What to do if the lower back hurts is a pressing issue for many modern people. Most of them have serious problems with the health of the spinal column. Currently, osteochondrosis is no longer a disease inherent in older age. Today, degenerative dystrophic changes in the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs develop at a fairly young age. They are found even in patients 20-25 years old. Lumbosacral osteochondrosis is the most common cause of back pain. But not only him.
It is imperative to see an experienced doctor. Choose the right specialist. The first thing to remember in this case is that the local therapist does not treat low back pain. According to medical and economic standards, it only eliminates the symptom in the allotted number of days. His task is to return the patient to work as soon as possible. He does not pay attention to the fact that the disease will continue to develop intensively. Therefore, many patients lose time during which they could restore the health of the spinal column without surgery.
We advise you to apply for a full treatment in the clinic of manual therapy. They use completely different methods and approaches. They do not use symptomatic treatments. Doctors working in chiropractic clinics aim to restore the full health of the patient, and not mask the existing symptoms.
To understand what to do if the lower back hurts a lot, you need to know how this part of the body works and what can cause an unpleasant symptom. We offer you to get acquainted with some aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the lumbar region.
At the heart of this part of the body is the lumbosacral spine. The sacrum in an adult is a single triangular bone, consisting of five fused vertebral bodies. Between the first sacral and fifth lumbar vertebrae is the conditional center of gravity of the human body. This accounts for the main mechanical and depreciation load from the lower extremities.
This is due to the fact that the iliac-sacral joints are located on the lateral surfaces of the sacrum. With their help, the pelvic ring is attached to the spinal column. In the lower lateral part of the pelvic ring are the hip joints. Thus, the entire load from the lower extremities through the hip and iliac-sacral joints is transferred to the intervertebral disc L5-S1.
Due to these anatomical features in a modern person, due to their sedentary lifestyle, at a fairly early age, the intervertebral disc L5-S1 and the iliac-sacral joints are destroyed. And this is a serious reason for the appearance of acute pain in the lumbar region.
The lumbar spine consists of individual vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs. They are quite massive. Inside the lumbar and sacral sections of the spinal column are the segments of the spinal cord of the same name. Paired radicular nerves depart from them, which form the lumbosacral nerve plexus and large nerves. At the bottom of the sacrum, the terminal threads of the spinal cord come out, which form another large nerve plexus - the "horse tail".
Long anterior and posterior ligaments run along the spinal column. They begin in the region of the coccyx and end in the region of the occipital bone. There are also short transverse and interspinous ligaments. They are located between adjacent vertebral bodies. The paravertebral muscles located along the spine provide diffuse nutrition for the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs. If they function incorrectly, then osteochondrosis and its complications develop.
It is difficult to independently determine which tissues are being destroyed. The help of an experienced doctor is needed. An experienced doctor will conduct an examination and make a preliminary diagnosis. Develop a personalized treatment plan.
Reasons why lower back hurts
The first thing to do if your lower back hurts is to find out the causes of this pathological condition. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of kidney pathology. Very often, urolithiasis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis and polycystic kidney disease are manifested by a characteristic pain syndrome in the upper part of the lower back. Other urological symptoms may also be present. These are cramps during urination, a change in the color and transparency of urine, an increase in body temperature, general malaise, intoxication, and edematous nephrotic syndrome, an increase in blood pressure, etc.
If you have these symptoms, we recommend that you see a nephrologist or therapist as soon as possible. You will receive professional medical care.
If on the eve of the appearance of the pain syndrome you fell, hurt yourself, got into an accident, then you need to contact a traumatologist for an appointment. The cause of pain may be a crack or fracture of the vertebral body or its process, costal lower arch. Also, with a traumatic effect, damage to the tissues of the kidneys is possible.
The following diseases and conditions can be potential causes of pain in the lumbar region:
- traumatic violation of the integrity of the ligamentous, tendon and muscular apparatus (stretching, microscopic ruptures, defibration, cicatricial deformities, etc. );
- degenerative dystrophic process in the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs, leading to the development of osteochondrosis and dorsopathy;
- protrusion (reduction in height and increase in the occupied area) of the intervertebral discs;
- extrusion (rupture) of the fibrous ring and the exit of the intervertebral hernia;
- unstable position of the vertebral bodies and their periodic displacement relative to each other by the type of laterolisthesis, antelisthesis and retrolisthesis;
- destruction and inflammation of well-aimed intervertebral joints;
- curvature of the spinal column and distortion of the pelvic bones;
- deforming osteoarthritis of the iliac-sacral joints;
- stenosis of the spinal canal;
- pinching of the radicular nerves and their branches (sciatica, sciatica, radiculopathy);
- cauda equina syndrome, piriformis muscle;
- plexitis of the lumbosacral nerve plexus and many others.
It is very difficult to independently determine the real reason why the lower back hurts. To do this, you need to have extensive practical experience and specific knowledge. Therefore, you should not engage in self-diagnosis and treatment. It is better to consult an experienced doctor in a timely manner and undergo a full treatment.
Very sore lower back - what to do at home
If your lower back hurts a lot, the first thing to do is to ensure complete physical rest. It is necessary to lie on your back on a hard, flat surface and try to relax your back muscles. If within 30 - 40 minutes the pain syndrome does not begin to decrease, then it is necessary to call an ambulance. This may be a condition that requires immediate surgical attention.
The next thing to do at home if your lower back hurts is to exclude all possible risk factors. They include the following aspects:
- overweight - each extra kilogram repeatedly increases the pressure on the cartilaginous intervertebral discs and provokes their premature destruction;
- violation of posture (round or stooped back, withers, etc. ) - there is a violation of the processes of distribution of depreciation load, displacement of the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs is possible;
- heavy physical labor associated with lifting and carrying heavy loads;
- domestic, sports and industrial injuries in the lower back;
- improper organization of the sleeping and working place;
- sedentary work associated with prolonged static tension of the muscular frame of the body;
- selection of low-quality clothes and shoes;
- incorrect positioning of the foot when walking and running (flat feet or clubfoot);
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages (it provokes a decrease in the intensity of the process of microcirculation of the lymphatic fluid and blood, which is fraught with the development of ischemia and degeneration of the tissues of the spinal column);
- malnutrition and insufficient clean water intake.
If your lower back hurts a lot and you do not know what to do, then consult a doctor immediately. Only a specialist will be able to find a potential cause, eliminate it and develop an individual course of treatment.
Lower back pain - how to treat with manual therapy methods
So, what to do if the lower back hurts - there are currently several options for how to treat. The first is to apply for an appointment with a local therapist in a city clinic. In this case, symptomatic treatment will be carried out. All unpleasant symptoms will be eliminated, but the process of destruction of the tissues of the spinal column will continue. And it may even increase, because using symptomatic remedies for the treatment of pain, the doctor completely disables the natural defense mechanisms of the human body.
For example, with protrusion of the intervertebral discs, the pain syndrome in most cases is associated with the fact that the paravertebral muscles compensate for the depreciation load, take it upon themselves. This is accompanied by a strong tension of the muscle fiber and pain. But, if muscle relaxants are used, then the muscles become paralyzed and all the depreciation and mechanical load begins to be fully applied to the already damaged intervertebral discs. In some cases, this provokes a rupture of the fibrous ring and the appearance of an intervertebral hernia.
You can also visit a manual therapist. This specialist practices a completely different approach to treatment. He will try to detect all risk factors and give the patient individual recommendations for their elimination. Then he will develop an individual course of treatment. It will be based on the principle of complete restoration of the disturbed process of diffuse nutrition of the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs.
To restore the normal shape of the intervertebral disc, several sessions of manual traction of the spinal column are performed. During this procedure, the doctor increases the degree of elasticity of the soft tissues surrounding the spinal column. Then he spreads the neighboring vertebral bodies to a normal distance. The discs have space to fully expand. After 2-3 procedures, the acute pain syndrome completely disappears.
In the future, a full course of treatment is carried out. It may include osteopathy, therapeutic exercises, kinesiotherapy, laser exposure, physiotherapy and much more.