Low back pain is a common symptom in 80% of the population. Painful feelings appear in the lumbar region as physical damage to this part of the body or disease progresses. You can’t ignore the pain. This is one of the first symptoms of severe back problems. If you experience pain in the lumbar region, you should contact a health care provider. The clinician will diagnose and develop the optimal treatment.
Causes of back pain
Painful feelings are caused by the following factors:
- injury to the nerve roots leaving the spine in the lumbar region;
- hernia in the lumbar spine;
- impaired posture;
- sciatica in the lower back;
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- genetic changes, such as different lengths of the lower limbs;
- intervertebral type osteochondrosis;
- renal system diseases;
- cancer;
- impaired metabolism;
- arthritis;
- inflammation around the blood vessels;
- Atherosclerotic lesions of grade 3 and higher vessels;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- complication after surgery;
- appendicitis, pain syndrome can be localized in the right hip region, can be given on the right side of the lower back;
- the inflammatory process of the pancreas;
- overweight;
- infectious bone tissue diseases, acute painful feelings in the lumbar region.
In women, the causes of back pain in the lumbar region include:
- the process of carrying the child;
- adnexitis, characterized by lower abdominal pain radiating to the lumbar region.
- Men also have specific causes for painful feelings:
- the inflammatory process of the prostate;
- epididymitis, localized in the lumbar region, the pain can spread to the lumbar spine and lower extremities.
Types of back pain
There are several types depending on the duration of the pain syndrome:
Recurrent back pain
The discomfort and pain disappear after the injury has been repaired and the patient has fully recovered. Pain in the kidney area develops with excessive physical exertion. Periodic painful feelings progress in the acute form of diseases of the internal organs.
Persistent back pain
Common causes of persistent pain:
- disorders of the circulatory system of the lower extremities;
- the dystrophic process of bone tissue and cartilage;
- inflammatory diseases of the spine and bones.
Less frequently, the persistent nature of painful feelings occurs when muscle tissue and internal organs are damaged, which can be explained by the onset of the dystrophic process. Modern medicine cannot completely stop the destruction of bone tissue.
Diagnostic methods
Before prescribing medications and other procedures, doctors perform diagnostics. The anamnesis is collected, taking into account the nature and localization of the painful feelings. Diagnosis includes ultrasound of the abdominal organs, x-ray of the spine, endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract, and biochemical analyzes of blood cells and urine. If the low back pain hurts and the doctor suspects the development of a malignancy, the blood is tested for tumor markers.
The following methods are used in clinics to accurately identify the causes of back pain:
Which doctor to 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. Diagnoses and prescribes effective treatment.
Low back pain treatment
After passing the diagnosis, the doctor will arrange a complex treatment. Prescribed drugs, physiotherapy procedures. If possible, manual therapy is used. With severe development of the disease, which has caused pain in the lumbar region, surgery is prescribed. Depending on the severity of the painful feelings, physical education may be prescribed or prohibited. In bright acute pain, exercise is contraindicated.
The following techniques are used in clinics to treat low back pain:
Effects
In the absence of therapy for the cause of back pain and the symptom, a number of complications develop:
- painful feelings continue to spread, healthy tissues are affected;
- the work of the cardiovascular system deteriorates;
- in severe cases, paralysis of the upper and lower limbs is possible.
Prevention of back pain
To avoid the development of painful feelings in the lumbar region, the following recommendations should be followed:
- use a medium hardness mattress for sleeping;
- in case of sedentary work, perform lumbar gymnastics once an hour;
- avoid sudden exercise;
- give up the use of alcoholic beverages, smoking, drugs;
- physical education daily;
- avoid lumbar region hypothermia;
- sleep in the right posture;
- follow a balanced diet;
- control posture;
- avoid stressful situations;
- timely treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases;
- in case of painful feelings in the lumbar region, seek advice from a health care institution;
- carry out preventive examinations in time to detect diseases of the lumbar spine.