Low back pain is very common. From time to time it occurs in 90% of the population, and it is not always possible to identify the real cause. More often, lower back pain occurs after intense physical activity and may indicate a back problem or internal organ disease. The diagnosis determines the treatment to be performed - conservative or surgical.
Causes and nature of pain
Lower back pain can be acute, sudden, occur after physical exertion and lead to a forced body position. Pain in the lower part of the spine is constant, aching or pulling, accompanied by stiffness, numbness, and tingling.
The intensity of pain in the lumbar region also varies: from mild, which does not interfere with daily life, to unbearable, which forces you to take painkillers and lie in bed. Sometimes the pain spreads to the back, affecting the buttocks, thighs and even legs.
The pain may go away on its own, but in the worst cases, it gets worse, causing discomfort and leading to limited movement. In order not to live with pain, you need to know the reason why your lower back hurts. Often, an initial diagnosis can be made based on the nature of the pain.
Shingles
Lower back pain is not limited to the lumbar region. They spread all over the back, along the torso, and can radiate to the lower abdomen, gluteal area and legs.
The most common cause of lumbar pain in the lower back is osteochondrosis. This is a chronic disease of the spine that leads to pinched nerve endings and pain. Symptoms are accompanied by sensory disturbances, numbness, and internal organ disturbances.
The source of girdle pain may be located above the lumbar level and is not associated with spinal disease. In this case, the patient only feels pain in the lower back, but the pain itself is localized in the chest area.
The cause of shingles pain in the lower back can be caused by diseases of internal organs, especially the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. For example, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, stomach or duodenal ulcer, pleurisy, pneumonia, heart attack.
Pain is caused by irritation of nerve fibers of the organ.
Pain below the lumbar level in the coccygeal area is a sign of diseases of the kidneys and reproductive organs.
When walking
The lumbar region is represented by 5 vertebrae, intervertebral discs and ligaments. Many nerve endings involved in walking depart from it. With any lower back disease, nerves may become pinched during movement, leading to lower back pain.
The intensity and nature of the pain depends on the scale of the lesion. If it hurts to move, then this is a sign of osteochondrosis or a herniated intervertebral disc. In the second case, severe pain occurs in the lower back while walking. It subsides a little when one is sitting.
The cause of lower back pain when walking can be excessive physical activity the day before. It appears only at the moment of movement and disappears at rest, there is no accompanying manifestation.
Acute pain
Acute pain in the lower back is also called lumbago or lumbago. It paralyzes and forces you to take a forced position. Attacks of severe back pain can last only a few minutes, and sometimes last for several days.
One of the common causes of back pain in the lumbar region is excessive physical activity, which leads to sprains, strains or muscle spasms. This can happen because of sudden movements, heavy lifting, poor body rotation, or awkward posture. Muscle inflammation is provoked by hypothermia or being in a draft.
If you sprain or strain while moving, the lower back hurts more.
The cause of severe back pain can be lumbosacral radiculitis or a herniated disc. In this case, when you stand, bend, or walk, your lower back hurts more.
The cause of acute lumbar pain can be other diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- osteochondrosis;
- facet joint arthrosis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- osteoporosis;
- spondylosis;
- spondylolisthesis;
- spinal cord injury;
- protrusion;
- infectious diseases of the spine (tuberculosis, epidural abscess, osteomyelitis);
- spinal canal stenosis;
- rachiocampsis;
- tumors;
- Bekhterev's disease.
The reason why the lower back and tailbone hurts can be diseases of internal organs. Acute pain syndrome occurs with cholecystitis, pancreatitis, inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system, pyelonephritis, renal colic, and abdominal artery aneurysm.
Constant pain
Constant pain in the lower back is often painful in nature. The intensity of pain can increase with hypothermia, physical activity, injury, or unsuccessful movement. A common symptom that accompanies lower back pain is stiffness of movement. It mainly manifests itself after resting.
The cause of persistent pain in the lumbar region is vascular pathology, which leads to poor circulation. For example, vascular atherosclerosis, phlebothrombosis, thrombophlebitis.
The lower back can also be painful due to inflammatory and degenerative processes of the musculoskeletal system.
Boring pain
Pain in the lower back often indicates diseases of the internal organs. If your back hurts in the back, this may be a symptom of the following diseases:
- pyelonephritis;
- kidney stone disease;
- endometriosis;
- inflammation of the uterus or appendages;
- ectopic pregnancy.
The peculiarity of all these diseases is that lower back pain occurs against the background of a general deterioration in well-being.
If the spine hurts in the middle, then this indicates pancreatitis or cholecystitis.
When you are sitting
If the lower back hurts while sitting, this indicates excessive physical activity or a serious pathology of the spine. In this case, the pain in the lower back is sharp or burning. Dull pain, on the other hand, can be caused by a sedentary lifestyle.
The reason why the lower back hurts after sitting is a pinched intervertebral disc.
If the cause is radiculitis, hernia, tumor, protrusion, then when standing the lower back hurts more.
Pain can occur with diseases of the pelvic organs and kidneys.
When you stand up
If your lower back hurts a lot when standing, it could be radiculitis. To reduce the pain, you should change your position. The lumbar spine may hurt in an upright position due to a hernia.
Which doctor treats back pain?
If your lower back hurts, you should contact the following specialists for treatment:
- orthopedic specialist;
- neurologist;
- vertebrologist
Osteopaths, reflexologists or chiropractors can participate in therapy. Sometimes the help of surgeons, gastroenterologists, gynecologists, urologists, nephrologists and oncologists is needed.
Going to the hospital is mandatory in the following cases:
- pain caused by injury;
- pain extending to the back, accompanied by other symptoms (numbness, urinary or faecal incontinence);
- lasts more than 3 days or reappears after a while.
Diagnostics
To understand why there may be pain in the lumbar region, the doctor conducts a visual examination and listens to the patient's complaints. Based on what he sees and hears, he makes a clinical picture and can make a diagnosis or prescribe additional examinations.
During the examination, it is important to determine the cause-and-effect relationship.
Diagnosis of pain in the lumbar region may include the following examination methods:
- blood and urine tests;
- X-ray of the spine;
- CT or MRI;
- Ultrasound of abdominal organs;
- chest x-ray;
- ECG;
- fibrogastroduodenoscopy.
Treatment
If lower back pain occurs, treatment directly depends on the cause. Immediately after the onset of a painful attack, it is worth limiting physical activity for 2-3 days, but bed rest is also not recommended. It is best to sleep in the fetal position with a pillow between your knees. This way the rear is unloaded.
If the pain is severe, you can take painkillers. If the pain occurs as a result of an injury, you should apply cold to the painful area.
For spinal canal stenosis, injection restrictions with steroid and analgesic drugs are used.
Don't forget that long-term use of painkillers is not an option. Tablets only mask the problem, and do not get rid of it.
Pain is most often treated with drugs (NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, vitamin complexes), massage, manual therapy, exercise therapy (Bubnovsky complex) and physiotherapeutic procedures. Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular for relieving muscle tension.
Usually, the pain can be relieved within 4-6 weeks.
If conservative therapy is ineffective (especially in the case of a hernia), surgical intervention is performed. During the operation, the hernia is removed. Patients immediately feel significant relief.
What can't you do?
You should not self-medicate or use painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs for a long time. If the pain does not subside within 3 days, you should visit a doctor.
You can't do a set of exercises on your own. To prevent the pain from getting worse, an exercise program should be prescribed by a specialist. In cases of exacerbation of spinal disease, massage and physical exercise are generally contraindicated until relief occurs.
In the event of an injury, you should not adjust the vertebra yourself or heat the affected area.
Prevention
Preventive measures:
- do not lift weights;
- do not make sudden movements, avoid excessive physical exertion;
- sleep on a hard mattress;
- adhere to a rest regime;
- lead an active lifestyle, walk at least 1 hour a day;
- for sedentary work, do it every 40-50 minutes. warm-up break;
- do exercises every day, hanging on a useful horizontal bar;
- don't be too cold;
- Nutritious food;
- take a vitamin complex that contains calcium.
To avoid back pain, you should not strain your back. We must not forget that the function of internal organs depends on the health of the spine.
If your back hurts, you don't have to hesitate; you need to get help from a doctor. They will determine the true cause and help prevent serious health problems.