immobilizes the spine).
In men and women, the most common pathology is osteochondrosis, in which there is curvature of the spine, compression of the spinal cord roots and severe pain in the lumbar spine.
One of the well-known syndromes is lumbago - lumbago, in which the lower back or sacrum is very painful.
In the lumbar region, the pain is often throbbing, tearing in nature, lasting several minutes, but sometimes several hours or days, and disappearing suddenly.
Dull, painful, radiating below the ribs, associated with stretching of the renal capsule, the pain is characteristic of kidney disease. This can be acute pyelonephritis (an inflammatory process that affects the tubular system of the kidneys) or obstruction of the ureter by stones (stones).
Back pain develops with a permanent allergic syndrome, hormonal imbalance, tuberculosis. In this case, the destruction of the vertebrae occurs.
Pain in the lower back, radiating to the right, can be symptoms of diseases of the pancreas, duodenum, gastric ulcers, aneurysm (expansion) of the abdominal aorta. In phlebitis (inflammation of the walls of the venous vessels), proctitis (inflammation of the rectum) also hurts in the lower back. Appendicitis or cholecystitis is characterized by pain that radiates to the right lower back.
Low back pain can be caused by different types of herpes. Often the virus does not manifest itself in a rash, but in pain, severe pain. To find out what medications and how to treat pain, you should contact an infectious disease specialist to advise taking antiviral medications. Low back pain also accompanies inflammation of the peritoneum, osteochondrosis, sciatica and myositis.
Among women
Low back pain in women is caused by various reasons. The main ones are pregnancy, menopause, kidney disease, digestive disorders, osteochondrosis or spinal hernia. Such low back pain not only causes discomfort, but can also disrupt the menstrual cycle and lead to infertility.
Pulling back pain occurs with gynecological problems. These can be inflammatory diseases of the female genitals, endometriosis (abnormal proliferation of the uterine epithelium), ovarian cysts, polyps, fibroids or other formations in the uterine cavity.
Only a specialist is able to determine what causes a woman's low back pain. That's why you don't have to decide for yourself what to do if your lower back hurts. First of all, you need to visit a gynecologist.
Often women have low back pain during critical days. The reasons are a temporary change in the hormonal background, an increase in the amount of estrogen, which increases the sensitivity of the body, water retention, increased load on the spine, physiological contractions of the uterine walls.
Low back pain during pregnancy occurs in almost every woman, but often does not require treatment. Pain in the lumbar spine is associated with weight gain in pregnant women and pressure on the spine, hormonal changes in the body, a slight shift in the center of gravity and weakening of the musculoskeletal system of the lower abdomen.
Sometimes women complain that their back hurts after giving birth. Experts say that the postpartum causes of back pain appear after microtraumas of the musculoskeletal system and joints of the spine.
Spinal instability is another problem for women of all ages, even with mild obesity. Another common cause is damage to the intervertebral discs or joints.
Physical activity, prolonged standing in an upright position cause pain in the spine, pain in the lower back, difficulty stretching the body, the desire to lie down and rest as soon as possible. Osteoporosis may develop in the postmenopausal period.
In men
Occupational activities associated with excessive exercise, uncomfortable postures and working in the cold can lead to recurrent back pain in men. The culprit for the pain radiating to the lumbar region or groin may be epididymitis - inflammation of the testicles, manifested by swelling of the scrotum and fever. With prostatitis, an inflammation of the bladder, a person is bothered by dull pain in the left back.
Lower back pain in men over the age of 40 is often caused by a herniated disc. It is characterized by back pain when coughing, sneezing, difficulty bending and stretching the back. Lower back pain worsens when standing up, so these patients tend to lie down faster. Neglected hernias and lower back pain sometimes require surgery.
The listed specific male diseases and other pathologies in which the lower back constantly hurts should not be treated without the supervision of a doctor. Self-medication can lead to aggravation and complication of the pathological process and lead to damage. The treatment of the lumbar spine can be performed only by certified specialists.
Diagnosis of diseases
If the exact cause of the pain is still unknown, then diagnostic measures should begin with a visit to a therapist. Treatment of low back pain should begin after an accurate diagnosis is made, which is performed after a complete examination. The study includes:
- examination of the anamnesis (questioning the patient about the disease);
- visual inspection of painful points;
- blood and urine tests (general and biochemical);
- ultrasound examination (ultrasound);
- X-ray examination of the spine;
- nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR);
- computed tomography (CT).
Because lumbar pain is caused not only by neurological but also by somatic causes, the patient should be examined by a neurologist, vertebrologist, therapist and nephrologist. In women, if they have low back pain, it is mandatory to be examined by a gynecologist, and men should visit a urologist.
Treatment of low back pain
After the correct diagnosis of low back pain, the specialist prescribes specific treatment for this pathology, which is aimed at eliminating the causes of the disease.
If your back hurts, you should not look for an answer to the question of how to relieve low back pain from neighbors, acquaintances, on the Internet. Low back pain has different causes, so the treatment of each disease is individual. Only a doctor knows how to cure a patient and how to eliminate the pain.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to relieve low back pain. These drugs have a negative effect on the lining of the stomach, so they should be taken together with drugs that reduce acidity and protect the stomach wall from damage. In case of pain, according to the doctor's instructions, you can use the appropriate ointments or gels.
Because back and lower back pain are caused by a variety of causes, only specialists can prescribe appropriate treatment for the lower back. Therefore, as soon as possible, you should see a doctor, not self-medicate. Only a doctor can determine why your lower back hurts and how to get rid of low back pain.
At home, the treatment of back pain can be carried out only after examination and medical examination, otherwise incurable complications may occur.
If the lower back hurts, then the treatment can be complicated, that is, you can use both traditional and folk methods.
Prevention
It is better to prevent back pain, then you do not need to look for an answer to the question of how to treat lower back pain. The rules of prevention are simple but effective. The main thing is not to forget to perform them.
According to statistics, more than 25-30% of people have experienced this condition when their back hurts. Preventive planned monitoring of health, timely access to a doctor allows you to identify the onset of pathology, to diagnose why the spine hurts in the lumbar region, why the lumbar pulls.
Morning exercises, jogging, brisk walking, fitness exercises, swimming are the main physical activities needed for the muscles of the spine and back. At least 20-30 minutes a day, without severe stress, overload, will help strengthen muscle tissue.
To reduce stress on the spine, you need to adjust your body weight. Overweight, physical inactivity are enemies of the spine.
To lose weight properly, you can not get carried away with diets found on the Internet. It is better to consult a nutritionist or doctor for advice on nutrition and maintaining water-salt balance.
Routine medical checkups are important to prevent back pain in the lumbar region. Women should visit a gynecologist every year, men - a urologist. Many diseases of the spine begin in childhood.
Parents should carefully monitor the child's health, teach him to play sports, active children's games and adjust posture. School-age children must undergo a routine medical examination each year before the start of the school year.
If the lower back hurts, a positive attitude, faith in success, compliance with all the prescriptions of specialists makes it possible to reduce or completely get rid of the pain, to lead a full life.