Back pain in the lumbar region is a common phenomenon. By the age of 30, these feelings appear in 70% of people who are indifferent to the type of employment, lifestyle and physical activity. Ignoring lower back pain leads to undesirable health consequences, since this symptom already indicates disturbances in the functioning of the body.
At the neurologist consultation:
- Do an inspection;
- Listen to the patient's complaints
- Make a preliminary diagnosis;
- If necessary, send for further research;
- prescribes an individual cure.
Causes of back pain
The causes of back pain in the lumbar region differ in the etiology of origin, they require the definition of the pain zone and an analysis of its nature. It is customary to distinguish:
- epicritic pain - severe back pain in the lower back with a clearly defined focus;
- protopathic pain - pulling, aching pain that reflects diseases of other anatomical areas.
The frequency of occurrence, the duration of pain sensations and the area affected by them are significant. Often the back fails due to:
- age-related changes in which the ability of the spine to perform depreciation functions decreases;
- loads during child transport;
- displacement of vertebrae, injuries and compression fractures;
- spine deformities;
- intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, compression of the nerve roots of the spinal cord.
If lower back pain limits mobility and prevents bending, then we are talking about stretching. The feeling of numbness, increased pain when coughing, sneezing, the sensation spreading to the lower limbs are neuroradicular syndromes. Long-term growing pains are explained by problems with internal organs.
Back pain in the right lumbar region occurs due to muscle spasm, nerve fiber irritation, musculoskeletal or spinal problems. There are problems with the liver, right kidney, right ovary (in women), intestines, gall bladder. Similar reasons lead to the fact that a person has back pain in the left lumbar region. However, in case of protopathic pain, it is worth paying attention to the left kidney, the left ovary (in women), the stomach, the intestines and the pancreas.
If the left side hurts from behind in the lower back or the right side in the morning after sleep and long immobility, then this indicates spondylarthrosis. Sharp pain during a drop in temperature (due to showering or hypothermia) is a manifestation of acute back pain.
With severe pain, it is advisable for men to consult a urologist first, and for women to consult a gynecologist. You will need to have an ultrasound of the internal organs, blood and urine tests. When examining the spine, MRI of the lumbar spine gives good results.
Low back pain of a protopathic nature is caused by a number of reasons:
- kidney disease;
- heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction);
- pleurisy;
- pneumonia;
- diseases of the esophagus;
- appendicitis;
- inflammation of the gallbladder.
Sharp pain in the back above the waist:
- radiculitis;
- osteochondrosis with disc displacement;
- injuries to the spine and ribs;
- myositis (muscle inflammation).
Back pain below the waist is caused by morphofunctional musculoskeletal disorders - osteochondrosis or spondylarthrosis. In this case, patients feel a sharp pain in the back below the waist.
How to relieve pain in the lower back
If you experience sharp pain in the lumbar region, you can relieve the discomfort with simple actions. You should lie on a level surface and rest. Please note that the soft feather bed, which sags a lot under your weight, will not work. The legs should be placed high, relieving the spine.
After the discomfort is gone, carefully turn onto your side and get on all fours. Such "exercise" means minimizing the load on the back. You need to straighten up and stand on your feet, use the support, hold it with your hands. A back belt for pain in the lower back allows you to fix this part of the body, which also reduces pain. At the same timeyou need to grasp 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 reduce inflammation. They can be used as tablets or injections for back and lower back pain (in this case, blockade injections are performed only in clinical settings).
Be sure to contact the clinic after the symptoms disappear. Self-medication is unacceptable. If the back and lower back pain ointment and a belt are used, the patient can endure the pain for a long time, aggravating his condition. As a result, the muscles of the back weaken and the pain goes into a chronic phase. Abuse of painkillers can be addictive.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region
If your lifestyle causes periodic muscle spasms (this can be caused by sports or physical work), then muscle relaxants should be kept in your home medicine cabinet. But these medicines must also be prescribed by a doctor after consultation. In the treatment of low back pain, different measures are used depending on the diagnosis:
- Reflexology.It includes acupuncture (injections with special needles in specific areas) and electroacupuncture (use of electrical impulses). It can also be implemented in the form of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (suppression of the pain signal that reaches the brain).
- Physiotherapy.Magnetic and laser therapy methods, as well as medicated electrophoresis and phonophoresis, are used, which increase the effectiveness of the use of drugs.
- Physiotherapy and massage.These measures are effective in spinal diseases and rehabilitation after injuries. It requires medical supervision.
- Surgical intervention.It may be necessary for hernias that cause compression of the spinal cord or spinal root.
Treatment is often complex, combining different approaches. The duration and effectiveness of the therapy depends on the timeliness of the treatment.