Back pain in the lumbar region is common.By the age of 30, these sensations manifest themselves in 70% of people, regardless of the type of work, lifestyle and physical activity.Ignoring back pain is fraught with undesirable health consequences, since these symptoms already indicate disturbances in the functioning of the body.
During a consultation with a neurologist:
- Conducts an inspection;
- Listen to patient complaints;
- Make a preliminary diagnosis;
- If necessary, will refer for further research;
- will prescribe an individual course of treatment.
Causes of back pain
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region differ in the etiology of origin and require determination of the area of pain and analysis of its character.It is customary to distinguish:
- epicritic pain: severe back pain in the lower back with a distinct focus;
- protopathic pain: annoying, aching pain that reflects diseases of other anatomical areas.
The frequency of onset, duration of pain and affected area are significant.Often the back fails due to:
- age-related changes, which reduce the ability of the spine to perform shock-absorbing functions;
- stress when carrying a child;
- vertebral displacements, trauma and compression fractures;
- spinal deformities;
- intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord.
If lower back pain limits mobility and prevents you from bending, then we are talking about a sprain.A feeling of numbness, increased pain when coughing, sneezing, sensation spreads to the lower extremities - these are nerve-radicular syndromes.Long-term increased pain is explained by problems with internal organs.
Back pain in the lumbar region on the right occurs due to muscle spasms, irritation of nerve fibers, problems with the musculoskeletal system or spine.Problems with the liver, right kidney, right ovary (in women), intestines and gallbladder affect.Similar reasons lead a person to have back pain in the left lumbar region.However, in this case, with protopathic pain, you should pay attention to the left kidney, left ovary (in women), stomach, intestines and pancreas.
If the left side hurts from the back of the lower back or from the right side in the morning after sleep and long immobility, this indicates spondyloarthrosis.Sharp pain when the temperature changes (in the shower or due to hypothermia) is a manifestation of acute low back pain.
In case of painful pain, it is advisable for men to consult a urologist first and for women a gynecologist.It will be necessary to perform an ultrasound of the internal organs, blood and urine tests.When examining the spine, MRI of the lumbar region gives good results.
Protopathic back pain above the lower back is caused by a number of reasons:
- kidney disease;
- heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction);
- pleurisy;
- pneumonia;
- diseases of the esophagus;
- appendicitis;
- inflammation of the gallbladder.
Acute back pain over the lower back with:
- radiculitis;
- osteochondrosis with disc displacement;
- spinal and rib injuries;
- myositis (muscle inflammation).
Back pain under the lower back is caused by musculoskeletal morphofunctional changes - osteochondrosis or spondyloarthrosis.In this case, patients feel severe back pain under the lower back.
How to relieve back pain
If you have been experiencing sharp pain in your lower back, you can relieve the discomfort with simple steps.You should lie down on a horizontal surface and relax.Keep in mind that a soft feather bed that sags significantly under your weight will not work.The legs should be placed on an elevation, relieving the load from the spine.
After the discomfort has ceased to be felt, you should carefully roll over on your side and get on all fours.The purpose of such "gymnastics" is to minimize the load on the back.You need to straighten up and stand using a support, holding it with your hands.A lumbar belt for low back pain allows you to fix this area of the body, while also reducing pain.At the same time, it should capture not only the diseased area, but also the body part above and below it.At the same time, analgesics can be used to relieve pain and relieve inflammation.They can be used in the form of tablets or as injections for pain in the back and lower back (in this case, block injections are performed only in a clinical setting).
After eliminating the symptoms, you should definitely go to the clinic.Self-medication is unacceptable.Using an ointment for back pain and lumbago and a belt, the patient can endure pain for a long time, aggravating his condition.As a result, the back muscles weaken and the pain enters a chronic stage.Abuse of painkillers can be addictive.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region
If your lifestyle causes periodic muscle spasms (this can be caused by sports or physical work), then you should have muscle relaxants in your home medicine cabinet.But these drugs should also be prescribed by a doctor after consultation.In the treatment of low back pain, depending on the diagnosis, various measures are used:
- Reflexology. It includes acupuncture (injections with special needles into certain areas) and electroacupuncture (use of electrical pulses).It can also be carried out in the form of transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (suppression of the pain signal entering the brain).
- Physiotherapy. Magnetic and laser therapy techniques, as well as medicinal electrophoresis and phonophoresis, are used, which increase the effectiveness of the use of drugs.
- Therapeutic exercise and massage. These measures are effective for spinal diseases and rehabilitation after injuries.Requires specialist supervision.
- Surgery. It may be necessary for hernias that cause compression of the spinal cord or spinal root.
Treatment is often complex and combines different approaches.The duration and effectiveness of therapy depend on the timeliness of treatment.