According to WHO statistics, over 85% of the world's inhabitants suffer from various types of osteochondrosis.
Such figures show that almost every person of working age has experienced back discomfort at least once in their life. Especially often, due to high loads, the lumbosacral region suffers. But in addition to degenerative processes in the spine, a number of pathologies can cause unpleasant sensations. Back pain in the lumbar region is associated with impaired liver and kidney 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 dozens of factors that can cause discomfort in the lower back. 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 cause such symptoms, according to doctors' observations, are:
- arthritis;
- osteochondrosis;
- malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract;
- intervertebral hernia.
In addition, spasms are quite often observed due to hypothermia. The sciatic nerve is the largest in our body. With hypothermia, it can be pinched, causing severe pain. In addition, the common factors that contribute to the occurrence of discomfort in the lumbosacral region are:
- fatigue;
- passive lifestyle;
- weightlifting;
- trauma;
- poor nutrition.
Also, back pain in the lumbar region can indicate urolithiasis. Ignoring such a pathology is known to be life-threatening. Also, the same symptom is observed with severe sexually transmitted diseases. It is worth noting that unpleasant sensations of this nature do not always indicate a disease. A spasm in the lower back is considered normal if it occurs for the following reasons:
- pregnancy;
- menopause;
- menstruation.
But even in these cases, when pain appears, it is best to consult a specialist. After all, persistent spasms usually indicate the development of an inflammatory process and are often associated with impaired blood circulation. More often than others, overweight people suffer from this symptom.
Diagnostics
In total, there are more than 40 reasons that can cause back and lumbar pain. Even an experienced doctor cannot determine the pathology that caused such a symptom without a series of examinations. Usually, for discomfort in the lower back, doctors use the following diagnostic methods to make a diagnosis:
Basic methods for diagnosing girdle back pain in the lumbar region
| Diagnostic technique | Precision |
| Lumbar x-ray | 87-92% |
| Lumbar MRI | 97% |
| Ultrasound of the pelvic organs | 85-90% |
| Blood and urine tests | ninety two% |
| Electroneuromyography | 88-94% |
Also, in case of symptoms of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, an endoscopic examination of the intestine or uterus may be required. If neoplasms are suspected, a biochemical blood test is also done.
Which doctor should I contact?
When the first unpleasant sensations appear in the lumbosacral region, you should immediately contact a therapist. He will send you a referral for a series of initial examinations and tell you which specialist you should contact for further treatment. The following doctors can usually help with these symptoms:
- Surgeon
- Neurologist
You may also need to see a nephrologist, gastroenterologist, or traumatologist. Specialists will quickly determine the most likely causes of back pain in the lumbar region. Preliminary diagnosis should be confirmed by test results and medical history. Despite the variety 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?
- Did any of the patient's relatives suffer from degenerative diseases of the spine?
- What kind of life does a person lead?
- Does the patient have chronic diseases or allergies?
In addition, the doctor will certainly clarify how long ago there were unpleasant sensations in the lower back, 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 ways to eliminate 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. Most often, the treatment of back pain in the lumbar region involves taking the following types of medicines:
- non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antispasmodics;
- painkillers of general and local action;
- vitamins.
It is also worth noting that if the discomfort is associated with degenerative processes in the bone tissue, then the elimination of the disease is impossible without the intake of chondroprotectors. Physiotherapeutic procedures that should be prescribed in the treatment of back pain in the lumbar region include:
- UHF;
- relaxing baths;
- electrophoresis;
- laser therapy.
Specially designed massage and 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 effect of a course prescribed by a specialist can be increased with the help of natural remedies. But they should be used only after the approval of the attending physician. To the most popular traditional methods of treatment:
- Wrap of incense and apple cider vinegar.Mix the ingredients in a one-to-one ratio, dip a woolen cloth in them and apply to the sore back to quickly relieve inflammation.
- Alcoholic infused dandelion.Mix 0. 5 liters of dandelion with 500ml vodka. Helps to warm up the back well.
- Broth.Mix 3 teaspoons of parsley root with 500ml of water. Boil and take 3 times a day to prevent osteochondrosis.
Prophylaxis
As you know, it is better to avoid the problem than to fix it. Therefore, in order to prevent back pain, a number of preventive measures must be followed. The main ones include:
- increase the amount of calcium-rich foods in the diet;
- get rid of excess weight;
- long daily walks or jogging (avoiding a sedentary lifestyle);
- exclusion from the diet of smoked meats, which increase the load on the liver and contribute to the development of degenerative processes in bone tissues.
If, however, it was not possible to avoid back pain in the lumbar region, the causes of this phenomenon should be discovered as soon as possible.