The human race pays for the ability to walk on two legs with back pain.If your back periodically hurts in the lumbar region, it may be a sign of extreme fatigue or the result of being in an uncomfortable position for a long time while working or sleeping.But the reasons may be more serious.
causes of pain
The lumbar area is one of the most painful areas.There are reasons for this:
- Osteochondrosis;
- Scoliosis;
- herniated discs;
- Tumors;
- Infectious tissue lesions.
The nature and intensity of the pain depends on the disease.And it bothers you in different ways: after sleeping, after exercise, after overwork.For example, renal colic is constantly accompanied by lower back pain.And here the type of patient's activity does not matter.
- Most often it hurts in the lumbar region due to osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.The pain is moderate in intensity during sleep and intensifies with physical stress.Feeling tired all the time.The feeling of heaviness makes you want to lie down.But relief doesn't always come after this.
- If there is a herniated disc, severe pain occurs after sudden movements, lifting heavy objects, or falling.
- If the hernia is compressed, acute pain appears, characterized as lumbodynia.Movement in the lumbar region is noticeably limited.Damage to the nerve root also causes leg pain.
- In old age, stenosis of the intervertebral canal occurs quite often.A sign of this is limping and numbness in the legs, especially after a long walk.
- Stiffness in the spine that occurs in the morning indicates the beginning of the development of ankylosing spondylitis.Initially, sharp pain sensations appear in the sacral region, and then spread to the lumbar region.The feeling after sleeping is not of rest, but of fatigue, which disappears with the start of physical activity.Young men are the most susceptible to the disease.The disease is inherited.The lower back especially hurts when lying down.
- Acute pain in the lumbar region also occurs with pyelonephritis (inflammatory process in the kidneys).They are accompanied by an increase in body temperature and swelling in the morning after sleeping.
- Often, older men develop a disease such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm.Pain and pulsations in the abdomen are the result of pressure from the aorta on nearby organs.
- Low back pain, fever, and burning along the nerve are signs of shingles.This viral disease affects the cells of the spinal cord.A pink rash appears on the body and then blisters appear.
- Another widespread disease that many consider harmless is flat feet.A deformed foot increases the load on the spine when walking.During sleep, the pain subsides.
- If there are congenital changes in the vertebrae: irregular shape or changes in the cleft, sooner or later they will make themselves felt.
- Autoimmune pathologies, particularly multiple sclerosis, cause pain in various locations.Including lower back pain.
There are other reasons why severe pain appears in the lumbar region.This may be osteoporosis, infections of the genitourinary system, hemorrhoids, tumor diseases, complications after viral or bacterial infections.And even physiological changes that affect women and that occur during pregnancy and childbirth.
Pain caused by diseases of internal organs.
When you wonder why your back hurts in the lumbar region, it is sometimes difficult to believe that the reasons can also lie within the organs.The fact is that in some cases the pain from internal organs "refers" to the lumbar region.
- Right-sided pleurisy and pneumonia are the causes of pain in the right lumbar region.Associated symptoms: cough, difficulty breathing, fever.Left-sided pleurisy sends pain signals to the left side of the lower back, which intensify when bending over or lying down during sleep.
- Gallstone disease also localizes sharp pains on the right side, just above the lower back, and is accompanied by belching and nausea.They have a sharp character.
- Pain in the lower back occurs due to pancreatitis.Its companions are nausea and vomiting.
- Severe pain under the left shoulder blade is usually the result of a myocardial infarction.
- For men, prostate pathology causes pain in the area below the lower back, with transition to the sacrum.In women - cystitis.
- Diseases of the distal digestive tract cause pain below the lower back.
Pain triggers
Factors such as:
- Hypothermia of the body.
- Intense physical activity.
- Certain sports (bodybuilding, bodybuilding, weightlifting, weightlifting).
- Muscle strain.
- Fracture.
- Menstrual cycle in women.
- Poor nutrition.
- Stress.
- Uncomfortable posture during sleep.
Back pain in the lumbar region in children.
New technologies have not only brought benefits to our world, but also harm.Because?Because the love of the computer from an early age deprives children of their full motor activity and creates incorrect posture.
Important: If you choose the right chair and table for your child to study, you can avoid curvature of the spine!
Scoliosis can develop from carrying a heavy backpack, flat feet, or uncomfortable shoes.Be sure to treat it!Excessive physical activity and lifting heavy objects are contraindicated for children.When participating in a sports section, you should pay special attention to your child's complaints about back discomfort after training.It could be a herniated disc.Timely treatment will allow the child to live a full life.
types of pain
The nature of pain is divided into the following types:
- Spasms in the long muscles of the back cause severe pain.This happens due to stretching.The problem is familiar to athletes and people whose specific professions involve tension in the back muscles.When you lie down, the pain subsides a little.The main location is the lumbar area.
- A spinal injury, that is, a fracture, is very dangerous.It can occur due to a failed fall or be a consequence of osteoporosis, Paget's disease, or hyperparathyroidism.
- Displacement of the intervertebral discs causes pain as a result of compression of the nerve roots.For this reason, the patient's mobility is limited, sensitivity is affected and the knee reflex is reduced.The danger of this disease is also that healthy vertebrae begin to hurt, which causes disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and causes restless sleep.
- Facet joint syndrome causes back pain in 31% of cases.This degenerative process affects the capsule of the intervertebral joints and causes pain not only in the lumbar area, but also in the legs.The lower back hurts when sitting, leaning to the side or back, or standing for a long time.
- An inflammatory process of an infectious nature in the epidural space is a very serious and dangerous disease.It can be fatal if treatment is not started in time.
Treatment
Seeing a doctor immediately when you have back pain is the key to successful treatment.Even if the pain only bothers you at night or after sleeping, there is a reason to visit a specialist.
After analyzing the reasons, the doctor will give you recommendations on how to treat and not get sick.The treatment will be comprehensive, using ointments, tablets, injections, massages and physiotherapy.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs take first place in the treatment of low back pain:
- At the initial stage, literally in the first 3-5 days, treatment is carried out using injections to relieve pain and inflammation.They act quickly and effectively relieve acute pain by directly injecting the medication into the blood or muscle.
- Then anti-inflammatory and analgesic tablets, chondroprotectors and irritating drugs are used (in each specific case separately).
- Additionally, an ointment treatment is used.A properly selected ointment helps relieve inflammation in the affected area and also warms (if necessary).
Reflex muscle tension is relieved with the help of muscle relaxants.With its help, pain is treated and mobility is restored.Apply for 3 to 7 days.
Vitamin preparations of group B are a necessary complement to the main therapy.
In some cases, a pharmacological blockade is necessary.The anesthetic is administered epidurally or paravertebrally.Used for degenerative changes in the spine.
Physiotherapy treatment:
- ultrahigh frequency;
- Electrophoresis;
- Magnetotherapy.
Massage relieves acute pain by improving blood circulation.Kneading the muscles has a beneficial effect on the elasticity and flexibility of the ligaments.To increase the general tone of the body, and only with the permission of the treating doctor, the massage is combined with a bath or sauna.It cannot be heated during an infectious process!
Pain during pregnancy can be relieved by using a special bandage.
For patients with flat feet, the use of orthopedic insoles is mandatory.
therapeutic exercise
Exercise is also a treatment.They strengthen back muscles, improve posture, increase muscle tone and increase blood circulation.They are used not only in the complex of therapeutic therapy, but also for the prevention of pain in the lumbar region.As in the case of pharmacotherapy, therapeutic exercises are prescribed in each case individually, analyzing the main causes of the disease.But we can highlight several general exercises, each of which is performed 5 to 10 times, preferably in the morning, avoiding overwork.
- In a standing position, tilt your body alternately to the right, forward, back and left.
- In a standing position, with your feet shoulder-width apart, turn your body to the sides.
- In a position on all fours, make a “cat”: arch your back in the lower back.
- Lying on your back, bend your knees and arms along your body.Raise and lower your pelvis, gradually increasing your range of motion.
- Lying on your back, with your legs stretched out and your arms along your body.Alternately bend your knees and then pull them toward your chest.
- Standing on all fours, swing your legs alternately.
Whatever the reasons, only a specialist can determine why the back hurts, identify the "culprit" of the disease and prescribe the correct and effective treatment.As with any other disease, you should not self-medicate!Any medicine can not only cure, but also harm if chosen incorrectly.