Unfortunately, there are no absolutely healthy people in the world. Each of us periodically worries about something in the state of our organism. This is probably the reason why we very often wish ourselves health, well-being, complemented by a good mood.
Low back pain is one of the most common complaints. And, if in childhood it seemed to us that it concerned only the elderly, then, having matured, came the realization of the erroneous opinion. We are not insured against back pain by age, social status or type of activity. And this is due, first of all, to the variety of causes of pain in the lumbar spine, as well as its various manifestations.
Diseases causing low back pain
Often, pain in the lower back is caused by a specific disease and is a consequence - a symptom, the nature of which allows you to carry out targeted diagnostics, make the correct diagnosis and indicate the ways, methods, methodsand, in general, the tactics of treatment of the disease.
Pain in the lumbar region is primary or secondary.
The primary has a direct connection with diseases of the spine:
- osteochondrosis or dystrophic disorders of the articular cartilage (one third of the total number of patient visits);
- "bulge" of the intervertebral disc outside the boundaries of the spinal column (protrusion), displacement of the disc nucleus, in which the annulus fibrosus breaks (intervertebral hernia);
- displacement of one or more vertebrae: forward, backward;
- accelerated aging and destruction of the cartilage of the intervertebral joints (spondyloarthrosis);
- growth of bone tissue along the edges of the spine in the form of spines (spondylosis).
Secondary pain is caused by diseases of other organs:
- vertebral fractures due to trauma or osteoporosis (increased fragility of the bones);
- the appearance of a tumor in one of the parts (lumen) of the spinal canal;
- muscle fatigue;
- insufficient congenital width of the spinal canal;
- all types of curvature of the spine and their combination, including deformity leading to the appearance of a "hump" in the thoracic spine;
- various types of arthritis / joint diseases (psoriatic, rheumatic and others);
- vertebral tuberculosis and other inflammatory processes affecting the intervertebral discs;
- kidney / urinary tract stones, pyelonephritis (kidney damage);
- ovarian cysts, including tumors;
- spinal pain is also possible as a complication of pregnancy in women.
What can indicate the character of low back pain?
Of course, it is impossible to independently diagnose the degree, level, type of back pain. However, when the back hurts, some specific symptoms indicate this or that disease to us.
Severe pain
When lumbar spine pain is severe, the patient is very likely to have lumbar osteochondrosis or sciatica. Also, in the first case, it manifests itself in the process of walking, when a person sits for a long time, lifts weights, and also when coughing or sneezing. In some cases, there may be complaints that the back hurts and this pain radiates to the leg.
If we talk about radiculitis, the patient describes the pain as sharp or dull, aching, often - it is one-sided and "responds" in the thigh, lower leg, buttock. It can increase with walking, with a change in the position of the human body, with coughing.
What can acute lower back pain mean?
In cases where the pain is acute, you should talk about:
- muscle lengthening;
- long-term work in an uncomfortable position for the trunk;
- back pain after sleep due, again, to an uncomfortable position of the body and staying in it for a significant period of time;
- pain from lifting or carrying weights, in the event of a sudden fall, blow or movement;
- hypothermia or prolonged exposure to drafts;
- also has the risk of low back pain (so-called low back pain), which suffers from patients involved in heavy physical labor. In this case, low back pain can disappear in a few days, but it also happens that it drags on and accompanies a person for two or more weeks;
- displacements of the intervertebral discs occurring in the lumbar part - often appear in connection with a fracture of the spine, with osteochondrosis, interaction with heavy objects (in particular, lifting them), in the process of performing heavy physical actions or as a resultof a targeted spine surgery.
The painful nature of pain: what is it talking about?
Aching pain (the patient can formulate its description as "lower back pain", or "pull the lower back") - most often manifests itself in the inflammatory process of the lumbar muscles.
This disease occurs as a result of hypothermia or sudden muscle tension / overload. In this case, the patient defines pain as that which chains the lumbar spine and is accompanied by acute pain during movement.
Chronic and persistent lower back pain
If the lower back hurts and the patient himself can describe it as chronic, the diagnosis will most likely be:
- deforming spondylosis - an increase in the amount of bone tissue in the spine due to the appearance of thorn-like growths along the edge of the vertebrae (manifests itself in severe pain in the back, especially in the lumbar region, which cancombining numbness and / or weakness in the legs);
- vertebral joint disease - most often it has a chronic systemic character;
- diseases from a number of oncologists;
- metabolic disorder.
Pain without constant localization, in motion
One of the most difficult cases of identifying causative diseases is pain that shifts from time to time. At the same time, a person can be sure that his lower back hurts, although in reality the body "tricks" him and the disease has crept into other organs.
These pains are often caused by diseases of the pelvic organs. The inflammatory process in the kidneys, diseases of the pancreas, the colon can contribute to the appearance of pain in the lumbar spine, and can also occur due to painful changes in bone tissue and tumors of a different nature.
Sometimes the painful condition of the lower back is confused with the pain that occurs in the shoulder blade area. However, these are still different types of pain and are mostly associated with different diseases. So, shoulder blade pain, for example, indicates a stomach ulcer, myocardial infarction, intercostal neuralgia, and even a person's psychological problems.
If you find it difficult to independently determine the area where the pain occurs and at the same time they are regular or acute, you should immediately consult a doctor!
Injuries leading to low back pain
Strangely, but very often the cause of pain in the lower back is an injury received by a person, for example with a bruise to the back muscles or a sprain. A timely visit to a doctor is a guarantee of the correct diagnosis and effectiveness of treatment.
In advanced cases, there is a high probability of complications, not excluding a severe curvature of the spine.
Peculiarities of back pain in women
"What are the specific causes of low back pain in women? " - you ask. And we will answer that there are not so few. And men, in general, might thank the Creator that they simply cannot have these reasons.
Among the "provocateurs" of lower back pain in women are:
- menstruation / periods;
- pregnancy;
- climax.
In each of these cases, the pain can be of a different nature. Depending on the immediate cause, the characteristics of the female body, the degree of stress on the lower back during pregnancy, the age of the woman, the use of her, the type of professional activity - the pain manifests itself in different ways.
And the men?
Unfortunately, painful lower back syndrome is quite common in men.
And there are reasons enough for him without the female component:
- stretching (muscle, accompanied by acute pain);
- spinal fracture (after a person fell on his feet or when a man was hit in the lower back), very often men suffer such injuries in traffic accidents;
- protrusion / swelling of the intervertebral disc or displacement of several intervertebral discs, when it begins to put pressure on the nerve roots, this pathology usually manifests itself and is diagnosed through an excessive degree of physical activity;
- growth of metastases of cancers of the genital organs in men, most often occurs after the age of 50; at the same time, the pain develops with a change in the degree of damage to the bone tissue, and it is so strong that it can only be stopped by taking special narcotics, analgesics;
- spondyloarthrosis (when one or more nerve roots are damaged in the area of the intervertebral canal);
- in the event that the painful manifestations radiate, indicate the presence and development of diseases of the prostate gland, liver or kidney problems.
Risk factors: what can cause low back pain?
Unfortunately, we cannot insure ourselves against this or that disease. But it is in our power to study the risk factors - the most common causes of the onset of the disease and take measures to eliminate them (if possible) or at least partially neutralize their effect on the body.
The most common and pronounced risk factors for low back pain include:
- conduct intensive training with great physical effort (gym), especially on the spine and its lumbar spine;
- sudden embarrassing movement;
- staying for a significant period of time in the same position (for example, people whose activities are related to driving a car, computer work and even work where a person is forced to stand for along term - consultants in shops, pharmacists) in pharmacies, foreman at machines in factories, etc. );
- in the morning, it can also hurt the lower back, which "says" that the mattress or pillow is not suitable for you, but does not exclude the inflammatory process, which manifests itself so symptomatically;
- work, which is based on strong physical or psychological stress, stress can also manifest itself in low back pain;
- As mentioned above, pregnancy and childbirth also increase the likelihood of lower back pain;
- high weight and pain in the lower back are also closely related, as the force of pressure on a person's internal organs and spine depends on the total body weight.
When do you need medical attention?
Just as we hate getting sick, we hate going to doctors for help. There are many ways to independently identify the causes of diseases and their treatment. Of course, there are reasons for this belief.
But in the case of back pain, you still want to differentiate yourself in some way: here you can lie down, get medical treatment on your own, but here - without the help of a doctor, sometimes urgent! - just not enough.
We can say unequivocally that if the pain is one-off in nature, or if the cause of the pain is one of the reasons for the female line, then, in principle, you cannot panic, but wait, watch the body, give him the opportunity to rest, do not overload.
If the pain does not persist and does not come back, you have correctly identified the cause and can do without medical intervention.
For low back pain:
- are repeated systematically;
- pass and resume;
- are amplified;
- pain persists for more than three days;
- are repeated in the morning;
- you are injured and associated with the occurrence of pain in the lower back;
- feels pain in the lower back and leg (foot and lower leg) at the same time;
- or - pain in the lower back is combined and with it the buttock and leg (thigh, lower leg, foot) and even the groin area become numb - this is a serious reason for aurgent visit to the doctor!
In any of the above cases, it is not necessary to guess, look for the causes of pain on your own, wondering why the lower back hurts, but you should immediately contact a medical institution. Without medical assistance, the situation can get worse and treatment will take much more time and effort.
Remember that back pain, low back pain is not a case in which you can joke or hope "at random" (deformities or displacements of the intervertebral discs, for example, have never been corrected by themselves).
Failure to timely diagnose pain in a person, as well as adequate treatment, can lead to severe and complicated illness, lumbar surgery and even lower body paralysis and disability.