It is impossible to independently determine for what reason a pain syndrome occurred in the lower back. Back and lower back pain is called lumbago in medicine. It is felt in the lumbar region, accompanied by muscle spasms and additional unpleasant symptoms. Acute lower back pain is felt for various reasons and can last from a few minutes to a couple of months. As a result, a person begins to get used to a sharp pain in the lower back and back. But if you do not turn to your doctor for help in time, then the person’s health will deteriorate significantly, and the chances of recovery will decrease. It is important to consider the causes of low back pain and treatment.
Description of defeat
Severe pain in the back and lower back, a feeling of tension and stiffness - a common condition that sooner or later appears in many people.
In most cases, the pain syndrome appears in the lower back, since the lumbar spine is distinguished by its mobility and takes on half the body weight of a person. Back pain in the lumbar region can occur as a result of lifting heavy objects or a sharp turn.
In some cases, unpleasant symptoms in the lumbar manifest over time due to regular exercise or poor posture. In some cases, it is not possible to determine the cause of the pain syndrome. Pain most manifests itself at night, with a load on the lower back or after a long stay in an uncomfortable position, for example, after a long trip in a car. In most cases, back pain in the lumbar region disappears if a person lies on a hard surface for some time.
Most often, the pain persists for several days or weeks, and after the person's general well-being improves, the condition of the lower back is restored. Recovery can be accelerated by taking painkillers and optimizing daily motor activity: rest only in the first few days, and after a gradual return to normal mode. But in some cases, unpleasant sensations and discomfort in the lower back indicate the onset of a chronic disease in which complex treatment is needed.
A special role in this process is played by the mood of a person. Due to the pain in the patient, the general condition can greatly worsen, but according to statistics, a person who arrives in a good mood can recover faster than one who is depressed.
The main causes of the syndrome
The condition of the back directly depends on the functioning of the bones, nerves, muscles and joints. Most often, finding out the cause of the pain syndrome is rather difficult. Severe diseases or injuries of the spine occur in rare cases.
In most cases, back pain at the lumbar level appears when light injuries, muscle strain, sprain of the ligaments and muscles, nerve infringement and at the beginning of the inflammatory process. Unpleasant symptoms in the back can occur suddenly or develop, gradually increasing. Causes of back and lower back pain:
- too sharp movement: tilt or turn to the side;
- lifting and carrying heavy objects, long torso;
- incorrect posture while walking or when working at the table;
- severe muscle strain in the back;
- long driving in a car without rest breaks.
In some cases, pain in this section appears without special reasons, for example, in the morning, after waking up.
Key factors
There are factors that can cause severe pain in the back and lower back. Specialists distinguish a large number of them, they can adversely affect the condition of the back. The main ones include:
- A lot of weight - in this case, the spine is overstressed. To determine if body weight affects the spine, a general body mass index should be calculated.
- Smoking - it can adversely affect the tissues of the back, which leads to pain.
- Bearing a child - in this condition, the spine of a woman is subjected to a strong load, which only becomes stronger with an increase in the size of the abdomen.
- Long-term use of medications that lead to a decrease in bone density, for example, corticosteroids.
- Psycho-emotional overstrain, stress - regular excitement leads to severe tension in the muscles of the neck and back, which provokes a pain syndrome.
Major diseases
The diseases that can lead to lower back and back pain include the following:
- Osteochondrosis and its complications, for example, spinal hernia is a degenerative process during which the destruction of the intervertebral cartilage occurs, which provokes a pain syndrome. Such diseases appear in older people, especially those who experience strong back loads.
- Sprain of the ligaments and muscles - more often occurs after prolonged physical activity or a sharp movement.
- Some varieties of arthritis are an inflammatory joint disease in which, in addition to pain, stiffness in the joints is felt and there are problems with mobility in the morning
- Kidney disease, such as pyelonephritis, can cause back pain on the right lower back or left.
Diagnostic measures
Severe back and lower back pain can be managed at home by taking special medications that can be purchased at a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription. Clinic therapy is usually not required.
If the back pain gives to the lumbar region and brings severe discomfort, then the patient should visit a doctor without fail. He will conduct an examination and prescribe treatment.
If back pain in the left side of the lower back does not allow the patient to rest and move normally, then a doctor should be called to the house.
During the examination, the doctor will ask the person to sit down, stand up, walk around, alternately raise their legs, and also determine the total amplitude of movement in the back. He will also require information about possible recent illnesses or injuries, learn about lifestyle, work features, and also ask the following questions:
- When did the pain begin?
- Where is pain syndrome common?
- Did your back hurt earlier?
- How does the pain syndrome manifest itself?
- For what reason does the pain become stronger or lessen?
During the examination, the doctor will try to exclude a possible infectious lesion and fracture, since such manifestations occur in rare cases. If there are problems with the diagnosis, the doctor can send the patient for additional diagnostic measures: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or x-ray of the spine. A urinalysis is performed to rule out kidney disease.
In many cases, pain in the spine is eliminated on the third day of treatment. If therapy does not improve the condition, and the pain syndrome lasts for six weeks (a chronic process), or a serious illness has led to damage, then the doctor will refer the person to a specialist with a narrow profile. In most cases, a neurologist prescribes treatment for back and lower back pain. In addition to examining the patient's condition, other doctors can also connect: an osteopath, a chiropractor, and also a reflexologist.
The main methods of treatment
The treatment of the pain syndrome will depend on its duration and severity, as well as on the individual characteristics of the person. In most cases, the pain can be eliminated with the help of simple medicines at home.
The main methods of treatment:
- Mobility. Previously, doctors believed that with pain in the lumbar region, it was important to rest. It has now been established that in patients who begin to move earlier, pain passes faster. Complete rest and bed rest should be observed only in the first days of acute pain, when it is very pronounced and does not allow normal movement. In this case, the person should lie on a hard and even bed. After the condition normalizes, one should gradually return to a normal lifestyle and previous loads, adding more and more mobility every day. Over time, a person will be able to walk around the house normally or visit public places. But he will have to come to terms with some discomfort and try to avoid everything that can repeatedly lead to pain. After several days, a person can return to work, without waiting until the severe pain in the back and lower back is completely gone (of course, if the person’s work is not associated with loads on the lumbar). Early mobility will help restore the condition and reduce the severity of pain.
- Taking painkillers. When dealing with severe back pain above the lower back or directly in it, doctors prescribe the following pain medications: Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Nimesulide and Indomethacin. Such funds help eliminate pain and inflammation. Depending on the severity of the lesion, a specialist can prescribe various forms of these drugs: injections, tablets, local preparations - ointments, gels and creams against back pain. Most often, the initial treatment includes injections. After the pain syndrome passes, the administration of drugs is stopped, if necessary, tablets or special ointments are taken. Such funds have some contraindications, so before you start taking them you must necessarily consult a doctor and study the instructions. Anesthetics are best taken after meals with milk.
- Muscle relaxants are drugs that help eliminate muscle spasms and relax muscles. They are prescribed when severe tension in the muscles of the spine intensifies the pain syndrome, for example, with an acute stage of osteochondrosis or with a herniated disc. Muscle relaxants also differ in side effects, for example, they are forbidden to take when driving a car. It is preliminary important to consult a doctor.
- Treatment with warm and cold compresses. In some cases, pain can be eliminated by taking a hot bath or by applying heating pads to a diseased area of ​​the body. You can also improve the general condition through cold or a bag of frozen vegetables. But it should be remembered that applying ice to the skin itself is not worth it, as this can result in frostbite. Previously, a cold object should be wrapped in a towel and then applied to the affected area of ​​the body. You can also alternate treatment with cold and heat, apply either ice or a heating pad to the body.
- The selection of postures for sleep. Changing your sleeping position will help eliminate stress and pain. If the patient is used to sleeping on his side, then he should pull his legs to his chest and put a pillow between his legs. If he sleeps on his back, then the pillow should be placed under his knees, this will provide a natural curvature of the spine in the lower back.
- Relaxation of the body is a very important component in the fight against severe back pain on the left above the lower back, since with severe excitement and overstrain the pain syndrome only worsens. As practice shows, people in a good mood recover much faster, and their pain does not go into the chronic stage. There are special techniques that help a person to relax and for a while forget about unpleasant sensations in the back. For this, it is recommended to conduct special breathing exercises, to perform a complex of simple exercises with alternating tension and muscle relaxation in the body.
- Physical activity, following a healthy lifestyle. It is important to eliminate the root cause of severe back and lower pain in order to avoid relapse. The most common cause of pain in this area include overweight in a person, poor posture, regular emotional outbursts. In this case, a positive effect can be achieved if you start to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, for example, walk more or visit the pool. The main thing is to choose the activity that you like most. In some cases, classes are conducted under the guidance of a coach. Most often they use complexes of exercises that help strengthen the muscles of the back and ensure even posture and stretching.
- If the pain syndrome does not go away within 6 weeks of treatment, then it automatically goes into the chronic stage. In addition to painkillers and muscle relaxant, in this case, you need to start a comprehensive treatment.
Chronic pain treatment
In this condition, doctors prescribe the following measures to patients:
- Manual therapy is carried out by a chiropractor or osteopath and includes the use of various methods of therapy, massage, mobilization.
- Alexander’s technique - helps to eliminate strong tension in the muscles, teaches a person how to properly take the position of the body in various situations and move. This technique will help you learn to maintain body balance and even posture.
- Acupuncture sessions are an ancient Chinese method of treatment, during which thin needles are inserted into various parts of the body, which help reduce pain and normalize a person’s condition.
- Taking antidepressants. Such drugs are prescribed to the patient when painkillers and other treatment techniques do not bring a positive result. Doctors advise taking tricyclic antidepressants, for example, Amitriptyline in small quantities. Such drugs are initially created to get rid of depression and problems with the nervous system, but they can also act to suppress some types of pain.
- A session with a psychiatrist. A positive effect from carrying out such a procedure can be achieved when other methods of treatment do not help. Severe back pain in the lumbar region is a real condition. The way a person treats her can make her stronger or, conversely, significantly weaken it. Cognitive-behavioral therapy will help eliminate back pain in the lumbar region on the right or left by changing attitudes towards it. According to statistics, people who have undergone a course of psychotherapy sessions experience much less pain syndrome. In this case, a person has a motivation to lead an active lifestyle, exercise regularly, which leads to a decrease in pain.
Operation
Most often, surgery is used only when all other methods of treating pain in the back and lower back do not give any effect. The operation is used when the pain syndrome is so strong or constant that it does not allow the patient to work or even rest. The chosen method of surgical intervention will directly depend on the type of pain syndrome and the cause of its occurrence.
For example, with a hernia of the spine, the doctor prescribes a discectomy. Currently, doctors are able to conduct surgery through a minimum incision using specialized microsurgical instruments. Such operations are complex, but they are distinguished by their minimal invasiveness.
Spinal fusion is a complex and rather rare surgical intervention. His results do not always meet expectations. For example, after surgery, a person may continue to have severe back pain below the lower back.
With spinal fusion, the overall mobility of the spine is significantly reduced, since during the operation several vertebrae that provoke a pain syndrome are held together in the same position by implanting live bone tissue between them. At the end of the rehabilitation period, the bones are completely fused, and when a person moves, the nerve endings that are nearby are not affected. This helps to suppress severe back pain in the lower back on the left and right. Before deciding to perform an operation, the patient should receive information about all the possible complications and positive effects of therapy from a neurosurgeon.
Additional treatments
In the fight against chronic pain in the back and lower back of a chronic nature, other alternative methods of treatment can be used, the effect of which has not been proven in medical practice. The main non-traditional methods of treatment include:
- laser treatment - lasers of minimum power act on the inflamed part of the body and lead to tissue regeneration;
- treatment with interference currents - there is an effect on the lower back with currents of medium and low frequency, which provokes increased production of endorphins (pain hormones), as well as active restoration of damaged tissues;
- ultrasound treatment - in this case, an ultrasound wave is used aimed at the back surface: it provides tissue restoration and active healing, which eliminates the pain syndrome;
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Also, a specialist can send a patient to a "school of pain treatment", in which people are taught to independently cope with pain, perform special exercises, and lead an active and healthy life. In such institutions, they are mainly engaged in group therapy, relaxation and psychology.
Preventive measures
A healthy and strong back is the best solution to help avoid any pain. For this reason, the most effective prevention will be regular physical activity in a rational amount, proper posture, as well as the exception of lifting heavy objects.
If a person gives temporary back pain to the lumbar region, then he should take the following preventive measures:
- get rid of excess weight if it is present: a large number of extra pounds can adversely affect the condition of the lower back, causing additional stress;
- use the right and comfortable shoes with low heels, which will help to evenly distribute the load on the foot and avoid overstrain of the spine when moving;
- It is also important to stop abruptly moving, as this can provoke muscle strain;
- learn to deal with stress, depression, nervous breakdowns, stop worrying a lot, as all this can provoke pain.
Types of Exercises for the Back
A set of exercises is a good method for the prevention and relief of lower back pain, but if the pain syndrome lasts longer than 6 months, then it is very important to consult a doctor before conducting classes.
Walking and strengthening swimming will help improve muscle condition, support the spine without overloading it, which eliminates the possible stretching. Pilates and yoga will help to strengthen the back muscles and develop their flexibility, but they should be performed under the strict supervision of a professional trainer.
The most common simple exercises for back against pain that you can perform at home:
- Squats against the wall - for this you need to straighten up, spread your legs shoulder width apart. Next, a squat is performed before taking the body position in a 90 degree bend.
- Alternate leg lifts. To conduct the exercise, you need to lie on the floor and begin to raise your legs alternately without bending them. The exercise is repeated 5 times.
- Pelvic Rises. The exercise is carried out in a supine position. First, the knees bend, and then the pelvis rises with the tension of the abdominal muscles. When performing the exercise, it is important to monitor evenness of the back. Repeat 5 times.
First, exercises are carried out several times a day, over time, the number of approaches increases to six, depending on how the person feels. This complex helps to warm up and strengthen the muscles of the back. Most often, people injure their lower back when doing daily chores, for example, when they lift heavy objects, clean up the house. Warming up your muscles well before doing work will help prevent injury.
Pain due to osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease of the articular cartilage connecting the vertebrae. Due to this disease, pinching of the roots of the spinal cord occurs, which provokes a pain syndrome. This condition is especially susceptible to people over 30 years old, and recently, the lesion is often diagnosed in young people.
The main cause of pain in the back and lower back is the lifting of heavy objects, monotonous work in an uncomfortable position (for example, in the garden). Osteochondrosis can occur as a result of a long trip without stops, when a person is constantly sitting.
Not a single person is safe from such a disease. You can determine it by the following symptoms:
- backache;
- pain in the lower back, the right side from the back aches (or left), pain gives in the leg;
- pain syndrome only increases with a change in position and load on the lower back;
- a person may experience severe burning sensation, pain lumbago;
- after a long stay in an uncomfortable position, it is difficult to change due to severe discomfort;
- the sensitivity of the buttocks and legs decreases, there is a feeling of goosebumps;
- there are problems with sweating, the lower extremities are freezing.
If a person is sure that the pain syndrome comes from the spine, then he should perform the following treatment measures:
- use a special woolen belt or scarf, tying it around the lower back;
- lie on a hard and flat surface;
- start taking anti-inflammatory drugs;
- apply anti-inflammatory ointments for back pain in the lumbar region.
It is important to remember that painkillers should not be taken on an empty stomach, since they irritate the mucous membrane and can provoke the appearance of ulcers and gastritis. If a person is not sure about the cause of back and lower back pain, it is important for him to see a doctor - taking anti-inflammatory drugs for diseases of the stomach and pancreas is very dangerous, since they can only aggravate the general situation.
What is forbidden to do?
In no case should the patient try to “straighten” his back on his own - this can only aggravate the pain syndrome and also severely harm. With an exacerbated form of osteochondrosis, warm baths and baths and saunas should not be taken.
After warming up, a person can feel an improvement in condition and pain relief, but after well-being only worsens. If pain often appears in the back, it is important to have an MRI and seek help from a neurologist.