Low back pain - causes, treatment and prevention

If the lower back hurts, this can be the result of a large list of causes. One of the most harmless options is physical fatigue. In more severe situations, hernia, protrusion or damage to the bone apparatus may occur.To find out what causes low back pain, you need a medical examination. Once diagnosed, appropriate treatment is prescribed to relieve symptoms and eliminate the cause of pain.

Why the lumbar pain hurts: classification of painful sensations

If there is severe low back pain in any part of the spine, this may indicate some pathological changes. The doctor assesses not only the nature and severity of pain, but also other accompanying signs of lumbar problems. A complete history collection is required.

Pain syndrome is classified as follows:

1. Non-specific pain of benign nature. In most situations, benign chronic or acute pain is not a difficult diagnosis. These unpleasant symptoms are in most cases reversible. Such unpleasant sensations are used to diagnose dorsopathy. Previously, the diagnosis sounded different - osteochondrosis. This is not a dangerous disease that occurs in any person with age, which is characterized by immersion of the intervertebral discs due to the effect of gravity and muscle weakness.
2. Radiculopathy (radicular syndrome). The condition is associated with pinching or irritation of the nerve root in the interdiscrum. Such pain may indicate an inflammatory process, compression of the vertebrae on the intervertebral disc, the presence of protrusions and hernia. They greatly worsen the patient's quality of life, especially during the acute period of any physical activity.
3. Specific or alarming back pain. Symptoms of such discomfort alone are difficult to diagnose, so a further examination is often prescribed, which may include the exclusion of cancer, tuberculosis, kidney disease or fracture, injury. Examples are pyelonephritis with fever, in pregnant women, low back pain, abdominal pain with diseases of the female reproductive system. In men, urological symptoms should be ruled out.

The general classification of pain is divided into:

• strong;
• spicy;
• ondt;
• chronic;
• moved.

It hurts in the lower back - causes

Lower back hurtswith manifestations of osteochondrosis. Unpleasant sensations plague the patient almost all the time - while walking, sitting and even lying down. Lower back hurts more intensely during the day due to movements. Exacerbated by coughing, sneezing, carrying weights. Less often in the lower back, pain radiates to the leg, which is manifested by paresthesias - a feeling of numbness and running eerie feet.

If a patient has sciatica, the pain radiates to the lower body - buttocks, pelvis, thighs or lower legs. Discomfort increases with active body movements, as in the case of dorsopathy. When such symptoms occur, it is necessary to consult a neurologist as soon as possible.

Lower back and abdominal painindicates a bacterial lesion that is often accompanied by painful urination. In women, low back pain is often seen during pregnancy or during menstruation. Under the lower back, pain is the result of painful cramping or fetal pressure on internal organs. In the lower part indicates pain in the right or left kidney disease. It is necessary to clarify the diagnosis with a doctor. The most reliable diagnostic methods are X-ray and MRI.

Often the causes of low back pain in women are related to their periods. Low back pain in women due to uterine cramps. To combat painful periods, take NSAIDs or use hormone therapy. Less commonly, the condition of ovulatory syndrome is observed. In addition to lumbar discomfort, a woman observes alternating pain in the middle of the cycle on the right or left side. Why this condition occurs is still not thoroughly known.

During pregnancy, the lower back hurts due to displacement of the center of gravity and muscle weakness. The condition returns to normal after birth. Unpleasant sensations are observed at any time. It is important to be able to distinguish when the back hurts from the load and when with pathology. If at any stage of pregnancy, in addition to back and abdominal pain, there is a discharge like a menstrual period, consult a doctor immediately.

In men, painful sensations in the lower back and below the waist, which radiate to the perineum, indicate the development of inflammation of the prostate. If a man in addition to these symptoms has an increase in body temperature and a deterioration in well-being, consult a therapist or urologist. Treat inflammation with antibiotics.

Acute low back pain occurs in situations like this:

• sprain or inflammation of the back muscles
• long stay in numerical posture;
• if you suddenly lift a lot of weight
• sharp turns on the side or body, injuries
• traction or hypothermia.

What should I do if your low back pain hurts: When the condition indicates physical injury, see a traumatologist. The specialist will prescribe drug therapy during the acute period to relieve unpleasant symptoms. First, NSAIDs with systemic action are used, and then they switch to external forms of release. It is useful to take vitamin preparations, inject neurotropic drugs. During the recovery period, physiotherapy, massage, gymnastics are indicated.

Why unpleasant symptoms appear - low back pain occurs due to inflammation of muscle fibers or myositis. The condition is not comfortable as the patient feels stiffness below the waist and normal body movements are difficult. To temporarily alleviate the condition, take a warm shower and then wrap yourself in warm clothes. Often the back hurts in the lumbar area after injuries, falls. It is also recommended to use heating ointments. If the condition does not improve after a few days, it is better to see a doctor.

Pulling and pain in the lower back during spondylosis. The patient has constant pulling pain in the lower back and over time there are problems with the legs. Loss of sensitivity and weakness are observed. Spondylosis deformans are dangerous if the symptoms are ignored because the disease takes a long time to develop. Other causes of pulling back pain are ankylosing spondylitis, other diseases, pain that they radiate to the spine or cancer. You can not pull with such symptoms, you should immediately seek the help of a specialist.

Sometimes the patient is bothered by "displaced pains" whose nature he does not know. The patient has unpleasant sensations in the back, but this condition is not associated with the development of the spine. Irradiation of pain is associated with problems in the pelvis, stomach or duodenum, kidneys.

In what situations should you contact a specialist immediately:

1. The pain syndrome is intense and the discomfort does not go away after 2-3 days or even intensifies.
2. Unpleasant sensations have occurred after injury or as a result of an accident. There were falls on the back or blows.
3. With concomitant occurrence of pain in the lower back, lower leg, hips, pelvis.
4. Sensation in limbs, pelvis, buttocks, thighs, legs, feet and groin is lost due to unpleasant sensations.

Only a doctor can find out the exact cause of back pain.

Treatments and ways to relieve low back pain

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Once the diagnosis has been made, the therapy is selected according to the patient's individual characteristics. The treatment is aimed at relieving unpleasant symptoms and preventing relapse. Usually, conservative therapies are combined with the principles of physiotherapy and rehabilitation. In advanced situations, surgery may be necessary.

Drug Therapy

Drug use is the most comprehensive branch of back therapy. From medicine to the spine, NSAIDs or analgesics, antispasmodics, neurotropic vitamins and muscle relaxants can be prescribed. Each group of drugs is discussed separately. These drugs are intended for symptomatic treatment - relief of pain during an exacerbation. They have no influence on the cause of the disease.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) handle several tasks at once during the symptomatic treatment of back pain. The agents effectively relieve and eliminate the inflammatory process due to the reversible inhibition of the synthesis of inflammatory mediators. Systemic release forms in the form of tablets and injections are used during the acute period for a short time to relieve severe pain syndrome.

Diclofenac and Movalis are the gold standard in the treatment of back pain. Less commonly, Indomethacin or Ketorolac are prescribed. After a few days of treatment, the patient is transferred to the use of external forms of release, which can be used much longer. Diclofenac gel, Naproxen, Ketorolac trometamol, Piroxicam anesthetize perfectly.

Antispasmodics can be used to treat a patient if the patient does not tolerate muscle relaxants. Classic antispasmodics are drotaverine hydrochloride or papaverine hydrochloride. They are prescribed to relieve cramps in smooth muscles, which can cause radiating pain in the spine. Such agents are easier to tolerate than NSAIDs, but also have a weaker effect.

Key muscle relaxants include tizanidine, tolperisone hydrochloride or baclofen. The most commonly prescribed treatment for muscle spasticity is tolperisone hydrochloride, although tizanidine is more potent and has fewer side effects. Balofen is a prescription drug that is prescribed for really advanced cases. It is not a first-line medicine as it exhibits many side effects. The average duration of treatment when taking muscle relaxants is 1-1, 5 months. If the spasticity has not disappeared during this period, the drugs are removed.

Physiotherapy methods for rehabilitation

In this branch of medicine it is common to use the following recovery methods:

1. Electrophoresis. Medicines are injected through the skin under the influence of a galvanic current. Usually injectable B vitamins, nicotinic acid, chondroprotectors are used. This is a long-term method of treating back pain, but it is effective and helps well during the rehabilitation period. Galvanic current has good conductivity and delivers drugs locally to where blood flow is disrupted. The drugs are active for 15 hours.
2. Laser therapy aimed at reducing pain. Using point-coordinated infrared radiation, the method is aimed at pain relief, elimination of spasms, stimulation of regenerative processes, improvement of microcirculation in tissues, relaxation and improvement of immunity. Laser therapy is especially effective in treating osteochondrosis, hernia, protrusions.
3. Acupuncture is an old therapeutic method officially approved by the WHO. Contraindications to the procedure are the period of pregnancy, age up to 1 year and after 75 years. Acupuncture eliminates pain syndrome to varying degrees. The essence of the method is the effect of a needle on the nerve ending in the affected area. The average course of treatment is from 10 to 12 sessions. Effectively and quickly removes pain in any part of the back - in the side, to the left or to the right of the spine.
4. Physiotherapy is one of the most popular rehabilitation methods for back pain. If there are no contraindications to the procedure, special exercises are chosen by a rehabilitation therapist, which aims to restore mobility in the spine, eliminate muscle pain, strengthen hypotonic muscle structures. By strengthening the muscle corset, pain disappears.

Traditional medicine methods are also used, but research has not proven their beneficial effect on health. Any methods of self-medication should be discussed with a neurologist.

Prevention of low back pain

It is important to maintain the health of the spine from an early age. In the early period of maturation of the body, the body is intensively formed - the limbs grow, the position of the organs changes, the skeleton lengthens. If you teach your child the correct posture and regular exercise at an early age, you will be able to avoid many back problems in the future.

The child is taught to exercise at home several times a week to have a permanent effect. To avoid performance errors, consult a good rehabilitator. The specialist will tell you how to do exercises correctly at home, choose an individual training system. At a young age, it is important not to overdo it and change the principles of moderate exercise with stretching and thorough warm-up.

Good habits to prevent low back pain in childhood and adulthood:

1. Prolonged and incorrect sitting in the workplace is fraught with scoliosis with displacement to the left or right side. You need to get up every 15 -20 minutes and stretch - tilt your neck and lower back forward, sideways will tone tired muscles, improve blood flow.
2. It is important to avoid prolonged exposure to the numerical posture. Static back strain on the back is fraught with pain.
3. Do not make sharp turns in the neck or back. If you do this several times, there is a high probability of injury. Most often, back injuries are caused by sudden and unusual loads on the body.
4. Sit upright when working from home. When bending to the right or left side in a sitting position, an incorrect load on the muscles occurs. The result is uneven muscle tension with varying hypertonicity or hypotension in any part of the back.
5. It is necessary to exclude carrying the bag to the left or right on one shoulder. An alternative is a backpack that evenly loads the shoulders without distortion to the right or left.
6. At home it is recommended to perform a complex of stretching for tired muscles. After a long working day, the muscles lose their elasticity. Warm-up stretching is also beneficial for ligaments and joints. Bending the neck to the side and forward, light static loads are useful.

One of the best ways to prevent low back discomfort is by going to the pool. It is enough to swim 1-2 times a week to feel relief in the back. If you have pre-existing problems, experts recommend visiting the pool at least 3 times a week.