Many patients, having just crossed the threshold of the doctor's office, holding their lower back, ask: "Why does the lower back hurt and what drugs will help with this pain? "
Unfortunately, everything is not so simple and you can choose the right method of treatment only after identifying the causes that caused the pain.
Many people go through life with mild to moderate lower back pain and accept it as normal. But even if you have been suffering from non-stop mild or severe tingling in the lower back for a significant period of time, you should see a therapist to diagnose the problem. After all, if you do not take measures in time, the situation will worsen.
Although back pain is not the most serious disease, over time it will cause a lot of pain and cause a lot of discomfort.
Primary and secondary pain syndrome
The causes of lower back pain can be very different, and only after you fully understand what caused them, you can begin to treat this ailment.
According to the medical classification of diseases, a primary and secondary pain syndrome is distinguished, which occurs in the lumbar region.
Primary pain syndrome is formed against the background of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the spine. These include osteochondrosis, in which the cartilage and bone tissues are damaged, and spondyloarthritis, which affects the intervertebral or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndrome can occur for a number of reasons. First of all, the lower back hurts constantly with curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Also, this condition can be observed due to metabolic disorders of the bone tissue (osteoporosis or osteomalacia).
Very often, the cause of pain in the lumbar region is inflammation of a non-infectious nature (Ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ).
A fairly dangerous cause of pain in the lower back is the fracture of the vertebrae of the spine.
The pain syndrome can be the result of various infectious diseases that lead to damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, epidural abscess).
The lower back hurts with acute disorders of the vertebral circulation (stroke conditions), as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).
In some pathologies, back pain is reflected. This happens when organs located in the pelvic region are affected (gynecological pathologies, STDs, renal colic).
Pain is often experienced when stretching the lumbar muscles. The lower back hurts a lot when the intervertebral discs in the lumbar region are displaced. At the same time, due to severe pain, the patient takes a forced position of the body, and his mobility when walking is also very limited.
Coxarthrosis (arthropathy of the hip joint) is also often the cause of secondary pain.
Other causes of back pain
Often, acute lumbar pain occurs due to unsuccessful movement, prolonged work in an uncomfortable position, improper lifting or carrying of weights, falling or hitting, sudden straightening with simultaneous turning, as well as prolonged hypothermia or exposure to electricity. All these "accidents" can cause spasm and inflammation of the deep muscles of the back.
Many patients note that the lower back often hurts after sleeping. There are reasons for that too. The simplest of them is the awkward position of the body in a dream. For those who like to sleep on their stomach, the muscles of the lumbar back are in constant tension, which causes pain to appear. Sometimes such a painful situation is due to the fact that the bed or pillow itself does not fit the person. That's why experts recommend sleeping on an orthopedic mattress to fully relax your back.
Also, morning lumbar pain can be a symptom of diseases of internal organs. Thus, pathologies of the circulatory, digestive and genitourinary systems are accompanied by back pain.
Lower back pain as a cause of negative emotions
Few of the patients realize that the lower back is one of the most psychosomatic parts of the body, and therefore reacts very strongly to intense stress and excitement.
Anger, anger, irritability or intense fear contribute to the release of significant doses of adrenaline into the blood. As a result - an increase in the tone of the back muscles. And in the event that there is insufficient discharge, the muscles that are in increased tone gradually begin to tighten. And then - spasm and pain syndrome. It should be noted that spinal disorders develop very often in people with an unstable psyche, and for such patients psychotherapy is the best method of treatment.
Lower back pain during pregnancy
Many pregnant women worry about the causes of lower back pain. In early pregnancy, this may be due to kidney or urinary tract disease. Also during this period, the production of progesterone increases, due to which there is an insignificant softening of the ligaments, which can cause lumbar pain.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the belly grows significantly, the load on the spine increases a lot, and as a result, there are pulling pains in the lumbar back.
Severe lower back pain during pregnancy can sometimes be the cause of a neurological disease (herniated disc or sciatica).
What to do if your back hurts
First of all, if the back pain does not subside within three days, a consultation with a neurologist is required. Only a specialist can develop a correct therapeutic strategy, which will depend on the severity of the patient's condition.
As a rule, most lower back pain requires conservative treatment, however, sometimes there are cases where it is impossible to do without surgery.
When prescribing conservative treatment, three main goals are pursued:
- Relieve the patient from pain.
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to slow down degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.
- Rapid return of the patient to normal life.
First of all, we all need to learn how to properly relax after physical exertion. To do this, you need to take a horizontal position on a hard surface and for better relaxation, put a pillow under your knees.
Patients with reduced motor activity are advised not to stay in bed for more than 2-3 days, even if they have pain (of course not very strong), as this significantly weakens the paraspinal muscles. With persistent pain syndrome with recurrence of pain in the leg, an orthopedic consultation is necessary.
In the event that osteochondrosis is diagnosed, complex drug therapy is prescribed with the help of drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nerve tissue.
To eliminate back pain, paraspinal blocks have been well proven. Such injections help relieve inflammation and muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain.
When a herniated disc is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique involves removing a hernia that compresses the root and creating conditions for its recovery.