Modern people, having passed the age limit at the age of 25, periodically begin to experience pain in the lower back, varying in frequency and intensity. Over time, the incidence of unpleasant symptoms increases, the sensation of pain increases. The period of exacerbation is getting longer. This is a clinical picture of the development of lumbar osteochondrosis - a disease in which there is a gradual destruction of cartilage tissue of the intervertebral disc. They become thinner, deformed, their prominence enters. In advanced cases, in the absence of proper treatment, lower back pain becomes unbearable and interferes with normal movement. At this stage, as a rule, a lumbar disc herniation is diagnosed.
This is a kind of retribution of a person because of the upright posture and vertical position of the body. During the transition to an upright position, the center of gravity shifts, which we have in the lumbar region. This means that the entire weight while walking, running, jumping, bending the trunk and other movements puts pressure on the vertebrae of the lumbar spine. With the posterior muscular skeleton and abdominal press underdeveloped, destruction of the intervertebral disc occurs, the appearance of osteophytes and the formation of other pathologies. And this is a common cause of back pain.
Another cause of back pain
In addition to osteochondrosis and its complications, there are other causes of lower back pain. First of all, various injuries should be excluded, as a result of which both the integrity of the cartilaginous layer and the vertebral body may be affected. These can be spinal fractures, spinous process fractures, spinal compression fractures with displacement of spinal cord structures.
Lumbar injuries can be caused by frontal and tangential impacts, falls from heights, and road accidents. Often with injuries, athletes who are professionally involved in weightlifting apply for an appointment.
In women, low back pain can be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease. Leading among them is adnexitis. In the second place is cystic ovarian disease, which causes interesting and painful back pain, exacerbated at certain periods of the menstrual cycle. After the age of 45, it is not uncommon for lower back pain in women to be caused by tumor processes - uterine fibroids, oncological neoplasms of the ovaries and cervix.
In both sexes, there are causes of back pain such as inguinal hernia and kidney disease: pyelonephritis, polycystic, amyloidosis, glomerulonephritis. To exclude renal pathology, it is necessary to consult a nephrologist and pass a urine test according to Nechiporenko, according to Zimnitsky. Helps differentiate the diagnosis of kidney ultrasound.
In some cases, the cause of pain in the upper lumbar region is intercostal neuralgia or shingles. The first condition can be distinguished by palpation of the intercostal space. Usually, with intercostal neuralgia, this causes a sudden increase in pain and is characterized by unilateral localization. With shingles, the rash appears on the skin in the form of small blisters filled with clear liquid.
More dangerous causes of back pain can be tuberculosis and sarcoma. These diseases leave little chance of recovery. Sometimes they masquerade in the early stages as ankylosing spondylitis, in which there is also stiffness of movement and severe pain in the lower back in the morning. Then all symptoms disappear.
Lower back pain: what to do?
If the lower back hurts - what to do in this case, to which doctor to seek help? You can make an appointment with a therapist, who, after a thorough examination, will make an initial diagnosis and arrange additional examinations. Mandatory are: general urine analysis, general blood tests, ultrasound of the kidneys and urinary tract, exclusion of tumor processes in the abdominal cavity. Then a consultation with a neurologist, gynecologist (for women) and phthisiatrician can be appointed. To clarify the localization of the destructive process in the spinal column, X-ray examination and tomography methods can be used.
Prescribing treatment depends on the diagnosis. With osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, full treatment is only possible with manual therapy methods. In the early stages, pain is relieved with the help of traction, osteopathy and therapeutic massage. Then the doctor tries to restore the cartilage structure. To enhance the regeneration process, reflexology, acupuncture and the introduction of minimum doses of drugs into biologically active points on the human body can be used.
After restoration of physiological mobility, complex rehabilitation treatment should be continued. It includes physical therapy and massage. You should also listen to expert recommendations on the organization of your diet, work and rest, work organization and bedding. In some cases, it may be necessary to use temporary braces to support the spinal column.