When a person experiences persistent or acute back pain in the lumbar region, it is very difficult to do something. It is an exhausting and debilitating sensation that leads to irritation and anger. And there may be many reasons for the pain. They are far from always associated with joint or bone pathology, but they can indicate abnormalities in internal organs. Particularly paying attention to such sensations should be women whose lower back pain is often associated with dangerous gynecological pathologies.
Causes and nature of pain
Despite the fact that there is a primary cause for each type of pain, the nature of the sensation may not always indicate 100% of a particular disease. Violations in the human body can be hidden by different signs.
Low back pain is characterized by the following features:
- Acute discomfort. Patients have difficulty with movement, symptoms appear suddenly, they radiate to the bottom of the legs. Acute pain is typical for injuries, vertebral compression, for bone diseases, for example, with tumors, Cushing’s syndrome, and multiple myeloma. Vertebral displacement is also accompanied by acute pain.
- A dull pain. It develops mainly with muscle spasms, spinal hernias, radiculitis and osteochondrosis. But it can occur with pathology of the genitourinary system, kidneys, intestines and other organs. Radiculitis is divided into 2 diseases: lumbago with vertebral displacement and sciatica, in which nerve endings are affected and lumbago occurs. Often aching pain appears with renal pathology.
- Periodic pain of different nature. They arise mainly against the background of excessive physical effort, especially with prolonged inactivity and the absence of warming up before playing sports. At the same time, periodic pain can be reflected and radiated if it is associated with an organ.
- The pain persists. They are mainly associated with varicose veins and other vascular pathologies, muscular dystrophy, degenerative diseases of bone and cartilage, as well as inflammation in these elements. Getting rid of persistent symptoms is extremely difficult.
- Shooting pain. A sharp, sudden and very strong sensation, accompanied by prolonged and unpleasant pain after lumbago. They develop against the background of careless movements, excessive stress, as well as under the influence of factors such as hypothermia.
- Radiating pain. Associated mainly with diseases of the kidneys, pelvic organs, genitourinary system. It can be colic, stones, as well as pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, including gallbladder disease, ulcers, tumors and pathology of the pancreas. In men, diseases of the testicles and prostate are often the cause, and in women - ectopic pregnancy, diseases of the uterus and ovaries, cysts.
With the pain position mainly on the right side, abnormalities in the liver can be suspected.
Another reason why the lower back hurts
Among the pathologies that lead to back pain, diseases in which the symptoms are not obvious, can be weak or sharp, rare or permanent, can also be distinguished:
- osteochondrosis - refers to a degenerative form of the disorder, in which the intervertebral disc becomes inflamed, loosening of the bone surface and damage to nerve endings;
- protrusion and intervertebral hernia are diseases that are stage 2-3 osteochondrosis;
- scoliosis - curvature of the spine to the left or to the right can cause a very unpleasant sensation against the background of decreased muscle and skeletal function;
- ankylosing spondylitis - chronic autoimmune changes in the spinal joints, leading to loss of mobility;
- rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of large and small joints, which has many causes;
- bone infections, including bone tuberculosis, as well as infectious processes in organs;
- pancreatitis, adhesions in the gastrointestinal tract after surgery, appendicitis, cholecystitis;
- pyelonephritis, gallstones and colic;
- benign and malignant tumors of organs, tissues and bones, which compress nerve endings in the lumbar region.
Painful sensations can trigger muscle spasms, leading to symptoms of chills, as well as sprains caused by injury or sudden movement.
Causal characteristics in women and men
In women, exciting and sometimes acute painful sensations can develop during ovulation in the middle of the cycle. These symptoms disappear quickly and do not cause severe discomfort. For some women, the pain occurs after an abortion, which is recognized as very stressful for women’s health. Low back pain can persist for a long time and is often associated with inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs. This occurs against the background of inaccurate procedures and severe trauma to the uterine wall.
In women, low back pain can be caused by inflammation of the appendages and ovaries, increasingly intensive uterine fibroids, large cysts, as well as bleeding in the ovaries, endometritis and endometriosis. Sometimes such discomfort occurs during menopause, which is associated with sudden changes in hormonal balance.
In men, in addition to prostate cancer and prostatitis, back pain can appear with epididymitis - inflammation of the epididymis, but the main symptoms are localized in the groin area.
Diagnostic methods
Before undergoing diagnosis and prescribing treatment for lumbar spine lumbodynia, you should visit an experienced specialist - a vertebrologist or orthopedic specialist. But vertebrologists who deal with spinal diseases and know everything about the effective therapy of this disorder.
After examination, palpation, collection of information about the patient, the doctor will prescribe several diagnostic methods:
- X-ray. With the help of X-rays, doctors identify the stage of osteochondrosis and other degenerative processes in the spine. X-rays clearly show osteophyte growth and allow you to measure the distance between the vertebrae.
- MRI of the spine. Reveals pathological changes in the discs, vertebrae and joints, as well as in the soft tissues around them. MRI easily shows osteochondrosis and spondyloarthrosis even in the early stages.
- Myelography. The technique uses contrast agents, which help to detect vascular pathology, tumors, as well as narrowing of the spinal canal, abscesses and other similar changes.
To exclude diseases of internal organs and to identify inflammatory processes, urine and blood are also prescribed. Sometimes a diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract is required, including liver enzymes, pancreas, and stomach juices.
A diagnosis for back pain helps differentiate some diseases from others and allows you to choose the right treatment tactics. At home, with symptoms alone, it is impossible to understand which disease leads to pain.
How to relieve back pain
Regardless of the cause of the pain, patients will be given medications from the following groups to relieve unpleasant symptoms (at the doctor’s choice):
- Analgesic. They do not help all patients and act primarily on a weak source of pain.
- NSAIDs. Strong pain reliever, taken in course. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Hormone agents. Used within 6-10 days, inclusive.
- Injections and blockages. Combination medications are often used in combination with glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics.
- Relax your muscles. They help with muscle spasms, as well as with osteochondrosis and other disorders when there is pain in the muscles.
- Topical products. Painkillers, warming creams, gels and patches should also be used only when indicated.
In some cases, especially in severe stages of joint or bone pathology, several groups of drugs are used.
Doctors should prescribe medications, especially complex ones such as glucocorticosteroids or hormone blockade. Only strict adherence to instructions and recommendations, systematic and strict administration of the drug in prescribed doses will help eliminate unpleasant sensations.
The characteristics of the treatment depend on the type of pain
For the effective treatment of low back pain, it is important to consider its nature. For every disorder and disease, pain can be of one nature or another.
Treatment of myofascial pain
This is the name for pain associated with muscle stretching or cramping. They develop against a background of excessive load, improper weight lifting, as well as with the wrong approach to exercise. Myofascial pain may appear due to prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position, when carrying a bag in one hand or on the shoulder. Sometimes these symptoms occur against the background of poor posture.
With cramps, a violation of the roots of the spine occurs, so the symptoms are similar to sciatica: burning pain in the thighs, lower legs, numbness of the limbs.
You can treat such pain with analgesics and NSAIDs in the form of ointments, injections, tablets, patches. Among the ointments, it is better to choose a warming and irritating agent.
Sometimes myositis, which causes pain, is triggered by an infection or toxin from a worm. Then you need to take antibiotics or anthelmintics to beat the cause of the pain. Compressing and heating the ointment in this case is prohibited.
Ridge disease involving nerve endings
This disease category includes all disorders associated with dystrophic changes and injuries, whether osteochondrosis or spondylolisthesis. Requires the following treatment:
- sleep breaks during seizures - you need to lie on a hard surface, placing a small roller under your knees;
- drug treatment - often NSAIDs are used in the form of injections;
- irritating and annoying ointments, as well as pepper plasters, mustard plasters and iodine nets;
- mud treatment and heating, as well as ozokerite used during remission;
- relieved cramps with vacuum massage and acupuncture.
With radicular syndrome, expressed by severe pain, weak novocaine or opiate blockade must be used, sleep rest, dry or underwater traction of the lumbar spine, stimulation by electrophoresis and micro currents are provided.
Treatment for degenerative-inflammatory disorders
To relieve back and lower back pain in degenerative diseases (spondyloatrosis), sleep rest is prescribed by bending the legs in the frog position. Also, non -steroidal drugs are used, with severe pain they are injected via injection. Muscle relaxation is used to relieve muscle tension. Often, patients experience chronic fatigue and depression caused by pain and require antidepressant medication.
Treatment of tumor diseases
Benign and malignant tumors can have very different properties: fatty lipomas, neuromas affecting nerves, spinal cord hemangiomas, gliomas, osteosarcomas and chondrosarcomas. Tumor disease requires complex, lengthy and complex treatment.
Prescription anticancer devices are mandatory, sometimes potent opiates are prescribed to patients. They also run therapies for the cause of the tumor, for which hormone drugs, chemotherapy toxins and target drugs can be used.
Therapy for tumor disease is one of the most difficult, requiring responsibility from patients and physicians. The use of chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy can worsen a patient’s condition for a long period of time. The main thing is not to give up at this time and remember that tumor detection up to stage 2 provides a very high chance of recovery. Even with stage 3 oncology, you can count on a successful fight against the disease.
Dangers and consequences of pain
If back pain is not treated and ignored or trying to suppress it with NSAIDs and other painkillers, this can lead to severe consequences for the patient. Injuries are particularly dangerous in this case, as damage to the vertebrae can cause displacement, cracking and compression fractures. Other complications can also cause severe pain:
- the formation of chronic painful sensations, which are impossible to get rid of even taking strong painkillers;
- diseases of the spinal cord and brain, widespread damage to the nervous system and paralysis;
- decreased upper and lower sensitivity;
- sharp mobility limits;
- complications from internal organs up to paresis, stool and urinary incontinence.
When the first symptoms of low back pain appear, it is important to undergo diagnostics to identify the cause of the discomfort.
Prevention of back pain
The following preventative rules will help prevent certain illnesses and discomforts:
- moderate physical activity, daily gymnastics to strengthen the muscular corset and improve blood circulation;
- the use of hard surfaces for seating, the exception of continuous stay on upholstery furniture;
- if a person works in a sitting position for a long time, he should use the furniture recommended for this;
- to prevent many diseases, proper diet and rejection of bad habits are required;
- you need to transfer the weight properly, distribute the weight on both hands and carefully, without jerking, lift a lot of weight.
No one is immune from back pain. If diseases and pathological changes in the spine are detected in time, you can quickly and correctly get rid of them.