Many patients, barely crossing the threshold of the doctor's office, holding their backs, ask: "Why does the lower back hurt and what medicines will help this pain? "
Unfortunately, everything is not so simple, and only after identifying the causes of pain, you can choose the right treatment method.
Many people go through life with mild to moderate back pain and accept it as normal. But even if you suffer from mild or severe tingling in the lower back for a long time, you should consult a therapist to diagnose the problem. After all, if you do not take timely action, the situation 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 back pain can be very different, and only after you thoroughly understand what causes them, you can start dealing with this disease.
According to the medical classification of diseases, primary and secondary pain syndrome occurring 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 tissue are damaged, as well as spondylarosis, which affects the intervertebral or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndrome can occur for various reasons. First of all, it hurts constantly due to curvature of the back (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 very dangerous cause of back pain is a fracture of the spinal vertebrae.
Pain syndrome can be the result of various infectious diseases that cause damage to vertebrae and intervertebral discs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, epidural abscess).
The lower back hurts with acute disorders of the spinal circulation (stroke conditions), as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).
Back pain is reflected in some pathologies. This happens when organs located in the pelvic region are affected (gynecological pathologies, STDs, renal colic).
Pain is often observed when stretching the back muscles. The 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 during walking is also very limited.
Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint) is also a frequent cause of secondary pain.
Other causes of back pain
Often, acute back pain occurs due to an unsuccessful movement, long-term work in an uncomfortable position, improper lifting or carrying of weights, a fall or impact, sharp correction with simultaneous turning, as well as prolonged exposure to hypothermia or draft. All these "accidents" can cause spasm and inflammation of the deep back muscles.
Many patients note that their back often hurts after sleep. There are reasons for this. The simplest of them is the uncomfortable position of the body in sleep. For those who like to sleep on their stomach, the muscles of the lower back are under constant tension, which causes pain. Sometimes such a painful situation is due to the fact that the bed or pillow itself is not suitable for the person. Therefore, experts recommend sleeping on an orthopedic mattress to completely relax your back.
Also, back pain in the morning can be a sign of diseases of internal organs. Thus, pathologies of the circulatory, digestive and genitourinary systems are accompanied by back pain.
Back pain as a cause of negative emotions
Few of the patients understand that the lower back is one of the most psychosomatic parts of the body and therefore reacts very sharply to severe stress and excitement.
Anger, anger, nervousness or intense fear help to release significant doses of adrenaline into the blood. As a result - an increase in the tone of the back muscles. In the absence of adequate relaxation, muscles with 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 psychotherapy is the best treatment method for such patients.
Back pain during pregnancy
Many pregnant women are worried about the causes of back pain. In early pregnancy, it can be caused by diseases of the kidneys or urinary tract. Also during this period, the production of progesterone increases, so there is an insignificant softening of the ligaments, which can cause back pain.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the belly increases significantly, the load on the spine increases a lot, and therefore, there are pulling pains in the lower back.
Severe back pain during pregnancy can sometimes be the cause of a neurological disease (herniated disc or sciatica).
What to do if your back hurts
First of all, if the back pain does not go away within three days, a consultation with a neurologist is required. Only a specialist can develop the correct treatment strategy, which will depend on the severity of the patient's condition.
As a rule, the majority of back pain requires conservative treatment, but sometimes there are cases where it is impossible to do without surgical intervention.
When prescribing conservative treatment, three main goals are pursued:
- Relieve the patient from pain.
- Developing a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to slow down degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.
- Quick return of the patient to normal life.
First of all, we should all learn to rest properly after physical exertion. To do this, you need to take a horizontal position on a hard surface and put a pillow under your knees for the best rest.
Patients with impaired mobility are advised not to stay in bed for more than 2-3 days, even if they have pain (of course, not very strong), because this significantly weakens the paravertebral muscles. Orthopedic consultation is necessary with persistent pain syndrome with return of pain in the leg.
When osteochondrosis is diagnosed, complex drug treatment is prescribed with the help of drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nerve tissue.
Paravertebral blocks have proven themselves well to relieve back pain. Such injections help to eliminate inflammation and muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain.
When a disc herniation is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique involves the removal of the tear compressing the root and the creation of conditions for its recovery.