If a person experiences pain in the spine, the symptoms indicate irritation of the nerve endings. Degenerative dystrophic lesions often develop between the vertebrae, which compress SN muscles, blood vessels and fibers. If a patient has back pain in the lower back, a neuropathologist, vertebrologist and chiropractor will help determine the causes and treatment.
There are several main factors that influence the appearance of discomfort in the lower back. This includes:
- Any type of curvature of the spine;
- Hypothermia of the back, legs;
- Muscle tissue overload (lifting weights, working in the same position);
- Insufficient physical fitness of the musculoskeletal system;
- Lack of vitamins, malnutrition;
- Excess;
- Smoking, alcohol abuse and other bad habits.
Pain in the lower back is the most common complaint of patients who see doctors. According to statistics, approximately 70% of all people who have reached 30 years old already face these problems. As the lumbar region is located below the thoracic region and above the sacral region, the central area of the spine assumes maximum loads.
The pain may be of a different nature. It depends on the reason for the appearance. Pain sensations are described as pain, burning, cutting, sharp, blurry. Sometimes, the pain spreads to other parts of the back and even to the lower limbs. It happens gradually or suddenly. The pain is unbearable, but it also often depends on the psycho-emotional state and age-related changes.
There are the following types of low back pain:
- Lumbago- characterized as an acute lumbago (appears as a result of hypothermia or physical overload);
- Lumbodynia- characterized by acute pain of a chronic nature (people often experience sedentary activities);
- Lumboischialgia- is determined by the spread of pain to the legs (usually a sign of a hernia).
CT or MRI is used to diagnose the cause of spinal discomfort. Sometimes you just need to take an x-ray of the affected area of the inflammation. In addition, doctors make a diagnosis based on complaints and an external examination of the patient's body.
Causes of back pain in the lower back: common pathologies
Basically, uncomfortable sensations manifest due to pathologies of the lumbar spine. If they do appear, you should definitely see a specialist and not allow the disease to progress. Osteochondrosis, hernia and protrusion often become the cause of pain. All of them are characterized by an increase in symptoms during movements, trunk turns, curves.
Much less often, the causes of back pain in the lower back are more serious and even fatal. For example, there are disorders of the lumbar spine due to metastases of cancerous growth, infections of the vertebrae, internal organs, metabolic disorders in bone and muscle tissues and fractures.
Studies have shown that 90% of low back pain is associated with myofascial disorders, that is, the stiffness or overload of the muscles that surround the vertebrae. And only 10% are pathologies caused by true vertebrogenic changes. It is proven that the formation of osteochondrosis is associated with early displacement of the vertebrae.
The most common causes of pain are:
- Injuries;
- Stretching of muscles, ligaments;
- Displacement of the vertebrae;
- Compression of nerve endings due to hernia, osteochondrosis, stenosis;
- Fractures, spinal deformities;
- Pregnancy.
Much less often, pain occurs after an infectious injury, spondylitis, deformational changes and diseases of Organs abdominal organs.
If the pain persists for more than three days, consult a doctor. As the discomfort is most often felt in the context of overloading the spine muscles, the problem can be corrected in a short time with the right choice of treatment methods.
Back pain in the lower back to the left: what is behind them?
If a person feels discomfort or severe pain in the lower part of the lumbar spine, then probably the cause of this phenomenon is irritation of nerve fibers, tense muscles or irradiation of a symptom of the affected internal organ. But mainly, back pain in the left lower back develops through disorders of the functions of the musculoskeletal system.
In terms of frequency, pain on both sides of the spine occurs at approximately the same percentage. But patients often see a specialist even when illnesses are neglected and require long-term treatment.
If the pain radiates to the left side, then, as a rule, it is caused by an inflammation of Organs internal organs. The lumbar area on the left side projects diseases of the kidneys, intestines, stomach, pancreas, ovary. If the disease is acute, it is accompanied not only by the spread of pain to the left side of the lumbosacral region, but also by fever, discomfort in the abdominal cavity, defecation or urination disorders and menstrual irregularities.
Women who complain of low back pain should consult a gynecologist. If the problem occurs in men, go to the urologist. It is imperative to be examined by a therapist, to have an organ ultrasound, to be tested. If no abnormalities are detected during diagnosis, a spinal examination is prescribed. The most reliable method is MRI, which helps determine the cause of the pain in the left back.
With the spread of pain, it is possible to determine which part of the lumbar spine is affected and what the consequences of the pathology will be.
- If painful sensations on the left side of the lower back pass into the lower limb or gluteal muscle, the nerve roots at the bottom of the section will be affected. Distant pains indicate a neglected disease that affects the entire root.
- When the pain radiates to the groin or abdomen, the pathology is in the upper part of the lumbar vertebrae.
- If distant pain affects the appearance of numbness in the limbs, over time, this violation can cause paralysis.
- If the discomfort spreads to the leg while walking, it is possible that the sciatic nerve is inflamed.
An accurate diagnosis will be made by a specialist who will refer the patient to all necessary research methods.
How to treat low back pain? Effective methods
After diagnosis, doctors will prescribe medications or physical procedures that will help to eliminate the symptoms of the pathology caused by disorders in the lumbosacral region. The exact prescriptions depend on the real cause of the pain. Consider the most basic methods of treating the symptoms of various diseases or pathologies.
Polishes
This type of medicine is effective mainly because it can be used at home without the help of others. The ointment relieves local inflammation caused by sprains or compression of nerve roots. It also warms up muscle tissue if pain occurs due to hypothermia in the back.
There are several types of ointments:
- Anti-inflammatory analgesics,that relieve irritation, pain and have a refreshing effect.
- Combined funds,used for back injuries. They can have healing, analgesic, refreshing and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Irritating drugs,intended for vasodilation in the affected area to improve blood flow.
- Chondroprotectorsare used to treat pathologies of cartilage tissue.
Only a doctor can tell you how to treat low back pain. What type of ointment should be used, the specialist will only determine after the diagnosis of the spine.
Injections
With the help of injections, pain in the lower back can be relieved in a very short time. Intramuscular or intravenous solutions are more effective than oral drugs because they pass through the gastrointestinal tract and enter the bloodstream directly to the site of the inflammatory process. But giving yourself injections is not always convenient, so the patient will have to go to the clinic every day or call the medical staff at home. Almost all lumbar injections are available on prescription.
Warming up
This therapy method is more related to popular recipes and is used only for non-inflammatory back pain. It is used for osteochondrosis, hernia, muscle tension, curvature of the spine. If the pain is caused by an infectious injury, warming will only intensify the symptoms and worsen the patient's health. For a positive effect, use dry heating pads or hot compresses up to 10 times a day.
Physiotherapy exercises
Should be indicated by a physical therapist who, after diagnosing the cause of low back pain, can select the ideal exercises. The purpose of these exercises is to strengthen your back muscles to correct posture and reduce pain during physical activity.
Massage
Well relieves pain in the lumbar spine, but it should only be done by an experienced specialist. With the help of effective massage movements, it is possible to improve blood circulation in the affected area and make the muscles more elastic and flexible. Massage relieves acute pain, removes toxic substances from cells and stimulates nerve endings. It is good to combine massage treatments with a visit to the sauna.