Low back pain is a common symptom found in 80% of the population. Painful sensations in the lumbar region appear with physical injury to this part of the body or disease progression. You can not ignore the pain. This is one of the first symptoms of serious spinal problems. If you experience pain in the lumbar region, you should contact a medical facility. The clinic doctor will diagnose and work out the optimal course of treatment.
Causes of back pain
Painful sensations develop when exposed to the following factors:
- Damage to nerve roots by leaving the spine in the lumbar region;
- Hernia in the lumbar spine;
- Impaired posture;
- Lower spinal sciatica;
- Ankylosing spondylitis;
- Genetic changes, for example, different lengths of lower limbs;
- Intervertebral type osteochondrosis;
- Diseases of the renal system;
- Malignant neoplasm;
- Disturbed metabolism;
- Arthritis;
- Inflammation around blood vessels;
- Atherosclerotic lesions of the 3rd and higher blood vessels;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Complication after surgery;
- Appendicitis, a pain syndrome localized in the right iliac region, may be given on the right side of the lower spine;
- Inflammatory process of the pancreas;
- Excess weight;
- Infectious bone tissue diseases characterized by severe painful sensations in the lumbar region.
The following causes of back pain in women are distinguished in women:
- The process of carrying a baby;
- Adnexitis characterized by pain in the lower abdomen radiating to the lumbar region.
- Men also have specific causes for painful sensations:
- Inflammatory process of the prostate gland;
- Epididymitis, localized in the groin area, the pain may spread to the lumbar spine and lower extremities.
Types of back pain
There are several types of pain syndrome, depending on its duration:
Recurrent back pain
The discomfort and pain disappear after the injury is eliminated and the patient recovers completely. Pain in the kidneys develops with excessive physical exertion. Periodic painful sensations progress to an acute form of diseases of the internal organs.
Constant back pain
Common causes of persistent pain:
- Disorders of the circulatory system of the lower extremities;
- Dystrophic process of bone tissue and cartilage;
- Inflammatory diseases of the spine and bones.
Less often, the persistent nature of painful sensations occurs during damage to muscle tissue and internal organs, which is explained by the onset of the dystrophic process. Modern medicine can not completely stop the destruction of bone tissue.
Diagnostic methods
Doctors make a diagnosis before prescribing medications and other procedures. Anamnesis is collected, the nature and localization of painful sensations are taken into account. Diagnosis includes ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, X-ray of the spine, endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract, delivery of blood cells and biochemical analysis of urine. If the lower back hurts and the doctor suspects the development of a malignant neoplasm, blood is examined for tumor markers.
The following methods are used to accurately determine the causes of back pain in clinics:
Which doctor should I go to
At the first signs of pain, make an appointment with an orthopedist or neurologist. The doctor will listen to the complaints, examine them, send them for examination. Diagnosis and appointment of effective treatment.
Treatment of low back pain
After the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes a course of treatment, which is complex in nature. Prescribed medications, physiotherapy procedures. If possible, manual therapy is used. With severe development of the disease, which caused pain in the lumbar region, surgery is prescribed. Depending on the severity of the painful sensations, physical education may be prescribed or prohibited. With mild acute pain, loading is contraindicated.
The following techniques are used to treat low back pain in clinics:
Effects
Due to the lack of back pain therapy and the cause of the symptom, a number of complications develop:
- Painful sensations spread even further, affecting healthy tissues;
- Deteriorating cardiovascular system;
- In severe cases, paralysis of the upper and lower extremities is possible.
Prevention of back pain
To prevent the development of painful sensations in the lumbar region, the following recommendations should be followed:
- Use a medium-strength mattress to sleep on;
- When doing sedentary work, do lumbar gymnastics once an hour;
- Avoid sudden body movements;
- To refrain from the use of alcohol, smoking, drugs;
- Physical education on a daily basis;
- Avoid hypothermia of the lumbar region;
- Sleep in the correct posture;
- Follow a balanced diet;
- Control posture;
- Avoid stressful situations;
- Timely treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases;
- In case of painful sensations in the lumbar region, contact a medical institution for advice;
- Timely undergo preventive examinations to detect lumbar spine diseases.