Discomfort in the back is familiar to almost all of us. It is enough for a short time to sit or work in an uncomfortable position so that painful sensations appear in the lumbar region.
Pain in the lower back in men most often has its own bases and can serve as the first signal about the onset of a serious disease that needs to be treated. The answer of the specialist after the diagnosis to the question of why such pain appears is the first step to a productive treatment.
Pain in the spine - what is it?
Pain in the lumbosacral can be manifested throughout life in approximately 75% of all inhabitants of the globe. Moreover, the average age of the disease is decreasing every year, and is currently 40-45 years old. In medical practice, cases of complaints from adolescents and even children are known that cause sore muscles of the lower back.
Backache, osteochondrosis, sciatica often cause a person to temporarily lose his ability to work. They affect the condition of the spine as a whole, and can also be localized in any part of the human body.
Why do lower back pain appear?
Constant chronic or suddenly occurring acute pain is a consequence of various diseases that can occur in both men and women. In some cases, pain in the spine may be a sign of stress, obesity, or mental illness.
Pain in the sacrum and lower back in men develops:
- with bone pathology;
- various changes in the periarticular tissues, muscles, nerve trunks;
- disorders in the articular part of the spine.
Also a prerequisite for the development of pain in the back is a sedentary lifestyle. Long-term immobility leads to lower stability of the lower back.
Causes of lower back pain in men
Pain in the lumbosacral is currently considered the most common syndrome among representatives of the strong half of humanity. These problems are associated with constant loads on the spine, with sedentary work, or, conversely, with heavy physical labor.
The causes of lower back pain in men are as follows:
- overweight;
- long driving or working at the computer;
- performance of sedentary (office workers) or standing (sellers, hairdressers) work;
- various injuries and unprepared movements;
- work that is associated with constant physical labor;
- power loads in the gym;
- long stay and work in the cold or draft.
If a man has lower back pain, the doctor can diagnose the onset of the disease.
Diseases causing back pain
Here are examples of the most common diseases that cause pain in the back:
- sprains - the cause of this condition may be weight lifting or weakness of the latissimus dorsi muscles;
- protrusion - protrusion of the intervertebral discs, because of which they begin to put pressure on the nerve roots (this pathology occurs only with increased physical activity);
- metastasis - the spread of malignant neoplasms of the male genital organs, often appears in men older than 50 years;
- a fracture occurs when falling from a great height or with a strong blow to the back, the most serious injury is a fracture of the spine,
- infringement of nerve roots in the intervertebral canal;
- pain that is given to the lower back can be a signal about diseases of the prostate gland, kidneys, liver or stomach;
- Ankylosing spondylitis is noted by a decrease in mobility (especially in the morning) and chest volume during breathing, provokes curvature of the spine in the chest area;
- osteomyelitis - persistent pain in the back;
- dystrophic changes in the lumbar vertebrae subsequently lead to bone growth;
- spinal cord tumors have neurological symptoms.
Almost always, pains that are localized in the back are a response of the body to abnormal processes in it.
Diagnostics
Doctors often hear at the patient reception “Back pain in the lower back, what should I do?” As we already wrote, there are a large number of different reasons that lead to lower back pain. Therefore, for the differential diagnosis of diseases that have similar symptoms, additional medical studies are carried out:
- computed tomography reveals changes in the spine and surrounding tissues that may be associated with injuries, fractures, tumors, infections;
- X-ray is performed to diagnose osteochondrosis, osteoarthrosis, vertebral defects, reveals the presence of malignant neoplasms, osteomyelitis, pathology in the vertebrae;
- magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to assess the condition of the spinal cord and determine the cause of back pain;
- myelography is performed to detect pathological processes in the muscles and to study the spinal cord, xenon is injected into it for contrast, and then an examination is carried out (if the primary data do not clearly reflect the situation, a radionuclide scan is performed).
The causes of lower back pain in men are varied, but you do not need to start the diagnosis with an X-ray examination and computed tomography due to the insecurity of these methods. They are done only if there is a suspicion of a fracture of the spine.
In addition to conducting the above studies, the doctor conducts a preliminary diagnosis of the patient:
- history taking - questions are asked about the onset and features of the course of the disease;
- general examination - palpation and visual inspection of the spine, determination of mobility;
- analysis of complaints - what types of pain are there, how often they arise, in which place of the back;
- blood and urine tests to detect kidney pathology or inflammatory processes in the body.
For a more complete examination, the patient is referred for consultation to other doctors: rheumatologist, orthopedist, neurologist. Primary information about back pain can be used to describe pain at a neurologist appointment.
Symptoms
The causes of back pain in men are lesions of the peripheral nerve endings, which have both sensitive and motor fibers. This means that painful symptoms are accompanied by a violation of the function that regulates movement, that is, pain and impaired mobility are interconnected.
Symptoms that are characteristic of lower back pain are divided depending on the reasons:
- sprains - have the character of spasms, hamper muscle movements in the lumbar region, radiate to the lower body;
- damage to the nerve roots - the pain spreads to the legs (sometimes both), numbness, the presence of goose bumps (when coughing or sneezing the pain becomes stronger);
- various diseases - with osteochondrosis, radiculitis, painful manifestations increase gradually, may not pass for a long time.
It is necessary to remember: if the back hurts for more than 3 days, only a doctor can establish the reasons, therefore, you should not delay the appeal to a medical institution.
Pain in the lower right in men indicates the presence of pathology in the musculoskeletal system or diseases in the internal organs located in this area.
Types of pain in the lumbar region
The intensity of pain symptoms can be seen in the study:
- skin - sweating is clearly visible;
- heart - palpitations;
- body temperature - fever;
- eye - dilated pupils.
By its location, the pain can be:
- local - the source is located in the lumbar region;
- reflected - a pathological pain symptom begins far from a painful place;
- irradiating - a pain impulse enters the back along the branches of nerves.
Actions for back pain
Do you often have low back pain? What to do to improve the condition?
1. If the causes of the pain are unknown, you need to measure the temperature to detect infection, the inflammatory process, determine the presence of symptoms accompanying the disease: vomiting, indigestion. Call a doctor to find out the cause of back pain in men.
2. If there is a bruise, sprains, you need to take anti-inflammatory drugs, which will help relieve pain and relieve inflammation. To reduce swelling and increase fluid circulation at the site of damage, take a diuretic. Drag the back area for fixation. Get expert advice.
If you have pain, you should consult a doctor in the following cases:
- the presence of oncology;
- pain was before;
- a combination of pain with urinary and fecal incontinence;
- the duration is more than 3 days;
- pain arises as a result of an injury;
- intense weight loss.
Low back pain in men: treatment
After the diagnosis is made, the patient is prescribed medications (tablets, injections) that will help reduce pain, restore nerve tissue and blood circulation. It also facilitates the condition of local therapy (warming, painkillers and anti-inflammatory gels, ointments).
Surgical intervention will be required, for example, with a hernia of the intervertebral disc as a consequence of osteochondrosis. Or in the presence of a purulent focus in the spine.
In some cases, the patient will be recommended to wear a corset (bandage) to reduce the load on the spine. After the disappearance of bouts of acute pain, the patient will be prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures, therapeutic exercises or massage.
Most people who start treatment feel better in a week. After 5-6 weeks, the pain completely disappears.
Disease prevention
To prevent back pain:
- treat the underlying disease;
- exclude injuries, hypothermia, physical overload;
- have the correct posture;
- avoid the appearance of excess weight;
- Exercise regularly to strengthen your back muscles
- properly equip working, sleeping places in order to exclude the incorrect position of the spine, at which curvature occurs.
It must be remembered that if back pain occurs, only a doctor can identify the cause. Entrust your health to a specialist, and all problems will be resolved.