Back pain

If one has worked hard, played intensely in sports, or walked a long distance, at the level of the reflex, he stops and relaxes his hands on his lower back. This part of the body pulls and hurts after the effort, which can be explained very simply. The spine is the mainstay of the human skeleton. It connects all the joints and takes over most of the stress with every movement. Therefore, it is completely natural for the lower back to hurt and ache after work or sports.

But in the lumbar region, the cause of back pain is not always excessive work. Lower back pain is often a symptom of severe disorders of the human body; it cannot be ignored, especially if the pain is severe, recurring frequently. This is a sign that an unknown pathology is already progressing and causing more and more damage to the body every day. We recommend that you see a doctor as soon as possible: Neglected spinal problems are difficult to treat and may be wheelchair accessible to the patient.

This is interesting:The researchers believe that the low back pain in the spine is a consequence of human evolution, more specifically bipolar movement. In animals moving on four limbs, the loads are evenly distributed. A person must pay for the royal posture and ability to walk on both feet by violating the distribution of loads, the curvature of the vertebrae, and the back pain.

What can be a back pain

There are many ways your back can hurt. Sometimes the pain is sharp, unbearable, the patient feels an unbearable burning sensation, and a sharp restriction on mobility. More often, patients complain of low back pain, tightness, discomfort that usually occurs in the evening, may wake up in the middle of the night, and may intensify as the weather changes or after physical exertion.

After morning stiffness of the spine, weather-appropriate back pain, and exercise, the first signs are that the joints are not okay.

Back pain is always associated with additional symptoms, which you should definitely watch out for and inform your doctor of your observations. Concomitant signs suggest that it is easier to determine the real cause of lumbar spine pain. So what will be the symptoms and criteria from a diagnostic point of view:

• Duration (severity) of pain. It is called acute pain syndrome, which worries for up to three months. If it occurs periodically for four or more months, of varying intensity, it is already called chronic.
• Localization. Low back pain radiating to the buttocks is called lumbodynia in medicine. If the pain affects the leg, it is lumboischialgia. In addition, discomfort can only occur on the right, left, or both sides at the same time.
• The nature of the pain. This criterion is essential. The pain can be acute and can be localized in one place, projected on the limbs, buttocks, groin, hypochondria, or lower abdomen. The pain is severe, dull, or throbbing. The most difficult to make a correct diagnosis for combined pain.
• Effects on joint mobility. The doctor must make sure that there is stiffness in the spine, limb, hip joint, under what conditions, and for how long.
• Timer. It is also important when and when the back starts to hurt. This happens continuously, in the morning, evening, night, after exertion, when turning the head, walking, bending, etc. - the answers to these questions are extremely important for a correct diagnosis.

Comment:according to doctors' statistics, more than 80% of the European population has experienced back pain at least once in their lives. More than 25% of medical visits are caused by discomfort and pain in the lumbar region. Moreover, 8 out of 10 patients are active young people aged 35-45. Retirees are less likely to complain of low back pain, and teenagers are even less likely to complain.

The reasons

All causes of low back pain fall into two broad categories:

• physiological, usually caused by external factors;
• abnormal, associated with diseases of the internal organs.

The physiological causes are:

• excessive physical activity during sports;
• lifting and carrying weights at work or training;
• hard work at home or in the country;
• hypothermia, prolonged stay in a damp room.

Age and physical work together are sufficient causes of lower back pain.

Pathological causes of back pain, on the other hand, can be diseases of the spine or age-related changes in its structure - this pain syndrome is called primary. If back pain is caused by dysfunctions of other organs, such as the kidneys, it is called secondary - in which case further specific tests are needed to diagnose the underlying disease and treat two pathologies at the same time.

Diseases and conditions in which the lower back can hurt:

• osteochondrosis (spondylosis) - previously diagnosed mainly in the elderly, now detected at any age;
• intervertebral hernia - occurs at any age, even in young people, usually after excessive strength sports;
• other types of neuralgia;
• arthritis and arthritis, any inflammatory process in the joints;
• rheumatism and other diseases of autoimmune origin;
• radiculitis;
• endocrine system dysfunction (diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism);
• pelvic inflammatory disease - pyelonephritis;
• inflammation of the urogenital organs.

Injuries to the back or limb are also painful. To determine the exact cause, you must undergo a number of tests, the mandatory minimum being an external medical examination, a laboratory test of urine and blood, an X-ray, an electrocardiogram, an ultrasound of the kidneys and urogenital organs. . If necessary, additional diagnostic measures are assigned.

In women, back pain can be caused by cystitis or inflammation of the appendages.

Spinal diseases as a cause of back pain

If the x-ray shows deformity, compaction, and dilation of the vertebrae with the formation of bone growths in the form of thorns at the edges, the doctor will diagnose osteochondrosis or spondylosis. Until recently, this pathology was considered a disease of retirees and was named as the main cause of age-related changes in the body, slowing of metabolic processes, and vertebral wear.

Today, it has been shown that osteochondrosis can be triggered by a number of other factors in young people and even adolescents. The momentum of degenerative changes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs:

• insufficient physical activity due to overweight or chronic diseases that limit mobility;
• sedentary work;
• metabolic disorders during the diet, as a result of which, for example, the vertebral structures do not receive enough nutrients and wear out prematurely;
• improper sports - without warming up muscles and ligaments, without gradually increasing loads and controlling lifting loads.

In osteochondrosis, as it progresses, deformation of the intervertebral discs occurs - they become flat, dense, and rough. The affected disc can easily pinch the nerve root that branches off from the spine, causing inflammation. In addition, nerve roots are damaged by bone spinal processes. The patient feels this as a sharp, sharp pain, accompanied by a restriction of movement in the lower back. This condition is called sciatica.

In spondylosis, bone growths along the edge of the vertebrae injure the nerve roots, causing acute pain syndrome.

Inflammatory processes in the spine can begin as early as adolescence and adolescence. This manifests as recurrent back pain, sometimes disturbing at night. They are then joined by morning stiffness, fatigue and decreased physical activity. In advanced stages, the spine is severely deformed, changes a person’s posture and gait, and a hump is formed. Rheumatoid arthritis can develop over years, in some cases up to ten years. Because the course of the disease is slow, the symptoms often blur, the patient does not go to the doctor, trying to cope with the discomfort with improvised means. Because of this, inflammation of the vertebral joints, like other pathologies, leads to disability.

If the patient mentions discomfort of other joints (shoulders, legs, knees, hands) during the survey, he complains of buttock pain, decreased visual acuity, stool disorders, spondyloarthritis is suspected. The rheumatologist is involved in the treatment of such a pathology and needs immediate consultation as the pathology progresses rapidly and leads to irreversible changes in bone and joint structures.

Non-back diseases as a cause of pain

Sometimes lower back pain causes diseases of organs that at first glance have nothing to do with the spine. Myofascial pain syndrome is a common cause of back pain that is not accompanied by other symptoms of joint pathologies. Typically, young women seek back pain from a doctor after a work day, an intense workout at the gym, or a long stay in one position.

The pain of myofascial syndrome is not associated with damage to the joints of the spine and can be easily eliminated with painkillers, massages, and NSAIDs.

During the examination, the doctor can easily detect points near the spine when pressure is applied that causes pain. The pain is caused by an overload of muscle tissue, the nerve roots and joint elements do not suffer. This condition does not pose a major threat to the patient’s health, but can significantly impair quality of life. For treatment, your doctor will prescribe muscle relaxants - drugs that promote muscle relaxation as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the short term, in minimal doses. We recommend modifying your rest and sleep patterns and monitoring your physical activity.

Other extra-joint pathologies that may include spinal pain:

• Cholecystitis and inflammation of the pancreas. The pain is localized in the right hypochondrium and can be projected to the lower right back.
• Appendicitis. In some cases, sharp, stabbing pains radiate to the lower back, also to the right. Other symptoms of appendicitis: bloating, stool problems, nausea, vomiting, severe pallor, fever.
• Renal dysfunction, urolithiasis. Depending on which kidney is inflamed, there is pain in the right or lower left back. If a stone comes out in urolithiasis, the lower back is also very sore, in severe cases the body temperature can rise.
• Obesity. Being overweight puts a heavy strain on the lumbar spine, leading to back pain and discomfort.
• Osteomyelitis. Bone infections are associated with severe pain and fever.

If no visible lesions were found on the spine or other joints during the examination, and no visceral diseases were detected, it makes sense to add blood to the tumor markers and perform an MRI of the spine. Malignant tumors, when they grow, put pressure on the nerve roots and also become a cause of pain. Pain syndrome in cancer is characteristic of 3-4.

Lumbar region pain may be a symptom of appendicitis.

Why do women have back pain?

If women have severe back pain in the lumbar region, they should first review their individual calendar. Tensile pains can be disturbing before menstruation, while lower abdominal distension, swelling of the mammary glands can also cause nausea, some migraines, food intolerances or, conversely, gluttony.

Roughly the same symptoms are signs of pregnancy. Therefore, if menstruation has not started for several days and the pain and discomfort persists, it makes sense to take a pregnancy test and make an appointment with a gynecologist.

Gynecological diseases can also be the cause. Adnexitis is usually manifested by pulling lower abdominal pain. But sometimes they radiate to the lower back. Similar sensations occur when ovarian cysts are twisted. At the beginning of menopause, many women complain of a burning sensation in the lumbar region, stiffness. In any case, a therapist or rheumatologist will advise you to see a gynecologist.

Causes of pain in men

In men, the back hurts mainly due to professional activities - hours of driving, computer work, weight lifting and carrying, professional sports.

But pain on the right or left side of the back can also be a symptom of prostatitis or a pathology such as epididymitis. To rule out or confirm pathologies, they should be examined by an andrologist.

Men with back pain should definitely consult an andrologist to rule out prostatitis.

When and what treatment is needed

Even with very intense, long-lasting back pain, patients think they need serious treatment and expect only one thing from the doctor - a good painkiller that will help immediately and for a long time. Unfortunately, such a drug does not exist. The pain syndrome can be quenched with injections and tablets, but the effect will not be long-lasting as the cause of the discomfort will not go away. Treatment methods are determined depending on what caused the back pain.

Bruises and muscle twitching

The first thing is to give your back complete rest. This means you can’t play sports, lift weights, stand a lot, walk, run, jump and overcool. It is advisable to get rid of extra pounds, with a sedentary work and an inactive lifestyle, on the contrary, you should think about sparing sports - such as yoga, pilates, swimming. In the future, you will need to rethink your habits and adjust your spine load.

What to do before visiting a doctor:

• take painkillers or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in minimal doses;
• fasten the lower back with an impromptu corset - a towel or scarf;
• drink diuretic herbal tea to reduce swelling.

What your doctor will advise:

• short course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• muscle relaxants to relieve muscle cramps and tension;
• massage and back warming (in the absence of inflammatory processes);
• B vitamins.

If you follow all the recommendations, the pain will completely go away in 7-14 days.

Remember!If you notice a rise in body temperature, pain in your legs or other parts of your body, limited mobility or other atypical symptoms, you should never use a chiropractor, warm up or massage yourself. It is also not recommended to take painkillers as this will make diagnosis difficult.

Spinal pathology

Early joint diseases are treated with the same techniques as bruises or other injuries. In addition, doctors can prescribe chondroprotectors - drugs that protect joint structures from destruction and stimulate their healing.

Compression fractures of the spine, extensive lesions of the intervertebral discs, and severe forms of osteochondrosis or spondyloarthritis require surgery. Depending on the violation detected, the operation can be performed under simple and local anesthesia or in several stages over a period of six months. After surgery of any complexity, antibiotics, bandages, and physical therapy are required for complete rehabilitation.

Modern technologies allow minimally invasive interventions to be performed on the spine with minimal risk of complications.

Today, spinal surgeries are no longer exceptional, rich and varied experiences have been accumulated, there are specialized equipment that can solve almost any problem. Therefore, if the situation is difficult and your doctor has recommended surgery, there is no point in delaying it. The sooner it is performed, the greater the chance of complete pain relief and restoration of spinal function.

Useful tips

Timely and effective treatment of low back pain is often difficult for an extremely common reason - the patient does not know which doctor to go to. If the pain was preceded by an injury, everything is simple - go to a traumatologist. He will probably prescribe a painkiller and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and then suggest a variety of physiotherapy procedures - electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, massage and exercise. This is the usual treatment for back injuries.

The difficulty is that nerve endings can be affected when hit or fall. And then you need to involve a neurologist who will recommend your own treatment methods. The rheumatologist or orthopedist will have their own opinion. And if the examination reveals pathology of any internal organ, such as the urogenital system, the patient is completely confused as to what to treat and who to listen to. Incidentally, this is why many people abandon the methods of formal medicine and turn to non-traditional, that is, folk remedies, which eventually leads to the aggravation of the condition and the development of complications.

Sometimes doctors make an incorrect diagnosis and prescribe improper treatment, leading to disease progression and complications.

What to do in such a situation? Don’t panic or rush, but go through the prescribed cure to the end, focusing on your own feelings and well-being. If after two to four weeks your back is just as severe and there is not the slightest improvement, it makes sense to contact another doctor and undergo a second examination to review the correctness of the diagnosis. Replacing one painkiller with another and there is no point in doing UHF instead of electrophoresis.

As for treating the back with homeopathic remedies at home, here too, one should not be captivated and recklessly believe in the promises of traditional healers. A suitable adult should understand that traditional methods of treatment are good in the remission phase when the condition is stable or to prevent relapses and complications. As an autoimmune disease of rheumatoid arthritis, for example, herbal tinctures cannot cure in any way.

Herbs can be helpful in improving the overall tone of the body, but may not help with hernias, disc displacement, or compression fractures.

The right decision would be for the lower back to be in constant pain and for the appointment of doctors at the district clinic to be ineffective - go to a reputable private clinic and have an examination there. It’s not free, but it finds out the real cause and you can start the right treatment, and you can’t experiment with folk remedies and standard painkillers that don’t have a therapeutic effect.

Summary:Almost every adult experiences back pain at least once in their life. In fact, there can be many causes: from banal overload to severe pathology of the spine, kidneys, infection, or metabolic disorders in the body. It is important to determine the cause accurately and correctly and to start the appropriate treatment as soon as possible. The main joint, dysfunction and destruction of the human skeleton in the absence of adequate medical care inevitably leads to loss of mobility and disability.