lower back pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common pains, so many people simply don’t take it seriously. However, lower back pain not only limits a person's mobility, but is also a sign of abdominal organ disease. Therefore, if you are experiencing minor discomfort in your back, it is important to seek help from a doctor who can examine it and prescribe effective treatment.

type of pain

The first thing doctors are interested in when examining a patient is the intensity and frequency of pain. Depending on the cause, lower back pain may be of the following nature:

• Subacute – begins suddenly and can last 6 to 12 weeks;
• Acute - occurs suddenly, is characterized by high intensity, and lasts for about 1. 5 months;
• Variable (transient) – occurs periodically;
• Chronic - Can be strong or weak in intensity, lasting 12 weeks or more;
• boring;
• pain;
• Weak, medium strength, strong.

Pain can vary depending on the cause. In this case, the duration and intensity of the sensation may vary. Therefore, when you see your doctor, it's important to describe your feelings as accurately as possible.

Common causes of low back pain

In the lumbar area, the following systems may cause pain:

1. Musculoskeletal– Pain is often caused by spinal injuries and injuries or strains to the lower back muscles.
2. Digestion– Lower back pain is often "tingling" and is caused by dysfunction of the gallbladder, pancreas, intestines, liver and stomach. This condition can be observed in gastritis, bile duct stones, intoxication, pancreatitis, intoxication, gastric ulcers and various forms of obstruction.
3. nervous– Pain is caused by the formation of hernias, neuropathy, pinched nerves, curvature of the spine, herniated vertebrae and inflammatory processes.
4. sex and urinary– Pain syndrome can occur if a person suffers from urolithiasis, bladder and kidney problems, various types of ovarian and uterine pathologies.

The most common conditions that cause low back pain

Curvature of the spine (scoliosis, kyphosis)

In this case, the person will feel pain when the disease reaches the middle and late stages. Typically, the pain syndrome manifests itself at the end of the working day and may be accompanied by back muscle fatigue. The pain syndrome manifests as spasm of the muscles surrounding the joints of the lower and upper limbs, as well as the spine and gluteal muscles.

ankylosing spondylitis

It is an inflammatory systemic disease characterized by the fusion of individual vertebrae into a single unit. At the same time, calcium builds up in the ligaments to stabilize the spine. This can lead to complete loss of mobility. Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with low back pain such as:

• Stiffness in waist movement;
• When a person rests for an extended period of time, intensity increases dramatically.

urolithiasis disease

The attack presents with severe pain in the lower back, which is caused by the affected kidney. The pain does not go away or subside even if the patient changes body position. Typically, attacks are accompanied by a change in urine color (turning to red) and a decrease in urine output.Pain syndromes may be caused by:

• Inflammatory processes in the pancreas;
• intestinal obstruction;
• Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea);
• osteomyelitis;
• Pregnant;
• appendicitis.

Lumbar osteochondrosis

One of the most common disorders characterized by thinning of the intervertebral discs, which act as shock absorbers. This can cause spasm of surrounding muscles and irritation of nerve roots, causing severe pain. If the disease is diagnosed at an advanced stage, it is likely to be accompanied by a herniated disc, which puts pressure on the spinal cord and causes worsening low back pain.Pain syndrome may worsen if a person:

• stand up from a lying or sitting position;
• tilt to the sides;
• Try lying on your stomach.

If, as a result of the progression of the disease, a huge hernia develops in the spine, the pain in the lower back will only increase. Additionally, the pain syndrome may be accompanied by weakness or numbness in one or both legs.

spondyloarthropathy

It is a degenerative dystrophic disease of the cartilage tissue covering the intervertebral discs. Over time, the tissue becomes thinner, causing its destruction; osteophytes (specific bone growth) form around the lesions. This causes the distance between the vertebrae to decrease and the spinal canal to narrow, which can irritate the nerve roots and the spinal cord itself.The pain of spondyloarthropathies has the following properties:

• It initially appears only in the morning and then becomes permanent;
• It increases after physical activity (after walking, standing) and decreases after rest;
• There may be pain in the hip and thigh.

Spinal joint pain syndrome is exacerbated by muscle spasms that remain under constant tension. Relieving low back pain in this condition is extremely difficult.

When you have lower back pain, which specialist should you contact?

Because the organs within the abdominal cavity are in close proximity to each other, symptoms of the disease can be complex. Additionally, long-standing pain can be distressing in nature. Therefore, before treatment, it is important to get a diagnosis; one of the specialists can recommend you for tests:

• Neurologist– When a patient experiences severe "shooting" pain in the spine, accompanied by partial loss of sensitivity and mobility. When pain worsens after changing positions or resting for long periods of time.
• surgeon or traumatologist– Due to a fall, injury or strenuous exercise.
• Nephrologist or urologist– Frequent urination or difficulty urinating, accompanied by waist soreness and severe pain on one side of the waist.
• gastroenterologist– When the pain syndrome is accompanied by increased body temperature, weakness and digestive system disorders. If the pain occurs only on one side and is of a pulling nature.
• gynecologist– If pain is felt on one or both sides, it may be accompanied by general weakness that is worsened by physical activity. When you experience pain during your menstrual cycle or pregnancy.

If a person knows the cause of lower back pain, there is no need to contact a specialist (with strenuous physical activity - the pain usually disappears within a day or two). In other cases, you should pay attention to such symptoms and see a specialist.How to Diagnose Low Back Pain – Methods of Diagnosis:

1. ultrasound– If pelvic or abdominal organ disease is suspected. It can even be used on children, but it doesn't always allow people to see the real cause of lower back pain.
2. X-ray– If the patient has a hernia, injury, scoliosis. But this method only sees bone tissue.
3. CT– If a hernia, neuropathy, protrusion, tumor or spinal injury is present. Computed tomography is ideal for patients with contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging.
4. MRI– Indications are similar to CT. The method is very accurate and allows the necessary organs to be examined in as much detail as possible.
5. Colonoscopy and gastroscopy– If the patient is diagnosed with a digestive disorder. These tests allow you to take a closer look at the abdominal organs and, if necessary, take tissue samples for analysis.

Treatment methods for low back pain

Treatment for low back pain depends on the reason why it occurs. When musculoskeletal disorders are present, nonpharmacological, pharmacological, or surgical treatments may be required.Non-drug treatments:

• Physical Therapy – Treatment options are individually selected based on existing conditions. It is important to perform a set of exercises regularly to achieve the desired results;
• Physical therapy - including laser treatment of lesions, magnet therapy, electrophoresis and other procedures;
• acupuncture;
• Therapeutic and restorative massage - only if the patient's condition is not worsening;
• Manual therapy and working with an osteopath.

Nonpharmacological treatments are often supplemented with pharmacological treatments.

medical treatement

NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are used as the primary treatment. These medications are available as intramuscular and intravenous injections, tablets, ointments, and creams, and as topical rectal suppositories and patches.The dosage and duration of treatment are determined by your doctor. Uncontrolled use of medications may cause side effects.If NSAIDs don't have the desired effect, your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids (hormone medications). Taking them can stop the inflammatory process and reduce pain.If you have muscle spasms in your lower back, you may need to take antispasmodic medications. These medications can relieve muscle spasms in the lower back and improve overall health.Medications such as:

• B vitamins, which help improve nerve conduction;
• Decongestants relieve swelling in stressed roots;
• Sedative medications.

Surgical treatment methods

If the doctor determines that the patient has an indication for surgery, the patient will undergo surgery. However, surgery is not recommended if the patient has a herniated disc, as this is not an indication for surgery, regardless of size. Surgical intervention is required if the patient has indications for removal of a hernia, tumor, or needs to relieve compression at the root of the spinal cord. The need for any surgery is determined individually by the physician based on the patient's indications and condition.

Prevent low back pain

Moderate physical activity and a healthy lifestyle are keys to a healthy back. It is important to arrange a comfortable place to sleep and continually monitor your posture. If you spend a lot of time sitting, then you need to get up periodically and do a little warm-up. If you don't like exercise then it is recommended to walk as much as possible.Breaking bad habits and maintaining proper nutrition can help prevent the development of internal organ diseases. This is especially important for people who have been diagnosed with pancreatic, stomach, kidney, and liver disease. Additionally, you need to keep your lower back warm at all times. In fact, cold air can trigger visceral disease and cause neuroinflammation.If any heavy object needs to be lifted, it should be done with the legs and the back should be straight. This will shift the load on the lower back muscles. Finally, don’t ignore lower back pain, even if it doesn’t cause serious discomfort. Rather than dealing with serious consequences, it's better to get checked out and start treatment promptly.