Back pain in the lumbar region is a common phenomenon. By the age of 30, these sensations appear in 70% of people, regardless of the type of work, lifestyle and physical activity. Ignoring pain in the lower back is fraught with undesirable health consequences, since this symptomatology already indicates disorders in the functioning of the body.
When consulting a neurologist:
- Do a check;
- Listen to the patient's complaints
- Make a preliminary diagnosis;
- If necessary, sending for additional tests;
- prescribes an individual course of treatment.
Causes of back pain
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region differ in the etiology of the origin, require the determination of the area of pain and analysis of the nature. It is customary to distinguish:
- epicritic pain - severe pain in the lower back in the lower back with a pronounced focus;
- protopathic pain - pulling, aching pain, which is a reflection of diseases of other anatomical areas.
The frequency of occurrence, the duration of pain sensations and the area affected by them are significant. Often the back fails due to:
- age-related changes in which the ability of the spine to perform shock-absorbing functions is reduced;
- loads when carrying a child;
- vertebral displacement, injuries and compression fractures;
- Spinal distortion;
- intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord.
If pain in the lower back limits mobility, prevents bending, then we are talking about stretching. Numbness, increased pain when coughing, sneezing, spreading sensation in the lower extremities are neuroradicular syndromes. Growing pains of a long-term nature are explained by problems with internal organs.
Back pain in the lumbar region on the right occurs due to muscle spasm, irritation of nerve fibers, problems with the musculoskeletal system or the spine. There are problems with the liver, right kidney, right ovary (in women), intestines, gall bladder. Similar reasons lead to the fact that a person has back pain in the lumbar region on the left. However, in this case, with protopathic pain, it is worth paying attention to the left kidney, left ovary (in women), stomach, intestines and pancreas.
If the left side hurts from the back in the lower back or on the right side in the morning after sleep and long immobility, this indicates spondylarthrosis. Acute pain during a drop in temperature (in the shower or due to hypothermia) is a manifestation of acute back pain.
In case of pain, it is recommended that men first consult a urologist, and women - a gynecologist. You will need to conduct an ultrasound of the internal organs, take a blood and urine test. When examining the spine, MRI of the lumbar spine gives good results.
Back pain above the lower back of a protopathic nature is caused by a number of reasons:
- kidney disease;
- heart diseases (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction);
- pleurisy;
- pneumonia;
- diseases of the esophagus;
- appendicitis;
- inflammation of the gallbladder.
The back hurts sharply above the waist with:
- sciatica;
- osteochondrosis with disc displacement;
- spine and rib injuries;
- myositis (muscle inflammation).
Back pain below the waist is caused by morphofunctional changes in the musculoskeletal system - osteochondrosis or spondylarthrosis. In this case, patients have a sharp pain in the back below the waist.
How to relieve lower back pain
If you have experienced acute pain in the lumbar region, then you can relieve the discomfort with the help of simple actions. You should lie down on a horizontal surface and relax. Please note that a soft mattress that sags too much under your weight will not work. The legs should be placed at a height, relieving the load from the spine.
After the discomfort ceases to be felt, you should slightly roll over on your side and stand on all fours. The point of such "gymnastics" is to minimize the load on the back. You need to stand up and stand on your feet, using the support, holding it with your hands. The back belt with pain in the lower back allows youto fix that part of the body, which also reduces the pain. In doing so, it should cover not only the painful area, but also the part of the body above and below it. At the same time, analgesics can be used to relieve pain and relieve inflammation. They can be used in the form of tablets or as injections for back and lower back pain (in this case, blocking injections are performed only in clinical settings).
After eliminating the symptoms, you should definitely contact the clinic. Self-medication is unacceptable. Using an ointment for pain in the back and lower back and a belt, the patient can endure pain for a long time, worsening his condition. As a result, the back muscles are weakened and the pain goes into a chronic phase. Abuse of analgesics can lead to addiction.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region
If your lifestyle causes periodic muscle spasms (sports or physical labor can lead to this), then muscle relaxants should be in your home medicine cabinet. But these drugs should also be prescribed by a doctor after consultation. In the treatment of low back pain, depending on the diagnosis, different measures are used:
- Reflexology.It includes acupuncture (injections with special needles in certain areas) and electroacupuncture (use of electrical impulses). It can also be administered in the form of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (suppressing the pain signal entering the brain).
- Physiotherapy.Methods of magnetic and laser therapy are used, as well as drug electrophoresis, phonophoresis, which increase the effectiveness of the use of drugs.
- Therapeutic exercise and massage.These measures are effective in diseases of the spine and in rehabilitation after injuries. Requires expert supervision.
- Surgical intervention.It may be necessary for a hernia that causes compression of the spinal cord or spinal root.
Often the treatment is complex, combining different approaches. The duration and effectiveness of therapy depends on the timeliness of treatment.