What to do when your lower back hurts

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

Reasons

The causes of acute back pain are many, they are strictly individual for each patient. The most important of them are diseases and changes in the spine, which can respond with irreversible consequences.

Major (most common)

The most common reasons are:

1. Osteochondrosis. Uncomfortable movements put pressure on the roots of the nerve trunk of the spinal cord. The burning and discomfort does not stop during the day, if you lift something heavy, there is simply a hellish pain in the lower back.
2. Herniated disc. In general, a hernia is located in the lower back and any sudden movement of the trunk causes compression of the nerve roots.
3. Radiculitis. With lumbosacral radiculitis, a shooting pain syndrome occurs. It causes heavy lifting or unsuccessful movements. Acute pain restricts the patient's movements so much that he cannot straighten up and remains in the same position he was in when the attack occurred.
4. Displacement of the vertebrae. This problem is characterized by a throbbing pain in the lower back and a little lower, stiffness of movement. This pathology is accompanied by disorders of urination and intestinal function.
5. Facet syndrome. When the facets of the intervertebral discs expand both upward and downward, the intervertebral foramen diminishes. In this case, unpleasant sensations arise that come suddenly and occur more than once a month. When lying down, the patient experiences back discomfort.
6. Epidural abscess. The accumulation of pus in the spinal cord occurs due to infectious diseases of the urinary tract. In addition to pain, fever, weakness, and increased body temperature occur.

These are the causes: the consequences of diseases in the spinal cord.

Lower back may get sick due to 2-3 cm difference in leg length. It is difficult for a person to move, a pain in the back is felt due to the constant curvature of the spine.

Overload and physical fatigue

In addition to serious diseases, severe pain in the lumbar spine is also due to heavy overloads and a sharp forward tilt of the trunk. Also, this problem arises when the effect of temperature on the body is violated. The sources of these pains are:

1. Muscle stretching. The exacerbation of muscle strain in the lower back occurs due to physical overload. Contracting your muscles causes pain and reduces mobility. This problem occurs in athletes and people who do intensive work.
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, accompanied by redness of the affected area, tremors, tissue edema, and intense sweating.
3. Myositis. Lower back pain and discomfort begin at night, as well as with a sharp increase, with a change in weather conditions, after hypothermia and overexertion.

Frequent colds, lowered immunity, spinal trauma after a blow or fall, both recent and old, can trigger an attack.

Internal organ disorders

Sometimes it hurts in the lower back due to damage to other organs: heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, gallbladder. During inhalation, the pain syndrome of the lumbar region diverges along all the nerve channels. Often the causes of this pathology are:

1. Pyelonephritis. It is an infectious inflammation of the kidneys and urinary tract. Usually the pain is dull, but the attacks come with chills, weakness, nausea and vomiting, fever.
2. Urolithiasis. The problem reveals itself as a sudden sharp pain that becomes unbearable with long walks and hard work. The attack is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and blood in the urine.
3. Ectopic pregnancy. If there is a ruptured fallopian tube with a miscarriage, there is a shooting pain that radiates to the groin and rectum. The rupture is accompanied by loss of consciousness, and with miscarriage of the tubes, a hematoma forms in the peritoneal cavity.
4. Pelvioperitonitis. This is a transient inflammatory process of the uterine appendages. A woman has excruciating pain in her groin and back. Chills, fever and palpitations are added to the existing unpleasant sensations.
5. Tumors of different origins. Metastatic cancer causes painful attacks when pressure is applied to nerve endings. Often, there are no initial signs of the disease.

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

Almost all pregnant women experience pain in the lower back. This is due to the restructuring of the body and an increase in the load on it. Also, the cause may be difficult or complicated labor.

Symptoms of possible diseases

Pain syndrome most often appears against the background of a pinched nerve, osteochondrosis, deformity and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, irritation of the nerve roots. Muscle spasms can also cause back discomfort in the lower back. Characteristics of the symptoms of different diseases:

1. With low back pain, the changes begin in the lumbar vertebrae. At first, acute pain can be controlled with medication. However, mobility remains limited.
2. With sciatica, symptoms move downward toward 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 causes the development of other diseases of the spine. Therefore, pain can occur not only in the lower back, but can also spread to the entire post.
4. Scoliosis is characterized by curvature of the skeleton, degenerative changes. The chronic form can be asymptomatic, in other cases, there is pain in the bones.
5. Dull and drawing pains are typical of diseases of the internal organs (mainly the genitourinary system and kidneys), benign and malignant tumors.
6. With spondylitis, the pain is dull, aching, at first very weak. At the beginning of the disease, pain in the lower back begins, movements become restricted. Gradually, the state of health worsens, inflammation becomes more pronounced, it becomes difficult to move, even minimal loads are difficult to manage.
7. In spinal tuberculosis, in addition to pain, the body temperature rises. A person feels tired, weak, weak, appetite worsens. At night, there is strong sweating, frequent urge to urinate.

Views

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

Pain may come and go. Usually this is due to physical activity, physiological characteristics, exacerbation of chronic pathologies. Constant chronic pain occurs against the background of various diseases of internal organs, with vascular lesions, deformation of the musculoskeletal system.

Sharp

Sharp, stabbing pains cause limited mobility. During such attacks, a person freezes in one position and cannot move. Even a slight movement increases the already excruciating pain. This syndrome is called lumbago. Such symptoms can occur after intense massage or hypothermia.

Complaining

Painful pains accompany chronic diseases, often appearing with spondyloarthrosis. Symptoms usually appear at night, immediately after waking up, or after prolonged sitting in one position.

Pulling and silly

These painful sensations can last a long time, they exhaust the person. Most of the time they can be tolerated. Dull and drawing pains are uncommon for osteochondrosis, more due to pathologies of the spine or damage to internal organs.For example, with pyelonephritis, the kidney tissue becomes very swollen, the capsule stretches, causing back pain.

Shingles

Symptoms can appear in one place and radiate throughout the peritoneal region, "spreading" along the back. Waist pain affects the entire lower back. Without additional diagnoses, the symptoms can be mistaken for diseases of the spine and joints. However, lower back pain often causes pathologies of the internal organs.

Location of pain

In ankylosing spondyloarthritis, symptoms appear mainly in the lower back. Basically, the pain occurs in the morning, it can start even late at night and gradually intensify, giving to the lower back. In addition, discomfort in the lower back accompanies diseases of the pelvic organs, trauma to the coccyx, urological and gynecological pathologies, with the threat of miscarriage, after childbirth.

In the upper part, the symptoms are presented with kyphosis, trauma, muscular myositis, osteochondrosis, infectious processes or tumors. Also, the cause can be pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, gynecological, kidney and heart diseases, pneumonia, pleurisy, influenza, ARVI.

Pain in the left or right side of the lower back appears 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 parts accompanies pleurisy, hepatitis, pneumonia, cholecystitis, inflammation of the prostate and, in women, appendages.

Roles in women and men

Some types of pain can only appear in women. For example, with 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 increased load on the spine.Low back pain occurs during labor, with the threat of miscarriage, at the end of the gestation period.

Menopause can be the cause of back pain in the lumbar region, when menstruation stops. The appearance of symptoms in the lumbar region is influenced by jumps in the level of estrogens, circulatory disorders, the initial stage of osteochondrosis, hernia and other diseases of the spine. The pain also arises due to the stress to which women are more exposed than men. In this case, the symptoms are periodic.

In men, back pain is most often associated with professional activities, risks: great physical exertion, hypothermia, work in a draft. There are a number of diseases that cause the appearance of negative symptoms in the lower back. With prostatitis, pain appears first in the anal area, but can radiate to the back. Epididymitis is characterized by an inflammatory process. Initially, the pain appears in the groin area, then it radiates to the lower back. At the same time, this is accompanied by an increase in temperature and swelling of the scrotum.

First Aid

What to do if a hellish back pain appears spontaneously? The following steps should be taken immediately:

1. Give your back an absolute rest.
2. Take a comfortable position, it is better to lie on a hard surface.
3. You can put ice on the lower back, but first put it on a gauze folded in 3-4 layers. This can only be done if the cause of the pain is not an infection of an organ.
4. Apply a soothing pain reliever gel to the affected area.
5. Take painkillers.

All these activities will help to quickly get rid of severe low back pain. But consultation and examination of specialists is necessary to identify the true cause of this attack and prescribe appropriate treatment.

What not to do

If you suddenly have a painful sensation in your back, doctors advise against using immediately warming ointments and gels. They stimulate blood flow to the sore spot, which contributes to increased swelling and then increased pain. Before visiting a doctor or the arrival of an ambulance, it is completely and categorically excluded:

1. Performing exercises of your own choice.
2. When washing in a sauna or steam room, do not use contrast showers.
3. Drink alcohol for pain relief.

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

What to do next, which doctor should I see?

First you need to see a therapist. He conducts an initial examination, prescribes the necessary tests, and with the results obtained, sends him to a limited specialist - a traumatologist, a surgeon, a neurologist. If the pain is associated with a malignant formation, consultation of an oncologist is necessary. When pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract become the cause, a gastroenterologist, with female ailments, a gynecologist, a man, a urologist or a proctologist.

Inspection and inspection

To find out why your lower back hurts, an initial visual examination is performed initially, followed by palpation. With their help, you can determine the location of the symptom. The patient describes the nature of the pain, the duration of the attacks, after which it could appear (fall, physical activity). In addition, several studies are carried out:

1. Blood test. It can show inflammatory processes, the presence of infection, tumors.
2. Urinalysis. Allows you to exclude kidney pathology. If the analysis is bad, an ultrasound is also prescribed.
3. X-rays. It allows you to identify inflammatory processes, diseases of the spine, injuries, cracks, fractures, pinched nerve. Ideally, an x-ray of the spine and pelvic bones is done.
4. CT. Tomography is more informative than radiography, it can show small defects, a 3D image is created. In this case, all bone structures are clearly visible.
5. IRM. Provides the opportunity to explore the soft tissues within or near the spine. At the same time, the condition of the spinal cord, nerve roots, ligaments and muscles is checked. Hernias and vascular changes are clearly visible.

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

Basic therapy

If low back pain is caused by problems with the spine, then complex pathology treatment is applied. It includes the following activities:

• organization of a suitable regimen for the spine;
• perform manual therapy;
• therapeutic massage application;
• physiotherapy and reflexology sessions: acupuncture, UHF and others;
• drug therapy: drugs, ointment, blockage;
• wearing a special corset, if necessary;
• doing recovery gymnastics.

The main focus is drug therapy, which is primarily aimed at eliminating negative symptoms and relieving inflammation. As additional funds, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy are prescribed. In difficult cases, surgery may be necessary.

Drug treatment

Anti-inflammatories are the first choice for back pain. They also relieve pain. Pain relievers can be prescribed at the same time. Also, muscle relaxants are prescribed. To reduce degenerative processes in the cartilage, chondroprotectors are prescribed. To relieve pain, drug blocks are sometimes performed on the basis of pain relievers.

Topical 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 restoration of tissue cells.
3. Anesthetic and irritant agents.
4. Homeopathic remedies.
5. Chondroprotectors that favor the restoration of cartilage tissue.
6. Massage products (cosmetics).

It is important to know that these methods can relieve pain, but cannot cure the root cause. For example, damage to internal organs, if low back pain appeared due to this reason. In this case, you need to undergo an examination, and a specialist will prescribe an effective treatment for this particular pathology.

Exercise and massage

Exercise therapy (therapeutic gymnastics) and massage are recommended to strengthen the muscular structure of the back, normalize blood circulation and increase tone. Exercise prevents back pain and low back pain. The exercise therapy complex is selected individually. The massage reinforces the effectiveness of the exercises, restores the elasticity and flexibility of the ligaments. Combining it with a bath or sauna can only be allowed on medical advice.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy methods are prescribed only after acute attacks of low back pain have been relieved. Then the procedures help reduce it or prevent an exacerbation. The following are used as physical therapy:

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

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

Surgical

An absolute indication for surgery is cauda equina syndrome, when urinary and fecal incontinence occurs and numbness appears in the perineum. In addition, intervention is necessary if drug treatment is ineffective, low back pain persists for more than six months and begins to radiate to the legs. Surgical operations are also performed in the presence of hernias.

Folk remedies

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

Expert Recommendations

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

1. It is important to give the patient complete 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 cannot stand 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. If you take them only when the pain intensifies, you may not achieve the desired effect.
3. Helping to take a warm shower every 3 hours or applying a heating pad for 10-15 minutes, or even cold, improves blood circulation, reduces pain and inflammation.

When you feel better, you should gradually return to your usual lifestyle. Lying in bed for a long time contributes to muscle wasting and this aggravates the disease. You can train your body by walking or walking on the simulator; this is the simplest exercise for low back pain.

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