One in two people in the world suffers from lower back pain – official statistics bear it out.In fact, everyone has experienced varying degrees of spinal pain, not to mention waist pain - if you hold things incorrectly, bend too hard, or sleep in an uncomfortable position, pain will definitely occur.
The nature of low back pain varies: aching and pulling, acute and persistent, paroxysmal and cutting, shooting and localized.Even the intensity of the syndrome in question is variable - the pain may appear suddenly, without obvious prerequisites, but it can develop constantly "increasingly".
Low back pain can be relatively easily tolerated or can lead to immobility - it all depends on the individual's tolerance of the syndrome and the patient's psycho-emotional state.
Causes of low back pain in men
Men are more likely than women to work under extreme conditions, such as constant low temperatures, high humidity, and the need to lift heavy objects.Not surprisingly, physiological factors are the number one cause of lower back pain.
Lumbar pain in men may be related to prostatitis (an inflammatory process of the prostate).Please note: Prostatitis manifests not only in lower back pain caused by rectal irradiation, but also in disorders of the urinary process, persistent discomfort in the groin and perineum, and hyperthermia.
If a man has inflammation of the testicles (epididymitis), then lower back pain, combined with enlargement of the testicles and their tumors, may be the main reasons for a comprehensive examination by an andrologist.
Causes of low back pain in women
In female patients, low back pain is a typical symptom of certain gynecological diseases/conditions:
- Adnexitis.Ovarian inflammation can cause 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 caused by adnexitis is associated with increased body temperature, changes in vaginal discharge, general weakness, and increased pain during intimacy.
- Pregnant.This is a physiological condition accompanied by an overload of all organs and systems - having a child a priori means "wear and tear" of the body's functions.Another factor in low back pain during pregnancy is the threat of miscarriage/spontaneous abortion.
- climax.During this time, a woman's body undergoes dramatic changes, including hormonal balance.Estrogen levels in the blood become unstable, and nerve endings react to this - lower back pain can be explained by this factor.
Please note: Women are characterized by idiopathic low back pain - its occurrence is not known; doctors link the pain to the woman's psycho-emotional state and her minimal resistance to stress.
Common causes of low back pain
This classification includes lumbar spine pain, which can occur in both men and women due to internal pathology.The most frequently recorded factors and causes:
- Acute or chronic appendicitis attacks.Of course, this pathology is characterized by pain in the right ribs, but in some cases (depending on the physiological characteristics of the body and the intensity of the inflammatory process) pain may appear on the right side of the lower back.
- Chronic cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder).In this case, the pain syndrome will be localized to the right quarter of the ribs with strong radiation to the lower back - this means that spinal nerve fibers are involved in the pathological process.
- Inflammatory/infectious processes in the kidneys.For them, low back pain is considered the main symptom, along with hyperthermia (a persistent increase in body temperature), facial swelling in the morning and high blood pressure.
- Diseases of the small intestine.They are characterized by standard digestive complaints (bowel problems, increased gas formation, colic) as well as low back pain.
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).The pain in this pathology is circumferential in nature and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Please note: If the low back pain is caused by pancreatitis, there will be no change in the intensity of sensation when palpating the spine.
- Infectious pathology.Not all infectious diseases cause low back pain - this syndrome is characteristic only in cases of pathological damage to bone tissue.The lower back is most susceptible to injury because of the heavy load placed on this particular part of the spine.
Doctors believe that the inflammatory process of the muscles (myositis) is the main cause of low back pain in men and women.They are characterized by persistent pain that gradually increases in intensity - based on this symptom and in the absence of other signs, a preliminary diagnosis can be made.
In addition, this syndrome may occur in patients diagnosed with stage 4 obesity—the muscles and bones are overloaded, so that lower back pain persists, worsens, and radiates to the legs.
Please note: Lumbar pain can be caused by the growth of malignant or benign tumors.But in this case, the diagnosis will not be problematic - this syndrome does not appear in the first stages of cancer.
Disease is always accompanied by low back pain
There are many pathological conditions in which low back pain is the main symptom:
- Low back pain.It is characterized by an acute, stabbing pain that occurs most commonly in male patients and may be the result of compression of the sciatic nerve or displacement of multiple vertebrae.
- Scoliosis.Curvature of the vertebrae can be congenital or acquired.Pathological processes can affect any part of the spine; the following classification of diseases is typical of the lower back:
- Habitual scoliosis, which occurs in childhood and is the result of improper posture in children;
- Rickets appearance - the final stage of metabolic disorders in childhood;
- Rheumatism - more common in adult patients, usually the result of severe disease of the joints;
- Paralytic scoliosis.
- Intervertebral osteochondrosis.
- Lumbar hernia.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.It is more commonly diagnosed in menopausal women.
- Osteoporosis.This is thinning of bone tissue, and the cause is entirely age-related.In addition to lumbar pain, the patient was also diagnosed with hernia, vertebral joint deformity, and cartilage problems.
- Venous thrombosis.This is not an inflammatory process in the blood vessels, but a blockage of them - a disease that is more common in older people.Usually, with venous thrombosis, low back pain only occurs when walking for a long time.
In addition, factors and causes such as grade 3-4 atherosclerosis, obstruction of blood flow in inflamed blood vessels (various phlebitis), ankylosing spondylitis, etc. may also cause low back pain.
You absolutely need to call a doctor and undergo a thorough examination - the cause of this syndrome can be the occurrence of serious pathological changes in the body.
Lower back pain – what to do?
To help yourself when you experience lower back pain, you need to remember some advice from the experts:
- When symptoms first appear, assume a comfortable position and monitor the nature of the pain:
- when it appears, intensifies, or subsides;
- Is it accompanied by nausea, headache, changes in physiological processes (urination, defecation);
- Is there an increase in temperature and an odor in your mouth?
- If your lower back pain is caused by a bruise, sprain, or injury, here's what you need to do:
- taking one of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Take a diuretic - this will help reduce swelling quickly and speed up the process of eliminating inflammation;
- Tighten the lower back with any immobilizing material - special orthopedic straps, towels, scarves, elastic bandages.
In any case, you need to consult a doctor and undergo a thorough examination - even the simplest spinal injuries and short-term lower back pain can be caused by serious pathological processes.
Contraindications for low back pain
The following operations are strictly prohibited:
- Heating a localized area of a painful syndrome without first identifying the cause of its occurrence - this can trigger a serious progression of the inflammatory process;
- If the cause of lumbar pain is unknown, take painkillers;
- Realigning the Vertebrae – Many patients overlook this and assume that a professional chiropractor can’t cause harm.In fact, vertebral displacement can be caused not only by intense physical pressure, but also by various degenerative processes of cartilage and ligaments.The result of forced repositioning of the vertebrae into position due to connective tissue or cartilage dystrophy may be complete destruction and immobilization of the latter.
Low back pain treatment
Professional treatment for pain syndromes can only be done in a hospital.Typically, after tests (X-rays, computed tomography, blood/urine lab tests, etc.), patients are prescribed medications that can provide quick and long-lasting relief from painful episodes.Then, depending on overall health, NSAIDs are prescribed, the doctor chooses restorative therapy, and the patient undergoes a series of physical therapy and massage.
Please note: You need to learn how to rest properly after strenuous physical activity: Lie on your back with your legs lowered.If your lower back hurts after sleeping, you'll need an orthopedic mattress, and if the pain becomes regular and severe, your doctor can prescribe a blockade.But that doesn’t mean you can settle down without treatment once the associated symptoms go away—attacks will come back more and more frequently.
Treat low back pain with folk remedies
Any traditional medicine method aimed at restoring spinal function and eliminating low back pain can only be used after the cause of the problem is clear!Only then are they truly effective and absolutely safe.
Some ways to treat lower back pain:
- For osteochondrosis, you will need to take wax, melt it and apply heat to your lower back (where the pain is).You need to place a scarf or warm handkerchief on top so that the warming process has a greater effect.Please note: The skin in the area where the molten wax is applied should not have any dermatological damage or visible pathology.
- In the context of psycho-emotional disorders, stress, neurasthenia and back pain often occur, which can be treated with St. John's wort.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 is one week. Even if the pain disappears on the second and third days, it is not recommended to interrupt the intake of St. John's wort infusion.
- Red pepper tincture and fir oil can be used when diagnosing habitual nerve compression, such as the sciatic nerve.It is necessary to apply these components to the lower back, that is, the area where the pain syndrome is located, twice a day for a week.Please note: Apply the cayenne pepper tincture to the skin first, followed by the fir oil.The number of surgeries depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome - treatment is stopped as soon as the condition returns to normal.
Regular massage can greatly help with habitual lower back pain.Tying it yourself is problematic, but our ancestors used the following method: it is necessary to take a nylon / nylon stocking and tie three knots at the same distance.You'll need to rub your back with these socks every day—and you can do it yourself.
Lower back pain can be the result of various pathological conditions.Many people habitually "ignore" this syndrome, blaming everything on excessive stress or nervousness.But doctors warn that even periodic, mild lumbar pain may signal the development of internal pathology.