According to WHO statistics, more than 85% of the world's population suffer from various types of osteochondrosis.
Such figures show that almost everyone of working age has had back problems at least once in their life. The lumbosacral region suffers particularly often due to high loads. In addition to degenerative processes in the spine, a number of pathologies can cause unpleasant sensations. Low back pain is associated with impaired kidney and liver function and inflammation of the central nervous system. In addition, it can signal the development of cancer and genitourinary infections.
Causes of back pain in the lumbar region
There are dozen of factors that can cause lower back discomfort. The vast majority of them lead to the development of life-threatening pathologies. Therefore, at the first sign of back pain in the lumbar region, you should go to the hospital to find out the reasons. The most common pathologies that, according to doctors' observations, provoke such symptoms are:
- Arthritis;
- Osteochondrosis;
- Malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Intervertebral hernia.
In addition, convulsions due to hypothermia are often observed. The sciatic nerve is the largest in our body. If hypothermic, it can get pinched, causing severe pain. In addition, common factors that contribute to the appearance of discomfort in the lumbosacral area are:
- Stress;
- passive lifestyle;
- Lift weights;
- Trauma;
- poor diet.
Back pain in the lumbar region can also indicate urolithiasis. Ignoring such a pathology is known to be life threatening. In addition, the same symptom is observed in severe sexually transmitted diseases. It is worth noting that unpleasant sensations of this type do not always indicate a disease. A spasm in the lumbar region is considered normal if it occurs for the following reasons:
- Pregnancy;
- Menopause;
- Menstruation.
But even in such cases, when there is pain, it is better to consult a specialist. After all, persistent cramps, as a rule, indicate the development of an inflammatory process and are often associated with impaired blood circulation. Obese people are more likely than others to experience this symptom.
diagnosis
In total, there are more than 40 reasons that can cause back and lumbar pain. Even an experienced doctor can not determine the pathology that caused such a symptom without a series of examinations. For lower back symptoms, doctors typically use the following diagnostic methods to make a diagnosis:
Basic methods of diagnosing back pain in the lumbar spine
| Diagnostic technology | accuracy |
| Lumbar x-ray | 87-92% |
| Lumbar MRI | 97% |
| Ultrasound of the pelvic organs | 85-90% |
| Blood and urine tests | 92% |
| Electroneuromyography | 88-94% |
If there are symptoms of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, an endoscopic examination of the intestines or uterus may also be necessary. If you suspect the presence of neoplasms, a biochemical blood test will also be done.
Which doctor should I go to?
When the first unpleasant sensations appear in the lumbosacral area, you should immediately contact a therapist. He will give a referral for a number of initial exams and tell you which specialist to turn to for further treatment. The following doctors can usually help with these symptoms:
- The surgeon
- neurologist
You may also need to consult a nephrologist, gastroenterologist, or traumatologist. Specialists will quickly identify the most likely causes of back pain in the lumbar spine. The preliminary diagnosis should be confirmed by test results and medical history. Despite the diversity of specialist profiles, there are a number of questions that each of them asks:
- Has the patient suffered a back injury in the past few months?
- Was the patient hypothermic?
- Has any of the patient's relatives suffered from degenerative diseases of the spine?
- What kind of life does a person lead?
- Does the patient have any chronic illnesses or allergies?
Also, the doctor will definitely clarify how long it has been since the lower back had uncomfortable sensations. He will ask, after what actions does the spasm intensify? Based on the information received, he will be able to determine the nature of the disease and the most effective methods for eliminating unpleasant symptoms.
treatment
To relieve a patient from a spasm, doctors use both conservative medicine and physical therapy procedures. In some cases, for example, when discomfort is caused by pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, experts even prescribe a diet. When treating back pain in the lumbar spine, the following types of medicines are most often used:
- anti-inflammatory non-hormonal drugs;
- antispasmodics;
- General and local pain relievers;
- Vitamins.
It is also worth noting that the elimination of the disease without taking chondroprotectors is impossible, if discomfort is associated with degenerative processes in bone tissue. Physiotherapeutic procedures that should be prescribed in the treatment of back pain in the lumbar spine include:
- UHF;
- relaxing baths;
- Electrophoresis;
- Laser therapy.
Massages and specially designed therapeutic exercises are also recommended. Such procedures help relieve inflammation and strengthen the muscles of the back, which contributes to the rapid recovery of the patient.
Traditional methods of treatment
Sometimes the effects of a course prescribed by a specialist can be increased with the help of natural remedies. However, they should only be used with the approval of the attending physician. Among the most popular traditional treatment methods:
- Frankincense and apple cider vinegar compress.Mix the ingredients in a one-to-one ratio, soak them with a woolen cloth and apply to your sore back for quick relief from inflammation.
- Dandelion alcoholic infusion.Mix 0. 5 liters of dandelion with 500 ml of vodka. Helps warm up the back well.
- Broth.Mix 3 teaspoons of parsley root with 500 ml of water. Boil and take three times a day to prevent osteochondrosis.
prophylaxis
As you know, it is better to avoid the problem than it is to fix it. Therefore, to prevent back pain, a number of preventive measures must be taken. The most important are:
- Increasing the amount of calcium-rich foods in your diet;
- Get rid of excess weight;
- Long walks or jogging daily (avoiding a sedentary lifestyle);
- Exclusion from the diet of smoked meat, which increases the load on the liver and contributes to the development of degenerative processes in bone tissue.
If, despite this, it was not possible to avoid back pain in the lumbar region, then the causes of this phenomenon should be found out as soon as possible.