If your lower back hurts it can be due to a large list of reasons. One of the most harmless options is physical fatigue. In more serious situations, hernias, protrusions, or damage to the bone apparatus can occur.
To find out what causes back pain, you need to get a medical examination. Once diagnosed, appropriate treatment will be prescribed to relieve symptoms and eliminate the root cause of pain.
Why the lower back hurts: Classification of painful sensations
If there is severe lower back pain in any part of the spine, it may indicate certain pathological changes. The doctor will assess not only the type and severity of pain, but also other accompanying signs of problems in the lumbar region. A full history collection is required.
The pain syndrome is classified as follows:
- Nonspecific pain of a benign nature. In most situations, benign chronic or acute pain is not a difficult diagnosis. These unpleasant symptoms are in most cases reversible. Such unpleasant sensations are used to diagnose dorsopathy. Before that, the diagnosis sounded different - osteochondrosis. This is not a dangerous disease that occurs in everyone with old age and is characterized by a sagging of the intervertebral discs due to the action of gravity and muscle weakness.
- Radiculopathy (radicular syndrome). The condition is associated with compression or irritation of the nerve root in the interdisk space. Such pain can indicate an inflammatory process, compression of the vertebrae of the intervertebral disc, the appearance of protrusion and an inguinal hernia. They significantly worsen the patient's quality of life, especially during the acute phase of physical activity.
- Specific or alarming back pain. Symptoms of such ailments on their own are difficult to diagnose, so an additional examination is often prescribed, which may include ruling out cancer, tuberculosis, kidney disease or fractures, as well as injuries. Examples are pyelonephritis with fever, in pregnant women, lower back pain, aching pain in the lower abdomen with diseases of the female reproductive system. In men, urological symptoms should be excluded.
The general classification of pain is divided into:
- strong;
- sharp;
- hurts;
- chronic;
- was moved.
Lower back pain - reasons
The lower back hurts badlywith manifestations of osteochondrosis. Unpleasant sensations almost always torment the patient - when walking, sitting and even lying down. The lower back hurts more during the day due to movement. Aggravated by coughing, sneezing, carrying weights. Less often, the pain in the lower back radiates to the leg, which manifests itself in paresthesia - a feeling of numbness and walking with creepy feet.
When a patient has sciatica, the pain radiates to the lower body - buttocks, pelvis, thighs, or lower legs. The symptoms increase with active body movements, as in the case of dorsopathy. If such symptoms occur, it is necessary to consult a neurologist as soon as possible.
Pain in the lower back and lower abdomenindicates a bacterial lesion that is often associated with painful urination. Women often experience lower back pain during pregnancy or during menstruation. Below the lower back, pain is the result of a painful spasm or fetal pressure on the internal organs. In the lower back, pain on the right or left indicates kidney disease. It is necessary to clarify the diagnosis with a doctor. The most reliable diagnostic methods are X-rays and MRI.
Often times, the causes of back pain in women are related to their periods. Lower back pain in women due to uterine cramps. To combat painful periods, you need to take NSAIDs or use hormone therapy. More rarely, the state of ovulation syndrome is observed. In addition to lower back discomfort, a woman will observe alternating mid-cycle pain on the right or left side. It is not yet known exactly why this condition occurs.
During pregnancy, the lower back hurts due to the shift in center of gravity and muscle weakness. The condition returns to normal after the birth. Unpleasant sensations are observed at all times. It is important to distinguish when the back was injured from the load and when there is pathology. If at any point in pregnancy, in addition to back and abdominal pain, there is a discharge like menstruation, you need to urgently consult a doctor.
In men, painful sensations in the lower back and below the waist, radiating to the perineum, indicate the development of inflammation of the prostate. If, in addition to these symptoms, a man has an increased body temperature and a deterioration in well-being, then you need to contact a therapist or urologist. Treat inflammation with antibiotics.
Acute lower back pain occurs in the following situations:
- sprain or inflammation of the back muscles;
- long stay in an antalgic posture;
- if you suddenly lift a lot of weight;
- sharp turns of the side or body, injuries;
- drafts or hypothermia.
What to do if your lower back hurts: If the condition indicates physical damage, you need to see a traumatologist. The specialist will prescribe drug therapy in the acute phase to relieve unpleasant symptoms. First, NSAIDs are used for systemic actions, and then they switch to external forms of release. It is useful to take vitamin supplements and inject neurotropic drugs. Physiotherapy, massage, and gymnastics are indicated during the recovery period.
Why do unpleasant symptoms occur? Lower back pain occurs due to inflammation of the muscle fibers or myositis. The condition is not comfortable because the patient feels a stiffness below the waist and normal body movements are difficult. To temporarily relieve the condition, you need to take a warm shower, and then wrap yourself in warm clothes. Often the back hurts in the lumbar region after injuries, falls. It is also recommended to use warming ointments. If after a few days the condition does not improve, it is better to consult a doctor.
Pulls and hurts in the lower back during spondylosis. The patient has constant drawing pains in the lower back, and over time there are problems with the legs. Loss of sensitivity and weakness are observed. Spondylosis deformans is dangerous if the symptoms are ignored, as the disease takes a long time to develop. Other causes of pain withdrawal include ankylosing spondylitis, other diseases, pain radiating to the spine, or cancer. You can not pull with such symptoms, you need to immediately seek help from a specialist.
Sometimes the patient is tormented by "repressed pain" of which he does not know the nature. The patient has unpleasant sensations in the back, but this condition is not associated with the developing pathology of the spine. Radiation therapy for pain is associated with problems in the pelvis, stomach, or duodenum, as well as in the kidneys.
In which situations do you urgently need to contact a specialist:
- The pain syndrome is intense and the symptoms do not go away after 2-3 days or even intensify.
- Unpleasant sensations occurred after an injury or as a result of an accident. There were falls on the back or blows.
- With simultaneous occurrence of pain in the lower back, lower legs, hips, pelvis.
- Sensations in the limbs, pelvis, buttocks, thighs, legs, feet and groin are lost due to unpleasant sensations.
Only a doctor can find out the exact cause of back pain.
Treatments and ways to relieve back pain
After the diagnosis, the therapy is selected according to the individual characteristics of the patient. Treatment is aimed at relieving uncomfortable symptoms and preventing relapse. As a rule, conservative therapies are combined with the principles of physiotherapy and rehabilitation. In advanced situations, surgery may be required.
Drug therapy
Drug use is the most extensive branch of back therapy. From drugs for the spine, NSAIDs or analgesics, anticonvulsants, neurotropic vitamins, and muscle relaxants can be prescribed. Each group of drugs is discussed separately. These funds are intended for symptomatic treatment - pain relief during an exacerbation. They do not affect the root cause of the disease.
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) perform several tasks simultaneously during the symptomatic treatment of back pain. The funds effectively relieve and eliminate the inflammatory process due to the reversible inhibition of the synthesis of inflammatory mediators. Systemic release forms in the form of tablets and injections are used in the acute phase for a short time to alleviate the severe pain syndrome.
Diclofenac and Movalis are the gold standard in the treatment of back pain. Indomethacin or ketorolac are prescribed less often. After a few days of therapy, the patient is switched to the use of external forms of release, which can be used for much longer. Diclofenac gel, naproxen, ketorolac trometamol, piroxicam perfectly numb.
Antispasmodics can be used to treat a patient when the patient cannot tolerate muscle relaxants. Classic anticonvulsants are drotaverine hydrochloride or papaverine hydrochloride. They are prescribed to relieve smooth muscle spasms, which can cause radiating pain to appear on the spine. Such funds are easier to tolerate than NSAIDs, but also have a weaker impact.
The central muscle relaxants include tizanidine, tolperisone hydrochloride or baclofen. The most commonly prescribed treatment for muscle spasm is tolperisone hydrochloride, although tizanidine is more effective and has fewer side effects. Balofen is a prescription drug that is prescribed for really advanced cases. It is not a first-line drug as it has many side effects. The average duration of therapy when taking muscle relaxants is 1–1. 5 months. If during this time the spasticity does not go away, the drugs are removed.
Physiotherapeutic rehabilitation methods
In this field of medicine, it is common to use the following recovery methods:
- electrophoresis. Medicines are injected through the skin under the action of a galvanic current. Typically, injectable B vitamins, nicotinic acid, and chondroprotectors are used. This has been a longstanding method of treating back pain, but it is effective and helps well in the rehabilitation phase. Galvanic current has good conductivity and delivers drugs locally to where the blood flow is disturbed. The drugs are active for 15 hours.
- Laser therapy for pain relief. With the help of point-controlled infrared radiation, the method aims to relieve pain, eliminate cramps, stimulate regeneration processes, improve microcirculation in tissues, relax and improve immunity. Laser therapy is particularly effective in treating osteochondrosis, hernia, and protrusion.
- Acupuncture is an old therapeutic method that has been officially approved by the WHO. Contraindications to the procedure are the period of pregnancy, age up to 1 year and after 75 years. With the help of acupuncture, the pain syndrome is eliminated to varying degrees. The essence of the method is the action of a needle on the nerve end of the affected area. The average course of therapy is 10 to 12 sessions. Effectively and quickly removes pain in any part of the back - in the side, left or right of the spine.
- Physiotherapy is one of the most popular rehabilitation methods for back pain. If there are no contraindications to the procedure, then a rehabilitation therapist will select special exercises aimed at restoring mobility in the spine, eliminating muscle pain and strengthening hypotonic muscle structures. By strengthening the muscle corset, the pain disappears.
Traditional medicine methods are also used, but research has not proven their beneficial effects on health. All self-medication methods should be discussed with a neurologist.
Prevention of back pain
Maintaining the health of the spine is important from a young age. In the early stages of maturation of the body, the body is intensively formed - the limbs grow, the position of the organs changes, the skeleton elongates. By teaching your child proper posture and regular exercise at an early age, you can avoid many back problems in the future.
The child is taught to do exercise therapy at home several times a week in order to achieve a lasting effect. To avoid execution mistakes, you need to turn to a good rehabilitator. The specialist will explain how to do back exercises correctly at home and choose an individual exercise system. At a young age, it is important not to overdo it and switch the principles of moderate exercise with stretching and thorough warm-up.
Good habits for preventing lower back diseases in childhood and adulthood:
- Prolonged and improper sitting at work is fraught with scoliosis, which shifts to the left or right. You need to get up and stretch every 15 to 20 minutes. Tilt your neck and lower your back forward. Tired muscles are tightened sideways and blood circulation is improved.
- It is important to avoid prolonged exposure to the antalgic posture. The static overload of the comb is fraught with pain.
- Do not make any sharp curves in the neck or back. If you do this multiple times, there is a high chance of injury. Most commonly, back injuries are caused by sudden and unusual stress on the body.
- Sit up straight when you work from home. If you bend to the right or left in a sitting position, the muscles are put under incorrect strain. The result is uneven muscle tension with alternating hypertonicity or hypotension in any part of the back.
- It is necessary to exclude carrying the bag on the left or right on one shoulder. An alternative is a backpack that loads the shoulders evenly and without distortion to the right or left.
- At home, it is recommended to do a stretching complex for tired muscles. After a long day at work, the muscles lose their elasticity. Warming the stretch is also beneficial for ligaments and joints. When you bend your neck to the side and forward, light static loads are useful.
One of the best ways to prevent lower back discomfort is to go to the pool. It is enough to swim 1-2 times a week to feel relief in your back. If you are already having problems, experts recommend visiting the pool at least three times a week.