Every second person on the planet is familiar with pain in the lower back - this is confirmed by official statistics.And in fact, everyone experienced pain in the spine of varying intensity, and it is not even worth talking about attacks in the lower back - they lifted something incorrectly, bent too sharply, slept in an uncomfortable position, and the pain will definitely be present.
Pain in the lower back can be of a completely different nature: painful and pulling, sharp and constant, paroxysmal and cutting, shooting and local.Even the intensity of the syndrome in question is variable - the pain can appear suddenly, without apparent prerequisites, but it can develop constantly "increasingly".
Pain in the lower back can be tolerated by a person relatively easily or can 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.Not surprisingly, physiological factors are the number one cause of lower back pain.
Pain in the lumbar spine in men can occur with prostatitis - an inflammatory process in the prostate gland.Please note: prostatitis manifests itself not only with pain in the lower back with radiation in the rectum, there are also disorders in the process of urination, unpleasant sensations in the groin and perineum, hyperthermia (increased 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 full examination by an andrologist.
Causes of lower back pain in women
For the female category of patients, pain in the lower back is characteristic of some gynecological diseases/conditions:
- Adnexitis.Inflammation of the ovaries provokes the development of constantly increasing pain in the lower back.It can be unilateral or bilateral - it all depends on the localization of the inflammatory process.Low back pain with adnexitis is accompanied by increased body temperature, altered vaginal discharge, general weakness and increased pain during intercourse.
- Pregnancy This is a physiological state that is accompanied by an excessive load on all organs and systems - the birth of a child presupposes the functioning of the body "for wear and tear".Another factor in the occurrence of lower back pain during pregnancy is the threat of miscarriage/miscarriage.
- Climax.During this period, a woman's body undergoes powerful changes, including hormonal balance.The level of estrogen in the blood becomes unstable, to which the nerve endings react - pain in the lower back can be explained by this factor.
Please note: women are characterized by idiopathic pain in the lower back - their appearance is unclear;doctors associate the pain with the psycho-emotional state of the woman and her minimal 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 causes:
- 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 radiation in 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, the main symptom is considered pain in the lower back, to which are added hyperthermia (prolonged increase in body temperature), morning swelling of the face and high blood pressure.
- Diseases of the small intestine.They are characterized by standard digestive disorders (problems with stools, increased gas formation, intestinal colic) combined with pain in the lower back.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).The pain in this pathology is dangerous and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Please note: if the pain in the lower back is caused precisely by pancreatitis, then there are no changes in the intensity of sensations when palpating the spine.
- Infectious pathologies.Not all infectious diseases cause pain in the lower back - this syndrome is characteristic only in cases where pathological damage to bone tissue occurs.And the lower back hurts most often due to the heavy load on this part of the spine.
Doctors believe that inflammatory processes in the muscles - myositis - are the main cause of lower back pain in men and women.They are characterized by painful, 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 can 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, intensifying and radiating to the legs.
Please note: pain in the lumbar spine can be caused by the growth of malignant or benign tumors.But in this case, there will be no problems with the diagnosis - this syndrome does not appear in the first stage of cancer.
Diseases are always accompanied by pain in the lower back
There are a number of pathological conditions in which pain in the lower back is the main symptom:
- Lumbago.It is characterized by sharp, stabbing pain, most commonly diagnosed in male patients, and may result from pinching of the sciatic nerve or displacement of several vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.Distortion of the vertebrae, which can be congenital or acquired.The pathological process can affect any part of the spine;the following classification of the disease is characteristic of the lower back:
- usual scoliosis, which develops in childhood and is a consequence of incorrect posture of the child;
- rachitic type - the last stage of metabolic disorders in childhood;
- rheumatic - more often diagnosed in elderly patients, it is always a consequence of serious pathologies in the joints;
- paralytic scoliosis.
- Osteochondrosis of an intervertebral character.
- Hernia of the lumbar spine.
- Arthritis of the rheumatoid type.It is more often diagnosed in menopausal women.
- osteoporosis.This is a thinning of the bone tissue, the causes of which are exclusively related to age.In addition to pain in the lumbar spine, the patient is diagnosed with a hernia, deformation 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 the elderly.Characteristically, with phlebothrombosis, the pain in the lower back appears only during a long walk.
In addition, pain in the lower back can be caused by atherosclerosis 3-4 degree, obstructed blood flow through inflamed vessels (various phlebitis), ankylosing spondylitis and other factors and causes.
You should definitely call a doctor and undergo a full examination - the cause of the syndrome may be the development of severe pathology in the body.
Pain in the lower back - what to do?
To help yourself with lower back pain, you should remember a few recommendations from specialists:
- When the syndrome first appears, take a comfortable position and observe the nature of the pain:
- at what time it arises, intensifies or subsides;
- is it accompanied by nausea, headache, changes in physiological processes (urination, defecation);
- Is there an increase in temperature and a foreign taste 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 non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- take a diuretic - this will help quickly get rid of swelling and speed up the process of removing inflammation;
- tighten the lower back with any fixing material - a special orthopedic belt, towel, scarf, 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 that are contraindicated in low back pain
The following manipulations are strictly prohibited:
- heat 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 painkillers if the cause of pain in the lumbar spine remains unclear;
- align the vertebrae - many patients miss this point and believe that professional chiropractors will not cause harm.In fact, the displacement of the vertebrae can be caused not only by strong physical stress, but also by various degenerative processes in the cartilages and ligaments.The result of forced repositioning of a vertebra in place due to dystrophy of connective tissue or cartilage can be its complete destruction and immobilization.
Treatment of lower back pain
Professional treatment of the pain syndrome in question is carried out only in a hospital.As a rule, after an examination (x-ray, computed tomography, laboratory tests of blood / urine, etc.), patients are prescribed drugs that can quickly and with a long-lasting effect relieve pain.Then, depending on the general state of health, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, the doctor chooses restorative therapy, and the patient undergoes a course of physical therapy and massages.
Please note: you need to learn how to rest properly after heavy physical exertion: lie on your back with your legs raised low.If your lower back hurts after sleep, you will need an orthopedic mattress, and if the pain becomes regular and severe, then doctors can make a block.But this does not mean that after the disappearance of the syndrome in question, you can calm down and not conduct treatment - the attacks will recur more and more often.
Treatment of lower back pain with folk remedies
All means from the category of traditional medicine, which are designed to restore the function of the spine and get rid of pain in the lower back, 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).On top, you need to put a scarf or a warm handkerchief so that the warming procedure has a greater effect.Please note: the skin in the area of application of the melted wax must not have any damage or visible pathologies from the field of dermatology.
- With regular stress, nervous breakdowns and pain in the lower back 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 strain the infusion and take 100 ml at least 4 times a day.The course of treatment is one week, even if the pain disappears on the second or third day, it is not recommended to stop taking St. John's wort infusion.
- In the diagnosis of commonly pinched nerves (for example, the sciatic nerve), a tincture of cayenne pepper and fir oil is 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.Please note: hot pepper tincture is rubbed into the skin first, then fir oil.The number of procedures depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome - as soon as the condition normalizes, the treatment is stopped.
Regular massage helps a lot with common lower back pain.Doing it yourself is problematic, but our ancestors used the following method: you need to take a nylon / nylon stocking and make three knots at the same distance.You should rub your back with this sock every day - it is quite possible to do it yourself.
Pain in the lower back can be a consequence of various pathological conditions.Many usually "write off" this syndrome, attributing everything to excessive tension or nerves.But doctors warn: even periodically occurring, not intense pain in the lumbar spine may indicate the development of internal pathology.