Every second person on the planet knows about lower back pain - this is also confirmed by official statistics.In fact, everyone has experienced pain in the spinal column of varying intensity, and it is not even worth talking about attacks in the lower back - they lifted something wrong, bent too sharply, slept in an uncomfortable position, and the pain will definitely be present.
Lower back pain can be of a completely different nature: aching and pulling, acute and constant, paroxysmal and cutting, shooting and local.Even the intensity of the syndrome in question varies - the pain can appear suddenly, without visible preconditions, but it can develop "more and more" continuously.
Low back pain is relatively easy to tolerate, or it can cause immobility - it all depends on the individual tolerance of the syndrome and the psycho-emotional state of the patient.
Causes of lower back pain in men
Men, more often than women, work in extreme conditions - for example, regularly in low air temperatures, high humidity conditions, lifting heavy objects and so on.It's no surprise that physiological factors are the number one cause of lower back pain.
Pain in the lumbar spine in men can occur with prostatitis - the inflammatory process of the prostate.Please note: prostatitis manifests itself not only in pain in the lower back with radiation to the rectum, but also in disturbances in the urination process, discomfort in the groin and perineum, hyperthermia (temperature increase).
If a man develops inflammation of the testicles (epididymitis), the pain in the lower back, coupled with the increase in the size and tumor of the testicles, may be the main reason for a full examination by an andrologist.
Causes of lower back pain in women
In the female category of women, lower back pain is characteristic of certain gynecological diseases/conditions:
- Adnexitis.Inflammation of the ovary causes a constantly increasing pain in the lower back.It can be unilateral or bilateral - it all depends on the location of the inflammatory process.Lumbar pain associated with adnexitis is accompanied by increased body temperature, altered vaginal discharge, general weakness and increased pain during intimate relationships.
- Pregnancy.This is a physiological condition accompanied by an excessive load on all organs and systems - childbearing inherently involves the "wear and tear" of the body.Another factor in the appearance of lower back pain during pregnancy is the risk of miscarriage/miscarriage.
- Climax.During this period, the female body undergoes powerful changes, including hormonal balance.The level of estrogen in the blood becomes unstable, which the nerve endings react to - lower back pain can be explained by this factor.
Please note: women are characterized by idiopathic low back pain - their incidence is unclear;doctors associate the pain with the psycho-emotional state of the woman and her minimal resistance to stress.
Common causes of lower back pain
This classification includes pain in the lumbar spine, which can occur due to internal pathologies in both men and women.The most frequently recorded factors and causes are:
- Attack of acute or chronic appendicitis.Of course, this pathology is characterized by pain in the right hypochondrium, but in some cases (depending on the physiological characteristics of the body and the intensity of the inflammatory process), pain may appear on the right side in the lower back.
- Chronic cholecystitis (cholecystitis).The pain syndrome in this case is localized in the right hypochondrium, with strong irradiation in the lower back - this means that the fibers of the spinal nerves are involved in the pathological process.
- Inflammatory/infectious processes in the kidneys.For them, lower back pain is considered the main symptom, to which hyperthermia (persistent increase in body temperature), facial swelling in the morning and high blood pressure are added.
- Diseases of the small intestine.They are characterized by the usual indigestion (stool problems, increased gas formation, intestinal colic) combined with back pain.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).The pain in this pathology is girdling and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Please note: if the lower back pain is precisely caused by pancreatitis, then the intensity of sensations does not change when palpating the spine.
- Infectious pathologies.Not all infectious diseases cause back pain - this syndrome is characteristic only in cases where pathological damage to bone tissue occurs.And the lower back most often hurts because of the heavy load on this part of the spine.
Doctors consider inflammatory processes in the muscles - myositis - to be the main cause of lower back pain in both men and women.They are characterized by aching, constant pain with a gradual increase in intensity - based on this symptom and in the absence of other signs, a preliminary diagnosis can be made.
In addition, the syndrome in question can appear in patients diagnosed with stage 4 obesity - the load on the muscles and bones is too great, so the pain in the lower back is constant, increasing and radiating to the legs.
Please note: pain in the lumbar spine can be caused by the growth of malignant or benign tumors.But in this case, there will be no problem with the diagnosis - this syndrome does not appear in the first stage of cancer.
Illnesses are always accompanied by back pain
There are several pathological conditions in which back pain is the main symptom:
- Lumbago.It is characterized by acute, stabbing pain, is most often diagnosed in male patients, and may be pinched sciatic nerve or displacement of several vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.Curvature of the vertebrae, which can be congenital or acquired.The pathological process can affect any part of the spinal column;the following classification of the disease is characteristic of the lower back:
- habitual scoliosis that develops in childhood and is a consequence of the child's incorrect posture;
- rachitic appearance - the final stage of childhood metabolic disorders;
- rheumatic - more often diagnosed in adult patients, always the consequences of serious pathologies of the joints;
- paralytic scoliosis.
- Osteochondrosis of an intervertebral nature.
- Hernia of the lumbar spine.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.It is most often diagnosed in menopausal women.
- Osteoporosis.This is the thinning of the bone tissue, the causes of which are exclusively related to age.In addition to pain in the lumbar spine, the patient is diagnosed with hernias, deformation of the vertebral joints, and cartilage problems.
- Phlebothrombosis.This is not an inflammatory process in the blood vessels, but their blockage - the disease occurs more often in older people.Typically, in the case of phlebothrombosis, lower back pain occurs only during a long walk.
In addition, lower back pain can be caused by 3-4.grade atherosclerosis, obstructed blood flow through inflamed vessels (various phlebitis), ankylosing spondylitis and other factors and causes.
You should definitely call a doctor and do a full examination - the cause of the syndrome may be the development of a serious pathology in the body.
Pain in the lower back - what to do?
In order to help yourself if you experience lower back pain, you should remember some expert recommendations:
- When the syndrome first appears, take a comfortable position and check the nature of the pain:
- when it arises, increases or decreases;
- is it accompanied by nausea, headache, changes in physiological processes (urination, defecation);
- Is there an increase in temperature and foreign tastes in the oral cavity?
- If your lower back pain is due to a bruise, sprain or injury, you should:
- take a drug from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- take a diuretic - it helps to quickly get rid of swelling and accelerates the process of getting rid of inflammation;
- tighten the lower back with any fastening material - a special orthopedic belt, a towel, a scarf, an elastic bandage.
In any case, you need to see a doctor and do a full examination - even the simplest injury to the spinal column and short-term lower back pain can be caused by a serious pathological process.
Activities that are contraindicated for lower back pain
The following manipulations are strictly prohibited:
- heat the area where the pain syndrome is localized, without first determining the cause of its occurrence - this can cause a strong progression of the inflammatory process;
- take painkillers if the cause of pain in the lumbar spine is unclear;
- realign the vertebrae - many patients ignore this point and believe that professional chiropractors do no harm.In fact, displacement of vertebrae can be caused not only by strong physical stress, but also by various degenerative processes of cartilage and ligaments.The result of forceful repositioning of the vertebra due to connective tissue or cartilaginous dystrophy can be the complete destruction and immobilization of the latter.
Treatment of lower back pain
Professional treatment of the pain syndrome in question is carried out only in a hospital.Usually, after an examination (x-ray, computed tomography, laboratory blood/urine test, etc.), patients are prescribed drugs that can quickly and with a long-lasting effect relieve the pain attack.Then, depending on the general state of health, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, the doctor chooses restorative therapy, and the patient undergoes a course of physical therapy and massage.
Please note: you need to learn how to properly rest after heavy physical exertion: lying on your back with your legs raised low.If your back hurts after sleeping, you will need an orthopedic mattress, and if the pain becomes regular and severe, doctors can apply a block.But this does not mean that after the disappearance of the syndrome in question, you can relax and not carry out treatment - the attacks are repeated more and more often.
Treatment of lower back pain with folk remedies
Any tool belonging to the category of traditional medicine, which is used to restore the function of the spinal column and eliminate back pain, can only be used after clarifying the etiology of the problem!Only in this case will they be truly effective and completely safe.
Some treatments for lower back pain:
- For osteochondrosis, wax should be taken, melted and applied hot to the lower back (at the site of pain).You need to put a scarf or a warm handkerchief on top so that the heating process has a greater effect.Please note: there must be no dermatological damage or visible pathology on the skin at the site of application of the melted wax.
- St. John's wort can be used to treat psycho-emotional disorders in the case of regular stress, nervous breakdowns and back pain.Take 2 tablespoons of dry St. John's wort, pour 400 ml of boiling water and leave overnight.Then filter the infusion and take 100 ml at least 4 times a day.The duration of the treatment is one week, even if the pain has disappeared on the second or third day, it is not recommended to stop taking St. John's wort infusion.
- A tincture of hot red pepper and pine oil is used to diagnose common pinched nerves (such as the sciatic nerve).These ingredients should be applied to the lower back, exactly in the area where the pain syndrome is located, twice a day for a week.Please note: first rub hot pepper tincture into the skin, then pine oil.The number of procedures depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome - as soon as the condition normalizes, the treatment is stopped.
Regular massage helps a lot with the usual lower back pain.Doing it yourself is problematic, but our ancestors used the following method: take a nylon/nylon stocking and tie three knots at the same distance.You need to rub your back with these stockings every day - you can totally do it yourself.
Lower back pain can be the result of various pathological conditions.Many people usually "dismiss" this syndrome, attributing everything to excessive tension or nerves.But doctors warn: even intermittent, non-intense pain in the lumbar spine may indicate the development of internal pathology.