One in two people on the planet is familiar with back pain – this is confirmed by official statistics.And indeed, everyone has experienced pain in the spine of varying intensity, and it's not even worth talking about attacks in the lower back: they lifted something incorrectly, bent too sharply, slept in an uncomfortable position, and the pain will definitely be present.
Low back pain can be of an absolutely varied nature: aching and pulling, acute and constant, paroxysmal and sharp, stabbing and local.The intensity of the syndrome in question is also variable: the pain can appear suddenly, without visible conditions, but can develop constantly "in an increasing way".
Back pain can be tolerated by a person with relative ease or can cause immobility - it all depends on the individual tolerance of the syndrome and the psycho-emotional state of the patient.
Causes of back pain in men
Men, more often than women, work in extreme conditions, for example in regularly low air temperatures, in conditions of high humidity, with the need to lift heavy objects and so on.It is not surprising that physiological factors rank first among the causes of lower back pain.
Lumbar spine pain in men can occur with prostatitis, an inflammatory process in the prostate gland.Note: prostatitis is manifested not only by pain in the lower back with irradiation to the rectum, but there are also disorders in the process of urination, annoying discomfort in the groin and perineum, hyperthermia (increased temperature).
If a man develops inflammation of the testicles (epididymitis), pain in the lower back, along with an increase in the size of the testicles and their tumor, may be the main reason for a comprehensive examination by an andrologist.
Causes of low back pain in women
For the female category of patients, back pain is typical of some gynecological diseases/conditions:
- Annexed.Inflammation of the ovaries causes the development of constantly increasing pain in the lower back.It can be unilateral or bilateral - it all depends on the location of the inflammatory process.Low back pain with adnexitis is accompanied by increased body temperature, changes in vaginal discharge, general weakness and increased pain during intimate relations.
- Pregnancy.This is a physiological condition, which is accompanied by excessive loads on all organs and systems: carrying a child a priori implies the functioning of the body "for wear and tear".Another factor that can contribute to the appearance of back pain during pregnancy is the risk of miscarriage.
- Climax.During this time, a woman's body undergoes powerful changes, including hormonal balance.The level of estrogen in the blood becomes unstable, to which the nerve endings react: back pain can be explained by this factor.
Note: Women are characterized by idiopathic low back pain - their onset is unclear;doctors associate pain with the woman's psycho-emotional state and her minimal resistance to stress.
Common causes of back pain
This classification includes pain in the lumbar spine, which can occur due to internal pathologies in both men and women.The most frequently recorded factors and reasons:
- An attack of acute or chronic appendicitis.Naturally, this pathology is characterized by pain in the right hypochondrium, but in some cases (depending on the physiological characteristics of the body and the intensity of the inflammatory process) pain in the lower back on the right side may appear.
- Chronic cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder).The pain syndrome in this case will be localized in the right hypochondrium with strong irradiation to the lower back - this means that the fibers of the spinal nerves are involved in the pathological process.
- Inflammatory/infectious processes in the kidneys.For them, lower back pain is considered the main symptom, to which hyperthermia (prolonged increase in body temperature), morning swelling of the face and hypertension are added.
- Diseases of the small intestine.They are characterized by standard digestive disorders (stool problems, increased gas formation, intestinal colic) associated with back pain.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).The pain in this pathology is of a throbbing nature and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Note: if the lower back pain is caused precisely by pancreatitis, no changes in the intensity of the sensations are noted when palpating the spine.
- Infectious diseases.Not all infectious diseases cause lower back pain: this syndrome is characteristic only in cases where pathological damage to bone tissue occurs.And the lower back hurts more often due to the heavy load on this particular part of the spine.
Doctors consider inflammatory processes in the muscles – myositis – the main cause of back pain in both men and women.They are characterized by aching, constant pain with a gradual increase in intensity: on the basis of this symptom and in the absence of other signs, a preliminary diagnosis can be made.
Also, the syndrome in question can appear in patients diagnosed with stage 4 obesity: the load on the muscles and bones is too great, so the pain in the lower back will be constant, intensified and radiate to the legs.
Note: Pain in the lumbar spine can be caused by the growth of malignant or benign tumors.But in this case there will be no problems with the diagnosis: this syndrome does not appear in the first stage of cancer.
Diseases always accompanied by back pain
There are numerous pathological conditions in which lower back pain is the main symptom:
- Low back pain.It is characterized by sharp, piercing pain, diagnosed more often in male patients and may be the result of pinching of the sciatic nerve or displacement of several vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.Curvature of the vertebrae, which can be congenital or acquired.The pathological process can affect any part of the spine;the following classification of the disease is typical for the lower back:
- habitual scoliosis, which develops during childhood and is a consequence of the child's incorrect posture;
- stunted appearance - the final stage of metabolic disorders in childhood;
- rheumatic – more often diagnosed in adult patients, always a consequence of serious joint pathologies;
- paralytic scoliosis.
- Osteochondrosis of intervertebral nature.
- Hernia of the lumbar spine.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.It is diagnosed more often in menopausal women.
- Osteoporosis.This is the thinning of bone tissue, the causes of which are exclusively age-related.In addition to pain in the lumbar spine, the patient is diagnosed with hernias, deformation of the vertebral joints and cartilage problems.
- Phlebothrombosis.This is not an inflammatory process in the vessels, but their blockage: the disease is more common in older people.It is typical that in phlebothrombosis lumbar pain appears only during a long walk.
In addition, lower back pain can be caused by grade 3-4 atherosclerosis, obstruction of blood flow through inflamed vessels (various phlebitis), ankylosing spondylitis and other factors and causes.
You definitely need to call a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination: the cause of the syndrome may be the development of a serious pathology in the body.
Back pain: what to do?
To help you when you suffer from back pain, you need to remember some advice from specialists:
- When the syndrome first manifests itself, take a comfortable position and monitor the nature of the pain:
- at what time it arises, intensifies or subsides;
- is accompanied by nausea, headache, changes in physiological processes (urination, defecation);
- Is there an increase in temperature and foreign tastes in the oral cavity?
- If the cause of lower back pain is a bruise, sprain or injury, you should do the following:
- taking a drug from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- take a diuretic - this will help quickly get rid of swelling and speed up the process of eliminating inflammation;
- tighten the lower back with any fastening material: a special orthopedic belt, a towel, a scarf, an elastic bandage.
In any case, you will need to consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination: even the simplest injury to the spine and short-term pain in the lower back can be caused by a serious pathological process.
Actions contraindicated for low back pain
The following manipulations are strictly prohibited:
- heating the area where the pain syndrome is localized without first determining the cause of its onset - this can provoke a powerful progression of the inflammatory process;
- take painkillers if the cause of lumbar spine pain remains unclear;
- realign the vertebrae: Many patients do not understand this point and believe that professional chiropractors will not cause harm.In fact, the displacement of the vertebrae can be caused not only by strong physical stress, but also by various degenerative processes of the cartilage and ligaments.The result of forced repositioning of a vertebra in place due to connective tissue or cartilage dystrophy can be the complete destruction of the latter and immobilization.
Treatment of lower back pain
Professional treatment of the pain syndrome in question is carried out only in the hospital.As a rule, after an examination (x-ray, computed tomography, laboratory tests of blood/urine, etc.), patients are prescribed drugs that can quickly and with a lasting effect relieve a pain attack.Then, depending on the general state of health, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, the doctor selects restorative therapy, and the patient undergoes a course of physiotherapy and massage.
Note: You need to learn how to rest properly after strenuous physical activity: lie on your back with your legs raised at the bottom.If the lower back hurts after sleep, you will need an orthopedic mattress, and if the pain becomes regular and severe, doctors can make a blockade.But this does not mean that after the disappearance of the syndrome in question you can calm down and not carry out any treatment: the attacks will recur more and more often.
Treatment of back pain with folk remedies
Any means from the category of traditional medicine, which is aimed at restoring the function of the spine and eliminating back pain, can be used only if the etiology of the problem is clarified!Only in this case will they be truly effective and absolutely safe.
Some treatments for back pain:
- For osteochondrosis, you need to take wax, melt it and apply it warm to the lower back (at the point of pain).It is necessary to put a warm scarf or handkerchief on top so that the warming procedure has a greater effect.Attention: the skin in the area of application of the melted wax must not show any visible dermatological damage or pathologies.
- With regular stress, nervous breakdowns and back pain against the background of psycho-emotional disorders, St. John's wort can be used for treatment.Take 2 tablespoons of dried St. John's wort, pour 400 ml of boiling water and leave overnight.Then filter the infusion and take 100 ml at least 4 times a day.The course of treatment lasts a week, even if the pain disappears on the second or third day, it is not recommended to stop taking St. John's wort infusion.
- When diagnosing habitual pinched nerves (for example, sciatic nerve), hot pepper tincture and fir oil are used.It is necessary to apply these components to the lower back, exactly in the area where the pain syndrome is located, twice a day for a week.Note: First the chili tincture is rubbed into the skin, and then the fir oil.The number of procedures depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome: as soon as the condition returns to normal, the treatment is stopped.
Regular massage helps a lot with habitual lower back pain.Doing it yourself is problematic, but our ancestors used the following method: you need to take a nylon/nylon stocking and tie three knots at the same distance.You need to massage your back with this sock every day - it is quite possible to do it yourself.
Back pain can be a consequence of various pathological conditions.Many habitually "reject" this syndrome, blaming everything on excessive tension or nerves.But doctors warn: even periodic, non-intense pain in the lumbar spine may indicate the development of internal pathologies.