Many people know the symptom of "pain in the lower back". Usually the discomfort associated with various diseases of the spine, but in practice it often turns out that the cause of the other. Often the pain in the lower back occurs in women late in pregnancy as the spine experiences more stress than usual.
The reason may be also different diseases of internal organs, degenerative changes in the bone-cartilaginous apparatus for the lower back, etc., a Sedentary lifestyle, intense working conditions, professional sport, obesity, can cause pain in the lower part of the spine.
Lower back pain doctors call the term "lumbalgia". This is a common phenomenon, which is characterized by the sudden appearance and disappearance of the pain syndrome. Some patients undergo a short course of treatment and never experience discomfort, others have to get treatment for several months and even years. If you want to determine the exact cause of pain in the lower back, it should be considered the first doctor, and then in his direction experts.
Reasons
Most often low back pain is a symptom of various diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Often the discomfort bother people who spend a lot of time on the computer, in the car, doing heavy physical work, throwing yourself in the gym. The risk group includes pregnant women or women who recently gave birth.
Diseases accompanied by pain in the lower back
Pain in the back bottom of the can indicate a disease such as osteochondrosis or spondylosis. This is called the primary causes of pain associated with functional and morphological changes of the spine.
Among the secondary causes of back pain are:
- neoplastic processes of the vertebrae, spinal cord;
- damage to the vertebrae;
- the infectious process in the intervertebral discs and vertebral joints;
- metabolic disturbances in the bones (osteoporosis, osteomalacia);
- inflammatory diseases, infectious etiology (rheumatoid arthritis, spondylitis);
- acute hemodynamic instability (e.g., stroke);
- diseases associated with impaired growth;
- gastrointestinal disease (atypical for acute appendicitis, intestinal obstruction);
- diseases of the kidney (urolithiasis pain unilateral, more often on right side);
- diseases of the pelvic organs.
So is the reason for the pain is not always rooted in injuries to the musculoskeletal system. If the pain is due to malfunction of internal organs, is irradiating nature. In addition, in men back pain in the lower part of the spine in chronic prostatitis, the prostate cancer, although this problem is not always needed.
The pain can appear after a long walk, that suggests spinal stenosis. The disease shows in the form of a syndrome of intermittent claudication. The people, moreover, complains of cramps and pain in the muscles when walking. The older development of the disease, such as rheumatic polymyalgia. First of all it is a mild pain, then a feeling of stiffness in the hands or feet.
The most common cause for pain below the waist, on the right side, on the left side or the center for low back pain. Instrumental methods of investigations that help to identify the different degenerative changes in the spine. In them there is a space between the discs in your spine, gradually decreasing, which is in the development of the imbalance in the structure of the entire spine.
This causes pain in the low back, which are included in the left or right, or go in the direction of the ridge.
Another source of low back pain – the presence of intervertebral hernia. In the case of their violation, compression of the nerve roots, there is quite a strong, sharp pain that is in the initial stages of the help of steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Symptom of the adverse outcome is lumbodynia, which is manifested by a range of symptoms. Pain along the nerve root can radiate into the buttocks and legs. Discomfort appears when bending (even when tilting the head down), laugh, cough, etc. Pain, syndrome is worse when lifting lying on your back straight leg.
Manifest as pain in the back
Symptoms, pain in the back, is varied depending on the existing pathology. When stretched, the pain, which is manifested in the form of convulsions, movement is limited. Syndrome pain radiates to the buttocks, back, thighs. It's hard to bend over to turn the case. If damaged roots that gives pain in the lower part of the body, can disorders sense of numbness.
Osteochondrosis symptoms increase gradually. At first, the pain bother you with one hand, her character is not expressed. With the development of pathological pain, the process is becoming stronger, harder stoped pain, affect a large area. After a long stay in one place, pain is pain in nature.
If the damage to the kidney pain does not occur in the lower back, approximately at the level of 12. a pair of ribs. However, in renal colic the pain radiates down syndrome, in the context of the ureter, gives the groin. The pain is unbearable, very strong analgesics do not help. A characteristic symptom is a unilateral localization.
Diagnosis
Why pain in the lower back, can be set only doctor. In any event, may not participate in the self-diagnosis and self-treatment. Diagnosis is based on patient complaints, clinical symptoms, anamnesis data, results of instrumental methods. The patient is prescribed x-rays, myelography, MRI, CT and other types of research.
Computed tomography is an effective and very informative way to reveal the various structural changes in the spine caused by trauma, infectious process, tumor formation, osteoporosis and other diseases. Based myelography is the use of contrasting materials. The method is used in cases of suspected spinal stenosis, hernia, tumors and other pathological processes in the spine.
Treatment
What to do if your back hurts, you can say only by a qualified technician. Tactics of treatment depends on the underlying cause for the pain. It is not recommended for the use of analgesics because they provide only a temporary effect (and, in some diseases does not help), "lubricate" the clinical picture and worsens the disease process, what the person who is a permanent removal of pain, delay the visit to the doctor.
The main principle of treatment – the treatment is not pain as such but its causes. So, osteochondrosis requires a number of steps. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in this disease, which are used for the symptomatic therapy in the period of the swing. Such drugs include Diclofenac, Nimesulide etc, but they have many contraindications (e.g., peptic ulcer).
Is it possible to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory creams. In some cases, require steroid anti-inflammatory medications. The main events took place in the period without deterioration and are the medical gymnastics, the completion of the therapeutic massage, the organization of the correct day regimen and nutrition.
In addition, appointed physiotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc., without reducing the doctors recommend to do the therapeutic exercises. This is the best way to strengthen your back, relieve the tension and muscle spasms. Therapeutic exercise (physical therapy) is mandatory in the program of prevention of back pain.
Classes are best done under the supervision of the instructor, but some simple exercises can be carried out at home:
- Lie on your back, arms stretched along the body, legs slightly bent at the knee joints. Legs to deflect to the right in the body and head turn slightly to the left (the main thing – do not overdo it). After five seconds, return to starting position, repeat the same with the opposing side. A total of ten repetitions.
- To get on their knees, to lean on the chair. Arch your back upwards, then the maximum SAG. To do ten repetitions.
- Lying on your back, straighten legs. Lift the right leg 20 cm above the ground, press and hold until fatigue. The same is done with the left leg. Do five reps for each leg.
Good effect gives massage and manual therapy. These procedures shall only be performed by a qualified technician. Incorrect execution of, a violation of techniques of conduct that can cause substantial damage. During a session of manual therapy is the hands of a specialist go through the entire back area, affecting at different levels (fascia, bone structure, etc).
Special attention is paid to the neural level. Specialist has a direct impact on neurons through the palpatory manipulation. A chiropractor can slow down or speed up the neural chain. Recently the growing popularity of acupuncture. The course consists of a series of operations and is designed for pain relief and muscle relaxation.
In the presence of excess weight need to be diet. Preference should be given to herbal, low-calorie food. Protein is one third of the daily diet. You can eat lean fish, poultry, meat, eggs. Also protein from leguminous plants, buckwheat, mushrooms, nuts (with them it is important not to overdo it). Fat should consume unsaturated (lamb, white fish, nuts, vegetable oils).
In diseases of the osteoarticular system, the important role of vitamins a and D. Vitamin A is found in greens, onions, vegetables, orange and yellow colours, fish oil, liver, egg yolk. Vitamin D is produced under the influence of sunlight. It is also possible to get small quantities of milk, butter, egg yolks, cod liver, caviar. For bone health should consume adequate amount of phosphorus (bran, lettuce, cabbage, cheese, fish) and calcium (liver, cheese, eggs, nuts, cabbage).
In the presence of pain in the back, it is best to consult the therapist on the basis of the collected data will be determined with further tactics. The presence of diseases of internal organs the patient undergoes a number of additional studies and sent to the experts. The main rule, which should be all patients to not self-treat with any disease manifestations, to immediately contact an expert.