Many patients, who barely crossed the threshold of the doctor's office, holding on to the lower back, ask: "Why does the lower back hurt, and what drugs will help with this pain? "
Unfortunately, not everything is so simple, and you can choose the correct method of treatment only after identifying the causes that caused the pain.
Many 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 your 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 low back pain can be very different, and only after thoroughly understanding what they come from can you begin to treat this ailment.
According to the medical classification of diseases, primary and secondary pain syndrome, which occurs in the lumbar region, are distinguished.
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 spondyloarthrosis, which affects intervertebral or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndrome can occur for a variety of reasons. First of all, the lower back constantly hurts with the 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 lower back is inflammation of a non-infectious nature (ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ).
A rather dangerous cause of low back pain is a fracture of the spinal vertebrae.
Pain syndrome can be the result 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 circulation (stroke), as well as with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).
In some pathologies back pain is reflected. It occurs when organs located 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 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 low back pain occurs due to unsuccessful movement, prolonged work in an awkward position, improper lifting or carrying of weights, a fall or a blow, a sharp straightening with a simultaneous twist, as well as prolonged hypothermia or exposure to a draft. All of these "accidents" can cause spasm and inflammation of the deep muscles of the back.
Many patients note that their lower back often hurts after sleeping. There are reasons for this too. The simplest of them is the awkward position of the body in a dream. For those who like to sleep on their stomach, the muscles of the lower back are in constant tension, which causes the appearance 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 low back 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.
Low 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 reacts very acutely to severe stress and arousal.
Anger, rage, irritability or intense fear contribute to the release of significant doses of adrenaline in the blood. As a result, an increase in the tone of the back muscles. And in the event that there is no proper discharge, the muscles that are in increased tone gradually begin to 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 low back pain. Early in 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 low back pain.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the abdomen increases significantly, the load on the spine increases sharply, and therefore there are pulling pains in the lumbar back.
Severe low 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, in case the 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 general 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 objectives are pursued:
- Relieve the patient of pain.
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to curb degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.
- Quick 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 event that osteochondrosis is diagnosed, complex drug treatment is prescribed with the help of drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nerve tissue.
To eliminate back pain, paravertebral blocks have proven effective. Such injections help relieve inflammation and muscle spasms, thereby relieving pain.
When a herniated disc is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique consists of removing a hernia that compresses the root and creating conditions for its recovery.