One in two people on the planet is familiar with lower back pain: this is confirmed by official statistics.And in fact, everyone has experienced pain in the spine of varying intensity, and it is not even worth talking about attacks in the lower back: they lifted something incorrectly, bent over too much, slept in an uncomfortable position, and the pain will definitely be present.
Low back pain can be of an absolutely varied nature: painful and pulling, sharp and constant, paroxysmal and cutting, stabbing and local.Even the intensity of the syndrome in question is variable: the pain can appear suddenly, without visible preconditions, but can constantly develop "more and more".
A person may tolerate low back pain relatively easily or it may cause immobility;It all depends on the individual tolerance to the syndrome and the psycho-emotional state of the patient.
Causes of low back pain in men.
Men, more often than women, work in extreme conditions, for example, at regularly low air temperatures, in conditions of high humidity, with the need to lift heavy objects, etc.It is not surprising that physiological factors rank first among the causes of low back pain.
Pain in the lumbar spine in men can occur with prostatitis, an inflammatory process in the prostate gland.Please note: prostatitis is manifested not only by pain in the lower back with radiation to the rectum, there are also disturbances in the urination process, persistent discomfort in the groin and perineum, hyperthermia (increased temperature).
If a man develops inflammation of the testicles (epididymitis), pain in the lower back, together with an increase in the size of the testicles and their tumor, may be the main reason for a comprehensive examination by an andrologist.
Causes of low back pain in women.
For the female category of patients, low back pain is typical for certain gynecological diseases/conditions:
- Adnexitis.Inflammation of the ovaries causes the development of constantly increasing pain in the lower back.It can be unilateral or bilateral;It all depends on the location of the inflammatory process.Low back pain with adnexitis is accompanied by increased body temperature, altered vaginal discharge, general weakness and increased pain during intimate relations.
- Pregnancy.This is a physiological condition that is accompanied by an excessive load on all organs and systems: having a child a priori implies the functioning of the body "through wear and tear."Another factor in the appearance of low back pain during pregnancy is the threat of spontaneous abortion.
- Climax.During this period, a woman's body undergoes important changes, including hormonal balance.The level of estrogen in the blood becomes unstable, to which the nerve endings react;This factor may explain low back pain.
Please note: women are characterized by idiopathic low back pain;its appearance is not clear;Doctors associate pain with the woman's psycho-emotional state and her minimal resistance to stress.
Common causes of low back pain.
This classification includes pain in the lumbar spine, which can occur due to internal pathologies in both men and women.The most frequently recorded factors and reasons:
- An attack of acute or chronic appendicitis.Of course, this pathology is characterized by pain in the right hypochondrium, but in some cases (depending on the physiological characteristics of the body and the intensity of the inflammatory process) pain may appear in the lumbar area on the right side.
- Chronic cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder).The pain syndrome in this case will be located in the right hypochondrium with strong irradiation in the lumbar area;This means that the fibers of the spinal nerves are involved in the pathological process.
- Inflammatory/infectious processes in the kidneys.For them, low back pain is considered the main symptom, to which is added hyperthermia (sustained increase in body temperature), morning swelling of the face and high blood pressure.
- Diseases of the small intestine.They are characterized by common digestive disorders (problems with stool, increased gas formation, intestinal cramps) together with lower back pain.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).The pain in this pathology is of a girding nature and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Please note: if the lower back pain is caused precisely by pancreatitis, then when palpating the spine, no changes in the intensity of sensations are observed.
- Infectious pathologies.Not all infectious diseases cause low back pain;This syndrome is characteristic only in cases where pathological damage to bone tissue occurs.And the lower back hurts most often due to the large load on this particular part of the spine.
Doctors consider inflammatory processes in the muscles (myositis) to be the main cause of low back pain in both men and women.They are characterized by constant, aching pain with a gradual increase in intensity;Based on this symptom and in the absence of other signs, a preliminary diagnosis can be made.
Furthermore, the syndrome in question may appear in patients diagnosed with stage 4 obesity: the load on the muscles and bones is too great, so the pain in the lower back will be constant, intensify and radiate to the legs.
Please note: pain in the lumbar spine can be caused by the growth of malignant or benign tumors.But in this case there will be no problems with the diagnosis: this syndrome does not appear in the first stage of cancer.
Diseases always accompanied by lower back pain.
There are a number of pathological conditions in which low back pain is the main symptom:
- Lumbalgia.It is characterized by sharp, stabbing pain, which is most commonly diagnosed in male patients and may be the result of a pinched sciatic nerve or displacement of several vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.Curvature of the vertebrae, which can be congenital or acquired.The pathological process can affect any part of the spine;The following classification of the disease is typical for the lumbar area:
- habitual scoliosis, which develops in childhood and is a consequence of the child's incorrect posture;
- rickety appearance - the final stage of metabolic disorders in childhood;
- rheumatic: more often diagnosed in adult patients, always as a consequence of serious joint pathologies;
- paralytic scoliosis.
- Osteochondrosis of intervertebral nature.
- Hernia of the lumbar spine.
- Rheumatoid type arthritis.It is diagnosed more frequently in menopausal women.
- Osteoporosis.This is a thinning of bone tissue, the causes of which are exclusively related to age.In addition to pain in the lumbar spine, the patient is diagnosed with hernias, deformities of the vertebral joints and problems with cartilage.
- Phlebothrombosis.This is not an inflammatory process in the vessels, but their obstruction;The disease is more common in older people.Typically, with phlebothrombosis, low back pain appears only during a long walk.
Additionally, lower back pain can be caused by atherosclerosis of grade 3-4, obstruction of blood flow through inflamed vessels (various phlebitis), ankylosing spondylitis and other factors and causes.
You should definitely call a doctor and undergo a complete examination;The cause of the syndrome may be the development of serious pathology in the body.
Low back pain: what to do?
To help yourself when you experience lower back pain, you should remember some recommendations from specialists:
- When the syndrome first appears, adopt a comfortable position and monitor the nature of the pain:
- at what point it arises, intensifies or decreases;
- Is it accompanied by nausea, headaches, changes in physiological processes (urination, defecation)?
- Is there an increase in temperature and strange tastes in the oral cavity?
- If the cause of lower back pain is a bruise, sprain or injury, then you should do the following:
- taking a drug from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- take a diuretic - this will help quickly eliminate swelling and accelerate the process of eliminating inflammation;
- tighten the lower back with any fixing material: a special orthopedic belt, a towel, a scarf, an elastic bandage.
In any case, you will need to consult a doctor and undergo a complete examination;Even the simplest injury to the spine and short-term pain in the lower back can be caused by a serious pathological process.
Actions that are contraindicated for low back pain.
The following manipulations are strictly prohibited:
- warming the area where the pain syndrome is located without first determining the cause of its appearance;this can provoke a powerful progression of the inflammatory process;
- take pain relievers if the cause of pain in the lumbar spine is still unclear;
- realign the vertebrae – Many patients overlook this point and believe that professional chiropractors will do no harm.In fact, the displacement of the vertebrae can be due not only to strong physical stress, but also to various degenerative processes in the cartilage and ligaments.The result of a forced repositioning of a vertebra in its place due to connective tissue or cartilage dystrophy can be the complete destruction of the latter and its immobilization.
Low back pain treatment
Professional treatment of the pain syndrome in question is carried out only in a hospital.As a rule, after an examination (X-ray, CT scan, blood/urine laboratory analysis, etc.), patients are prescribed medications that can quickly and with a long-lasting effect relieve a pain attack.Then, depending on the general state of health, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, the doctor selects restorative therapy, and the patient undergoes physiotherapy and massage.
Please note: you need to learn how to properly rest after intense physical activity: lying on your back with your legs raised.If your lower back hurts after sleeping, you will need an orthopedic mattress, and if the pain becomes regular and severe, doctors can perform a block.But this does not mean that after the disappearance of the syndrome in question, you can calm down and not carry out treatment: the attacks will repeat themselves more and more frequently.
Treatment of low back pain with home remedies.
Any remedy from the category of traditional medicine aimed at restoring the function of the spine and eliminating low back pain can only be used if the etiology of the problem is clarified.Only in this case will they be truly effective and absolutely safe.
Some treatments for low back pain:
- For osteochondrosis, it is necessary to take wax, melt it and apply it hot to the lower back (at the place of pain).It is necessary to put on a warm scarf or scarf over it so that the warming procedure has a greater effect.Please note: the skin in the area where the melted wax is applied must not show damage or pathologies visible from the field of dermatology.
- With regular stress, nervous breakdowns and lower back pain against the background of psycho-emotional disorders, St. John's wort can be used as a treatment.Take 2 tablespoons of dried St. John's wort, pour 400 ml of boiling water and leave overnight.Then strain the infusion and take 100 ml at least 4 times a day.The course of treatment is one week, even if the pain disappeared on the second or third day, it is not recommended to stop taking the infusion of St. John's wort.
- When diagnosing common pinched nerves (for example, the sciatic nerve), tincture of hot red pepper and fir oil is used.It is necessary to apply these components to the lumbar area, exactly in the area where the pain syndrome is located, twice a day for a week.Please note: first, hot pepper tincture is rubbed into the skin, and then fir oil.The number of procedures depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome: as soon as the condition returns to normal, treatment is stopped.
Regular massage helps a lot with common lower back pain.Doing it yourself is problematic, but our ancestors used the following method: you need to take a nylon/nylon stocking and tie three knots at the same distance.You should rub your back with this stocking every day;it is very possible that you do it yourself.
Low back pain can be a consequence of various pathological conditions.Many usually “ignore” this syndrome, attributing it all to excessive tension or nerves.But doctors warn: even non-intense and periodic pain in the lumbar spine can indicate the development of internal pathology.