Back pain in the lumbar region is common.At the age of 30, these sensations arise in 70% of people, regardless of the type of employment, lifestyle and physical activity.Ignoring low back pain leads to undesirable consequences for health, since these symptoms already indicate alterations in the functioning of the body.
In consultation with a neurologist:
- Conduct an inspection;
- Listen to patient complaints;
- Make a preliminary diagnosis;
- If necessary, refer you for further investigations;
- will prescribe an individual course of treatment.
Causes of low back pain.
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region differ in the etiology of origin and require determination of the area of pain and analysis of the character.It is customary to differentiate:
- Epicritic pain: severe back pain in the lumbar area with a distinct focus;
- Protopathic pain: Persistent, aching pain that is a reflection of diseases of other anatomical areas.
The frequency of occurrence, the duration of the pain and the area affected are important.The back often fails due to:
- age-related changes, which reduce the ability of the spine to perform shock absorption functions;
- stress when carrying a child;
- vertebral displacement, trauma and compression fractures;
- spinal deformities;
- intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord.
If pain in the lower back limits mobility and prevents bending, then we are talking about a sprain.Feeling of numbness, increased pain when coughing, sneezing, feeling of extension to the lower extremities - these are nerve-radicular syndromes.Increased prolonged pain is explained by problems with internal organs.
Back pain in the right lumbar region occurs due to muscle spasms, irritation of nerve fibers, problems with the musculoskeletal system or spine.They affect problems with the liver, right kidney, right ovary (in women), intestines and gallbladder.Similar reasons cause a person to have back pain in the left lumbar region.However, in this case, with protopathic pain, attention should be paid to the left kidney, left ovary (in women), stomach, intestines and pancreas.
If the left side hurts from the back of the lower back or the right side in the morning after sleeping and prolonged immobility, this indicates spondyloarthrosis.Acute pain when the temperature changes (in the shower or due to hypothermia) is a manifestation of acute low back pain.
In case of severe pain, it is advisable that men first consult a urologist and women, a gynecologist.It will be necessary to perform an ultrasound of internal organs, blood and urine tests.When examining the spine, MRI of the lumbar region gives good results.
Protopathic back pain above the lumbar area is due to several reasons:
- kidney disease;
- heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction);
- pleuritis;
- pneumonia;
- diseases of the esophagus;
- appendicitis;
- inflammation of the gallbladder.
Acute back pain above the lumbar area with:
- radiculitis;
- osteochondrosis with disc displacement;
- spinal and rib injuries;
- myositis (muscle inflammation).
Back pain below the lumbar area is caused by morphofunctional musculoskeletal changes: osteochondrosis or spondyloarthrosis.In this case, patients experience severe back pain below the lower back.
How to relieve lower back pain
If you have experienced acute pain in your lower back, you can relieve the discomfort with simple steps.You should lie down on a horizontal surface and relax.Keep in mind that a soft feather bed that bends a lot under your weight will not work.The legs should be placed in elevation, relieving the load on the spine.
Once you have stopped feeling the discomfort, you should carefully roll over onto your side and get on all fours.The goal of this type of "gymnastics" is to minimize the load on the back.It is necessary to straighten up and stand on a support, holding it with your hands.A lumbar belt for lower back pain helps fix this area of the body, which also reduces pain.At the same time, you should capture not only the diseased area, but also the part of the body above and below it.At the same time, pain relievers can be used to relieve pain and relieve inflammation.They can be used in tablet form or as injections for back and lower back pain (in this case, blockade injections are performed only in a clinical setting).
After eliminating the symptoms, you should definitely go to the clinic.Self-medication is unacceptable.Using an ointment for back and lumbar pain and a belt, the patient can endure the pain for a long time, aggravating his condition.As a result, the back muscles weaken and the pain enters a chronic phase.Painkiller abuse can be addictive.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region.
If your lifestyle causes you to experience periodic muscle spasms (this may be due to sports or physical work), then you should have muscle relaxants in your home medicine cabinet.But these medications must also be prescribed by a doctor after consultation.In the treatment of low back pain, depending on the diagnosis, several measures are used:
- Reflexology. It includes acupuncture (injections with special needles in certain areas) and electroacupuncture (use of electrical impulses).It can also be implemented in the form of transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (suppression of the pain signal entering the brain).
- Physiotherapy. Magnetic and laser therapy techniques are used, as well as medicinal electrophoresis and phonophoresis, which increase the effectiveness of the use of medications.
- Therapeutic exercise and massage. These measures are effective for spinal diseases and injury rehabilitation.Requires specialized supervision.
- Surgical intervention. It may be necessary for hernias that cause compression of the spinal cord or spinal root.
Treatment is usually complex and combines different approaches.The duration and effectiveness of therapy depend on the timing of treatment.