Back pain in the lumbar region is common.By the age of 30, these sensations occur in 70% of people, regardless of the type of work, lifestyle and physical activity.Ignoring pain in the lower back is fraught with undesirable health consequences, since these symptoms already indicate disorders in the functioning of the body.
In consultation with a neurologist:
- Performs inspection;
- Listens to patient complaints;
- Make a preliminary diagnosis;
- If necessary, he will refer for additional research;
- will prescribe an individual course of treatment.
Causes of lower back pain
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region differ in etiology of origin and require determination of the pain area and character analysis.It is customary to distinguish:
- epicritic pain - severe pain in the lower back in the lower back with a distinct focus;
- protopathic pain - nagging, painful pain that is a reflection of diseases of other anatomical areas.
Frequency of occurrence, duration of pain and affected area are significant.Often the back fails due to:
- age-related changes that reduce the ability of the spine to perform shock-absorbing functions;
- stress when carrying a child;
- vertebral displacement, trauma and compression fractures;
- spinal curvatures;
- intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord.
If pain in the lower back limits mobility and prevents you from bending over, then we are talking about a sprain.A feeling of numbness, increased pain when coughing, sneezing, a feeling of spreading in the lower limbs - these are nerve-radicular syndromes.Increasing long-term pain is explained by problems with internal organs.
Back pain in the lumbar region on the right occurs due to muscle spasm, irritation of nerve fibers, problems with the musculoskeletal system or the spine.Problems with the liver, right kidney, right ovary (in women), intestines and gall bladder are affected.Similar reasons lead to a person having back pain in the lumbar region on the left.However, in this case, with protopathic pain, you should pay attention to the left kidney, left ovary (in women), stomach, intestines and pancreas.
If the left side hurts from the back in the lower back or on the right side in the morning after sleep and long immobility, this indicates spondyloarthrosis.Acute pain when the temperature changes (in the shower or due to hypothermia) is a manifestation of acute lumbago.
In case of pain, it is recommended that men first consult a urologist, and women - a gynecologist.You will need to do an ultrasound of the internal organs, blood and urine tests.When examining the spine, MRI of the lumbar region gives good results.
Protopathic back pain over the lower back is caused by a number of reasons:
- kidney disease;
- heart diseases (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction);
- pleurisy;
- pneumonia;
- diseases of the esophagus;
- appendicitis;
- inflammation of the gallbladder.
Sharp back pain over the lower back with:
- sciatica;
- osteochondrosis with disc displacement;
- spine and rib injuries;
- myositis (muscle inflammation).
Back pain below the waist is caused by morphofunctional changes in the musculoskeletal system - osteochondrosis or spondyloarthrosis.In this case, patients experience severe pain in the back below the waist.
How to relieve lower back pain
If you have experienced acute pain in the lumbar region, you can relieve the discomfort with simple steps.You should lie down on a horizontal surface and relax.Please note that a soft down bed that flexes heavily under your weight will not work.The legs should be placed at a height, relieving the load from the spine.
After the discomfort is no longer felt, you should carefully roll over on one side and get on all fours.The purpose of such "gymnastics" is to minimize the load on the back.You need to stand up and stand on your feet, using a support, holding it with your hands.A back belt for lower back pain allows you to fix this area of the body, which also reduces pain.At the same time, it should cover not only the diseased area, but also the part of the body above and below it.At the same time, analgesics can be used to relieve pain and relieve inflammation.They can be used in the form of tablets or as injections for back and lower back pain (in this case, blocking injections are performed only in clinical settings).
After eliminating the symptoms, you should definitely go to the clinic.Self-medication is unacceptable.Using an ointment for pain in the back and lower back and a belt, the patient can endure pain for a long time, worsening his condition.As a result, the back muscles weaken and the pain goes into a chronic phase.Abuse of analgesics can lead to addiction.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region
If your lifestyle causes periodic muscle spasms (this can be caused by sports or physical labor), then you should have muscle relaxants in your home medicine cabinet.But these drugs should also be prescribed by a doctor after consultation.In the treatment of pain in the lower back, depending on the diagnosis, different measures are used:
- Reflexology. It includes acupuncture (injections with special needles in certain areas) and electroacupuncture (use of electrical impulses).It can also be applied in the form of transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (suppression of the pain signal entering the brain).
- Physiotherapy. Magnetic and laser therapy techniques are used, as well as drug electrophoresis and phonophoresis, which increase the effectiveness of the use of drugs.
- Therapeutic exercise and massage. These measures are effective in diseases of the spine and rehabilitation after injuries.Requires expert supervision.
- Surgical intervention. It may be necessary for a hernia that causes compression of the spinal cord or spinal root.
Treatment is often complex, combining different approaches.The duration and effectiveness of therapy depends on the timeliness of treatment.