When a person is in pain, the only wish is for that pain to quickly pass and never appear again. The back is the "working" and important part of our body, because it contains the main organ - the spine. Frequent back pain is a symptom of many different diseases. Most people experience pain in the lumbar spine, especially after age 40. The most common cause is osteochondrosis, but this condition does not explain the nature, severity, and duration of back pain. Lower back pain indicates damage to the spine, damage to nerve endings, muscle tissue and internal organs. It is observed during fever. It can be sharp and dull, continuous and periodic, shooting and explosive. The pain can be cyclical, localized, aching or persistent, for some it is related to the weather, for others to physical activity, for others to being inUncomfortable position for long periods of time.
Why does my lower back hurt?
The causes of frequent lower back pain can be diseases of muscle tissue, injuries to bones and intervertebral discs. They arise against the background of pathology of the abdominal, pelvic and chest organs.
Spinal disease
Common causes of low back pain are congenital defects and acquired spinal diseases. The pain is sometimes related to weather changes and sometimes to physical activity.
Low back pain– sharp pain that limits movement and occurs due to muscle spasms. With pathological processes in the spine, lumbago occurs - pain or soreness in the lumbar region, spreading to the back of the thighs. The pain occurs against the background of nerve root syndrome. Pain is detected with spinal diseases:
- Degenerative disease: cartilage degeneration, disc protrusion, disc herniation, spondylosis, spondylosis.
- Birth defects: decentralization, decentralization.
- Pluralist conditions: spondylosis, spondylolisthesis.
- Vascular disease: spinal circulatory disorder.
- Other diseases: illnessGorilla.
Secondary damage to neurological structures: lumbosacral radiculitis, lumbosacral plexitis, myelopathy of various origins.
Spine curvature
Mild pain due to curvature of the spine is associated with improper distribution of physical activity, excessive tension of the ligaments and muscles of the lower back. The pain occurs due to an uncomfortable position when sleeping on a hard or, conversely, soft mattress.
This symptom is accompanied by:
- gonorrhea;
- kyphosis;
- scoliosis;
- kyphoscoliosis;
- flat back syndrome.
Osteoporosis
If your lower back feels tight or sore for a long time, it could be osteoporosis. The pain becomes worse with stress and weather changes. Osteoporosis can be:
- postmenopausal;
- juvenile;
- idiopathic;
- grow old.
Similar pain appears in patients with genetic diseases, endocrine disorders and drug intoxication. Secondary osteoporosis may be due to the syndromemalabsorption, kidney and liver diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus.
The pain increases and its duration is related to injury and fracture.
Spinal cord injury
A common injury to the lumbar spine is a bruise, which is characterized by moderate pain and movement is accompanied by swelling, hematoma, and hemorrhage. In severe cases, neurological disorders are also added.
Compression fractures of the lower back occur due to bending of the spine and are characterized by cessation of breathing and severe pain. The pain increases when turning, muscles and tissues swell. The lower back is painful when palpated.
Severe pain accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the lower back and numbness in the legs occurs in patients with spondylolisthesis and vertebral dislocation.
Soft tissue and kidney injuries
Moderate and decreasing pain with bleeding or swelling occurs due to soft tissue bruising. Kidney bruises are painful and spread to the lower abdomen, genitals and lumbar region. Sometimes a hematoma may be seen and hematuria may appear. With severe bruises, painful shock, bloody urine and prolonged severe pain may occur.
Infection of the spine and spinal cord
OsteomyelitisSymptoms include increasing pain in the lumbar region combined with chills and fever, which can be transmitted through the bloodstream, after trauma, exposure, or after surgery. The intense pain pulls and swells to the point of preventing movement, forcing you to freeze. In chronic form of osteomyelitis, a fistula with purulent drainage is formed, so painful manifestations are relieved.
Spinal tuberculosisgradually develops, starting with periodic pain, gradually increasing due to stress, then stiffness when moving. The pain becomes burning and spreads down the leg, accompanied by paresthesia and numbness due to destroyed vertebrae and compressed nerve roots.
In patients withSpinal epidural abscessSevere pain associated with muscle tension, chills and hyperthermia. As the disease progresses, radicular syndrome and paralysis occur.
Local inflammation
boil,Boils– against the background of purulent processes, bruises appear on the skin of a purple or bluish color with a diameter of 1 cm, in the center there are one or several rods and are accompanied by increasing pain in the areabelt. The pain is convulsive, pulsating and can cause you to lose sleep. Hyperthermia is noted.
Inkidney diseaseFever first appears, then local edema, hypertension and hyperthermia are detected. Severe pain spreads down to the stomach and under the ribs, intensifies with movement and even with breathing, developing on the third day. Against the background of paranephritis, due to severe pain, the patient is forced to take a bent position so that the lower back muscles do not strain. The body's condition is very serious.
Infectious Diseases
InARVI,fluAndsore throatWith an increase in body temperature and intoxication of the body, myositis is characterized by pain in the lumbar region, causing a feeling of wanting to change position. Sometimes lower back pain is caused by an infection in the kidneys. Infectious diseases causing lower back pain:
- dengue;
- Japanese mosquito encephalitis;
- Ebola fever;
- HFMD;
- Coronavirus;
- infections caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses.
Low back pain due to severe infection is observed during a cytokine storm. Epidemic myalgia is accompanied by severe pain in the lower back, lasting up to 10 minutes with intervals from half an hour to an hour and appearing in the limbs, in the chest and abdominal wall. Can be associated with rhinitis, conjunctivitis and numbness. Muscle pain lessens with rest, increases with movement, and may disappear a few days after warming up.
Other muscle injuries
Soreness in the lower back occurs after intense physical activity, exercises that strengthen the back muscles or being in a prolonged position with tension in the lower back muscles. Myositis develops not only due to infection, but also due to hypothermia, intoxication, excessive physical exertion, metabolic disorders and is accompanied by prolonged pain.
Formsmyositis:
- for syphilis and tuberculosis;
- idiopathic, juvenile;
- for cancer;
- for connective tissue diseases.
Chronic pain accompanied by weakness, sleep disorders, and neurological disorders is observed in fibromyalgia.
Other diseases
Lower back pain is a concern in medical conditions:
- TumorSpine and spinal cord: sarcoma, hemangioma, metastasis, spinal cord tumor.
- Kidney disease: pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, urinary stones, renal infarction, renal vein thrombosis, renal cyst, renal cancer.
- Genetic diseases:Pierre-Marie's hereditary cerebellar ataxia.
- Exogenous poisoning: Abuse of adrenal stimulants.
- Pathology of the heart and blood vessels: Loeffler endocarditis, abdominal aortic aneurysm.
- Emergency conditions: transfusion shock.
Pain syndrome radiating to the lower back is caused by pelvic diseases, female diseases, as well as prostate cancer, proctitis, and sigmoid colitis.
Types of pain
Time must be taken into account when diagnosing low back pain. Muscle pain lasts about two weeks and then disappears.
Pain caused by changes in the spine lasts longer and spreads to the legs and perineum, and may be accompanied by a feeling of pins and needles, numbness and burning.
Pain caused by diseases of the cardiovascular system and diseases of the abdominal organs is characterized by greater intensity and duration.
Diagnose
Medical history is of great importance in diagnosis because low back pain can be caused by many different diseases.
The primary diagnosis is made by an orthopedic traumatologist. When making a diagnosis, the doctor takes into account the following symptoms: poor defecation and urination, orthopedic defects, weakness and numbness in the legs. An examination is performed to identify pain points and muscle spasms.
It is also important at what time the pain appears, its relationship with stress, the presence of cramps, cough, fever and bladder or bowel dysfunction.
If neurological symptoms are present, the patient will be examined by a neurologist. The doctor interviews the patient and performs a visual examination, after which the patient is sent for hardware and instrument testing. According to the doctor's prescription, consultations with surgeons, rheumatologists, urologists and other specialized specialists are prescribed.
Diagnosis may include:
- Neurological examination.The neurologist evaluates the patient's reflexes, muscle sensitivity and strength, and coordination of movements.
- X ray.X-rays are an initial examination method that allows you to determine changes in bone tissue. Lumbar images show fractures, degeneration of intervertebral discs, signs of inflammation and spondylolisthesis.
- CT scan.CT scanning examines the detailed structure of solid structures.
- MRI– an information method that allows you to diagnose morphological changes in the condition of ligaments and intervertebral discs. To rule out stenosis, myelography is prescribed.
- Measure densityEssential for osteoporosis.
- Electromechanical,electricityThese tests evaluate muscle function and nerve conduction.
- Supersonickidneys, prostate, abdomen and pelvic organs.
- USDGabdominal aorta.
- EMG (ENMG)used to identify conduction disorders along nerve fibers.
- Test.To determine the infectious agent, urine and blood tests are performed for microbiological examination. To detect nerve infection - use serological tests.
Treatment of lower back pain
First aid
For spinal injuries, the patient is placed on a hard surface and taken to the clinic. To reduce pain, you need to optimize your body posture when working and resting to reduce the load on your back. Before being examined by a doctor, you can take pain relievers. For degenerative diseases of the spine, lumbago, lumbago, it is allowed to use creams, ointments, gels that have a warming and pain-relieving effect. In case of infectious processes, their use is prohibited.
The basis of treatment is physiotherapy and drug treatment. The following methods are used:
- NSAIDsin tablet and topical form, used to treat chronic and acute pain in the lumbar spine muscles.
- Vitamin B nerve, enhances the effect of painkillers.
- Local anesthetic.They perform blockades that treat acute pain with anesthetics, as well as analgesics in combination with glucocorticosteroids.
Physical therapy
- supersonic,
- magnetic,
- transcutaneous electrical stimulation,
- laser therapy,
- electrophoresis,
- Massage,
- manual therapy,
- Acupuncture.
Surgery
Depending on the pathological characteristics, there are surgical interventions:
- For instability: interbody fusion, transpedicular fixation, plate fixation.
- For tuberculosis, tumors, osteoporosis, osteomyelitis: bone resection, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, hysterectomy.
- For intervertebral hernia: discectomy, microsurgical resection, nucleoplasty.
- For spinal stenosis: discectomy, facetectomy, disc decompression.
Prevent
Massage is effective when there are muscle masses and dislocations, relieves muscle spasms and lower back pain.
Physiotherapy reduces pain and inflammation, improves blood circulation.
Therapeutic exercise - physical exercises are effective in strengthening the corset and improving the biomechanics of the spine. Exercises are selected with a doctor. Systematic exercise allows you to maintain function and reduce pain in the lower back.
"Forewarned is forearmed! "But only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.