Unfortunately there are no absolutely healthy people in the world. Each of us regularly worries about something in our own organism. This is probably why we most often wish for health, wellbeing, and a good mood.
Pain in the lower back is one of the most common complaints. And if in childhood it seemed to us that it only affects older people, then after maturity came the realization of the wrong opinion. We are not insured against back pain based on age, social status or type of activity. This is mainly due to the diverse causes of pain in the lumbar spine, as well as to their different manifestations.
Diseases that cause back pain
Often times, lower back pain is caused by a specific disease and is a consequence - a symptom, the nature of which allows a specific diagnosis to be made, the correct diagnosis to be made and the ways, methods, methods and, in general, the tactics to useIndicate treatment of the disease.
Pain in the lumbar region is either primary or secondary.
Primarily has a direct connection with diseases of the spine:
- Osteochondrosis or dystrophic diseases of the articular cartilage (one third of the total number of patient visits);
- "bulging" of the intervertebral disc outside the boundaries of the spine (protrusion), displacement of the intervertebral disc nucleus in which the annulus fibrosus breaks (herniated disc);
- Displacement of one or more vertebrae: forwards, backwards;
- 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 thorns (spondylosis).
Secondary pain is caused by diseases of other organs:
- vertebral body fractures due to trauma or osteoporosis (increased bone fragility);
- the appearance of a tumor in one of the parts (lumen) of the spinal canal;
- muscle strain;
- congenital insufficient width of the spinal canal;
- all kinds of curvatures of the spine and their combination, including deformities that lead to the appearance of a "hump" in the thoracic spine;
- different types of arthritis / joint diseases (psoriatic, rheumatic and others);
- vertebral tuberculosis and other inflammatory processes that affect the intervertebral discs;
- kidney / urinary tract stones, pyelonephritis (kidney damage);
- ovarian cysts, including cancer;
- Back pain is also a possible complication of pregnancy in women.
What can indicate the character of back pain?
Of course, it is impossible to independently diagnose the degree, extent and type of back pain. However, when the back hurts, some specific symptoms indicate this or that disease to us.
Severe pain
If the pain in the lumbar spine is severe, the most likely thing is that the patient has osteochondrosis or sciatic lumbar spine. In addition, 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 they cough or sneeze. In some cases there may be a discomfort that the back hurts and that pain radiates to the leg.
When it comes to radiculitis, the patient often describes the pain as acute or dull, painful - it is one-sided and "reacts" in the thighs, lower legs and buttocks. It can increase with walking, with a change in the position of the human body, with a cough.
What can acute lumbar pain indicate?
In cases where the pain is acute, you should talk about:
- muscle stretching;
- long-term work in an uncomfortable position for the trunk;
- back pain after sleeping due to an uncomfortable position of the body and a long stay in it;
- pain experienced while lifting or carrying weights in the event of a fall, blow, or sudden movement;
- hypothermia or prolonged exposure to a draft;
- also has the likelihood of lumbago (so-called lumbago) that suffers from patients involved in heavy physical labor. In this case, back pain can go away in a few days, but it also happens that it drags on and accompanies a person for two or more weeks.
- Displacement of the intervertebral discs that occur in the lumbar part - often in connection with a fracture of the spine, with osteochondrosis, interaction with heavy objects (especially when lifting), when performing heavy physical activities or as a result of an intended surgical intervention on the spine.
The aching nature of pain: what is it talking about?
Painful pains (the patient can formulate his description as "pain in the lower back" or "pulling in the lower back") - very often manifest 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 the pain as one that ties the lumbar spine and is accompanied by sharp pain during movement.
Chronic, persistent back pain
If the lower back hurts and even the patient can describe it as chronic, the diagnosis is most likely:
- deforming spondylosis - an increase in the amount of bone tissue in the spine due to the appearance of spinal-like growths along the edge of the spine (manifested in severe back pain, especially in the lumbar region, which can combine numbness and / or weakness in the legs);
- Disease of the vertebral joints - mostly it has a chronic systemic character;
- diseases from a number of oncological;
- metabolic disorder.
Pain without constant localization, movement
One of the most difficult cases in identifying causative illnesses is pain that moves from time to time. At the same time, a person can be sure that their lower back is aching, even though the body is actually "fooling" them and the disease has crept into other organs.
These pains are often caused by diseases of the pelvic organs. Inflammatory processes in the kidneys, diseases of the pancreas and colon can contribute to the appearance of pain in the lumbar spine, and also appear due to painful changes in bone tissue and tumors of other types.
Sometimes the painful condition of the lower back is confused with the pain that occurs in the shoulder blades area. However, these are still different types of pain, and they are mostly associated with different diseases. For example, pain in the shoulder blades indicates a stomach ulcer, myocardial infarction, intercostal neuralgia, and even a person's mental health problems.
If you have difficulties independently determining the area in which pain occurs and at the same time are regular or acute, you should consult a doctor immediately!
Injuries that lead to back pain
Oddly enough, but very often the cause of lumbar spine pain is an injury that a person suffers - for example, a bruise in the back muscles or a sprain. Timely visit to the doctor is a guarantee of the correct diagnosis and the effectiveness of treatment.
In advanced cases, there is a high likelihood of a complication without excluding a serious curvature of the spine.
Special features of back pain in women
"What are the specific causes of back pain in women? " - you ask. And we will answer that there are not so few of them. And men in general could thank the Creator for simply not being able to have these reasons.
Among the "provocateurs" of loin pain in women are:
- menstruation / periods;
- pregnancy;
- climax.
In each of these cases the pain can be of different nature. Depending on the immediate cause, the features of the female body, the degree of stress on the lower back during pregnancy, the woman's age, her occupation, the type of professional activity - the pain manifests itself in different ways.
What about men?
Unfortunately, the painful syndrome of the lower back is quite common in men.
And there are enough reasons for him without the feminine component:
- stretching (muscle, accompanied by sharp pain);
- a fracture of the spine (after a person fell on their feet or when a man was hit in the lower back), men very often suffer such injuries in car accidents;
- Protrusion / bulging of the intervertebral disc or displacement of multiple intervertebral discs when pressure is applied to the nerve roots, this pathology usually occurs and is diagnosed by excessive physical activity.
- Growth of metastases from cancers of the genital organs in men, most often after the age of 50; At the same time, the pain develops with a change in the degree of damage to bone tissue and is so severe that it can only be stopped by taking special anesthetics, analgesics.
- spondyloarthrosis (when a nerve root or several roots in the area of the intervertebral canal are affected);
- When the painful manifestations radiate, they indicate the presence and development of diseases of the prostate, liver or kidney problems.
Risk factors: what can cause back pain?
Unfortunately we cannot insure ourselves against this or that illness. But within our power to study the risk factors - the most common causes of the onset of the disease - and take action to eliminate them (if possible) or at least partially neutralize their effect on the body.
The most common, pronounced risk factors for back pain are:
- perform intensive training with great physical exertion (fitness studio), especially on the spine and your lumbar spine;
- sudden uncomfortable movement;
- to stay in the same position for a long period of time (for example, people whose activities are related to driving a car, working on a computer, and even work that requires a person to stand for a long time - shop advisors, pharmacists) in pharmacies, Foremen on machines in factories, etc. );
- in the morning the lower back can also hurt, which "says" that the mattress or pillow is not suitable for you, but they do not exclude the inflammatory process, which thus manifests itself symptomatically;
- work that is based on great physical or psychological stress, stress can also manifest itself in back pain;
- As mentioned earlier, pregnancy and childbirth also increase the likelihood of back pain.
- high weight and pain in the lower back are also closely related, since the pressure on the internal organs and spine of a person depends on the total body weight.
When do you need medical help?
Just as we hate getting sick, we hate asking doctors for help. There are many ways to independently identify the causes of disease and their treatment. Of course there are reasons for this belief.
But in the case of back pain I would still like to differentiate somehow: Here you can lie down, get medical treatment yourself, but here - sometimes without the help of a doctor - urgently! - just not enough.
We can clearly say that if the pain is of a one-off nature or the cause of the pain is one of the reasons for the feminine line, then in principle you can not panic, but wait, observe the body, give it the opportunity toto be at rest, not overloaded.
If the pain does not persist and does not recur, you have correctly identified the cause and can do without medical intervention.
For pain in the lower back:
- are repeated systematically;
- pass and continue;
- are reinforced;
- The pain lasts more than three days.
- are repeated in the morning;
- You are injured and associate it with the appearance of lower back pain;
- feel pain in the lower back and leg (foot and lower leg) at the same time;
- or - lower back pain is combined and with it the buttocks and legs (thigh, lower leg, foot) and even the groin area become numb - this is a serious reason for an urgent visit to the doctor!
In any of the above cases, there is no need to guess yourself, look for the causes of the pain and wonder why your lower back hurts. However, you should contact a medical facility immediately. Without medical help, the situation can worsen and treatment will take much more time and effort.
Remember that backache and lower back pain are not a case where you can "accidentally" joke or hope (for example, deformities or dislocations of the intervertebral discs were never corrected on their own).
If a person's pain is not diagnosed in a timely manner and treatment is not correct, it can lead to serious, complicated diseases, lumbar surgery, and even lower body paralysis and disability.