Low back pain: causes, treatment and prevention

If your lower back hurts, this can be the result of a long list of reasons. One of the most harmless options is physical fatigue. In more serious situations, hernias, bulges or damage to the bone apparatus can occur.To find out what causes low back pain, you need to undergo a medical exam. Once the diagnosis is made, the appropriate treatment is prescribed to alleviate the symptoms and eliminate the root cause of the pain.

Why the lower back hurts: classification of painful sensations

If there is severe low back pain anywhere in the spine, this may indicate certain pathological changes. The doctor assesses not only the nature and severity of the pain, but also other accompanying signs of problems in the lumbar region. A complete history collection is required.

Pain syndrome is classified as follows:

1. Nonspecific pain of a benign nature. In most situations, benign chronic or acute pain does not dictate a difficult diagnosis. These unpleasant symptoms are in most cases reversible. These unpleasant sensations are used to diagnose dorsopathy. Previously, the diagnosis sounded differently - osteochondrosis. This is not a dangerous disease that occurs in all people with age, characterized by sagging of the intervertebral discs due to the action of gravity and muscle weakness.
2. Radiculopathy (radicular syndrome). The condition is associated with compression or irritation of the nerve root in the space between discs. Such pains may indicate an inflammatory process, compression of the vertebrae of the intervertebral disc, the appearance of protrusions and hernias. They greatly worsen the quality of life of the patient, especially during the acute period with any physical activity.
3. Specific or alarming back pain. Symptoms of such discomfort on their own are difficult to diagnose, so an additional examination is often prescribed, which may include the exclusion of cancer, tuberculosis, kidney disease or fractures, injuries. Some examples are pyelonephritis with fever, in pregnant women, low back pain, pain in the lower abdomen with diseases of the female reproductive system. In men, urological symptoms should be excluded.

The general classification of pain is divided into:

• strong;
• spicy;
• sore;
• chronic;
• moved.

Lower back hurts - reasons

The lower back hurts a lotwith manifestations of osteochondrosis. Unpleasant sensations torment the patient almost all the time, while he walks, sits and even lies down. The lower back hurts more intensely during the day due to movements. Aggravated by coughing, sneezing, lifting weights. Less commonly, in the lower back, pain radiates to the leg, manifested by paresthesia, a feeling of numbness, and chilling feet.

If a patient has sciatica, the pain radiates to the lower body: buttocks, pelvis, thighs, or lower leg. The discomfort increases with active body movements, as in the case of dorsopathy. When such symptoms appear, it is necessary to consult a neurologist as soon as possible.

Pain in the lower back and lower abdomenindicates a bacterial lesion, which is often accompanied by painful urination. In women, low back pain is often seen during pregnancy or menstruation. Lower back pain is the result of painful spasm or fetal pressure on internal organs. In the lower back, pain to the right or left indicates kidney disease. It is necessary to clarify the diagnosis with a doctor. The most reliable diagnostic methods are X-rays and MRI.

Often the causes of low back pain in women are related to their periods. Low back pain in women due to uterine cramps. To combat painful periods, you must take NSAIDs or use hormone therapy. Less frequently, the state of ovulatory syndrome is observed. In addition to discomfort in the lower back, a woman observes alternating pains in the middle of the cycle on the right or left side. It is not yet fully known why this condition occurs.

During pregnancy, the lower back hurts due to a shift in the center of gravity and muscle weakness. The condition returns to normal after delivery. Unpleasant sensations are observed at any time. It is important to be able to distinguish when the back hurts from the load and when there is pathology. If at any stage of pregnancy, in addition to pain in the back and lower abdomen, there are secretions such as menstruation, you should urgently consult a doctor.

In men, painful sensations in the lower back and below the waist, radiating to the perineum, indicate the development of an inflammation of the prostate. If, in addition to these symptoms, a man has an increase in body temperature and a deterioration in well-being, he should contact a therapist or urologist. He treats the inflammation with antibiotics.

Acute low back pain occurs in situations like this:

• sprain or inflammation of the back muscles;
• prolonged stay in analgesic posture;
• if you suddenly lift a lot of weight;
• sharp turns of the side or body, injuries;
• draft or hypothermia.

What to do if your lower back hurts: When the condition indicates physical damage, you should see an orthopedic surgeon. The specialist will prescribe drug therapy in the acute period to relieve unpleasant symptoms. At first, NSAIDs of systemic action are used and then they switch to external forms of release. It is useful to take vitamin preparations, inject neurotropic drugs. During the recovery period, physiotherapy, massages, gymnastics are indicated.

Why do the unpleasant symptoms appear? Low back pain occurs due to inflammation of the muscle fibers or myositis. The condition is not pleasant, as the patient feels stiffness below the waist and normal body movements are difficult. To temporarily relieve the condition, you need to take a warm shower and then wrap yourself in warm clothing. Often the back hurts in the lumbar region after injuries, falls. It is also recommended to use ointments for warming. If after a few days the condition does not improve, it is better to consult a doctor.

Pulling and pain in the lower back during spondylosis. The patient constantly has a pulling pain in the lower back and, over time, problems in the legs appear. Loss of sensation and weakness are observed. Deforming spondylosis is dangerous if symptoms are ignored, because the disease takes a long time to develop. Other causes of back pain include ankylosing spondylitis, other diseases, pain that radiates to the spine, or cancer. You can not pull with such symptoms, you should immediately seek the help of a specialist.

Sometimes the patient is tormented by "displaced pains", the nature of which she does not know. The patient has unpleasant sensations in the back, but this condition is not associated with the developing pathology of the spine. Radiation of pain is associated with problems in the pelvis, stomach or duodenum, kidneys.

In which situations do you urgently need to contact a specialist:

1. The pain syndrome is intense and the discomfort does not disappear after 2-3 days, or even intensifies.
2. Unpleasant sensations have arisen after an injury or as a result of an accident. There were falls on the back or blows.
3. With the simultaneous appearance of pain in the lower back, lower leg, hips and pelvis.
4. Sensation in the extremities, pelvis, buttocks, thighs, legs, feet and groin is lost due to unpleasant sensations.

Only a doctor can find out the exact cause of back pain.

Treatments and ways to relieve low back pain

Once the diagnosis is made, the therapy is selected according to the individual characteristics of the patient. Treatment is aimed at relieving unpleasant symptoms and preventing relapses. Conservative therapies are generally combined with the principles of physical therapy and rehabilitation. In advanced situations, surgical intervention may be necessary.

Drug therapy

Drug use is the most extensive branch of back therapy. From medications for the spine, NSAIDs or pain relievers, antispasmodics, neurotropic vitamins and muscle relaxants can be prescribed. Each group of drugs will be discussed separately. These funds are intended for symptomatic treatment - relieving pain during an exacerbation. They have no effect on the root cause of the disease.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) cope with several tasks at the same time during the symptomatic treatment of back pain. The funds effectively relieve and eliminate the inflammatory process, due to the reversible inhibition of the synthesis of inflammatory mediators. Systemic release forms, in the form of tablets and injections, are used in the acute period for a short period of time to relieve severe pain syndrome.

Diclofenac and Movalis are the gold standard in treating back pain. Less commonly, indomethacin or ketorolac are prescribed. After a few days of therapy, the patient is transferred to the use of external forms of release, which can be used much longer. Diclofenac gel, Naproxen, Ketorolac tromethamine, Piroxicam perfectly anesthetize.

Antispasmodics can be used to treat a patient if the patient is intolerant of muscle relaxants. The classic antispasmodics are drotaverine hydrochloride or papaverine hydrochloride. They are prescribed to relieve spasm of smooth muscles, as a result of which pain radiating to the spine can occur. These funds are easier to tolerate than NSAIDs, but they also have a weaker effect.

Central muscle relaxants include tizanidine, tolperisone hydrochloride, or baclofen. The most commonly prescribed treatment for muscle spasticity is tolperisone hydrochloride, although tizanidine is more potent and has fewer side effects. Balofen is a prescription drug that is prescribed for really advanced cases. It is not a first-line drug, as it has many side effects. The average duration of therapy when taking muscle relaxants is 1 to 1. 5 months. If during this period the spasticity has not disappeared, the drugs are removed.

Physiotherapy rehabilitation methods

In this branch of medicine, it is customary to use the following recovery methods:

1. Electrophoresis. Medications are injected through the skin under the action of a galvanic current. Usually, injectable B vitamins, nicotinic acid, chondroprotectants are used. This is a long-standing method of treating back pain, but it is effective and helps well in the rehabilitation period. Galvanic current has good conductivity and delivers drugs locally where blood flow is disturbed. Medications are active for 15 hours.
2. Laser therapy aimed at reducing pain. With the help of point infrared radiation, the method is aimed at pain relief, elimination of spasms, stimulation of regenerative processes, improvement of microcirculation in tissues, relaxation and improvement of immunity. Laser therapy is especially effective in treating osteochondrosis, hernias, and bumps.
3. Acupuncture is an ancient therapeutic method officially approved by the WHO. Contraindications to the procedure are the period of pregnancy, age up to 1 year and after 75 years. With the help of acupuncture, pain syndrome of varying degrees is eliminated. The essence of the method is the effect of a needle on the nerve ending in the affected area. The average course of therapy is 10 to 12 sessions. Effectively and quickly eliminates pain in any part of the back: on the side, on the left or on the right of the spine.
4. Physical therapy is one of the most popular rehabilitation methods for back pain. If there are no contraindications to the procedure, a rehabilitation therapist selects special exercises, aimed at restoring mobility of the spine, eliminating muscle pain, and strengthening hypotonic muscle structures. By strengthening the muscular corset, the pain disappears.

Traditional medicine methods are also used, but research has not shown their beneficial effects on health. Any method of self-medication should be discussed with a neurologist.

Prevention of low back pain

Maintaining spinal health is important from an early age. In the early period of maturation of the body, the body is intensively formed: the limbs grow, the position of the organs changes, the skeleton lengthens. By teaching your child correct posture and regular exercise at a young age, you can avoid many back problems in the future.

The child is taught to do exercise therapy at home several times a week for a permanent effect. To avoid errors in performance, you should consult with a good rehabilitator. The specialist will tell you how to do back exercises correctly at home, select an individual exercise system. At a young age, it is important not to overdo it and alternate the principles of moderate exercise with stretching and a full warm-up.

Good habits to prevent lower back disease in childhood and adulthood:

1. Inadequate and prolonged sitting in the workplace is plagued by scoliosis with displacement to the left or right side. You need to get up every 15-20 minutes and do stretching - leaning your neck and lower back forward, sideways will tone tired muscles and improve blood flow.
2. It is important to avoid prolonged exposure to analgesic posture. The static overload of the ridge is fraught with pain.
3. Do not turn your neck or back sharply. If you do this multiple times, there is a high chance of injury. Most of the time, back injuries are caused by sudden and unusual stress on the body.
4. Sit up straight when working from home. When leaning to the right or left side in a sitting position, an incorrect load occurs on the muscles. The result is uneven muscle tension with alternating hypertonicity or hypotension in any part of the back.
5. It is necessary to exclude carrying the bag on the left or right on one shoulder. An alternative is a backpack that loads the shoulders evenly without distortion to the right or left.
6. At home, a complex stretching for tired muscles is recommended. After a long day of work, the muscles lose elasticity. Warm-up stretching is also beneficial for your ligaments and joints. Bending the neck to the side and forward, light static loads are helpful.

One of the best ways to prevent lower back discomfort is to go to the pool. It is enough to swim 1-2 times a week to feel relief in the back. If you have existing problems, experts recommend visiting the pool at least 3 times a week.