Back pain in the lumbar region is common.By the age of 30, these sensations occur in 70% of people, regardless of the type of employment, lifestyle and physical activity.Ignoring back pain is associated with undesirable health consequences, since these symptoms already indicate dysfunction of the body.
During a consultation with a neurologist:
- Conducts an inspection;
- Listens to patient complaints;
- Make a preliminary diagnosis.
- If necessary, he will forward for further research;
- will prescribe an individual treatment for you.
Causes of lower back pain
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region differ in the cause and require a determination of the area of pain and a character analysis.It is customary to distinguish:
- epicritic pain – severe back pain in the lower back with a clear focus;
- protopathic pain – excruciating, aching pain that reflects disorders of other anatomical areas.
The frequency of occurrence, the duration of the pain and the affected area are important.Often the back fails for the following reasons:
- age-related changes that reduce the ability of the spine to perform shock-absorbing functions;
- Stress when carrying a child;
- vertebral displacement, trauma and compression fractures;
- spinal deformities;
- Intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord.
When lower back pain limits mobility and prevents you from bending, it is called a sprain.Numbness, increased pain when coughing, sneezing, feeling spreading to the lower extremities - these are nerve radicular syndromes.Increasing long-term pain is explained by problems with internal organs.
Back pain in the lumbar region on the right occurs due to muscle spasms, irritation of nerve fibers, problems with the musculoskeletal system or the spine.Problems with the liver, right kidney, right ovary (in women), intestines and gallbladder are affected.Similar reasons cause a person to experience back pain in the left lumbar region.However, in this case, with protopathic pain, you should pay attention to the left kidney, left ovary (in women), stomach, intestines and pancreas.
If the left side in the lower back or the right side hurts in the morning after sleeping and long immobility, then this indicates spondyloarthrosis.Stinging pain when the temperature changes (in the shower or due to hypothermia) is an expression of acute lumbago.
If the pain is aching, it is advisable for men to first see a urologist and for women to see a gynecologist.You will need to do an ultrasound scan of internal organs, as well as blood and urine tests.When examining the spine, MRI of the lumbar spine provides good results.
Protopathic back pain above the lower back can have various causes:
- kidney disease;
- heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction);
- Pleurisy;
- Pneumonia;
- Esophageal diseases;
- Appendicitis;
- Inflammation of the gallbladder.
Acute back pain above the lower back with:
- radiculitis;
- Osteochondrosis with disc displacement;
- Injuries to the spine and ribs;
- Myositis (muscle inflammation).
Back pain below the lower back is caused by morphofunctional changes in the musculoskeletal system - osteochondrosis or spondyloarthrosis.In this case, patients experience severe back pain below the lower back.
How to relieve lower back pain
If you have felt severe pain in the lumbar area, you can relieve the discomfort with simple measures.You should lie down on a horizontal surface and relax.Please note that a soft duvet that flexes significantly under your weight will not work.The legs should be placed on an elevation to relieve pressure on the spine.
After the discomfort has subsided, you should carefully turn onto your side and get on all fours.The purpose of such “gymnastics” is to minimize the load on the back.You need to sit up and stand on your feet with a support and hold it with your hands.A back belt for lower back pain allows this area of the body to be immobilized, which also relieves the pain.At the same time, it should cover not only the diseased area, but also the body part above and below it.At the same time, analgesics can be used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.They can be used in the form of tablets or as injections for back and lower back pain (in this case, blockade injections are only performed in a clinical setting).
After the symptoms have been eliminated, you should definitely visit the clinic.Self-medication is unacceptable.Using an ointment for back and lower back pain and a belt, the patient can endure pain for a long time, aggravating his condition.This weakens the back muscles and the pain becomes chronic.Abuse of analgesics can be addictive.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region
If your lifestyle causes periodic muscle cramps (this can be caused by exercise or physical work), you should have muscle relaxants in your home medicine cabinet.But these medications should also be prescribed after consulting a doctor.When treating lower back pain, different measures are used depending on the diagnosis:
- Reflexology. Includes acupuncture (injections with special needles into specific areas) and electroacupuncture (use of electrical pulses).It can also be implemented in the form of transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (suppression of the pain signal reaching the brain).
- Physiotherapy. Magnetic and laser therapy techniques as well as medical electrophoresis and phonophoresis are used, which increase the effectiveness of the use of medication.
- Remedial gymnastics and massage. These measures are effective for diseases of the spine and rehabilitation after injuries.Requires specialist supervision.
- Surgical intervention. May be necessary for hernias that cause compression of the spinal cord or spine.
Treatment is often complex and combines different approaches.The duration and effectiveness of therapy depends on the timeliness of treatment.