One in two people on the planet experience lower back pain – this is confirmed by official statistics.And in fact, everyone has experienced pain in the spine of varying intensity, and it's not even worth talking about attacks in the lower back - they lifted something incorrectly, leaned over too much, slept in an uncomfortable position and the pain will certainly be present.
Lower back pain can be of absolutely varied nature: painful and pulling, acute and constant, paroxysmal and cutting, throbbing and local.Even the intensity of the syndrome in question is variable - the pain can appear suddenly, without visible preconditions, but it can constantly develop "more and more".
Lower back pain can be tolerated by a person relatively easily or cause immobility - it all depends on the individual tolerance of the syndrome and the psycho-emotional state of the patient.
Causes of lower back pain in men
Men, more often than women, work in extreme conditions - for example, at regularly low air temperatures, in conditions of high humidity, with the need to lift heavy objects, etc.It is not surprising that physiological factors take first place among the causes of lower back pain.
Pain in the lumbar spine in men can occur with prostatitis - an inflammatory process in the prostate.Please note: prostatitis manifests itself not only by pain in the lower back with radiation to the rectum, but also by disturbances in the urination process, throbbing discomfort in the groin and perineum, hyperthermia (increase in temperature).
If a man develops inflammation of the testicles (epididymitis), then pain in the lower back, combined with an increase in the size of the testicles and their tumor, may be the main reason for a comprehensive examination by an andrologist.
Causes of lower back pain in women
For the female patient category, lower back pain is typical for certain gynecological diseases/conditions:
- Adnexitis.Inflammation of the ovaries causes the development of constantly increasing pain in the lower back.It can be unilateral or bilateral - it all depends on the location of the inflammatory process.Low back pain accompanied by adnexitis is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, altered vaginal discharge, general weakness and increased pain during intimate relations.
- Pregnancy.This is a physiological state that is accompanied by excessive loads on all organs and systems - having a child a priori implies the functioning of the body "against wear and tear".Another factor in the occurrence of lower back pain during pregnancy is the threat of miscarriage/spontaneous abortion.
- Climax.During this period, the woman's body undergoes powerful changes, particularly in terms of hormonal balance.The level of estrogen in the blood becomes unstable, to which the nerve endings react - lower back pain can be explained by this factor.
Caution: Women are characterized by idiopathic lower back pain - its onset is unclear;doctors associate pain with the woman's psycho-emotional state and her low resistance to stress.
Common Causes of Lower Back Pain
This classification includes pain in the lumbar spine, which can occur due to internal pathologies in both men and women.The most frequently recorded factors and reasons:
- An attack of acute or chronic appendicitis.Of course, this pathology is characterized by pain in the right hypochondrium, but in some cases (depending on the physiological characteristics of the body and the intensity of the inflammatory process) pain may appear in the lower back on the right side.
- Chronic cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder).The pain syndrome in this case will be localized in the right hypochondrium with strong irradiation to the lower back - this means that the fibers of the spinal nerves are involved in the pathological process.
- Inflammatory/infectious processes in the kidneys.For them, lower back pain is considered the main symptom, to which are added hyperthermia (sustained increase in body temperature), morning swelling of the face and high blood pressure.
- Small intestine diseases.They are characterized by classic digestive disorders (stool problems, increased gas formation, intestinal colic) coupled with lower back pain.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).The pain in this pathology is of a girdle nature and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Please note: if lower back pain is caused precisely by pancreatitis, then when palpating the spine, the intensity of sensations does not change.
- Infectious pathologies.Not all infectious diseases cause lower back pain - this syndrome is characteristic only in cases of pathological damage to bone tissue.And the lower back most often hurts due to the heavy load on this particular part of the spine.
Doctors consider inflammatory processes in the muscles – myositis – to be the main cause of lower back pain in men and women.They are characterized by aching, constant pain with a gradual increase in intensity - based on this symptom and in the absence of other signs, a preliminary diagnosis can be made.
In addition, the syndrome in question may appear in patients diagnosed with stage 4 obesity - the load on the muscles and bones is too great, so the pain in the lower back will be constant, intensify and radiate to the legs.
Caution: Pain in the lumbar spine can be caused by the growth of malignant or benign tumors.But in this case, the diagnosis will not cause any problems - this syndrome does not appear at the first stage of cancer.
Illnesses always accompanied by lower back pain
There are a number of pathologies in which lower back pain is the main symptom:
- Lumbago.It is characterized by sharp, piercing pain, most often diagnosed in male patients and can be the result of a pinched sciatic nerve or displacement of multiple vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.Curvature of the vertebrae, which can be congenital or acquired.The disease process can affect any part of the spine;the following classification of the disease is typical for the lower back:
- habitual scoliosis, which develops in childhood and is a consequence of poor posture in the child;
- rickety appearance - final stage of childhood metabolic disorders;
- rheumatic – more often diagnosed in adult patients, always a consequence of serious joint pathologies;
- paralytic scoliosis.
- Osteochondrosis of an intervertebral nature.
- Herniation of the lumbar spine.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.It is more often diagnosed in postmenopausal women.
- Osteoporosis.This is a thinning of bone tissue whose causes are exclusively linked to age.In addition to pain in the lumbar spine, the patient is diagnosed with hernias, deformity of the spinal joints and cartilage problems.
- Phlebothrombosis.This is not an inflammatory process in the vessels, but their blockage - the disease is more common in older people.It is typical that with phlebothrombosis, lower back pain appears only during a long walk.
In addition, lower back pain can be caused by grade 3 or 4 atherosclerosis, obstructed blood circulation in inflamed vessels (various phlebitis), ankylosing spondylitis and other factors and causes.
You should definitely call a doctor and undergo a complete examination - the cause of the syndrome may be the development of serious pathology in the body.
Back pain: what to do?
To help you when you experience lower back pain, you should remember some recommendations from specialists:
- When the syndrome occurs for the first time, adopt a comfortable position and monitor the nature of the pain:
- when it appears, intensifies or attenuates;
- is it accompanied by nausea, headache, changes in physiological processes (urination, defecation);
- Is there an increase in temperature and foreign tastes in the oral cavity?
- If the cause of lower back pain is a bruise, sprain or injury, then you should do the following:
- take a drug from the group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- take a diuretic - this will help quickly eliminate swelling and speed up the process of eliminating inflammation;
- tighten the lower back with any fixing material - a special orthopedic belt, a towel, a scarf, an elastic bandage.
In any case, you will need to consult a doctor and undergo a complete examination - even the simplest injury to the spine and short-term pain in the lower back can be caused by a serious pathological process.
Actions contraindicated in case of lower back pain
The following manipulations are strictly prohibited:
- heating the area where the pain syndrome is localized without first determining the cause of its occurrence - this can provoke a powerful progression of the inflammatory process;
- take pain relievers if the cause of pain in the lumbar spine remains unclear;
- realign the vertebrae - many patients neglect this point and think that professional chiropractors will not cause any damage.In fact, the displacement of the vertebrae can be caused not only by intense physical stress, but also by various degenerative processes in cartilage and ligaments.The result of forced repositioning of a vertebra in place due to dystrophy of connective tissue or cartilage can be complete destruction of the latter and immobilization.
Treatment of lower back pain
Professional treatment of the pain syndrome in question is carried out only in a hospital setting.As a rule, after an examination (x-ray, CT scan, laboratory blood / urine tests, etc.), patients are prescribed medications that can quickly and with lasting effect relieve a pain attack.Then, depending on the general state of health, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, the doctor selects restorative therapy, and the patient undergoes a course of physiotherapy and massage.
Warning: you must learn to rest well after intense physical activity: lying on your back, legs raised low.If you have lower back pain after sleeping, you will need an orthopedic mattress, and if the pain becomes regular and severe, then doctors may proceed with a blockade.But this does not mean that after the disappearance of the syndrome in question, you will be able to calm down and not carry out treatment - attacks will recur more and more often.
Treatment of lower back pain with folk remedies
All means from the category of traditional medicine, aimed at restoring the function of the spine and eliminating lower back pain, can be used only if the etiology of the problem is clarified!Only in this case will they be truly effective and absolutely safe.
Some treatments for lower back pain:
- For osteochondrosis, you need to take wax, melt it and apply it hot to the lower back (at the place of pain).You need to put a warm scarf or handkerchief on it so that the warming procedure has a greater effect.Caution: the skin in the area of application of the melted wax must not show any visible damage or pathology from the field of dermatology.
- With regular stress, nervous breakdowns and lower back pain against the background of psycho-emotional disorders, St. John's wort can be used for treatment.Take 2 tablespoons of dry St. John's wort, pour 400 ml of boiling water and leave overnight.Then filter the infusion and take 100 ml at least 4 times a day.The duration of treatment is one week, even if the pain disappears on the second or third day, it is not recommended to interrupt taking St. John's wort infusion.
- When diagnosing the usual pinched nerves (for example, the sciatic nerve), red pepper tincture and fir oil are used.It is necessary to apply these components to the lower back, exactly in the area where the pain syndrome is located, twice a day for a week.Attention: first rub the pepper tincture onto the skin, then the fir oil.The number of procedures depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome - as soon as the condition returns to normal, treatment is stopped.
Regular massage helps a lot with habitual lower back pain.Doing it yourself is problematic, but our ancestors used the following method: you need to take a nylon / nylon stocking and tie three knots at the same distance.You have to rub your back with this stocking every day, it is entirely possible to do it yourself.
Lower back pain can be the consequence of various pathological conditions.Many usually “dismiss” this syndrome, attributing everything to excessive tension or nerves.But doctors warn: even periodically, non-intense pain in the lumbar spine may indicate the development of internal pathology.