Pain in the lower back, whether constant or recurring, can not only cause discomfort, but also make a person’s life truly unbearable.People suffering from severe back pain are not only deprived of the opportunity to engage in sports, for example, or physical labor - they often find it difficult to even just walk, stand or sit, which means that the most ordinary everyday activities become a real test for them.Therefore, if a person has back pain in the lumbar region, it is extremely important to understand the causes of this ailment in time and begin appropriate treatment in order to avoid much more serious health problems.
Main causes of pain
Discomfort and unpleasant sensations in the lower back that occur from time to time are often associated not with specific diseases, but with the impact of adverse factors on the human body.We are talking about:
- sedentary work, for example, long periods of time behind the wheel or in an office in front of a computer;
- excessive physical activity;
- prolonged stress;
- intense training in the gym that does not correspond to a person’s capabilities;
- poor diet leading to a deficiency of vitamins and microelements;
- poor quality mattress and so on.
In children, back discomfort is most often associated with incorrect posture, an incorrectly selected chair and study table, as well as a backpack and shoes.Excess weight can also provoke pain in people of any age, especially if the extra pounds have appeared in a short period of time.
The main thing is that by eliminating the influence of the above factors, you can quickly get rid of lower back problems and return to your usual lifestyle.
However, if the lower back bothers you regularly, and even more so if the intensity of the sensations increases each time, there is a high probability that they are caused by much more serious reasons.All diseases that can cause back pain can be divided into 2 groups: the first includes problems with the musculoskeletal system, and the second includes various pathologies of internal organs.
Lower back pain as the main symptom manifests itself when:
- lumbar osteochondrosis;
- osteoporosis;
- intervertebral disc protrusion;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spondylosis;
- curvature of the spine (scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis);
- arthritis;
- spinal tuberculosis;
- myositis;
- intercostal neuralgia;
- sciatica.
This group also includes congenital anomalies of the structure of the spine, as well as previous injuries.
If the pain in the lumbar region is of a reflected nature, that is, associated with disturbances in the functioning of nearby internal organs, the patient may be diagnosed with:
- urolithiasis;
- pancreatitis;
- cholecystitis;
- haemorrhoids;
- chlamydia;
- colitis;
- liver diseases;
- kidney pathologies;
- benign or cancerous neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract.
Unpleasant sensations in the lumbar region can also be a residual phenomenon after a severe cold, flu or sore throat, as well as a consequence of frequent and prolonged constipation.
In women, the lower back often hurts for completely natural reasons related to the processes occurring in their body.We are talking about discomfort and nagging pain during PMS and during menstruation itself, menopause or pregnancy.In the latter case, discomfort in the back often haunts the expectant mother throughout the entire 9 months, intensifying as the fetus grows and the load on the spine increases.
Pathological causes in women are most often associated with infectious processes in the vagina (candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis), inflammation of the appendages or inner lining of the uterus (endometriosis), the formation of polyps or ovarian tumors, as well as contraction of the uterus after an abortion.In addition, in pregnant women, severe pain in the lower back may indicate a threat of premature birth or miscarriage.
Pain and its causes in men, in addition to all of the above diseases, can be associated with inflammation of the epididymis or prostate gland.For example, with epididymitis, discomfort localized mainly in the groin area can spread to the lower back, and with prostatitis, in addition to discomfort in the anus, back pain on the right often radiates to the leg and buttocks.
Types of pain
Unpleasant sensations arising in the lumbar region vary in nature, intensity and duration.The pain can be sharp and sharp or nagging and aching, barely noticeable or painful, paroxysmal or constant.Only by understanding what exactly a person feels can you understand what causes these sensations and how to eliminate their root cause.
For example, severe pain that haunts a person almost 24 hours a day may indicate osteochondrosis.A patient with this disease finds it difficult not only to lift weights or walk, but even to sit, cough or sneeze.Accompanying severe pain and radiculitis, affecting not only the lower back, but also the hips, buttocks and legs.At the same time, discomfort and unpleasant sensations intensify, you just have to try to change your body position or walk.
Acute pain in the lower back in the vast majority of cases indicates muscle strain, excessively sudden movements, excessive physical exertion, injuries, hypothermia or a long stay in an uncomfortable position.In this case, the patient suffers from so-called “lumbago”, which feels like an electric shock.Aching pain is characteristic, first of all, of the inflammatory process in the muscles.Most often, they are accompanied by stiffness in movement, due to which the patient has to give up any manifestations of activity and remain in bed for several days.
Periodic pain can be caused by abnormal physical activity, uncomfortable body position during work or sleep, as well as pathologies of some internal organs.They disappear completely as soon as their source is identified and eliminated.If the cause of poor health was not discovered in time, and the disease managed to gain momentum, the discomfort associated with it can become chronic.We are talking about inflammatory processes or degenerative changes in bone and cartilage structures, damage to nerve fibers and circulatory disorders in the vessels of the legs.
There is also a distinction between local and generalized pain.With the first, discomfort is felt in one specific place in the lumbar region or spreads only to nearby areas, such as the buttocks or thighs.In the second case, the pain syndrome covers the entire back, pelvic region and legs, including the feet and fingers.
When can you not do without medical help?
The first thing you need to do if you feel discomfort and pain in your back is just rest a little.It is quite possible that the reason for these sensations lies in ordinary fatigue, endless stress and worries, or a generally uncomfortable office chair at work.But if the pain does not subside or, after disappearing for a while, returns again, there is simply no point in postponing consultation with a specialist.Moreover, if it spreads simultaneously to the lower back, hips, legs and feet or is accompanied by loss of sensitivity in these areas.A good reason to visit a doctor is also the trauma you have suffered - not only serious car accidents, but also seemingly trivial falls on your back during icy conditions.In any case, if severe lower back pain does not subside for 2-3 days in a row, postponing going to the doctor becomes dangerous to your health.
In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to other alarming symptoms that indicate secondary causes of lower back pain associated with pathologies of internal organs:
- Quick and causeless weight loss, without diets or intense exercise.In combination with frequent back pain, a sharp decrease in body weight raises suspicions that the patient has a malignant tumor.
- Recent infectious diseases of the bladder and kidneys.Discomfort in the lumbar region in such patients may indicate the development of pyelonephritis.
- Increased pain after rest or in the morning.Considered as one of the signs of ankylosing spondylitis.
- Increased body temperature, fever.
- Decreased sensitivity of the skin, as well as problems with urination and defecation, which may be a consequence of damage to the spinal cord.
Consultation with a doctor for pain and discomfort in the lower back is mandatory for patients over 50 years of age due to the high risk of developing osteoporosis at this age, especially in women during menopause, and under 20 years of age.In addition, any discomfort in the back cannot be ignored after an injury, no matter how long ago it happened, if there are serious changes in the blood test and if the traditional treatment used in such cases has proven ineffective.
Who can help?
There are so many reasons that can cause a person to experience discomfort and pain in the lumbar region that it can be quite difficult to figure out which specialist is best to turn to for help.First of all, you need to visit a therapist, but if the pain occurs after a fall or blow, the patient also needs to consult a traumatologist.The therapist, after conducting an initial examination and collecting anamnesis, usually refers the patient to a neurologist or rheumatologist to prescribe further tests and examinations necessary to make a diagnosis.
If there are accompanying symptoms, the patient may be referred for additional consultation to specialists.For example, a man with pain radiating not only to the lower back, but also to the groin area, needs to be examined by a urologist to make a final diagnosis, and a woman with a suspected vaginal infection should definitely visit a gynecologist.
Diagnostic and treatment methods
Only a qualified specialist can determine exactly how to treat lower back pain, making a final diagnosis after tests and examinations.The most common diagnostic methods used in this case are radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.Using an X-ray, you can detect a violation of the structures of the spine, see signs of inflammation and compressed nerve endings.CT gives a more detailed picture, allowing you to practically look deep into the spine and study the existing pathologies in detail, and with the help of MRI you can assess the condition of the spinal cord, blood vessels, muscles and identify possible intervertebral hernias.
In addition, the patient may be referred for a general blood test, which allows the level of leukocytes to identify inflammation or infection, and based on severe anemia, an assumption can be made that the patient has benign or cancerous tumors.Also, for lower back pain, a urine test is often necessary to exclude possible kidney diseases.
Having received all the necessary results, the doctor selects the optimal treatment option, which can be conservative or surgical.Surgical intervention is used only as a last resort, so treatment, as a rule, comes down to drug therapy, special gymnastics, massage, physiotherapy and, if desired, the use of traditional medicine recipes to improve the patient’s condition without the risk of serious side effects.
First of all, the emphasis is on pain relief in order to alleviate the patient’s condition and move on to exercise therapy and physiotherapeutic procedures.In most cases, pain in the lumbar region is effectively treated with conventional analgesics, but if necessary, patients are also prescribed narcotic drugs to cope with acute attacks.
In addition to tablets, to eliminate pain and discomfort in the back, injections and topical preparations are also used - gels and ointments, which not only relieve discomfort, but also relieve inflammation, improving blood circulation in the affected area.In severe cases, the patient may be prescribed blockades - injections of painkillers that are injected directly into the deep tissues.
The next stage of treatment is to reduce inflammation, for which non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used.If necessary, muscle relaxants are prescribed in parallel, relieving both pain and muscle spasms, chondroprotectors, restoring damaged cartilage tissue, and B vitamins, strengthening the body's protective functions.In addition, if back pain is not associated with pathologies of the spine, but is caused by infections, for example, affecting the kidneys or genitals, there is a need to take antibiotics.
Specially designed sets of physical exercises are another mandatory component of the treatment of lower back pain.When performed regularly, you can not only eliminate discomfort and muscle tension in the back, but also slow down the inflammatory process by improving blood supply to the affected area.
A course of professional massage, which is necessarily prescribed to patients after pain relief, helps to warm up the muscles and ease spasms, activate blood circulation and improve the patient’s condition as a whole.In addition, physical procedures also effectively cope with pain: electrophoresis, UHF therapy, ultrasound treatment, laser therapy, mud baths, acupuncture.In parallel, you can also use remedies based on traditional medicine recipes - they serve as an excellent addition to drug treatment, effectively relieving pain, muscle tension and swelling without the risk of adverse consequences.
Prevention of back pain also plays an important role, allowing you to avoid many health problems.Regular physical exercise, even in the form of regular morning exercises that tone up and strengthen muscles, adherence to a drinking regime, a balanced diet that provides the body with all the necessary vitamins, minerals and microelements and, of course, regular examinations by specialists who will help identify and eliminate possible problems without waiting until they begin to pose a serious threat to a person can protect the lower back from discomfort and unpleasant sensations.