Painful sensations in the back are familiar to everyone and are one of the most common reasons for seeing a doctor. Also, about 80% of patients complain exactly that their lower back hurts.
Sometimes the reason for discomfort in the lower spine may simply be an extended stay in an uncomfortable position. If the pain becomes regular, there is a reason to see a specialist.
Back pain can be a sign of a wide variety of illnesses: from osteochondrosis to malignant tumors.
The complex of therapeutic measures must be based on the cause of this pain. Medicines and alternative medicine can be used.
Why the lower back hurts: reasons
There are several factors that can cause back pain. Only an experienced specialist, based on the patient's examination and additional tests, can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. Distinguish between primary and secondary pain syndromes.
In the first case, the lumbar region hurts due to the appearance of degenerative dystrophic changes in the spine with diseases such as:
- Osteochondrosis - is a lesion of the bone and cartilaginous tissue, it is dystrophic in nature;
- Spondyloarthrosis is one of the forms of osteoarthrosis, characterized by injuries to the intervertebral joints responsible for spinal mobility.
In the second case, the range of reasons why the lower back hurts is broader:
- Scoliosis or curvature of the spine;
- Inflammation of a non-infectious nature (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome);
- Several infectious diseases (tuberculosis, brucellosis, epidural abscess), in which the vertebrae and intervertebral discs are damaged, are a common reason for low back pain;
- Gastrointestinal tract diseases (acute appendicitis, intestinal obstruction);
- Often, back pain is of a reflected nature. This situation occurs in the presence of organ diseases located in the pelvic region (renal colic, venereal diseases, gynecological pathologies).
- A tumor located in the vertebrae or spinal cord contributes to the onset of pain;
- Stroke and pre-stroke conditions, in which there is a violation of the blood supply to the spinal cord, can cause a feeling of pain in the lower back;
- During pregnancy, the load on the spine increases greatly; in connection with this there is pain in the lumbar spine;
- Spinal fractures are the most serious cause of pain.
In addition, the lower back often hurts as a result of muscle stretching, dislocation of the intervertebral discs, arthrosis of the hip joint. Suffering from acute pain, the patient assumes a forced body position, which greatly limits his mobility when walking. Typically, this problem is faced by athletes or people whose work is related to physical activity.
It turns out that the lower back hurts during prolonged working in an uncomfortable position, as a result of lifting or carrying weights, falling, hitting, straightening sharply, hypothermia, or being in a draft. All of these causes can lead to inflammation of the deep back muscles 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, so it reacts acutely to various concerns and experiences. Anger, fear, irritability all contribute to the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream, which in turn leads to an increase in spinal muscle tone. If adequate discharge does not occur, the muscles under tension begin to contract and pain occurs. Therefore, people with an unstable psyche often experience back pain.
Treatment for low back pain
The discomfort and even painful sensations in the lower back can be of varying intensity - from mild, insignificant pain to excruciating pain that makes it difficult to make even a small movement. It can also be a sharp, dull, tingling, or burning pain that is usually accompanied by tingling, chills, and numbness. It is often associated with pain in the hip, foot or knee.
If your lower back hurts for more than 3 days, it is imperative to see a therapist. Depending on the test results, it may be necessary to consult a specialist physician. Thus, to assess the status of the spine, back musculature or nervous system, a neurologist should be examined if urinary tract diseases are suspected - consultation with a urologist, in the presence of diseases of the female reproductive system - for a gynecologist.
In addition, a general analysis of urine and blood is usually prescribed to exclude or confirm the inflammatory nature of the disease, ultrasound of the hip joints, spine X-ray (MSCT or MRI) and other studies. With the exception of severe and advanced cases, the treatment of low back pain does not require surgery and can be dispensed with medication.
Conservative treatment has three main goals:
- Relieving the patient from pain;
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to reduce negative processes in the spine;
- Return of the patient to a full life.
The quickest effect if low back pain is administered by drug therapy. Usually used in treatment:
- Muscle relaxant drugs. 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 pain relievers can quickly relieve pain and inflammation. They can be used in the form of an ointment and gel for external use, as well as in pills and injections.
- Condoprotectors (drugs including chondroites and glucosamines). These substances are found in the cartilage tissue of joints and intervertebral 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 certain illnesses, medications 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 to relieve muscle spasm, reduce pain, improve blood flow to all tissues;
- Physiotherapy - Exposure to magnetic fields, electrical currents can be considered the most effective methods in the presence of spinal diseases. Pain sensations are reduced, tissue nutrition is improved, muscles are strengthened;
- Manual therapy and acupuncture. These methods are similar to massage, but they work on a more subtle level of interconnecting reflexes.
To reduce the risk of back pain, you should sleep on a firm bed with a hard mattress, maintain correct posture, take breaks while working at a computer or driving a car, during which you can do simple exercises, avoid lifting weights. , try not to gain excess weight and exercise regularly . . .