When a person has constant or severe back pain in the lower back, it is very difficult to do anything. It is a tiring, debilitating feeling that causes irritability and anger. And there can be many causes of pain. They are not always associated with joint or bone pathologies, but may show abnormalities in the internal organs. Particular attention should be paid to such feelings, women whose back pain is often associated with dangerous gynecological pathologies.
Causes and nature of pain
Although there are underlying causes for each type of pain, the nature of the feelings may not always indicate 100% of a particular disease. Disorders in the human body can be masked by various symptoms.
Low back pain is characterized by the following features:
- Acute anxiety. The patient has difficulty moving, the symptoms are sharp, radiating to the lower extremities. Acute pain is characteristic of injuries, vertebral compression, and bone diseases such as tumors, Cushing's syndrome, and multiple myeloma. Vertebral displacement is also accompanied by severe pain.
- It is a dull pain. It mainly develops with muscle spasms, spinal hernias, radiculitis and osteochondrosis. However, it can occur with pathologies of the genitourinary system, kidneys, intestines and other organs. Radiculitis is divided into 2 diseases: lumbago and sciatica with displacement of the spine, nerve endings are affected and lumbago is formed. Very often, excruciating pain occurs with renal pathology.
- Periodic pains of a different nature. They occur mainly against the background of excessive physical exertion, especially prolonged inactivity and lack of warming up before exercise. At the same time, periodic pains can be reflected and radiated when they are associated with organs.
- Constant pain. They are mainly associated with varicose veins and other vascular pathologies, muscular dystrophy, degenerative diseases of bones and cartilage, as well as inflammation in these elements. It is very difficult to get rid of persistent symptoms.
- Shooting pains. Sharp, sudden and very strong sensations accompanied by prolonged and unpleasant pain after lumbago. They develop against the background of careless movements, excessive stress, as well as under the influence of factors such as hypothermia.
- Radiating pain. It is mainly associated with diseases of the kidneys, pelvic organs and genitourinary system. These can be colic, stones, as well as pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, including diseases of the gallbladder, ulcers, tumors and pathologies of the pancreas. In men, testicular and prostate diseases are often the cause, while in women, ectopic pregnancy, diseases of the uterus and ovaries, cysts.
Abnormalities in the liver can be suspected, as the pain is mainly on the right side.
Other causes of low back pain
Among the pathologies that cause back pain, there are diseases in which the symptoms are ambiguous, weak or acute, rare or persistent:
- osteochondrosis - refers to degenerative forms of the disorder, in which inflammation of the intervertebral disc, loosening of the bone surface and damage to nerve endings;
- protrusion and intervertebral hernia are diseases that develop into stage 2-3 osteochondrosis;
- scoliosis - bending the spine to the left or right can cause very unpleasant sensations against the background of reduced muscle and skeletal function;
- ankylosing spondylitis - a chronic autoimmune change that causes loss of mobility in the joints of the spine;
- Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the large and small joints, for many reasons;
- bone infections, including bone tuberculosis, as well as infectious processes within the organs;
- pancreatitis, adhesions in the digestive system after surgery, appendicitis, cholecystitis;
- pyelonephritis, kidney stones and colic;
- benign and malignant tumors of the organs, tissues and bones that compress the nerve endings in the lumbar region.
Painful sensations can provoke muscle spasms, cause cold symptoms, and can cause convulsions due to injury or sudden movement.
Characteristics of causes in women and men
In women, pulling and sometimes sharp painful sensations may develop during ovulation in the middle of the period. These symptoms pass quickly and do not cause serious concern. For some women, the pain occurs after an abortion, which is considered too stressful for a woman's health. Low back pain can last a long time and is often associated with inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs. This occurs against the background of an inaccurate procedure and severe trauma to the walls of the uterus.
In women, back pain can be caused by inflammation of the appendages and ovaries, intensive uterine fibroids, large cysts, as well as bleeding in the ovaries, endometritis and endometriosis. Sometimes such anxiety occurs during menopause, which is associated with a sharp change in hormonal balance.
In men, in addition to prostate cancer and prostatitis, back pain may appear with epididymitis - inflammation of the epididymis, but the main symptoms are localized in the groin area.
Diagnostic methods
Before diagnosing and treating lumbar spine lumbodynia, you should consult an experienced specialist - a vertebrologist or orthopedist. But he is a vertebrologist who deals with diseases of the spine and knows everything about the effective treatment of these disorders.
After examining, palpating, collecting information about the patient, the doctor will prescribe several diagnostic methods:
- x-ray. With the help of X-rays, doctors determine the stage of osteochondrosis and other degenerative processes in the spine. X-ray clearly shows the growth of osteophytes and allows you to measure the distance between the vertebrae.
- MRI of the spine. Detects pathological changes in the discs, vertebrae and joints, as well as in the surrounding soft tissues. MRI easily shows osteochondrosis and spondyloarthritis even in the early stages.
- Myelography. A technique that uses a contrast agent to help detect vascular pathologies, tumors, as well as narrowing of the spinal canal, abscesses and other similar changes.
Urine and blood are also prescribed to rule out diseases of the internal organs and to identify inflammatory processes. Sometimes a diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract, including enzymes of the liver, pancreas and gastric juice, is required.
Diagnosis of low back pain helps to distinguish some diseases from others and allows you to choose the right treatment tactics. At home, it is not possible to understand which disease is causing pain with symptoms alone.
How to relieve back pain
Regardless of the cause of the pain, the patient will be prescribed medications from the following groups (at the doctor's choice) to relieve the unpleasant symptoms:
- Analgesics. They do not help all patients and mainly act on weak sources of pain.
- NSAIDs. Strong painkillers taken in courses. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Hormonal agents. It is applied for 6-10 days, including.
- Injections and blockages. Combination drugs are often used in combination with glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics.
- Muscle relaxants. They help with muscle spasms, as well as osteochondrosis and other disorders when there is pain in the muscles.
- Active products. Painkillers, warming creams, gels and patches should also be used only as directed.
In some cases, especially in severe stages of joint or bone pathology, several groups of drugs are used.
The doctor should prescribe medications, especially complexes such as glucocorticosteroids or hormonal blockers. Only strict adherence to the instructions and recommendations, systematic, serious use of the drug in the prescribed dose will help to get rid of unpleasant feelings.
Features of treatment depending on the type of pain
For back pain treatment to be effective, it is important to consider its nature. The pain for each disorder and disease can be of one nature or another.
Treatment of myofascial pain
This is the name of the pain associated with stretching or spasms of the muscles. They develop against the background of overload, improper weight lifting, as well as the wrong approach to sports. Myofascial pain may appear due to prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position while carrying a bag in one of the hands or on the shoulder. Sometimes this symptom occurs against the background of poor posture.
Spasms cause damage to the spinal cord, so the symptoms are similar to sciatica: burning pain in the thighs, lower legs, numbness of the limbs.
You can treat such pain with ointments, injections, tablets, patches, analgesics and NSAIDs. It is better to choose warming and irritants among ointments.
Sometimes myositis, which causes pain, is triggered by infections or toxins from worms. Then you need to take antibiotics or anthelmintic drugs to defeat the cause of pain. In this case, compresses and warming ointments are prohibited.
Diseases of the chain surrounding the nerve endings
This category of diseases includes all disorders associated with dystrophic changes and injuries, both osteochondrosis and spondylolisthesis. Requires the following treatments:
- bed rest during seizures - you need to lie on a hard surface, putting a small roll under your knees;
- drug treatment - most NSAIDs are used in the form of injections;
- irritating and distracting ointments, as well as pepper plasters, mustard plasters and iodine nets;
- mud remission and warming, as well as ozokerite are used during remission;
- spasms are relieved with vacuum massage and acupuncture.
With radicular syndrome characterized by severe pain, novocaine blockade or weak opiates should be used, bed rest, dry or underwater traction of the lumbar spine, electrophoresis, and microcirculation stimulation should be provided.
Treatment of degenerative-inflammatory disorders
In degenerative diseases (spondyloarthritis), bed rest with bending the legs in the position of a frog is prescribed to get rid of back and back pain. Also, non-steroidal medications are used, injected with severe pain. Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle tension. Patients often suffer from chronic fatigue and depression caused by pain and need antidepressant medications.
Treatment of tumors
Both benign and malignant tumors can have very different natures: fatty lipomas, nerve neuromas, spinal hemangiomas, gliomas, osteosarcomas, and chondrosarcomas. Tumors require complex, long and complex treatment.
Prescription anti-cancer devices are mandatory, and patients are sometimes prescribed strong opiates. They also provide therapy for the causes of tumors, which can include hormonal medications, chemotherapy toxins, and targeted medications.
Treatment of tumors is one of the most difficult tasks that requires responsibility from the patient and doctors. The use of chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy can worsen the patient's condition for a long time. The main thing is not to give up at this time and remember that the chances of recovery from the detection of tumors by stage 2 are very high. Even with stage 3 oncology, you can count on a successful fight against the disease.
Dangers and consequences of pain
If back pain is not treated and taken into account, or if you try to suppress it with NSAIDs and other painkillers, it can have dire consequences for the patient. Injuries are especially dangerous in this regard, as damage to the vertebrae can lead to displacement, cracks and compression fractures. Other complications can also cause severe pain:
- formation of chronic pain that cannot be relieved even when taking strong painkillers;
- diseases of the spinal cord and brain, extensive damage and paralysis of the nervous system;
- decreased sensitivity of the upper and lower extremities;
- severe restriction of mobility;
- complications from internal organs to paresis, stool and urinary incontinence.
When the first symptoms of low back pain appear, it is important to be diagnosed to determine the cause of the discomfort.
Prevention of low back pain
The following prevention rules will help to avoid certain diseases and disorders:
- moderate physical activity, daily gymnastics to strengthen the muscle corset and improve blood circulation;
- use of hard surfaces for sitting, excluding permanent stay in upholstered furniture;
- if a person works in a sitting position for a long time, he should use the recommended furniture;
- Proper nutrition and rejection of bad habits are required to prevent many diseases;
- you need to transfer the weights correctly, distribute the weight on both hands, and carefully, without bending, lift a lot of weight.
No one is immune to back pain. If diseases and pathological changes in the spine are detected in time, you can get rid of them quickly and correctly.