Every second person on the planet is familiar with back pain - this is confirmed by official statistics.And in fact, everyone has 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 an absolutely different nature: aching and pulling, acute and constant, paroxysmal and cutting, shooting and local.Even the intensity of the syndrome in question is variable - the pain can appear suddenly, without obvious preconditions, but it can develop continuously "more and more".
Back pain can be tolerated by a person relatively easily, or it can cause immobility - it all depends on the individual tolerance of the syndrome and the psycho-emotional state of the patient.
Causes of back pain in men
Men, more often than women, work in extreme conditions - for example, in regularly low air temperatures, in high humidity conditions, with the need to lift heavy objects, etc.It is not surprising that physiological factors are in the first place among the causes of pain in the lower back.
Lumbar pain in men can occur with prostatitis - an inflammatory process in the prostate gland.Please note: prostatitis is manifested not only by pain in the lower back with radiation to the rectum, there are also disturbances in the process of urination, annoying discomfort in the groin and perineum, hyperthermia (increased temperature).
If a man develops inflammation of the testicles (epididymitis), then pain in the lower back, together with an increase in the size of the testicles and their tumor, may be the main reason for a complete examination by an andrologist.
Causes of back pain in women
For the female category of patients, back pain is typical of several 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 location of the inflammatory process.Lumbar pain with adnexitis is associated with increased body temperature, change in vaginal secretions, general weakness and increased pain during intercourse.
- Pregnancy.This is a physiological condition, which is associated with excessive loads on all organs and systems - the birth of a child a priori means the functioning of the body "for consumption".Another factor in the occurrence of back pain during pregnancy is the threat of miscarriage/miscarriage.
- The 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 - back pain 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 woman's psycho-emotional state and her minimal resistance to stress.
Common causes of 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) the pain can 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 spinal nerve fibers are involved in the pathological process.
- Inflammatory/infectious processes in the kidneys.For them, the main symptom is back pain, to which are added hyperthermia (constant 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, abdominal pain in the intestines) accompanied by pain in the lower back.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).The pain in this pathology is of the nature of the belt and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Please note: if back pain is caused precisely by pancreatitis, then upon palpation of the spine there are no changes in the intensity of sensations.
- Infectious pathologies.Not all infectious diseases cause pain in the lower back - this syndrome is characteristic only in cases where pathological bone tissue damage occurs.And the lower back hurts more often because of the heavy load on this particular part of the spine.
Doctors consider that inflammatory processes in the muscles - myositis - are the main cause of back pain in both men and women.They are characterized by pain, 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 always associated with pain in the lower back
There are a number of pathological conditions in which back pain is the main symptom:
- Lumbago.It is characterized by acute, piercing pain, most often diagnosed in male patients and may be the result of compression of the sciatic nerve or displacement of several vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.Vertebral curvature, which can be congenital or acquired.The pathological process can affect any part of the spine;The following disease classification is typical for the lower back:
- common scoliosis, which develops in childhood and is a consequence of the child's incorrect posture;
- rachitic appearance - the final stage of metabolic disorders in childhood;
- rheumatic – more often diagnosed in adult patients, always a consequence of serious joint pathologies;
- paralytic scoliosis.
- Osteochondrosis of an intervertebral nature.
- Hernia of the lumbar spine.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.It is most often diagnosed in menopausal women.
- Osteoporosis.This is the thinning of bone tissue, the causes of which are exclusively related to age.In addition to pain in the spine, the patient is diagnosed with hernia, deformation of the vertebral 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 phlebotrombosis, back pain appears only during a long walk.
In addition, back pain can be caused by atherosclerosis of degree 3-4, obstruction of blood flow through 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 a serious pathology in the body.
Pain in the lower back - what to do?
To help yourself when you experience lower back pain, you should remember some recommendations from specialists:
- When the syndrome appears for the first time, take a comfortable position and monitor the nature of the pain:
- at what time it arises, intensifies or decreases;
- is it accompanied by nausea, headaches, changes in physiological processes (urination, defecation);
- Is there an increase in temperature and foreign tastes in the oral cavity?
- If the cause of the 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 to quickly remove swelling and accelerate 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 thorough 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 for 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 strong progression of the inflammatory process;
- take sedatives if the cause of pain in the lumbar spine remains unclear;
- realign the vertebrae - many patients miss this point and believe that professional chiropractors will do no harm.In fact, displacement of vertebrae can be caused not only by strong physical stress, but also by various degenerative processes in cartilage and ligaments.The result of the violent restoration of a vertebra in place due to dystrophy of connective tissue or cartilage can be the complete destruction of the latter and immobilization.
Back pain treatment
Professional treatment of the pain syndrome in question is carried out only in the hospital.As a rule, after an examination (x-rays, computed tomography, blood/urine laboratory tests, etc.), patients are prescribed medications that can quickly and with a long-lasting effect relieve a pain attack.Then, depending on the general state of health, non-steroidal 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 activity: lying on your back with your legs raised down.If your lower back hurts after sleeping, you will need an orthopedic mattress, and if the pain becomes regular and strong, then doctors can do a block.But this does not mean that after the disappearance of the syndrome in question, you can calm down and not carry out treatment - the attacks will recur more and more often.
Treatment of back pain with folk remedies
Any tool from the category of traditional medicine, which aims to restore the function of the spine and get rid of back pain, can only be used if the etiology of the problem is clarified!Only in this case will they be truly effective and absolutely safe.
Some treatments for back pain:
- For osteochondrosis, you need to take wax, melt it and apply it hot to the lower back (in the place of pain).You need to put a scarf or a warm handkerchief on top, so that the heating procedure has a greater effect.Please note: the skin in the area where the melted wax is applied must not have visible damage or pathology from the field of dermatology.
- With regular stress, nervous breakdown 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 has disappeared on the second or third day, it is not recommended to stop taking St. John's wort infusion.
- When diagnosing common pinched nerves (for example, the sciatic nerve), a tincture of hot red 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: first, hot pepper solution is rubbed into the skin, and then fir oil.The number of procedures depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome - as soon as the condition returns to normal, the treatment is stopped.
Regular massage helps a lot with common 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.
Back pain can be the result of various pathological conditions.Many usually "dismiss" this syndrome, attributing everything to tension or excessive nerves.But doctors warn: even periodic, non-intense pains in the lumbar spine can indicate the development of internal pathology.