Low back pain is a common symptom present in 80% of the population. Painful sensations in the lumbar region occur with physical damage to this part of the body or progression of the disease. You can't ignore the pain. This is one of the first symptoms of serious back problems. If you feel pain in the lumbar region, you should contact a medical facility. The doctor of the clinic will diagnose and develop the optimal course of treatment.
Causes of back pain
Painful sensations develop when exposed to the following factors:
- injury to the nerve roots leaving the spine in the lumbar region;
- lumbar spine hernia;
- impaired posture;
- sciatica of the lower back;
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- genetic changes, for example, different lengths of the lower limbs;
- osteochondrosis of the intervertebral type;
- diseases of the renal system;
- malignant neoplasm;
- impaired metabolism;
- arthritis;
- inflammation around the blood vessel;
- atherosclerotic lesion of the vascular canals of grade 3 and higher;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- postoperative complication;
- appendicitis, the pain syndrome is localized in the right iliac region, can be given on the right side of the waist;
- inflammatory process of the pancreas;
- Overweight;
- infectious diseases of the bone tissue, characterized by acute painful sensations in the lumbar region.
In women, the following causes of lumbar back pain are distinguished:
- the process of carrying a child;
- adnexitis, characterized by pain in the lower abdomen that radiates to the lumbar region.
- Men also have specific causes of pain:
- inflammatory process of the prostate gland;
- epididymitis, localized in the groin area, the pain may spread to the lumbar spine and lower extremities.
Types of back pain
There are several types of pain syndrome, depending on its duration:
Recurrent back pain
The discomfort and pain disappear after removal of the lesion and complete recovery of the patient. Kidney pain develops with excessive exercise. Periodic painful sensations progress to the acute form of diseases of the internal organs.
Constant back pain
Common causes of persistent pain:
- disorders of the circulatory system in the lower extremities;
- dystrophic process of bone tissue and cartilage;
- inflammatory diseases of the spine and bones.
Less often, the lasting nature of the painful sensations occurs when the muscle tissue and internal organs are injured, which is explained by the beginning of a dystrophic process. Modern medicine is not able to completely stop the destruction of bone tissue.
Diagnostic methods
Before prescribing drugs and other procedures, doctors make a diagnosis. The anamnesis is collected, the nature and localization of the painful sensations are taken into account. Diagnosis includes ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, X-ray of the spine, endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract, delivery of biochemical tests of blood cells and urine. If the lower back hurts and the doctor suspects the development of a malignant neoplasm, the blood is tested for tumor markers.
The following methods are used in clinics to accurately identify the causes of back pain:
Which doctor to go to
At the first sign of pain, make an appointment with an orthopedist or neurologist. The doctor will listen to the complaints, examine them, send them for examination. Diagnose and prescribe effective treatment.
Treatment of low back pain
After the diagnosis, the doctor prepares a course of treatment, which is complex in nature. Prescribed drugs, physiotherapy procedures. If possible, manual therapy is used. In case of severe development of the disease, which caused pain in the lumbar region, surgery is prescribed. Depending on the severity of the painful sensations, physical education may be prescribed or prohibited. In bright acute pain, exercise is contraindicated.
The following techniques are used in clinics to treat low back pain:
Effects
In the absence of therapy for back pain and the cause of the symptom, a number of complications develop:
- painful sensations spread further, healthy tissues are affected;
- the work of the cardiovascular system deteriorates;
- in severe cases, paralysis of the upper and lower limbs is possible.
Prevention of back pain
To avoid the development of painful sensations in the lumbar region, the following recommendations should be followed:
- for sleep use a mattress with a medium hardness;
- when sedentary work do lumbar exercises once an hour;
- avoid sudden body movements;
- to give up the use of alcoholic beverages, smoking, drugs;
- physical education daily;
- avoid lumbar hypothermia;
- sleep in the correct posture;
- follow a balanced diet;
- control stand;
- avoid stressful situations;
- timely treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases;
- in case of painful sensations in the lumbar region, contact a medical institution for advice;
- to undergo timely prophylactic examinations to detect diseases of the lumbar spine.