Lumbar pain is one of the most common reasons that make a patient seek help from a neurologist or therapist.Pain in the lumbar-sacral spine can disrupt work capacity for a long time, making movement and self-care impossible.Acute back pain affects both men and women equally.
Back pain, which is more common in middle-aged and older adults, can often occur in teenagers and young adults.This is due to rapid growth, weak back muscles and injuries.So, lumbosacral back pain is a real problem that everyone can face.
Back pain with lumbar osteochondrosis
Back pain with osteochondrosis can intensify with coughing and sneezing, with any movement, especially when bending the body forward.In addition to back pain, lumbar osteochondrosis can be manifested by the loss of sensitivity of certain parts of the skin or the muscles of the lower half of the body and legs, weakening or absence of leg tendon reflexes.
- As a rule, lumbar curvature is observed with osteochondrosis.Depending on the plane where the curvature occurs, scoliosis (curvature to the right or left), lordosis (forward bending) and kyphosis (flattening of the lumbar region or even backward curvature) are distinguished.If the spinal cord is compressed due to osteochondrosis, there is a disorder of urination or defecation, as well as a violation of the sensitivity of the bladder or genitals.
- However, in most cases, lumbar osteochondrosis manifests itself as radicular pain - that is, it develops as a result of compression of nerve roots extending from the spinal cord at one or another level.Thus, one of the known back syndromes is lumbago.It happens at the moment of physical stress or in an awkward position of the body, and sometimes for no reason.Suddenly, within minutes or hours, a sharp shooting pain ("lumbago") appears, often burning and bursting (as if a stake was stuck in the back)).
The patient freezes in an uncomfortable position and cannot correct if the attack occurs while lifting something heavy.Attempts to get out of bed, cough or bend your leg are accompanied by a sharp increase in pain in the back and sacrum.If the patient is asked to stand, acute immobility of the entire lumbar region appears due to muscle tension.
Tests for lumbosacral osteochondrosis
These tests are used to make an initial diagnosis and are named after the doctors who offer them.
| Deger's symptom | If you tense your stomach and listen to your back, the pain will get worse.In this case, there is a high probability that the patient has osteochondrosis. |
| Neri's symptom | If you tilt your head sharply forward before touching your chest, if you feel pain in the lower back, this indicates problems with the spine. |
| Lasegue's symptom | it can be felt after the following actions: lying on your back, you need to raise each leg in turn.After that, if the lower back begins to bend and the pain spreads to the leg along the sciatic nerve, this is evidence of spinal pathology. |
| Lerrey's symptom | if a person feels pain along the sciatic nerve after he rises from a lying position without bending his knees, we are talking about the manifestations of chondrosis. |
Intervertebral disc herniation
Intervertebral disc herniation is an equally rare cause, the clinical manifestation of which is pain in the lumbosacral spine.With long-term traumatic exposure, the intervertebral disc (internal nucleus pulposus), as well as with age, loses its elastic properties and flexibility.
With continuous exposure (excess weight, injury, progressive osteoporosis), the fibrous ring of the disc becomes thinner and defects are formed in it.Through these weak points in the annulus fibrosus, the nucleus pulposus of the disc can become displaced or even protrude.
Causes of back pain
Back pain is a non-specific symptom that can have many different causes.Depending on the intensity of back pain in the lower back, it may be constant or periodic, primary or secondary, and the causes that cause it may be:
Chronic pain:
- Osteomyelitis;
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- deforming spondylosis;
- Increased pain - scoliosis;
- Infectious lesions of intervertebral discs and vertebrae (epidural abscess, spinal tuberculosis, brucellosis);
- Metabolic bone diseases - osteomalacia, osteoporosis;
- Primary tumors and metastatic tumors of the spinal cord, vertebrae, retroperitoneal cavity;
- Non-infectious inflammatory diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter's syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis;
- Kidney tumors;
- Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta and its branches.
Acute pain:
- Spondyloarthritis;
- pathologies of the hip joint;
- Spinal epiduritis;
- Protrusion of intervertebral discs in the lumbar region;
- Osteochondrosis of the spine;
- Acute intervertebral hernia;
- Intestinal obstruction, atypical course of acute appendicitis;
- urolithiasis;
- Acute sprain, vertebral fractures;
- Lumbago, sciatica;
- Acute disorders of spinal blood circulation - stroke;
- Acute pyelonephritis.
Radiation pain in some diseases of internal organs:
- Diseases of the pelvic organs.In women - inflammatory processes in uterine appendages, endometriosis, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, sexually transmitted diseases (chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, gonorrhea, trichomonosis, etc.) In men - prostatitis, prostate cancer;
- Stomach, pancreas, duodenum, gall bladder diseases;
- Intestinal diseases - inflammation of the diverticulum, ulcerative colitis, intestinal tumors;
- Kidney diseases - kidney colic, kidney stones;
- Aortic aneurysm rupture.
Physiological reasons
The following pains can occur in the following cases:
- Are you overweight?
- Additional risk for women;
- You are pregnant or have recently given birth;
- Spend a lot of time driving or using the computer;
- Lead a lifestyle that is mainly sitting (office workers) or standing (salesmen, waiters, street advertising workers, surgeons);
- Engage in dynamic physical labor with sudden changes in body position (especially if your specialty involves heavy physical activity);
- You overexert yourself in the gym or fitness club.If you have recently started exercising, be extremely careful;
- Interested in gardening?
- She has reached postmenopause, which is prone to the development of osteoporosis.
Back pain and pregnancy
Pregnancy aggravates the manifestations of diseases existing in the mother's body.Due to changes in hormonal levels and increased stress, pathologies appear especially often in the second half of pregnancy.In addition to the pain accompanied by the threat of premature birth, the cause of back pain in a pregnant woman can be:
- intervertebral disc herniation;
- radiculitis;
- pancreatitis;
- pyelonephritis;
- urolithiasis (kidney stones).
Why does my lower back hurt?
If the lower back hurts, in addition to obvious diseases of the spine (sciatica, lumbago, intervertebral hernia, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.), possible causes are periodic pains during menstruation in women, diseases of the female genital organs, for example, inflammation of the uterine appendages, salpingophoritis, aspirit, aspirit, aspirit, aspirit, aspirit, aspirit, aspirin inflammation, etc.pelvic peritoneum, intestines, inflammation of the appendix (prolongation of the scrotum, in men - diseases of the prostate gland, bladder).
Pain in the lower back
If the back hurts from the lower back to the upper right, liver pain can spread with any pathological changes in the liver - hepatitis, liver failure, taking toxic drugs.The pain is mostly localized in the right hypochondrium.
If the pain is felt above the waist on the right or left, it is very possible that it is due to acute kidney disease.Many chronic kidney diseases, for example, polycystic disease, malignant kidney tumors, chronic pyelonephritis, are accompanied by minor symptoms because the kidney capsule is gradually stretched.
When should you see a doctor?
- If the back pain spreads in the lower back and is located a little higher (in the chest area).The pain is accompanied by sweating, vomiting and nausea attacks, shortness of breath.
- The pain spreads to the peritoneum, chest, neck, jaw.
- The patient feels dizzy and confused.
- Tachycardia begins
- Spinal cord injury with loss of bowel movements and urinary control.
- Legs become weak, hips and genitals become numb.
Diagnostics
It is necessary to undergo a comprehensive diagnostic examination to determine the cause of back pain.
Laboratory methods:
- General and biochemical tests of urine and blood.
- Tests for tumor markers present in the blood during tumor formation.
Instrumental research methods:
- X-ray of the spine.
- Endoscopy of intestines, stomach and uterus.
- Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
How to treat back pain in the lower back?
How to properly treat your back?The approach to back treatment depends entirely on the symptoms of the disease, the diagnosis made by the doctor and the stage of the disease.Typically, an integrated approach is used, including several treatment methods.
Pain relievers.Ointment helps to relieve inflammation, spasms and has a warming effect if the lower back is cold.
The following groups of ointments are distinguished:
- combined drugs (used for sprains and injuries, along with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, they have a therapeutic effect due to the heparin and demethyl sulfoxide contained in them);
- anti-inflammatory analgesics (they contain cooling medicinal substances that relieve irritation - menthol, lavender and pain relievers);
- chondroprotectors (one of the active components of such drugs is the substance chondroitin sulfate, which is used in pathological processes in the cartilage tissue, promotes the active regeneration of the cartilage surfaces of the joints);
- irritant drugs (the effect is based on vasodilatation and blood flow to the source of pain).
With the help of therapeutic exercises, the patient can reduce pain, strengthen muscles, and increase the distance between the vertebrae.They will help release pinched nerve roots, normalize blood flow in the affected area, and improve metabolic processes.
It is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the participating doctor in order to recover from such gymnastics and not be crippled.
- Movements are made slowly and smoothly without sharp turns;
- Before training, the room must be ventilated;
- The patient should wear clothes that do not restrict movement;
- Exercises are performed when the patient breathes in, and during exhalation, it is necessary to return to the initial position;
- The load gradually increases.At first, the number of approaches is about 10, and then it is increased;
- During gymnastics, you need to monitor your well-being.If a sharp pain starts, you should stop your activity.
In addition, massage is great for relieving back pain.The positive therapeutic effects of massage include:
- improving blood supply to the diseased part of the body;
- kneading muscles, which makes them and ligaments more flexible and elastic;
- relieve acute pain;
- getting rid of toxins accumulated in the muscles and subcutaneous tissue;
- pleasant sensations due to stimulation of nerve endings of the skin;
- positive emotions.
It can be entrusted to a specialist in a clinic or carried out at home;in any case, the benefit from it will be invaluable.
Which doctor should I see?
If you have unexplained back pain, you should see a doctor first.This will help to identify the disease based on the sum of the symptoms.
If the reason is obvious: the pain was before an injury, the pain appeared during pregnancy, menstrual period or a chronic disease, it makes sense to immediately contact a more specialized specialist.
Self-treatment is allowed only when the cause of the pain is clearly known.