Back pain in the lower back is a common occurrence. By the age of 30, these feelings occur in 70% of people who are indifferent to the type of employment, lifestyle and physical activity. Ignoring back pain is fraught with undesirable health consequences, because this symptomatology already indicates disturbances in the body's work.
In consultation with a neurologist:
- Conduct an inspection;
- Listen to the patient's complaints
- Make a preliminary diagnosis;
- If necessary, send for further research;
- prescribe an individual course of treatment.
Causes of back pain
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region differ in the etiology of origin, requiring the identification of the pain zone and an analysis of its nature. It is customary to distinguish:
- epicritic pain - severe back pain in the lumbar region with a clearly defined focus;
- protopathic pain - pulling, aching pain, is a reflection of diseases of other anatomical areas.
Frequency of occurrence, duration of pain sensations and the area affected by them are important. Often the back fails for the following reasons:
- age-related changes in which the ability of the spine to perform amortization functions decreases;
- loads when carrying a child;
- vertebral displacement, injuries and compression fractures;
- spinal deformities;
- intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord.
If back pain limits mobility, prevents bending, then we are talking about stretching. Numbness, increased pain when coughing, sneezing, spreading sensations to the lower extremities are neuroradicular syndromes. Increased pain of a long-term nature is explained by problems with internal organs.
Back pain in the right lumbar region occurs due to muscle spasm, irritation of nerve fibers, problems with the musculoskeletal system or spine. There are problems with the liver, right kidney, right ovary (in women), intestines, gall bladder. Similar reasons cause a person to have back pain in the left lumbar region. But in this case, with protopathic pain, it is worth paying attention to the left kidney, left ovary (in women), stomach, intestines and pancreas.
If in the morning after sleep and a long period of inactivity, the left side hurts from the lower back or the right side, this indicates spondylarthrosis. Acute pain during a drop in temperature (in the shower or due to hypothermia) is a manifestation of acute back pain.
With painful pains, it is advisable for men to consult a urologist first, and for women to consult a gynecologist. It is necessary to conduct ultrasound of internal organs, blood and urine tests. MRI of the spine gives good results during the examination of the spine.
Back pain in the lower back of a protopathic nature is caused by a number of reasons:
- kidney disease;
- heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction);
- pleurisy;
- pneumonia;
- esophageal diseases;
- appendicitis;
- inflammation of the gallbladder.
Sharp pain in the back from the waist up:
- radiculitis;
- osteochondrosis with disc displacement;
- damage to the spine and ribs;
- myositis (muscle inflammation).
Lower back pain from the lower back is caused by changes in the morphofunctional musculoskeletal system - osteochondrosis or spondylarthrosis. At this time, patients have sharp pains in the lower back.
How to relieve lower back pain
If you have felt a sharp pain in the lower back, then you can relieve the discomfort with the help of simple movements. You should lie on a horizontal surface and rest. Note that a soft down mattress that sags too much under your weight will not work. Feet should be placed high, relieving the burden from the spine.
After the discomfort stops being felt, you should gently roll to the side and get on all fours. The meaning of such "gymnastics" is to minimize the load on the back. It is necessary to straighten and stand, holding with your hands, using the support. A belt for back pain in the lower back allows you to straighten this part of the body, which reduces pain. At the same time, it should cover not only the diseased area, but also the upper and lower parts of the body. At the same time, analgesics can be used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. They can be used in the form of tablets or as injections for back and back pain (in this case, blockade injections are performed only in clinical settings).
After the elimination of symptoms, you should definitely visit the clinic. Self-medication is unacceptable. Using an ointment and a belt for pain in the back and lower back, the patient can endure the pain for a long time, aggravating his condition. As a result, the muscles of the back weaken, the pain goes into a chronic phase. Abuse of analgesics can be addictive.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region
If your lifestyle causes periodic muscle spasms (sports or physical labor can cause this), then muscle relaxants should be in your home medicine cabinet. But these drugs should also be prescribed after consulting a doctor. Depending on the diagnosis, different measures are used in the treatment of back pain:
- Reflexology.Includes acupuncture (injection with special needles in certain areas) and electroacupuncture (use of electrical impulses). It can also be performed in the form of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (suppression of the pain signal entering the brain).
- Physiotherapy.Magnetic and laser therapy methods, as well as drug electrophoresis, phonophoresis, which increase the effectiveness of the use of drugs, are used.
- Therapeutic exercise and massage.These measures are effective in diseases of the spine and rehabilitation after injuries. Expert supervision is required.
- Surgical intervention.It may be necessary for hernias that cause compression of the spinal cord or spinal cord.
Often, treatment is complex, combining different approaches. The duration and effectiveness of therapy depends on the time of treatment.