Severe back pain in the lumbar area: possible causes, symptoms, medical consultation and treatment.

It is impossible to independently determine the reason for the pain in the lower back.Pain in the back and lower back is medically called lumbago.It is felt in the lumbar region and is accompanied by muscle spasms and additional unpleasant symptoms.Acute low back pain is felt for various reasons and can last from a few minutes to a couple of months.As a result, a person begins to get used to sharp pains in the lower back and back.But if you do not seek help from your doctor in time, the person's health condition will greatly deteriorate and the chances of recovery will decrease.It is important to consider the causes of low back pain and treatment.

Description of the injury

Intense pain in the back and lumbar area, a feeling of tension and stiffness is a common condition that sooner or later appears in many people.

In most cases, pain syndrome appears in the lumbar area, since the lumbar spine is characterized by its mobility and takes on half the weight of the human body.Back pain in the lumbar region can occur as a result of lifting heavy objects or turning sharply.

In some cases, unpleasant symptoms in the lumbar region appear over time due to regular exercise or incorrect posture.In some cases, it is not possible to determine the cause of the pain syndrome.The pain is more intense at night, when there is a load on the lower back or after being in an uncomfortable position for a long time, for example, after a long car trip.In most cases, back pain in the lumbar region disappears if a person lies down for a while on a hard surface.

In most cases, the pain persists for several days or weeks, and then the person's general well-being improves and the condition of the lower back is restored.You can speed up recovery by taking pain relievers and optimizing daily physical activity: rest only for the first few days and then gradually return to normal.But in some cases, discomfort and discomfort in the lower back indicate the onset of a chronic disease that will require complex treatment.

A person's mood also plays a special role in this process.Due to pain, the patient's general condition can deteriorate greatly, but according to statistics, a person who comes in a good mood recovers faster than one who is depressed.

Main causes of the syndrome.

The condition of the back depends directly on the functioning of the bones, nerves, muscles and joints.In most cases, it is quite difficult to find out exactly the cause of the pain.In rare cases, serious illnesses or injuries occur in the spinal region.

In most cases, back pain at the lumbar level appears due to minor injuries, muscle strains, sprains of ligaments and muscles, pinched nerves and the beginning of the inflammatory process.Unpleasant back symptoms can appear suddenly or gradually intensify.Causes of back and lumbar pain:

• too sudden movement: leaning or turning to one side;
• lifting and carrying heavy objects, bending the body for a long time;
• incorrect posture when walking or working at a desk;
• severe muscle strain in the back;
• long car trips without breaks.

In some cases, pain in this area appears for no particular reason, for example, in the morning after waking up.

Main factors

There are factors that can cause severe back and lower back pain.Experts identify a large number of them;They can negatively affect the condition of the back.The main ones include:

• Heavy weight - in this case, the spine is greatly overloaded.To determine if body weight affects the spine, the total body mass index must be calculated.
• Smoking: can negatively affect the tissues of the back, causing pain.
• Having a child: In this condition, the woman's spine is put under severe strain, which only becomes stronger as the size of the abdomen increases.
• Long-term use of medications that reduce bone density, such as corticosteroids.
• Psycho-emotional overexertion, stress - regular anxiety causes severe tension in the muscles of the neck and back, resulting in pain.

Major diseases

Diseases that can cause lower back and lower back pain include the following:

1. Osteochondrosis and its complications, for example, spinal hernia, is a degenerative process during which the intervertebral cartilage is destroyed, causing pain.These diseases appear in older people, especially those who experience great tension in their back.
2. Ligament and muscle sprains: Most often occur after prolonged physical activity or sudden movement.
3. Some types of arthritis are an inflammatory joint disease, in which, in addition to pain, you feel stiffness in the joints and there are mobility problems in the morning.
4. Kidney diseases, such as pyelonephritis, can cause back pain on the right side of the lower back or on the left.

Carrying out diagnostic activities.

Severe low back and lower back pain can be controlled at home by taking special medications that can be purchased at the pharmacy without a prescription.In-clinic therapy is usually not required.

If the back pain radiates to the lumbar region and causes severe discomfort, then the patient should definitely visit a doctor.He will perform an examination and prescribe treatment.

If back pain on the left side of the lower back prevents the patient from resting and moving normally, you should call a doctor at home.

When examining the condition, the doctor will ask the person to sit, stand, walk, raise their legs alternately, and also determine the general range of motion of the back.It will also require information about possible recent illnesses or injuries, learn about lifestyle, work characteristics, and also ask the following questions:

1. When did the pain start?
2. Where is pain common?
3. Has your back hurt before?
4. How does pain syndrome manifest?
5. Why does the pain get stronger or weaker?

During the examination, the doctor will try to exclude possible infections and fractures, since such manifestations occur in rare cases.If there are problems in making a diagnosis, the doctor may send the patient for additional diagnostic measures: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or spinal x-ray.A urinalysis is performed to rule out kidney disease.

In many cases, spinal pain disappears already on the third day of treatment.If therapy does not improve the condition and the pain continues for six weeks (chronic process), or a serious illness has caused the injury, the doctor refers the person to a specialist.In most cases, treatment for back and lower back pain is prescribed by a neurologist.Additionally, other doctors can participate in the examination of the patient's condition: an osteopath, a chiropractor and a reflexologist.

Basic treatment methods

Treatment of pain syndrome will depend on its duration and severity, as well as the individual characteristics of the person.In most cases, pain can be relieved with simple medications at home.

Main treatment methods:

• Mobility.Previously, doctors believed that with pain in the lumbar region it was important to ensure peace.It has now been established that in patients who start moving earlier, the pain disappears faster.Complete rest and bed rest should be observed only in the first days of acute pain, when it is intense and prevents normal movement.In this case, the person should lie on a hard, level bed.Once the condition returns to normal, it is advisable to gradually return to a normal lifestyle and previous loads, adding more mobility every day.Over time, the person will be able to walk normally around the house or visit public places.But you will have to endure some discomfort and try to avoid anything that could cause pain again.After a few days, a person can return to work without waiting for the severe pain in the back and lower back to completely disappear (of course, if the person's work does not involve stress on the lower back).Early mobility will help restore the condition and reduce the intensity of the pain.
• Taking painkillers.When it comes to severe back pain above or directly in the lower back, doctors prescribe pain relievers.The products help eliminate pain and inflammation.Depending on the severity of the injury, a specialist can prescribe various forms of these drugs: injections, tablets, local preparations - ointments, gels and creams against back pain.Most often, initial treatment involves injections.After the pain syndrome passes, the administration of medications is stopped and, if necessary, special tablets or ointments are started.These drugs have some contraindications, so before starting to take them, it is necessary to consult a doctor and study the instructions.It is best to take pain relievers after meals with milk.
• muscle relaxants- medicines that help eliminate muscle spasms and relax muscles.They are prescribed when severe tension in the muscles of the spine increases the pain syndrome, for example, during the acute stage of osteochondrosis or herniated disc.Muscle relaxers also have different side effects;For example, it is prohibited to take them while driving a car.It is important to consult a doctor first.
• Treatment with cold and warm compresses.In some cases, the pain can be eliminated by taking a hot bath or applying heating pads to the painful area of the body.You can also improve your general condition with a cold or a bag of frozen vegetables.But you must remember that you should not apply ice to the skin, as this can cause frostbite.A previously cold object should be wrapped in a towel and then applied to the affected area of the body.You can also alternate hot and cold treatment, applying ice or a heating pad to the body.
• Choose a sleeping position.Changing your sleeping position will help eliminate tension and pain.If the patient is used to sleeping on his side, he should bring his legs closer to his chest and place a pillow between his legs.If you sleep on your back, then a pillow should be placed under your knees, this will ensure a natural curve of the spine in the lumbar area.
• Body relaxation– This is a very important component in the fight against severe back pain on the left side, above the lumbar area, since with intense anxiety and excessive exertion, the pain syndrome only worsens.As practice shows, people in a good mood recover much faster and their pain does not become chronic.There are special techniques that help the person relax and forget about back discomfort for a while.To do this, it is recommended to perform special breathing exercises and perform a series of simple exercises alternating tension and relaxation of the muscles of the body.
• Physical activity, following a healthy lifestyle.It is important to eliminate the root cause of severe lower back and lower back pain to prevent its recurrence.The most common causes of pain in this area include excess weight on a person, poor posture, and regular emotional outbursts.In this case, a positive effect can be achieved if you start leading an active and healthy lifestyle, for example, walking more or visiting the pool.The main thing is to choose the activity that you like the most.In some cases, classes are taught under the direction of a trainer.Most often, sets of exercises are used that help strengthen the back muscles and ensure a straight posture and stretching.
• If the pain syndrome does not disappear within 6 weeks after treatment, it automatically goes into the chronic stage.In addition to pain relievers and a muscle relaxant, in this case it is necessary to start complex treatment.

Treatment for chronic pain

In this condition, doctors prescribe the following measures to patients:

• Manual therapy is performed by a chiropractor or osteopath and includes the use of various therapy methods, massage and mobilization.
• Alexander Technique - helps to eliminate severe tension in the muscles, teaches a person how to correctly assume the position of the body in various situations and move.This technique will help you learn to maintain body balance and straight posture.
• Acupuncture sessions are an ancient Chinese treatment method, during which thin needles are inserted into various parts of the body, which help reduce pain and normalize a person's condition.
• Taking antidepressants.These medications are prescribed to the patient when pain relievers and other treatment techniques do not give a positive result.Doctors recommend taking tricyclic antidepressants in small amounts.These remedies are initially created to eliminate depression and nervous system problems, but they can also work to suppress certain types of pain.
• Session with a psychiatrist.A positive effect can be achieved from this procedure when other treatment methods do not help.Severe back pain in the lumbar region is a real condition.The way a person treats you can strengthen you or, on the contrary, weaken you significantly.Cognitive behavioral therapy can help eliminate back pain in the right or left lumbar region by changing your attitude towards it.According to statistics, people who have undergone psychotherapy sessions experience much less intense pain.In this case, the person is motivated to lead an active lifestyle and exercise regularly, which leads to a decrease in pain.

Carrying out the operation

In most cases, surgery is used only when all other methods of treating back and lower back pain do not produce any effect.The operation is used when the pain syndrome is so strong or constant that it prevents the patient from working or even resting.The method of surgical intervention chosen will directly depend on the type of pain syndrome and the cause of its appearance.

For example, in case of spinal hernia, the doctor prescribes a discectomy.Currently, doctors can perform the surgery through a minimal incision using specialized microsurgical instruments.These operations are complex, but characterized by minimal trauma.

Spinal fusion is a complex and quite rare surgical procedure.Their results do not always meet expectations.For example, after surgery, a person may continue to have severe back pain below the lower back.

With spinal fusion, the overall mobility of the spine is significantly reduced, since during the operation several pain-inducing vertebrae are joined together in one position by implanting living bone tissue between them.By the end of the rehabilitation period, the bones are completely fused and when a person moves, they do not affect the nerve endings located near them.Helps suppress severe back pain in the left and right lumbar region.Before deciding to undergo surgery, the patient should receive information from the neurosurgeon about all possible complications and positive effects of the therapy.

Additional treatments

When it comes to acute and chronic low back pain, other alternative treatment methods can be used, the effect of which has not been proven in medical practice.The main non-traditional treatment methods include:

• laser treatment - lasers of minimum power affect the inflamed area of the body and lead to tissue regeneration;
• treatment with interference currents - the lower back is exposed to medium and low frequency currents, which causes increased production of endorphins (pain-relieving hormones), as well as active restoration of damaged tissues;
• ultrasound treatment - in this case, an ultrasound wave directed at the surface of the back is used: it ensures tissue restoration and active healing, which eliminates pain;
• electrical stimulation of nerves through the skin - electrodes that are glued to the surface of the skin send electrical impulses of a certain strength, which cause the active production of endorphins and help stop the transmission of pain signals along the spine to the brain;
• lumbar devices: for this, special pillows, cushions and corsets are used to maintain the condition of the spine;
• spinal traction using specialized devices and exercise sets;
• inject special injections into the spine - drugs are injected into the intervertebral spaces.

The specialist may also send the patient to a “pain treatment school,” where people are taught to cope with pain independently, perform special exercises, and lead an active, healthy life.These institutions mainly deal with group therapy, relaxation and psychology.

Preventive measures

A healthy and strong back is the best solution to avoid any pain.That is why the most effective prevention will be regular and rational physical activity, correct posture and also avoiding lifting heavy objects.

If a person has temporary back pain that radiates to the lumbar region, they should take the following preventive measures:

• get rid of excess weight, if it is present: a large number of extra kilos can negatively affect the state of the lower back and cause additional stress;
• wear correct and comfortable shoes with low heels, which will help evenly distribute the load on the foot and avoid overstraining the spine when moving;
• It is also important to stop moving suddenly, as this can cause muscle tension;
• learn to deal with stress, depression, nervous breakdowns, stop worrying too much, as all this can lead to pain.

Types of exercises for the back

A series of exercises is a good method to prevent and relieve lower back pain, but if the pain lasts more than 6 months, it is very important to consult a doctor before starting exercises.

Walking and strengthening swimming will help improve muscle condition and support the spine without overloading it, which eliminates possible sprains.Pilates and yoga will help strengthen your back muscles and develop your flexibility, but they should be performed under the strict supervision of a professional trainer.

The most common simple exercises for back pain that can be done at home:

1. Wall squats: To do this, you need to straighten up and place your feet shoulder-width apart.Next, perform a squat until the body is in a 90-degree flexed position.
2. Alternating leg raises.To perform the exercise you need to lie down on the floor and begin to lift your legs one by one without bending them.The exercise is repeated 5 times.
3. Pelvic lifts.The exercise is performed in a supine position.First, the knees bend and then the pelvis is raised with tension in the abdominal muscles.When performing the exercise, it is important to keep your back straight.Repeat 5 times.

At first, the exercises are performed several times a day, over time the number of approaches increases to six, depending on how the person himself feels.This complex helps warm up and strengthen the muscles of the back.Very often, people injure their lower back while doing everyday activities, for example, lifting heavy objects or cleaning the house.Warming up your muscles well before doing work will help prevent injuries.

Pain due to osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis is a disease of the articular cartilage that connects the vertebrae.Due to this disease, pinching of the roots of the spinal cord occurs, which causes pain.People over 30 years of age are especially susceptible to this condition and recently the lesion is often diagnosed in young people.

The main cause of pain in the back and lower back is lifting heavy objects, monotonous work in an uncomfortable position (for example, in the garden).Osteochondrosis can occur as a result of a long non-stop trip, when a person is constantly sitting.

No person is immune to such a disease.It can be identified by the following symptoms:

• backache;
• pain in the lower back, pain on the right side of the back (or left), pain radiating to the leg;
• the pain only intensifies with changes in position and load in the lower back;
• a person may experience a strong burning sensation and painful low back pain;
• after a long stay in an uncomfortable position, it is difficult to change it due to great discomfort;
• the sensitivity of the buttocks and legs decreases, a feeling of goosebumps occurs;
• Sweating problems appear, the lower extremities become cold.

If a person is sure that the pain syndrome comes from the spine, he or she should carry out the following therapeutic measures:

• wear a special woolen belt or scarf, tying it around the lower back;
• lie down on a hard, flat surface;
• start taking anti-inflammatory medications;
• apply anti-inflammatory ointments for back pain in the lumbar region.

It is important to remember that pain relievers should not be taken on an empty stomach, as they irritate the mucous membranes and can cause ulcers and gastritis.If a person is unsure of the cause of pain in the back and lower back, then it is important to consult a doctor;taking anti-inflammatory drugs for diseases of the stomach and pancreas is very dangerous, since they can only aggravate the general situation.

What is prohibited?

In no case should the patient try to "straighten" his back on his own;this can only increase the pain syndrome and also cause great damage.In case of an acute form of osteochondrosis, you should not take hot baths or visit baths and saunas.

After warming up, a person may feel an improvement in his condition and relief from pain, but after that the state of health will only worsen.If pain frequently occurs in the back area, it is important to perform an MRI and seek help from a neurologist.