What to do when your lower back hurts

Low back pain is a common phenomenon that occurs regardless of age, but is more common in adults. There can be many reasons - from physiological factors to disease. Sometimes back pain occurs briefly and passes quickly. However, pain in the lumbar region can be a sign of a serious illness, and in these cases an urgent need to see a doctor.

Reasons

There are many reasons for acute lower back pain, they are strictly individual for each patient. The most important of these are diseases and changes in the spine, which can respond to irreversible consequences.

Main (most common)

The most common reasons are:

1. Osteochondrosis. Unpleasant movement causes pressure on the roots of the nerve trunk of the spinal cord. The burning and nagging do not stop during the day, if you lift something heavy, only hellish pains occur in the lower back.
2. Herniated disc. Typically, the hernia is localized in the lower back, and any sudden movement of the trunk leads to compression of the nerve roots.
3. Radiculitis. In lumbosacral radiculitis, a shooting pain syndrome occurs. Causes weight lifting or unsuccessful movements. The sharp pain restricts the patient's movement so much that he is unable to straighten up and remains in the same position he was in when the attack occurred.
4. Vertebral displacement. This problem is characterized by shooting pain in the lower back and somewhat lower stiffness of movement. This pathology is accompanied by disorders of urination and bowel function.
5. Facet Syndrome. When the veneers of the intervertebral discs expand both above and below, the intervertebral foramen shrinks. In this case, unpleasant sensations occur that come suddenly and occur more than once a month. Leaning back, the patient feels discomfort in his back.
6. Epidural abscess. Accumulation of pus in the spinal cord occurs due to infectious diseases of the urinary system. In addition to pain, fever, weakness, and fever occur.

These are the causes - the consequences of spinal cord disease.

The lower back can get sick due to a difference in leg length of 2-3 cm. The man has difficulty moving, the pain is felt in the back due to the constant curvature of the spine.

Overload and physical fatigue

In addition to serious illnesses, severe pain in the lumbar spine is the result of great overload and a sharp tilt of the torso forward. Also, this problem occurs when the temperature effect on the body is disturbed. The sources of these pains are:

1. Muscle stretching. Worsening of muscle tension in the lower back occurs due to physical overload. Squeezing the muscles causes pain and reduces mobility. This problem occurs in athletes and people who are intensely involved.
2. Neuralgia. Hypothermia of the back leads to neuralgia - irritation or compression of the nerves. The pathology manifests itself in different ways: sometimes in the form of seizures, followed by redness of the affected area, tremors, tissue edema and heavy sweating.
3. Myositis. Lumbar pain and discomfort begin at night, as well as a sudden rise, a change in weather conditions, after hypothermia and overexertion.

Frequent colds, reduced immunity, spinal trauma after a blow or fall, fresh and old, can cause an attack.

Disorders of internal organs

Sometimes pain in the lumbar zone due to damage to other organs: heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, gallbladder. During inhalation, lumbar pain syndrome diverges along all nerve channels. The causes of this pathology are often:

1. Pyelonephritis. It is a contagious inflammation of the kidneys and urinary tract. The pain is usually dull, but the attacks occur with cold, weakness, nausea and vomiting and fever.
2. Urolithiasis. The problem is revealed as a sudden sharp pain that becomes unbearable with long walks and hard work. The attack was accompanied by nausea, vomiting and blood in the urine.
3. Ectopic pregnancy. If there is a rupture of the fallopian tubes with abortion, there is a shooting pain, which radiates to the groin, rectum. The rupture is accompanied by loss of consciousness, and a miscarriage creates a hematoma in the peritoneal cavity.
4. Pelvioperitonitis. This is a transient inflammatory process of uterine appendages. The woman has excruciating pain in her groin and back. In addition to the existing discomfort, chills, fever, and palpitations are added.
5. Tumors of various origins. Cancers with metastases cause painful attacks when pressure is applied to nerve endings. There are often no initial signs of illness.

It is more difficult to diagnose lesions of internal organs with attacks of severe pain in the lower back. Therefore, you should contact a specialist immediately or call an ambulance. In some cases, the delay can lead to serious health problems and even death.

Lower back pain is felt in almost all pregnant women. This is due to the restructuring of the body and the increase of the load on it. It can also be caused by difficult or complicated births.

Symptoms of possible diseases

Pain syndrome most often occurs in the background of pinched nerve, osteochondrosis, deformity and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, nerve root irritation. Muscle cramps can also cause back discomfort in the lumbar region. Characteristics of symptomatology for various diseases:

1. In lumbago, changes begin in the lumbar vertebrae. Initially, acute pain can be controlled with medication. However, mobility remains limited.
2. In sciatica, the symptoms move lower - to the upper surface of the legs and buttocks. If there is no timely treatment, the disease becomes a constant companion and can cause other diseases.
3. Osteochondrosis provokes the development of other diseases of the spine. Therefore, the pain can occur not only in the lower back, but can spread to the entire post.
4. Scoliosis is characterized by skeletal curvature, degenerative changes. The chronic form may be asymptomatic, in other cases there is pain in the bones.
5. Dull and traction pains are typical for diseases of internal organs (mainly genitourinary system and kidneys), benign and malignant tumors.
6. In spondylitis, the pain is dull, painful, initially very weak. At the beginning of the disease it starts to hurt in the lower back, the movements become limited. Gradually, the health condition worsens, the inflammation becomes more pronounced, it becomes difficult to move, even minimal loads are difficult to give.
7. In tuberculosis of the spine, in addition to pain, body temperature also rises. The person feels tired, weak, weak, appetite worsens. There is heavy sweating at night, frequent urges to urinate.

Views

The pain may be localized in only one place or “spread” across the abdomen, spine, and lower back. The symptoms are acute, in the form of lumbago, dull and painful, surrounding. It depends on the disease or pathological process.

Pain may be intermittent. This is usually due to physical activity, physiological characteristics, worsening of chronic pathologies. Constant, chronic pain occurs in the background of various diseases of internal organs, with vascular lesions, deformities of the musculoskeletal system.

Sharp

Sharp, severe shooting pains lead to limited mobility. During such attacks, the person freezes in one position and cannot move. Even a little stirring increases the already unbearable pain. This syndrome is called lumbago. Such symptoms may occur after intense massage or hypothermia.

Moaning

Painful pains accompany chronic diseases, often occurring in spondyloarthritis. Symptoms usually occur at night, immediately after waking up or after sitting in one position for a long time.

Retreat and mute

These painful sensations can last for a long time, exhausting the person. They can usually be tolerated. Blunt and pulling pains are uncommon for osteochondrosis, more so for spinal pathologies or damage to internal organs.For example, in pyelonephritis, the kidney tissue swells greatly, the capsule stretches, causing back pain.

Shingles

Symptoms may appear in one place and radiate to the entire peritoneal region, “spreading” along the back. Low back pain also affects the entire lower back. Without additional diagnosis, the symptoms can be replaced with diseases of the spine and joints. However, low back pain usually causes pathologies of the internal organs.

Localization of pain

In ankylosing spondylitis, the symptoms occur mainly in the lower back. Basically, the pain occurs in the morning, can start even late at night and gradually intensify, giving the lower back. Also, discomfort in the lower back is accompanied by diseases of the pelvic organs, injuries of the tailbone, urological and gynecological pathology, with the threat of miscarriage, after childbirth.

In the upper part, the symptomatology occurs in kyphosis, trauma, muscle myositis, osteochondrosis, infectious processes or tumors. Also, the cause can be pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, gynecological, renal and cardiac diseases, pneumonia, pleurisy, influenza, ARVI.

Pain in the left or right side of the lower back occurs due to disorders of the central nervous system, diseases of the spine and internal organs. Symptoms will appear on the side of the affected area. The appearance of negative sensations immediately in the left and right part is accompanied by pleurisy, hepatitis, pneumonia, cholecystitis, prostatitis, and in women - appendages.

Characteristics of women and men

Some types of pain can only occur in women. For example, in gynecological diseases. Adnexitis is characterized by the appearance of discomfort in the lower abdomen. In this case, the pain sometimes radiates to the lower back. During pregnancy, the primary symptomatology occurs in the groin area and radiates to the lower back due to an increase in the load on the spine. Low back pain occurs during childbirth, with the risk of miscarriage, in late gestation.

Menopause can be a cause of back pain in the lumbar region when menstruation stops. The appearance of symptoms in the lumbar region is influenced by jumps in estrogen levels, circulatory disorders, the initial phase of osteochondrosis, hernias and other diseases of the spine. Pain also occurs as a result of stress to which women are more exposed than men. In this case, the symptoms are periodic.

In men, back pain is more often associated with professional activities, risks - great physical effort, hypothermia, draft work. There are numerous diseases that cause the appearance of negative symptoms in the lower back. In prostatitis, the pain first appears in the anal area, but can radiate to the back. Epididymitis is characterized by an inflammatory process. Initially, the pain appears in the groin and then radiates to the lower back. This simultaneously accompanies a rise in temperature and swelling of the scrotum.

First Aid

What to do if hellish pains appear spontaneously in the lower back? The following steps should be taken immediately:

1. Relax absolutely with your back.
2. Take a comfortable position, it is best to lie on a hard surface.
3. You can put ice on your lower back, but before that put it on gauze folded in 3-4 layers. This can only be done if the cause of the pain is not an organ infection.
4. Apply a relaxing analgesic gel to the affected area.
5. Take painkillers.

All these activities will help you quickly get rid of severe low back pain. But consultation and examination by experts is necessary in order to determine the real cause of this attack and prescribe adequate treatment.

What not to do

If you suddenly feel back pain, doctors advise not to use warming ointments and gels right away. They stimulate blood flow to the painful site, which contributes to an increase in swelling and then to an increase in pain. Before visiting a doctor or an ambulance arriving, it is completely and categorically excluded:

1. Perform exercises of your choice.
2. Washing in a sauna or steam bath, do not use contrast showers.
3. Drinking alcohol to relieve pain.

Only a doctor after examination and diagnosis has the right to prescribe treatment for a sore lower back.

What's next, which doctor should I visit?

You must visit a therapist first. He performs an initial examination, prescribes the necessary tests and with the obtained results sends it to a narrow specialist - traumatologist, surgeon, neuropathologist. If the pain is associated with a malignant formation, it is necessary to consult an oncologist. When pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract become the cause - a gastroenterologist, with women's problems - a gynecologist, a man - a urologist or a proctologist.

Inspection and inspection

In order to find out why the lower back hurts, an initial visual examination is performed, followed by palpation. You can use it to determine the location of symptoms. The patient describes the nature of the pain, the duration of the attack, after which it could occur (fall, physical activity). Next, a number of studies are being conducted:

1. Blood test. It can show inflammatory processes, the presence of infection, tumors.
2. Urine analysis. It allows you to exclude renal pathology. If the analysis is poor, an ultrasound is additionally prescribed.
3. X-rays. It allows you to recognize inflammatory processes, spinal diseases, injuries, cracks, fractures, nerve constriction. Ideally, an X-ray of the spine and pelvic bones is done.
4. CT. Tomography is more informative than X-rays, it can show small flaws, a 3D image is created. At the same time, all bone structures are clearly visible.
5. MRI. It provides an opportunity to explore the soft tissues inside or near the spine. At the same time, the condition of the spinal cord, nerve roots, ligaments, muscles is checked. Hernias and vascular changes are clearly visible.

However, CT and MRI are indicated only for severe symptoms. X-rays or ultrasounds, laboratory tests of blood and urine are usually sufficient.

Basic therapy

If lower back pain is caused by spinal problems, then a complex pathology treatment is applied. Contains the following activities:

• organization of spine-adapted regime;
• conducting manual therapy;
• application of therapeutic massage;
• physiotherapy and reflexology sessions: acupuncture, UHF and others;
• drug therapy: drugs, ointment, blockade;
• wearing a special corset, if necessary;
• performing corrective gymnastics.

The main focus is drug therapy, which is primarily aimed at eliminating negative symptoms and alleviating inflammation. Physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy are prescribed as additional means. In severe cases, surgery may be needed.

Drug treatment

Anti-inflammatory drugs are the first choice for back pain. They also relieve pain. Analgesics may be prescribed at the same time. In addition, muscle relaxants are prescribed. Chondroprotectors are prescribed to reduce degenerative processes in cartilage. To relieve pain, drug blockades are sometimes done on the basis of pain medications.

Local ointments and gels are grouped into the following types:

1. Means based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory components.
2. Combined preparations with anti-inflammatory effect and tissue cell renewal.
3. Anesthetics and irritants.
4. Homeopathic remedies.
5. Chondroprotectors that promote cartilage tissue regeneration.
6. Massage products (cosmetic).

It is important to know that these methods can relieve pain, but they cannot cure the underlying cause. For example, damage to internal organs if pain in the lower back has occurred for this reason. In that case, you should undergo an examination, and a specialist will prescribe effective treatment for this particular pathology.

Exercise and massage

Exercise therapy (therapeutic gymnastics) and massage are recommended to strengthen the muscular frame of the back, normalize blood circulation and increase tone. Exercise prevents back and lower back pain. The exercise complex is chosen individually. Massage enhances the effectiveness of exercises, restores elasticity and flexibility of ligaments. Combination with a bath or sauna can be allowed only with medical advice.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy methods are prescribed only after alleviating acute attacks of lower back pain. Then the procedures help to reduce or prevent deterioration. Used as physiotherapy:

• mud therapy;
• electrophoresis;
• balneotherapy;
• electrical muscle stimulation;
phonophoresis (ultrasound); paraffin treatment;
• reflexology;
• ampulse therapy.

The procedures help reduce swelling, have an analgesic effect, improve blood circulation, relax muscles, normalize metabolic processes and lymph flow.

Surgical

The absolute indication for surgery is cauda equina syndrome, when urinary and fecal incontinence occurs and numbness occurs in the perineum. Also, intervention is necessary if drug treatment is ineffective, lower back pain lasts for more than six months and begins to radiate to the legs. Surgical operations are also performed in the presence of a hernia.

Folk remedies

In addition, folk remedies can be used - infusions, decoctions of medicinal herbs. Wraps are made (for example, from chopped onions, fresh burdock leaves, boiled potatoes with horseradish, mustard). Rubbing with eucalyptus and burdock tincture, warm honey, a mixture of cologne, red pepper, iodine and valerian is used. For internal use, a tincture of vodka with a sword or a decoction of wheat with coriander and milk is recommended.

Expert Recommendations

If pain is felt for at least 3 months, it is considered acute pain. The following tips will help you speed up your recovery from acute low back pain and reduce their intensity:

1. It is important to provide the patient with absolute rest for 2-3 days. You need to go to bed and take a comfortable position: lie on your side and put a pillow between your knees or lie on your back and put a pillow under your knees. You can't be at rest all day - it is recommended to get out of bed every 2-3 hours and warm up for 10-15 minutes.
2. If pain cannot be tolerated, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs should be taken regularly. Taking them only when the pain increases, you may not achieve the desired effect.
3. Taking a warm shower every 3 hours or putting on a heating pad for 10-15 minutes, or even a cold, helps - this improves blood circulation, reduces pain and inflammation.

When you feel better, you should gradually return to your normal way of life. Lying on the bed for a long time contributes to muscle atrophy, which worsens the disease. You can train your body by walking or walking on a simulator - this is the simplest exercise for lumbar pain.

If lower back pain is not an independent disease, then it is a consequence of a serious illness present in the body. Therefore, you should contact a medical institution immediately to determine the pathology and competent treatment.