Many patients, having barely crossed the threshold of the doctor’s office, holding on to their lower backs, ask: "Why does the lower back hurt, and what medicines will help with this pain? "
Unfortunately, everything is not so simple, and you can choose the right method of treatment only after identifying the causes that caused the pain.
Quite a lot of people go through life with mild to moderate low back pain and accept it as normal. But even if you suffer from uninterrupted mild or severe tingling in the lower back for a significant amount of time, you should visit a therapist to diagnose the problem. After all, if you do not take action in time, the condition will worsen.
Although back pain is not the most serious disease, over time it will cause a lot of pain and cause great discomfort.
Primary and secondary pain syndrome
The causes of lower back pain can be very different, and only after thoroughly understanding what they came from, you can begin to deal with this ailment.
According to the medical classification of diseases, primary and secondary pain syndrome, which occurs in the lumbar region, are distinguished.
The primary pain syndrome is formed against the background of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the spine. These include osteochondrosis, in which cartilage and bone tissues are damaged, as well as spondylarthrosis, affecting the intervertebral or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndrome can occur for a variety of reasons. First of all, the lower back constantly hurts with curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Also, this condition can be observed due to metabolic disorders of bone tissue (osteoporosis or osteomalacia).
Very often, the cause of pain in the lumbar region is inflammation of a non-infectious nature (Ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ).
A rather dangerous cause of lower back pain is a fracture of the spinal vertebrae.
Pain syndrome can be the result of various infectious diseases leading to damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, epidural abscess).
The lower back hurts with acute disorders of the spinal circulation (stroke conditions), as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).
In some pathologies, back pain is reflected. This occurs when organs located in the pelvic area are affected (gynecological pathologies, STDs, renal colic).
Often pain is observed when stretching the lumbar muscles. The lower back hurts very much when the intervertebral discs of the lumbar region are displaced. At the same time, due to severe pain, the patient takes a forced position of the body, and his mobility when walking is also very limited.
Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint) is also often the cause of secondary pain.
Other causes of back pain
Often, acute lumbar pain occurs due to an 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 a draft. All these "accidents" can cause spasm and inflammation of the deep back muscles.
Many patients note that often the lower back hurts after sleep. There are reasons for this as well. The simplest of them is an uncomfortable position of the body in a dream. For those who like to sleep on their stomach, the muscles of the lumbar back are in constant tension, which provokes the occurrence of 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.
Also, morning lumbar pain can be a symptom of diseases of the internal organs. So, pathologies of the circulatory, digestive and genitourinary systems are accompanied by back pain.
Lower 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, and therefore, it reacts very sharply to severe stress and excitement.
Anger, anger, irritability or intense fear contribute to the release of significant doses 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 discharge, the muscles that are in increased tone begin to gradually tighten. And then - spasm and pain syndrome. It should be noted that spinal disorders very often develop in people with an unstable psyche, and for such patients, psychotherapy is the best method of treatment.
Lower back pain during pregnancy
Many pregnant women worry about the causes of lower back pain. In early pregnancy, this may be due to kidney or urinary tract disease. Also during this period, the production of progesterone increases, due to which there is an insignificant softening of the ligaments, which can cause lumbar pain.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the abdomen increases significantly, the load on the spine increases greatly, and therefore, there are pulling pains in the lumbar back.
Severe lower back pain during pregnancy can sometimes be the cause of a neurological disease (herniated disc or sciatica).
What to do if your back hurts
First of all, in the event that back pain does not go away within three days, a consultation with a neurologist is required. Only a specialist can develop a correct treatment strategy, which will depend on the severity of the patient's condition.
As a rule, most low back pain requires conservative treatment, however, sometimes there are cases when it is impossible to do without surgical intervention.
When prescribing conservative treatment, three main goals are pursued:
- Relieve the patient from pain.
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to slow down degenerative-dystrophic processes in 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 for the best relaxation, put a pillow under your knees.
Patients with impaired motor activity are advised not to stay in bed for more than 2-3 days, even if they have pain (of course, not very strong), as this significantly weakens the paravertebral muscles. With persistent pain syndrome with a return of pain in the leg, an orthopedic consultation is necessary.
In the case when osteochondrosis is diagnosed, complex drug treatment is prescribed with the help of drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nervous tissue.
To eliminate back pain, paravertebral blockades have proven themselves well. Such injections help relieve inflammation and muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain.
When a herniated disc is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique involves the removal of a hernia that compresses the root and the creation of conditions for its recovery.