Painful sensations in the back are familiar to everyone and are one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor. Moreover, about 80% of patients complain that their lower back hurts.
Sometimes the cause of discomfort in the lower spine can simply be a long stay in an awkward position. If the pain becomes regular, then there is a reason to consult a specialist.
Back pain can be a sign of a wide variety of diseases: 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: causes
There are various factors that can cause back pain. Only an experienced specialist based on the patient's examination and additional examinations can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe an effective course of 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 diseases such as:
- Osteochondrosis - is a lesion of bone and cartilage tissue, has a dystrophic nature;
- Spondyloarthritis is a form of osteoarthritis characterized by lesions of 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, 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 low back pain;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (acute appendicitis, intestinal obstruction);
- Often back pain has a reflected nature. This situation occurs in the presence of diseases of the organs located in the pelvic area (renal colic, sexually transmitted diseases, gynecological pathologies).
- A tumor located on the vertebrae or spinal cord contributes to the onset of pain;
- Strokes and pre-stroke conditions in which there is a disturbance in the blood supply to the spinal cord can cause a feeling of low back pain;
- During pregnancy, the load on the spine increases significantly, in connection with this there is pulling pain in the lumbar spine;
- Spinal fractures are the most serious cause of pain.
Also, the lower back often hurts as a result of muscle strain, displacement of the intervertebral discs, osteoarthritis of the hip. Suffering from acute pain, the patient occupies a forced position of the body, which severely limits his mobility when walking. This problem is usually encountered by athletes or people whose work involves physical activity.
It happens that the lower back hurts during prolonged work in an awkward position, as a result of lifting or carrying weights, falling, hitting, abrupt straightening, hypothermia or standing. All of these causes can lead to inflammation of the deep muscles of the back or spasm.
Sometimes the lower back hurts due to stress. The fact is that this part of the spine is one of the most psychosomatic parts of the body, which is why it reacts sharply to various worries and experiences. Anger, fear, irritability contribute to the release of adrenaline in the blood, which in turn leads to increased tone of the spinal muscles. If adequate discharge is not obtained, the tense muscles begin to tighten and pain occurs. Therefore, people with unstable psyche often experience pain in the spine.
Treatment of low back pain
Discomfort and even painful sensations in the lower back can be of varying intensity - from mild to unbearable pain, which makes it difficult to perform even a small movement. It can also be a sharp, dull, pulling or burning pain, which is often accompanied by numbness, tingling, numbness. It is often combined with pain in the hip, foot or knee.
If the lower back hurts for more than 3 days, then it is mandatory to consult a therapist. Depending on the results of the test, you may need to consult a specialist. So, to assess the condition of the spine, back muscles or nervous system, a neurologist should be examined if there is a suspicion of diseases of the urinary system - consultation with a urologist, in the presence of diseases of the female reproductive system - by a gynecologist.
Also, a general analysis of urine and blood is usually prescribed to rule out or confirm the inflammatory nature of the disease, ultrasound of the hip joints, radiography of the spine (MSCT or MRI) and other tests. With the exception of severe and advanced cases, the treatment of low back pain does not require surgery and can be canceled with medication.
Conservative treatment has three main goals:
- Relieving the patient of pain;
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to reduce the negative processes in the spine;
- Returning the patient to a full life.
The fastest effect if low back pain is given by drug therapy. It is usually used to treat:
- Muscle relaxants. They should be used as soon as acute pain occurs. This allows you to relieve muscle spasm, remove the resulting compression (squeezing) of the spinal roots;
- Anti-inflammatory painkillers can quickly relieve pain and inflammation. They can be used in the form of ointment and gel for external use, as well as in tablets and injections.
- Chondoprotectors (drugs, including chondroites and glucosamines). These substances are found in the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral joints and discs;
- Vitamin therapy.
However, it is not always possible to use drug therapy if the lower back hurts. In the presence of allergies, pregnancy and some diseases, drugs are contraindicated.
How can you help deal 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 spasm, 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 work on a finer level of interconnectedness of reflexes.
To reduce the risk of back pain, you should sleep on a firm bed with a firm mattress, maintain a proper posture, take breaks while working on a computer or driving a car, during which you can do simple exercises, avoid liftingweights, try not to gain weight and exercise regularly. . .