What to do if the lower back hurts is a pressing problem for many modern people. Most of them have serious problems with the health of the spine. Currently, osteochondrosis is no longer a disease inherent in old age. Today, degenerative dystrophic changes in the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs develop at a fairly early age. They occur even in patients aged 20-25 years. Lumbosacral osteochondrosis is the most common cause of back pain. But not only him.
It is a must to see an experienced doctor. Choose the right specialist. The first thing to remember in this case: the local therapist does not treat low back pain. According to medical and economic standards, it only eliminates the symptom in the specified number of days. His task is to return the patient to work as soon as possible. He does not pay attention to the fact that the disease will continue to develop intensively. Because of this, many patients waste time in which they could have restored spinal health without surgery.
We advise you to apply for a full treatment at the manual therapy clinic. They use completely different methods and approaches. They do not use symptomatic treatment. Doctors working in chiropractic clinics aim to restore the patient to full health, not mask existing symptoms.
To understand what to do if the lower back hurts a lot, you need to know how this part of the body works and what can cause an unpleasant symptom. We suggest you familiarize yourself with some aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the lumbar region.
At the base of this part of the body is the lumbosacral spine. The sacrum in an adult is a single triangular bone consisting of five fused vertebral bodies. Between the first sacral and the fifth lumbar vertebra is the conventional center of gravity of the human body. This is due to the main mechanical and amortization load from the lower limbs.
This is due to the fact that the iliac-sacral joints are located on the lateral surfaces of the sacrum. With their help, the pelvic ring is attached to the spine. On the lower side of the pelvic ring are the hip joints. Thus, all the load from the lower limbs through the hip and iliac-sacral joints is transferred to the L5-S1 intervertebral disc.
Due to these anatomical features in modern man, due to the sedentary lifestyle, at a fairly early age the intervertebral disc L5-S1 and the iliac-sacral joints are destroyed. And this is a serious reason for the appearance of acute pain in the lumbar region.
The lumbar spine consists of individual vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs. They are quite massive. Inside the lumbar and sacral sections of the spine are the spinal cord segments of the same name. Paired radicular nerves depart from them, forming the lumbosacral nerve plexus and large nerves. In the lower part of the sacrum, the end threads of the spinal cord come out, which form another large nerve plexus - the "horse's tail".
Long anterior and posterior ligaments run along the spine. They begin in the region of the coccyx and end in the region of the occipital bone. There are also short transverse and interspinous ligaments. They are located between adjacent vertebral bodies. The paravertebral muscles located along the spine provide diffuse nutrition to the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs. If they function incorrectly, then osteochondrosis and its complications develop.
It is difficult to independently determine which tissues are destroyed. The help of an experienced doctor is necessary. An experienced doctor will conduct an examination and make a preliminary diagnosis. Develop a personalized treatment plan.
Reasons why the lower back hurts
The first thing you should do if your lower back hurts is to find out the causes of this pathological condition. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of renal pathology. Very often, urolithiasis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis and polycystic kidney disease manifest themselves with a characteristic pain syndrome in the upper part of the lower back. Other urologic symptoms may also be present. These are spasms during urination, change in color and transparency of urine, increase in body temperature, general malaise, intoxication and edematous nephrotic syndrome, increase in blood pressure, etc.
If you have these symptoms, we recommend that you see a nephrologist or therapist as soon as possible. You will receive professional medical care.
If on the eve of the onset of the pain syndrome, you fell, injured yourself, were in an accident, then you should contact a traumatologist for an appointment. The cause of the pain may be a crack or fracture of the body of the vertebra or its process, the costal lower arch. Also, with a traumatic effect, damage to the tissues of the kidneys is possible.
The following diseases and conditions can be potential causes of pain in the lumbar region:
- traumatic violation of the integrity of the ligament, tendon and muscle apparatus (stretching, microscopic tears, defibration, cicatricial deformations, etc. );
- degenerative-dystrophic process in the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs, leading to the development of osteochondrosis and dorsopathy;
- convexity (reduction in height and increase in occupied area) of the intervertebral discs;
- extrusion (tear) of the annulus fibrosus and exit of the intervertebral hernia;
- unstable position of the vertebral bodies and their periodic displacement relative to each other in the form of laterolisthesis, anthelisthesis and retrolisthesis;
- destruction and inflammation of well-directed intervertebral joints;
- curvature of the spine and curvature of the pelvic bones;
- deforming osteoarthritis of the iliac-sacral joints;
- spinal canal stenosis;
- pinching of the radicular nerves and their branches (sciatica, sciatica, radiculopathy);
- cauda equina syndrome, piriformis muscle;
- plexitis of the lumbosacral nerve plexus and many others.
It is very difficult to independently determine the real reason why the lower back hurts. To do this, you need to have extensive practical experience and specific knowledge. That is why you should not engage in self-diagnosis and treatment. It is better to consult an experienced doctor in time and undergo full treatment.
My back hurts a lot - what to do at home
If your lower back hurts a lot, the first thing you should do is to ensure complete physical rest. It is necessary to lie on your back on a hard flat surface and try to relax your back muscles. If within 30-40 minutes the pain syndrome does not begin to decrease, then it is necessary to call an ambulance. This may be a condition that requires immediate surgical intervention.
The next thing to do at home if your lower back hurts is to rule out all possible risk factors. These include the following aspects:
- overweight - each additional kilogram repeatedly increases the pressure on the cartilaginous intervertebral discs and provokes their premature destruction;
- violation of the posture (round or hunched back, withers, etc. ) - there is a violation of the processes of distribution of the amortization load, displacement of the bodies of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs is possible;
- heavy physical labor associated with lifting and carrying heavy loads;
- domestic, sports and industrial injuries to the lower back;
- improper organization of sleeping and workplace;
- sedentary work associated with prolonged static tension of the muscular framework of the body;
- selection of poor-quality clothes and shoes;
- incorrect positioning of the foot when walking and running (flat feet or flat feet);
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages (provokes a decrease in the intensity of the process of microcirculation of the lymphatic fluid and blood, which is fraught with the development of ischemia and dystrophy of the spinal tissues);
- malnutrition and insufficient intake of clean water.
If your lower back hurts a lot and you don't know what to do, consult a doctor immediately. Only a specialist will be able to find the potential cause, eliminate it and develop an individual course of treatment.
Pain in the lower back - how to treat it with manual therapy methods
So, what to do if the lower back hurts - there are currently several treatment options. The first is to apply for an appointment with a local therapist at a city clinic. In this case, symptomatic treatment will be carried out. All unpleasant symptoms will be removed, but the process of destruction of the tissues of the spine will continue. And it can even increase, because using symptomatic means to treat pain, the doctor completely disables the natural defense mechanisms of the human body.
For example, with a protrusion of the intervertebral discs, the pain syndrome in most cases is associated with the fact that the paravertebral muscles compensate for the damping load, take it upon themselves. This is accompanied by severe muscle fiber tension and pain. But if muscle relaxants are used, then the muscles become paralyzed, and all the cushioning and mechanical loading begins to be fully applied to the already damaged intervertebral discs. In some cases, this provokes a rupture of the fibrous ring and the appearance of an intervertebral hernia.
You can also see a chiropractor. This specialist practices a completely different approach to treatment. He will try to find all the risk factors and give the patient individual recommendations for their elimination. He will then develop an individual course of treatment. It will be based on the principle of complete restoration of the disturbed process of diffuse nutrition of the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs.
To restore the normal shape of the intervertebral disc, several sessions of manual spinal traction are performed. During this procedure, the doctor increases the degree of elasticity of the soft tissues around the spine. It then spreads the adjacent vertebral bodies to a normal distance. The drives have room for full expansion. After 2-3 procedures, the acute pain syndrome disappears completely.
In the future, a full course of treatment is carried out. It can include osteopathy, therapeutic gymnastics, kinesitherapy, laser irradiation, physical therapy and many others.