Periodic or persistent back pain affects about 80% of the world's population. The problem is more common in women. The symptom is called lumbodynia. This is so common because of the constant high stress on the lower back. If a person is sitting in a crooked position, he experiences a pressure of 50 kg (lying down) to 220 kg. The problem indicates that the lifestyle is biased or a serious illness. It worsens with age and can lead to disability of the patient.
Physiological causes of pain
Anxiety in the form of pain is a protective reaction of the body. Thus, it reacts to various "abnormal" processes inside, which doctors call pathological. The body is in a state of anxiety and pain after physical exertion, telling the brain that it is difficult to perform tasks.
An uncomfortable situation
Low back pain is accompanied by long-term anxiety. The problem worries drivers and office workers, who spend a lot of time sitting when their backs are under maximum stress. A person has back pain from fatigue. If he does something in a bent position for a long time.
If the sleeping area is poorly equipped, there is pain in the back after sleep. For example, the surface of the bed is too hard or too soft to provide enough support for the spine and quality muscle comfort.
Increasing loads
Muscles and ligaments can hurt from behind. They support the spine in a stable position and stress with intense physical exertion. Conditions for the formation of pain occur with sudden movements accompanied by muscle tension in the lumbar region. This is when a person bears weight, pulls heavy objects, lifts up and down (bends in half).
Muscles can also become tense during exercise. If a person trains a lot, it takes time for the gardens to regenerate. If there is no good rest, it wears out or becomes inflamed, which is also signaled by the nervous system with pain.
Women's back pain
The problem of back pain is very common among women, because the beautiful half of humanity lives them regularly under certain conditions. Menstrual abdominal pain is often accompanied by discomfort in the lower back and sacral region. This is not due to increased stress, but is a result of the production of prostaglandins (pain mediators). Synthesis of mediators before and during menstruation triggers hormonal changes
in the female body.
Low back pain in girls (95% of pregnant women). The spine does not only experience great stress outside of pregnancy. As a woman's weight increases, the pressure on her back increases many times. Additional loads are created by the pregnant abdomen. Pulls the body of the expectant mother by changing the distribution of the axial load. As a result, a woman's gait changes, and back pain increases in intensity according to the duration of pregnancy. The burden increases in any position of the expectant mother, so a good rest, lying on a quality mattress is extremely important to reduce the condition of the woman.
Hypodynamics
Anxiety usually occurs in people who do not exercise or lift heavy objects. The reason for this is the weakening of the muscular apparatus. The back muscles need to be strong to support the spine properly and reduce stress from it. If this is not the case, bone and cartilage tissue will wear out faster and this will be accompanied by pain.
Structural abnormalities
The skeleton of the spinal cord is formed by the vertebrae. Between them are soft "layers" of cartilage tissue - vertebral discs. Vertebrae provide strength and stability, cartilage - lumbar elasticity and resilience. The main structural elements are hollow in the center. The canal is filled with the spinal cord. All components are surrounded by blood vessels and nerve fibers. Pathologies in any element of the lumbar spine cause lumbodynia.
Osteochondrosis
The disease develops with the wear of the intervertebral cartilage discs. Spinal discs are often damaged due to heavy loads. The most common causes of severe back pain are protrusions (collapses) and tears (damage and protrusions of the substances inside) of the discs where the spinal nerve roots are compressed. Osteochondrosis affects people over the age of 35. The disease is especially common in the elderly.
Trauma
The lumbar spine is considered the strongest because it forms the main "axis" for the entire human body. However, with falls and sudden movements, the vertebrae of this part are most injured. Most vertebral fractures and bruises are localized in the lower back.
Vascular damage
Vessels feed all the tissues of the spine. If the lumen narrows or overlaps, the trophic processes in the spine worsen. The result is inflammation, which is always painful.
Seizures of nerves
Infectious diseases can damage nerve fibers due to cartilage and spinal cord damage. Any pathology of the nerves is accompanied by acute fever and sometimes unbearable back pain.
Bone diseases
Osteoporosis causes calcium leaching and bone fragility. If the vertebral tissue is depleted, the risk of serious back injury increases. In addition, osteoporosis can change the shape of the spine and increase the pressure on the nerve roots.
Another cause of pain is tumors in the spine. The most common type is hemangioma. These benign neoplasms develop asymptomatically over a long period of time, but the patient experiences severe pain when the tumor grows too large and extends beyond the spine.
Inflammatory processes
Arthritis can affect any joint in the body. Inflammation causes joint damage and pain. It can be triggered by advanced and chronic infectious diseases. Another cause of arthritis is autoimmune damage to connective tissue.
Internal problems
The lower back can only be damaged due to pathologies of the spine. Painful sensations associated with internal organ pathologies or some systemic diseases may be transmitted to the lumbar region.
internal organs
Low back pain is associated with kidney damage. Renal colic is accompanied by sharp and sharp pain on one or both sides of the back. More often it is felt under the ribs in the back of the body.
Lumbar discomfort often occurs against the background of intestinal diseases, inflammation of the pelvic organs (bladder, prostate - in men, ovaries and uterus - in women).
Systemic pathologies
Psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis cause back pain. These diseases cause disorders in the structure of connective tissue (cartilage). It loses its elasticity and therefore often becomes inflamed. Over time, the joints become severely disturbed and the nerve endings are constantly compressed (damaged). With ankylosing spondylitis, the intervertebral spaces "harden. "
Low back pain can cause herpes zoster. The rash appears on the shoulder blades, ribs, and most often on the lateral surfaces of the trunk in the lumbar region. The first pains appear before significant changes in the skin. When an eruptive rash appears, the discomfort intensifies, complete with itching. Even after the spots are completely gone, a person still feels severe pain along the inflamed nerves. The patient may be disturbed for several months.
Tumors
Malignant lesions of the spinal cord and bones do not initially change the patient's condition. As the tumor grows and non-typical cells spread to the structure of organs and tissues, changes in the nerves occur. It manifests itself in severe pain. Anxiety in the back is felt not only with spinal cord injuries, but also when the tumor grows in the internal organs, which are innervated by nerve ganglia from this branch.
Nerve diseases
Low back pain can be imaginary (in other words, it was invented by the patient himself). This occurs with psychoneurotic disorders. Against the background of shock, stress, long-term psycho-emotional stress, the psyche does not work properly. Anxiety can arise if a person is vaccinated or suffers from overwork. Such symptoms appear for the first time after a depression or nervous breakdown and can bother the patient for many years.
How to get rid of back pain
If there is an unpleasant sensation in the back, the patient should rest completely and reduce the intensity of the load. As a rule, after a good rest, anxiety decreases or disappears completely. This is a typical sign of pain caused by a wrong lifestyle, poor quality rest. If the pain persists, you should consider seeing a doctor.
The nature of low back pain is diagnosed by traumatologists, vertebrologists, orthopedists. You can contact any of the listed experts. At the first consultation, the doctor will interview the patient, examine him, perform several tests (check the sensitivity of the nerves, the condition of the muscles). If it is not possible to make a diagnosis based on the information received, an additional examination will be scheduled. An X-ray is taken to assess the condition of the bone tissue. The condition of cartilage, nerve structure, blood vessels and spinal cord can be assessed by MRI. If the doctor suspects a systemic disease, the patient is assigned a laboratory diagnosis (general and biochemical blood and urine tests). Only after a correct diagnosis will the specialist prescribe treatment.
Drug treatment
The list of drugs depends entirely on the diagnosis. The patient will be prescribed painkillers (usually from the NSAIDs group) as soon as possible to relieve symptoms as soon as possible. Glucocorticoids are prescribed for severe inflammation and autoimmune changes. Chondroprotectors for cartilage tissue diseases are recommended in injections or tablets. If the problem is in the muscles, muscle relaxants are recommended. B vitamins are prescribed to restore the function of nerve endings.
The main treatment is focused on the cause of pain. If it is caused by diseases of the internal organs, drug treatment will correct the disorders of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and genitals. Once the underlying disease is eliminated, the symptoms will disappear. A nerve block is performed with excruciating pain (analgesics are injected directly into the areas of the nerve roots).
External analgesics (spots, ointments, gels) may be prescribed to increase the effect of injections or tablets. Such drugs can be used independently with recurrent low back pain against the background of tension or increased stress. You can use pepper or menthol plaster to alleviate the condition. They are also allowed to be used without a doctor's prescription.
Procedures
A specialist can offer special treatment for low back pain. These include acupuncture, electric current physiotherapy, ultrasound, and therapeutic ultraviolet rays. In some cases, physiotherapy exercises and massage are indicated. If the vertebrae are displaced, the help of a therapist may be needed to return the bone to its original position. Any procedure should be chosen in consultation with a physician. It is forbidden to undergo treatment that moves directly on the spine without diagnosing the disease. In this case, the procedures are not only useless, but can also harm the patient.
To prevent back pain, you should monitor your spinal health from a young age. It is important to place the loads correctly on the back (do not lift or bend bent objects, push heavy objects and pull towards yourself). You should engage in moderate physical activity and choose exercises with a coach. It is also important to treat infectious diseases in a timely manner, avoid stress, and take any medication as reasonable and as prescribed by your doctor.