Many patients, who have barely crossed the threshold of the doctor's office and are holding on to their back, ask: "Why does the lower back hurt, and what medicines help with this pain? ""
Unfortunately, everything is not so simple, and you can choose the right treatment method only after identifying the causes of pain.
Quite a few people go through life with mild to moderate lower back pain and consider it normal. But even if you suffer from mild to severe lower back tingling without interruption 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, it causes a lot of pain and discomfort over time.
Primary and secondary pain syndrome
The causes of lower back pain can be very different, and only after you thoroughly understand what caused them, you can begin to treat this disease.
According to the medical classification of diseases, primary and secondary pain syndromes occurring in the lumbar region are distinguished.
Primary pain syndrome develops against the background of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the spine. These include osteochondrosis, in which the cartilage and bone tissues are damaged, and spondylarthrosis, which affects the intervertebral or articular joints.
Secondary pain syndrome can occur for a number of reasons. First, the lower back constantly hurts with the curvature of the spine (scoliosis). This condition can also be observed due to metabolic disorders of the bone tissue (osteoporosis or osteomalacia).
Very often, the cause of pain in the lumbar region is non-infectious inflammation (ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ).
A rather dangerous cause of lower back pain is the fracture of the spinal vertebrae.
The pain syndrome can be a consequence of various infectious diseases that lead to damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, epidural abscess).
The lower back hurts with acute disorders of the spinal cord circulation (stroke conditions), as well as with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).
Back pain is reflected in some pathologies. This occurs when organs 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 in the lumbar region are displaced. At the same time, due to the severe pain, the patient assumes a forced position and his movement is very limited even when walking.
Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint) is often the cause of secondary pain.
Other causes of back pain
Acute lumbar pain often occurs due to unsuccessful movement, prolonged work in an uncomfortable position, improper lifting or carrying of weights, a fall or blow, a sharp straightening with a simultaneous turn, as well as prolonged hypothermia or exposure to drafts. All these "accidents" can cause spasms and inflammation of the deep back muscles.
Many patients note that the lower back often hurts after sleeping. There are reasons for this too. The simplest of them is the uncomfortable position of the body in a dream. For those who like to sleep on their stomachs, the lower back muscles are under constant tension, which causes pain. Sometimes such a painful condition is due to the fact that the bed or pillow itself does not fit the person. That is why experts recommend sleeping on an orthopedic mattress to completely relax your back.
In addition, morning groin pain can be a symptom of diseases of internal organs. So, pathologies of the circulatory, digestive and urinary systems are accompanied by back pain.
Back pain as a cause of negative emotions
Few of the patients realize that the lower back is one of the most psychosomatic parts of the body, so it reacts very sharply to severe stress and excitement.
Anger, anger, irritability or intense fear contribute to the release of a significant amount of adrenaline into the blood. As a result - an increase in the tone of the back muscles. And in the event that there is no adequate secretion, the muscles with increased tone gradually begin to tense. And then - spasm and pain syndrome. It should be noted that spinal disorders very often develop in people with an unstable psyche, and psychotherapy is the best treatment method for such patients.
Lower back pain during pregnancy
Many pregnant women are concerned about the causes of lower back pain. In the early stages of pregnancy, this can be caused by kidney or urinary tract disease. Progesterone production also increases during this period, resulting in insignificant softening of the ligaments, which can cause lumbar pain.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the belly grows significantly, the load on the spine increases significantly, which is why pulling pains appear in the lumbar back.
Severe lower back pain during pregnancy can sometimes be caused by a neurological disease (herniated disc or sciatica).
What to do if your back hurts
First of all, if the back pain does not go away within three days, a consultation with a neurologist is necessary. Only a specialist can develop an appropriate treatment strategy, which depends on the severity of the patient's condition.
Most lower back pain usually requires conservative treatment, but sometimes there are cases when it is impossible without surgical intervention.
When prescribing conservative treatment, three main goals are followed:
- Free the patient from pain.
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to slow down the degenerative-dystrophic processes of the spine.
- Rapid 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 put a pillow under your knees for the best relaxation.
Disabled patients are not recommended to stay in bed for more than 2-3 days, even if they have pain (not very strong, of course), as this significantly weakens the paravertebral muscles. In the case of persistent pain syndrome, with the return of pain in the leg, an orthopedic consultation is necessary.
When osteochondrosis is diagnosed, a complex drug treatment is prescribed with the help of drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nerve tissue.
Paravertebral blocks are well proven to eliminate back pain. Such injections help reduce inflammation and muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain.
When a disc herniation is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique involves removing the hernia compressing the root and creating the conditions for restoration.