Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons forcing patients to seek help from a neurologist or therapist.Lumbosacral pain can affect work ability in the long term, resulting in inability to move and take care of oneself.Acute low back pain affects men and women equally frequently.
Low back pain mostly occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, often in teenagers and young adults.This is caused by rapid growth, weakness of weak lower back muscles, and injuries.Therefore, lumbosacral pain is a pressing problem that anyone can face.
Low back pain with lumbar osteochondrosis
Lower back pain caused by osteochondrosis can worsen with coughing, sneezing, and any movement, especially when bending forward.In addition to low back pain, lumbar osteochondrosis can present with impaired sensitivity in certain areas of skin or muscle in the lower torso and legs, and reduced or absent tendon reflexes in the legs.
- Typically, with osteochondrosis, a curvature of the lumbar spine is observed.Depending on the plane in which the curvature occurs, scoliosis (bending to the right or left), lordosis (bending forward), and kyphosis (flattening of the lumbar area or even curving backward) can be distinguished.If the spinal cord is compressed due to osteochondrosis, problems with urination or defecation can occur, as well as sensitivity problems in the bladder or reproductive organs.
- However, the most common manifestation of lumbar osteochondrosis is radicular pain, which occurs due to compression of nerve roots extending from one level of the spinal cord.Therefore, one of the well-known lumbar spine syndromes is low back pain.It occurs when the body is stressed or the body is in an awkward position, sometimes for no apparent reason.Suddenly, within minutes or hours, a sharp, stabbing pain ("low back pain") occurs, usually a burning and popping sensation ("as if there is a stake stuck in the lower back").
If an attack occurs while lifting heavy objects, the patient will be in an uncomfortable position and unable to stand upright.Trying to get out of bed, coughing, or bending your legs can cause a sharp increase in lower back and sacrum pain.If the patient is asked to stand on both feet, the entire lumbar area becomes significantly immobile due to muscle tension.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis examination
These tests are used as a method of initial diagnosis and are named after the doctor who recommended them.
| Dejeline symptoms | If you tighten your abdomen and listen to your lower back, the pain will become more intense.In this case, the patient most likely has osteochondrosis. |
| internal symptoms | If you tilt your head sharply forward before touching your chest, you will feel pain in your lower back, which can also indicate a spinal problem. |
| Symptoms of Lasegue | It can be felt with the following movements: Lying on your back, you need to lift each leg in turn.If the lower back begins to twist thereafter and pain radiates along the sciatic nerve to the leg, this is evidence of spinal pathology. |
| LeRae's symptoms | If a person develops pain along the sciatic nerve after standing forward from a lying position (without bending the knees), we are talking about the manifestations of rickets. |
disc herniation
Disc herniation is an equally rare cause of clinical manifestations of lumbosacral pain.The intervertebral disc (inner nucleus pulposus) loses its elastic properties and elasticity with prolonged exposure to trauma and as we age.
With continued exposure (excess weight, injury, progressive osteoporosis), the annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc can thin and develop defects.Through these weak points in the annulus fibrosus, the disc's nucleus pulposus may become displaced or even herniate.
Causes of low back pain
Back pain is a non-specific symptom that can be caused by many different causes.Depending on the severity of low back pain, whether it is persistent or periodic, primary or secondary, it may be caused by:
Chronic pain:
- osteomyelitis;
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- Spondylosis deformans;
- Growing Pains – Scoliosis;
- Infectious lesions of the intervertebral discs and vertebrae (epidural abscess, spinal tuberculosis, brucellosis);
- Metabolic bone diseases - osteomalacia, osteoporosis;
- Primary tumors and metastatic tumors in the spinal cord, vertebrae, and retroperitoneal space;
- Non-infectious inflammatory diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter's syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis;
- kidney tumors;
- Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta and its branches.
Acute pain:
- arthritis of the spine;
- Pathology of the hip joint;
- Spinal epiduralitis;
- Lumbar disc herniation;
- Spinal osteochondrosis;
- acute intervertebral hernia;
- Atypical course of intestinal obstruction and acute appendicitis;
- Urinary tract stones;
- Acute sprain, spinal fracture;
- Low back pain, sciatica;
- Acute spinal circulatory disorder - stroke;
- Acute pyelonephritis.
Radiating pain from certain internal organ diseases:
- Pelvic organ disease.In women - inflammatory processes of the uterine adnexa, endometriosis, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, STDs (chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, etc.) In men - prostatitis, prostate cancer;
- Diseases of the stomach, pancreas, duodenum, and gallbladder;
- Intestinal diseases - diverticular inflammation, ulcerative colitis, intestinal tumors;
- Kidney disease - renal colic, kidney stones;
- Upsetting aortic aneurysm.
physiological reasons
You may experience low back pain if you:
- Are you overweight?
- Women face additional risks;
- You are pregnant or have recently given birth;
- Spend a lot of time driving or using a computer;
- Live a sedentary (office worker) or standing (salesperson, waiter, street advertising employee, surgeon) lifestyle;
- Perform dynamic physical work that involves sudden changes in body position (especially if your profession involves heavy physical activity);
- You're overloading yourself at the gym or health club.Be careful if you have recently started training;
- Are you interested in gardening?
- Having reached menopause, this is prone to osteoporosis.
Low back pain and pregnancy
Pregnancy can exacerbate the manifestations of existing diseases in the mother's body.The condition especially often appears in the second half of pregnancy due to changes in hormonal levels and increased stress.In addition to the pain caused by the threat of premature birth, the causes of low back pain in pregnant women may be:
- Herniated disc;
- Radiculitis;
- pancreatitis;
- Pyelonephritis;
- Urolithiasis (kidney stones).
Why does my lower back hurt below?
When there is pain below the waist, in addition to obvious spinal diseases (sciatica, low back pain, intervertebral hernia, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.), possible causes include female menstrual pain, female reproductive organ diseases, such as uterine appendage inflammation - oophoritis, fallopian tube oophoritis (adnexitis), and pelvic peritoneal, intestinal, inflammation and other diseases.Appendice (extension of cecum, male - prostate, bladder disease.
pain in upper lower back
If there is pain in the upper right side of the waist, then pain in the liver may spread, accompanied by any pathological change in the liver - hepatitis, liver failure, taking toxic drugs.The pain is usually located in the right rib cage.
If you experience pain on the right or left side above your waist, you likely have acute kidney disease.Many chronic kidney diseases, such as polycystic disease, malignant renal tumors, chronic pyelonephritis, etc., are accompanied by mild symptoms due to the gradual expansion of the renal capsule.
When should you see a doctor?
- If the back pain occurs in the lower back and is located slightly higher (chest area).The pain is accompanied by sweating, vomiting, nausea, and shortness of breath.
- The pain radiates to the peritoneum, chest, neck, and jaw.
- The patient feels dizzy and confused.
- Tachycardia begins
- Spinal injury with loss of control of bowel movements and urination.
- The legs become weak and the buttocks and genitals become numb.
diagnosis
In order to determine what condition is causing low back pain, a comprehensive diagnostic examination is required.
Laboratory methods:
- General and biochemical tests of urine and blood.
- Tests the presence of tumor markers in the blood during tumor formation.
Instrumental research methods:
- Spine X-ray.
- Endoscopy of the intestines, stomach and uterus.
- Abdominal ultrasonography.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
How to treat lower back pain?
How to treat your waist correctly?The method of treating your back depends entirely on the symptoms of the disease, your doctor's diagnosis, and the stage of the disease.Typically, a comprehensive approach is used, including multiple treatments.
painkillers.The ointment helps relieve inflammation, sprains, and has a warming effect when the lower back is cold.
Ointments are divided into the following groups:
- Combination medication (for sprains and injuries, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, therapeutic due to the presence of heparin and dimethyl sulfoxide);
- anti-inflammatory analgesics (containing cooling medicinal substances that relieve irritation - menthol, lavender and analgesics);
- Chondroprotective agents (one of the active ingredients of this type of drug is the substance chondroitin sulfate, which is used in pathological processes of cartilage tissue and promotes the active recovery of the articular cartilage surface);
- Stimulant drugs (effects are based on vasodilation and blood flow to the source of pain).
With the help of therapeutic exercises, patients can reduce pain, strengthen muscles, and increase the distance between vertebrae.They will help release compressed nerve roots, normalize blood flow to the affected area, and improve metabolic processes.
In order for such gymnastics to be curative and not disabling, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the attending doctor.
- Movements are slow and smooth, with no sharp turns;
- The room must be ventilated before training;
- Patients should wear clothing that does not restrict movement;
- The patient performs the exercise while inhaling and returns to the original position when exhaling;
- The load is gradually increased.The number of approaches is about 10 at first, and then gradually increases;
- During gymnastics, you should monitor your fitness.If severe pain begins, you will need to stop the activity.
In addition, massage is also very effective in relieving lumbar pain.The positive therapeutic effects of massage include:
- Improve blood supply to diseased parts of the body;
- Knead muscles to make muscles and ligaments more pliable and elastic;
- Relieve acute pain;
- Eliminates toxins accumulated in muscles and subcutaneous tissue;
- Pleasant sensation due to stimulation of nerve endings in the skin;
- Positive emotions.
It can be entrusted to a specialist in a clinic or it can be done at home; in any case, the benefits obtained from it will be priceless.
Which doctor should I contact?
If you are experiencing back pain and the cause is unknown, you should first consult your doctor.It will help identify the disease based on overall symptoms.
If the cause is obvious: the pain preceded the injury, the pain occurred during pregnancy, the menstrual cycle or during a chronic illness, then it makes sense to immediately contact a more specialized specialist.
Self-medication is only allowed if the cause of the pain is known with certainty.