For the ability to walk on two legs, the human race pays with back pain. If your back periodically aches in your lower back, it could be a sign of severe fatigue or the result of staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time while working or sleeping. But the reasons can be more serious.
Causes of pain
The lower back is one of the most painful areas. There are reasons for this:
- Osteochondrosis;
- Scoliosis;
- herniated discs;
- tumors;
- tissue infections.
The nature and intensity of the pain depends on the disease. And she worries in different ways: after sleeping, exercising, working too hard. For example, renal colic is accompanied by pain in the lower back constantly. And the type of patient activity does not matter here.
- Most often it hurts in the lower back due to osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. Pain moderate in its intensity in a state of sleep, aggravated by physical exertion. Constantly tormented by a feeling of fatigue. The feeling of heaviness causes an urge to lie down. But relief doesn't always come.
- If there is a herniated disc, severe pain occurs after sudden movements, weight lifting, falling.
- If the hernia is compressed, there is a sharp pain, characterized as low back pain. Movement in the lower back is visibly limited. Nerve root damage gives a sign of leg pain.
- In old age, stenosis of the intervertebral canal often occurs. A sign of this is limping, numbness in the legs, especially after a long walk.
- The stiffness that occurs in the morning in the spine region indicates the beginning of the development of Bechterew's disease. Initially, sharp sensations of pain appear in the sacral region, then spread to the lower back. The sensation after sleep is not of rest, but of fatigue, which disappears with the onset of motor activity. Young men are the most affected by the disease. The disease is hereditary. Basically, the lower back hurts in the supine position.
- Sharp pain in the lower back also occurs with pyelonephritis (an inflammatory process in the kidneys). They are accompanied by an increase in body temperature, swelling in the morning after sleep.
- Often, in older men, a disease such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm develops. Aching, throbbing pains in the abdomen are the result of aortic pressure on nearby organs.
- Lower back pain, fever, burning along the nerve are signs of shingles. This viral disease affects cells in the spinal cord. A pink rash appears on the body and then blisters.
- Another widespread disease that many consider harmless is flat feet. A deformed foot increases the load on the spine when walking. During sleep, the pain is relieved.
- If there are congenital changes in the vertebrae: an irregular shape or a change in the cleft, sooner or later they will make themselves felt.
- Autoimmune pathologies, in particular multiple sclerosis, provoke pain from various locations. Including lower back pain.
There are other reasons why your lower back hurts a lot. This can be osteoporosis, infections of the genitourinary system, hemorrhoids, tumor diseases, complications after viral or bacterial infections. And even physiological changes that affect women and occur during pregnancy and childbirth.
Pain caused by diseases of Organs internal organs
When wondering why the back hurts in the lower back, it is sometimes hard to believe that the reasons could lie within the organs. The fact is that in some cases, pain sensations from the internal organs are "radiated" to the lower back.
- Right-sided pleurisy, pneumonia - the causes of pain in the lower back on the right. Associated symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, fever. Left-sided pleurisy sends pain signals to the left side of the lower back, which are aggravated by bending over, in the supine position during sleep.
- Cholelithiasis also localizes sharp pains on the right, just above the waist, and they are accompanied by belching, nausea. They have a penetrating character.
- Waist pain in the lower back occurs due to pancreatitis. His companions are nausea and vomiting.
- Severe pain under the left shoulder blade is often the result of a myocardial infarction.
- For men, prostate pathology causes pain in the area below the waist, with transition to the sacrum. Women have cystitis.
- Distal digestive tract diseases - the causes of pain below the waist.
pain provokers
Pain can also be caused by factors such as:
- Body hypothermia.
- Intense physical activity.
- Certain sports (bodybuilding, bodybuilding, weightlifting, bodybuilding).
- Crisis.
- Fracture.
- The menstrual cycle in women.
- Wrong nutrition.
- Stress.
- Uncomfortable posture while sleeping.
Back pain in the lower back in children
New technologies have brought not only benefits to our world, but also harm. Because? Because love for a computer from an early age deprives children of full physical activity, it forms an incorrect posture.
Important: If you choose the right chair and table for your child, spinal curvature can be avoided!
Scoliosis can develop with wearing a heavy backpack, flat feet, uncomfortable shoes. Be sure to treat him! Children are contraindicated in excessive physical activity, weight lifting. When exercising in the sports section, you should be especially sensitive to the child's complaints about back discomfort after training. We can talk about a herniated spine. Timely treatment will allow the child to live a full life.
types of pain
The nature of pain is divided into the following types:
- Spasms in the long muscles of the back cause sharp pain. This happens due to stretching. The problem is familiar to athletes and people whose specific professions are associated with stress on the back muscles. In the supine position, the pain subsides a little. The main location location is the lower back.
- An injury to the spine, that is, a fracture, is very dangerous. It can happen from an unsuccessful fall or become a consequence of osteoporosis, Paget's disease, hyperparathyroidism.
- Displacement of the intervertebral discs causes pain by compressing the nerve roots. For this reason, the patient's mobility is limited, sensitivity is impaired, and knee reflex is reduced. The danger of this disease is also that healthy vertebrae begin to ache, and this leads to disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and is the cause of restless sleep.
- Facet joint syndrome in 31% of cases causes back pain. This degenerative process captures the capsule of the intervertebral joints and causes pain not only in the lower back but also in the legs. Lower back hurts in sitting position, with side bending or backward bending, with long standing.
- The inflammatory process of an infectious nature in the epidural space is a very serious and dangerous disease. It can be fatal if not treated in time.
Treatment
Seeing a doctor right away when you have back pain is key to successful treatment. Even if the pain only bothers you at night or after you sleep, there's a reason to visit a specialist.
After analyzing the causes, the doctor will give recommendations on how to treat and not get sick. The treatment will be complex, with the use of ointments, pills, injections, massages and physiotherapy exercises.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are number one in the treatment of low back pain:
- In the initial phase, literally the first 3-5 days, treatment is carried out with the help of injections to relieve pain and inflammation. They act quickly, effectively relieving acute pain by directly injecting the drug into the blood or muscle.
- Then anti-inflammatory and analgesic pills, chondroprotectors, irritating drugs (in each case separately) are used.
- In addition, ointment treatment is applied. Properly selected ointment helps to relieve inflammation in the affected area, and also warms (if necessary).
Reflex muscle tension is removed with the help of muscle relaxants. With their help, the pain syndrome is treated and mobility is restored. Apply from 3 to 7 days.
Group B vitamin preparations are a necessary addition to the main therapy.
In some cases, drug blockade is necessary. The anesthetic is administered epidurally or paravertebrally. It is used for degenerative changes in the spine.
Physiotherapy Treatment:
- UHF;
- electrophoresis;
- Magnetotherapy.
Massage relieves acute pain by improving blood circulation. Kneading the muscles has a beneficial effect on the elasticity and flexibility of the ligaments. To improve the general tone of the body and only with the permission of the attending physician, massage is combined with a bath or sauna. You can't heat up during the infectious process!
Pain during pregnancy can be relieved using a special bandage.
The use of orthopedic insoles is mandatory for patients with flat feet.
Physiotherapy
Physical exercise is also a cure. They strengthen the back muscles, improve posture, increase muscle tone and increase blood circulation. They are used not only in the complex of therapeutic therapy, but also in the prevention of pain in the lower back. As in the case of drug therapy, therapeutic exercises are prescribed in each case individually, analyzing the main causes of the disease. But there are several general exercises, each performed 5 to 10 times, preferably in the morning, avoiding overwork.
- Standing, lean your body alternately to the right, forward, backward, to the left.
- Standing, feet shoulder-width apart, turn your body to the sides.
- On all fours, do a "kitten": arching your back into your lower back.
- Lying on your back, bend your legs at the knees, arms along your body. Raise and lower the pelvis, gradually increasing the range of motion.
- Lying on your back, legs stretched out, arms along the body. Alternately, bend your legs at the knees, followed by pulling up to your chest.
- On all fours, swing your legs alternately.
Whatever the reasons, only a specialist can determine why the back hurts, identify the "culprit" of the disease and prescribe the correct and effective treatment. As with any other disease, self-medication is not worth it! Any drug can not only cure, but also harm if chosen incorrectly.