Pain in the lower back is a companion of about a quarter of the country's population, occurs once or becomes a habitual phenomenon and accompanies a person for almost a lifetime. Lower back pain often worries men and women over the age of 35-45.
In recent years, due to physical inactivity, malnutrition, excess weight, constant stress, back pain syndrome is increasingly common in adolescents and children. Therefore, many people are increasingly concerned with the question of what to do if the lower back hurts.
Backache
Back pain in the lower back can be dull, aching, stabbing, and girdle pain in the lower back may also appear. They can appear on the left or right side of the body, disappear without a trace, or constantly return, compromising a person's quality of life and physical activity. Patients complain of severe pain in the lower back. It is important for the doctor to determine why the lower back hurts and for the patient to receive quality treatment.
Causes of lower back pain
Sometimes severe lower back pain can be caused by excessive physical exertion. Working in the countryside, overloading in the gym, carrying heavy weights, a sedentary lifestyle provoke the process when the lower back hurts. However, the pain usually subsides after a few days. But if relief does not come, you should definitely consult 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 that explain why the back hurts in the lumbar region. There are the following causes of pain:
- Acute or chronic spasm of the back muscles.
- Protrusion (protrusion of the intervertebral disc) and herniated intervertebral discs.
- Osteochondrosis (degenerative damage to the joints or intervertebral discs), spondylosis (deformation, 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 a curvature of the spine, compression of the roots of the spinal cord and severe pain in the lumbar spine.
One of the well-known syndromes is low back pain - low back pain, in which the lower back or sacrum is very painful.
In the lumbar region, the pains are often throbbing, tearing in nature, last for several minutes, but sometimes for several hours or days and suddenly disappear.
Dull, aching, radiating under the ribs, associated with the stretching of the renal capsule, pain is characteristic of kidney disease. This can be acute pyelonephritis (an inflammatory process affecting the tubular system of the kidneys) or blockage of the ureter by stones (stones).
Back pain develops with a constant 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. With phlebitis (inflammation of the walls of venous vessels), proctitis (inflammation of the rectum), it also hurts in the lower back. Appendicitis or cholecystitis is characterized by pain that radiates to the right side of the lower back.
Girdle pain in the lower back can be caused by various types of herpes. Often the virus manifests itself not in a rash, but in aches, severe pains. To find out what medications and how to treat pain, you need to contact an infectious disease specialist for advice on taking antiviral drugs. Girdle pain in the lower back 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 system disorders, osteochondrosis or hernia of the spine. Such pains in the lower back not only cause discomfort, but can also disrupt the monthly cycle and lead to infertility.
Pull back pain occurs with gynecological problems. These can be inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs, endometriosis (abnormal proliferation of the uterine epithelium), cysts on the ovaries, polyps, fibroids or other formations in the uterine cavity.
Only a specialist is able to determine what causes a woman's back pain. Therefore, it is not necessary to decide for yourself what to do if the lower back hurts. First of all, you need to visit a gynecologist.
Often women have back pain during critical days. The reasons are a temporary change in the hormonal background, an increase in the amount of estrogen that increase the sensitivity of the body, water retention, increased load on the spine, physiological contractions of the walls of the uterus.
Low back pain during pregnancy occurs in almost all women, but often does not require treatment. Pain in the lumbar spine is associated with an increase in the body weight of a pregnant woman and pressure on the spine, hormonal changes in the body, a slight shift in the center of gravity and a weakening of the musculo-ligament system of the lower abdomen.
Sometimes women complain of back pain after giving birth. Experts say that the postpartum causes of back pain appear after microtraumas of the musculo-ligament apparatus and joints of the spine.
Spinal instability is another problem for women of any age, even with a slight degree of obesity. Another common cause is damage to the discs or intervertebral joints.
Physical activity, prolonged standing cause pain in the spine, pain in the lower back, difficult extension of the body, the desire to lie down and rest as soon as possible. In the postmenopausal period, osteoporosis can develop.
in men
Professional activities associated with excessive physical exertion, awkward body postures and working in the cold can lead to the appearance of periodic back pain in men. The culprit for pain that radiates to the lower back or groin may be epididymitis - inflammation of the testicles, manifested by swelling of the scrotum and fever. With prostatitis, inflammation of the bladder, a man is worried about dull pain in the left side of his back.
Lower back pain in men over 40 is often caused by a herniated disc. It is characterized by back pain when coughing, sneezing, difficulty in bending and stretching the back. Lower back pain worsens with a standing position, so these patients tend to lie down faster. A neglected hernia and pain in the lower back 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 disability. Lumbar spine treatment can only be performed by certified specialists.
Diagnosis of diseases
If the exact cause of the pain is still unknown, diagnostic measures should begin with a visit to a therapist. Treatment of low back pain should be started after making an accurate diagnosis, which is done after a comprehensive examination. The survey includes:
- study 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;
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
- computed tomography (CT).
Since pain in the lumbar region is caused not only by neurological, but also somatic reasons, the patient should be examined by a neurologist, vertebrologist, therapist and nephrologist. For women, if they have pain in the lower back, it is imperative to be examined by a gynecologist and men should visit a urologist.
Treatment for low back pain
After the correct diagnosis of low back pain, the specialist prescribes a 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 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 remove pain.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to relieve low back pain. These drugs have a negative effect on the stomach lining, so they must be taken together with drugs that reduce acidity and protect the stomach wall from damage. For pain, as directed by a doctor, the appropriate ointments or gels can be used.
Since pain in the spine and lower back is caused by different reasons, only specialists can prescribe an appropriate treatment for the lower back. Therefore, as soon as possible, it is necessary to consult a doctor, and not to self-medicate. Only a doctor can determine why the lower back hurts and how to get rid of lower back pain.
At home, the treatment of back pain can only be carried out after an examination and medical examination, otherwise incurable complications may occur.
If the lower back hurts, the treatment can be complex, that is, you can use both traditional and folk methods.
Prophylaxis
It is best to prevent back pain, so there is no need to look for an answer to the question of how to treat back pain. The prevention rules are simple but effective. The main thing is not to forget to perform them.
According to statistics, over 25-30% of people have experienced this condition when their back hurts. Preventive planned monitoring of the state of health, timely access to a doctor allows you to identify an incipient pathology, diagnose why the spine hurts in the lumbar region, why the lumbar part is pulled.
Morning exercises, jogging, brisk walking, exercise in the gym, swimming are the main physical activities necessary 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 the stress on the spine, it is necessary to adjust the body weight. Overweight, physical inactivity are enemies of the spine.
To properly reduce body weight, you can not get carried away by the diets found on the Internet. It is best to consult a dietician or doctor for advice on nutrition and maintenance of water-salt balance.
Routine medical exams are important for preventing back pain in the lumbar region. Women have to visit a gynecologist every year, men - a urologist. Many spinal diseases begin in childhood.
Parents need to closely monitor the child's health, teach him to exercise, play active children and correct posture. School-age children must undergo a routine medical examination every year before the school year begins.
If the lower back hurts, a positive attitude, belief in success, compliance with all the prescriptions of specialists allows you to reduce or completely get rid of pain, lead a full-fledged lifestyle.