Many patients, barely crossing the threshold of the doctor's office, holding on to the lower back, ask: "Why does the lower back hurt and what medicines will help with this pain? ""
Unfortunately, everything is not so simple, and you can choose the right method of treatment only after identifying the reasons that caused the pain.
Many people go through life with mild to moderate low back pain and accept it as normal. But even if you suffer from continuous mild or severe tingling in the lower back for a significant period of time, you should see a therapist to diagnose the problem. After all, if you do not take measures in time, the condition will worsen.
Although back pain is not the most serious disease, over time it will cause a lot of pain and great discomfort.
Primary and secondary pain syndrome
The causes of pain in the lower back can be very different, and only after you fully understand what they come from, you can start to deal with this disease.
According to the medical classification of diseases, a distinction is made between primary and secondary pain syndrome, which manifests itself in the lumbar region.
Primary pain syndrome is formed against the background of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the spine. These include osteochondrosis, in which cartilage and bone tissues are damaged, as well as spondylarthrosis, affecting the intervertebral or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndrome can occur for a variety of reasons. First of all, the lower back constantly hurts with curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Also, this condition can be observed due to metabolic disorders of bone tissue (osteoporosis or osteomalacia).
Very often, the cause of pain in the lumbar region is inflammation of a non-infectious nature (ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ).
A rather dangerous cause of pain in the lower back is a fracture of the spinal vertebrae.
The pain syndrome can be the result of various infectious diseases leading to damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, epidural abscess).
The lower back hurts in acute disorders of spinal circulation (stroke conditions), as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).
In some pathologies, back pain is reflected. This happens when organs located in the pelvic area are affected (gynecological pathologies, STDs, renal colic).
Pain is often observed when stretching the lumbar muscles. The lower back hurts a lot when the intervertebral discs of the lumbar region are displaced. At the same time, due to severe pain, the patient takes a forced position of the body, and his mobility when walking is also severely limited.
Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint) is also often a cause of secondary pain.
Other causes of back pain
Often, acute lumbar pain occurs due to failed movement, prolonged work in an uncomfortable position, incorrect lifting or carrying of weights, fall or impact, sudden standing up with simultaneous rotation, as well as prolonged hypothermia or exposure to drafts. All these "accidents" can cause spasm and inflammation of the deep muscles of the back.
Many patients note that the lower back often hurts after sleep. There are reasons for that too. The simplest of them is the uncomfortable position of the body in sleep. For those who like to sleep on their stomachs, the muscles of the lumbar back are in constant tension, which provokes the appearance of pain. Sometimes such a painful condition is due to the fact that the bed or pillow itself does not fit the person. That's why experts recommend sleeping on an orthopedic mattress to fully relax your back.
Also, morning lumbar pain can be a symptom of diseases of internal organs. So, pathologies of the circulatory, digestive and genitourinary systems are accompanied by back pain.
Lower back pain as a cause of negative emotions
Few patients realize that the lower back is one of the most psychotic parts of the body, which is why it reacts very sharply to strong stress and excitement.
Anger, anger, irritability or strong fear contribute to the release of significant doses of adrenaline in the blood. As a result - an increase in the tone of the back muscles. And in the event that there is no adequate release of responsibility, the muscles that are in increased tone begin to gradually tighten. And then - spasm and pain syndrome. It should be noted that spinal diseases very often develop in people with an unstable psyche, and for such patients psychotherapy is the best method of treatment.
Lower back pain during pregnancy
Many pregnant women worry about the causes of lower back pain. In early pregnancy, this may be due to kidney or urinary tract disease. Also, during this period, the production of progesterone increases, due to which there is a slight softening of the ligaments, which can cause lumbar pain.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the abdomen increases significantly, the load on the spine increases significantly, and therefore there are pulling pains in the lumbar part of the back.
Severe pain in the lower back during pregnancy can sometimes be the cause of a neurological disease (herniated disc or sciatica).
What to do if your back hurts
First of all, in the event that the back pain does not disappear within three days, a consultation with a neurologist is necessary. Only a specialist can develop a correct treatment strategy, which will depend on the severity of the patient's condition.
As a rule, most back pain requires conservative treatment, but sometimes there are cases when it is impossible without surgical intervention.
When prescribing conservative treatment, three main goals are pursued:
- Relieve the patient from pain.
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to slow down the degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.
- Quick return of the patient to normal life.
First of all, we all need to learn how to properly relax after physical exertion. To do this, you need to take a horizontal position on a hard surface and for the best relaxation, place a pillow under your knees.
Patients with impaired motor activity are advised not to stay in bed for more than 2-3 days, even if they have pain (of course, not very strong), because this significantly weakens the paravertebral muscles. In case of constant pain syndrome with return of pain in the leg, an orthopedic consultation is necessary.
In the case of a diagnosis of osteochondrosis, a complex drug treatment is prescribed using drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nerve tissue.
To eliminate back pain, paravertebral blocks have proven themselves well. Such injections help relieve inflammation and muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain.
When a disc herniation is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique involves removing a hernia that compresses the root and creating conditions for its recovery.