Many patients, having just crossed the threshold of the surgery, holding on to the lower back, ask, "Why does the lower back hurt and what medications will help with this pain? "
Unfortunately, not everything is so simple and you can choose the right method of treatment only after identifying the causes that caused the pain.
Many people go through life with mild to moderate low back pain and accept it as normal. But even if you suffer from uninterrupted mild or severe tingling in your lower back for a significant period of time, you should visit a therapist to diagnose the problem. After all, if you don't act in time, the condition will get worse.
Although back pain is not the most serious disease, over time it will cause a lot of pain and cause great discomfort.
Primary and secondary pain syndrome
The causes of back pain can be very different, and only after fully understanding what they come from, can you begin to deal with this ailment.
According to the medical classification of diseases, primary and secondary pain syndrome is distinguished, which occurs in the lumbar region.
Primary pain syndrome is formed against the background of degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the spine. These include osteochondrosis, in which cartilage and bone tissues are damaged, as well as spondylarthrosis, which affects the intervertebral or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndrome can occur for a variety of reasons. First of all, the lower back constantly hurts with the curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Also, this condition can be observed due to metabolic disorders of the bone tissue (osteoporosis or osteomalacia).
Most often, the cause of pain in the lumbar region is inflammation of a non-infectious nature (ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ).
A rather dangerous cause of back pain is a fracture of the spinal vertebrae.
Pain syndrome can be the result of various infectious diseases that lead to damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, epidural abscess).
The lower back hurts with acute disorders of the spinal circulation (stroke conditions), as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (obstruction, atypical acute appendicitis).
Back pain is reflected in some pathologies. This occurs when organs located in the pelvic area are affected (gynecological pathologies, sexually transmitted diseases, renal colic).
Pain is often observed when the lower back muscles are stretched. The lower back hurts a lot when the intervertebral discs of the lumbar region are moved. At the same time, due to severe pain, the patient takes a forced position of the body, and his mobility during walking is also very limited.
Coxarthrosis (osteoarthritis of the hip joint) is also often the cause of secondary pain.
Other causes of back pain
Often, acute lower back pain occurs as a result of unsuccessful movement, prolonged work in an awkward position, improper lifting or carrying of weights, a fall or blow, a strong straightening with a simultaneous twist, as well as prolonged hypothermia or exposure to a current of air. All of these "accidents" can cause spasms and inflammation of the deep back muscles.
Many patients notice that the lower back often hurts after sleep. There are reasons for this too. The simplest of them is the awkward position of the body in a dream. For those who like to sleep on their stomach, the lumbar back muscles are in constant tension, which causes pain. Sometimes such a painful condition is due to the fact that the bed or the pillow itself does not fit the person. That's why experts recommend sleeping on an orthopedic mattress to completely relax your back.
Also, morning lower back pain can be a symptom of diseases of the internal organs. So, pathologies of the circulatory, digestive and genitourinary systems are accompanied by back pain.
Back pain as a cause of negative emotions
Few patients realize that the lower back is one of the most psychosomatic parts of the body and, therefore, reacts very sharply to severe stress and excitement.
Anger, rage, irritability or intense fear contribute to the release of significant doses of adrenaline into the blood. As a result - an increase in the tone of the back muscles. And in the event that there is not adequate discharge, the muscles that have an increased tone begin to contract gradually. And then - spasm and pain syndrome. It should be noted that spinal disorders very often develop in people with an unstable psyche, and for such patients, psychotherapy is the best method of treatment.
Back pain during pregnancy
Many pregnant women worry about the causes of back pain. In early pregnancy, this may be due to kidney or urinary tract disease. Also during this period the production of progesterone increases, as a result of which there is an insignificant softening of the ligaments, which can cause lower back pain.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, when the abdomen increases significantly, the load on the spine increases significantly, and therefore there are back pains in the lumbar region.
Severe back pain during pregnancy can sometimes be the cause of a neurological disease (slipped disc or sciatica).
What to do if your back hurts
First, in the event that the back pain does not go away within three days, a consultation with a neurologist is necessary. Only a specialist can develop a correct treatment strategy, which will depend on the severity of the patient's condition.
As a rule, most low back pain requires conservative treatment, however, sometimes there are cases when it is impossible to do without surgery.
When prescribing conservative treatment, three main goals are pursued:
- Relieve the patient from pain.
- Development of a program of therapeutic and preventive measures to slow down the degenerative-dystrophic processes of the spine.
- Rapid return of the patient to normal life.
First of all, we must all learn to properly relax after physical exertion. To do this, you need to take a horizontal position on a hard surface and, for the best relaxation, put a pillow under your knees.
Patients with reduced motor activity are advised not to stay in bed for more than 2-3 days, even if they have pain (obviously not very severe), as this greatly weakens the paravertebral muscles. With persistent pain syndrome with return of pain in the leg, an orthopedic consultation is required.
In the event that osteochondrosis is diagnosed, complex drug treatment is prescribed with the help of drugs that reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore nerve tissue.
To eliminate back pain, paravertebral blocks have proven themselves effective. Such injections help relieve inflammation and muscle spasm, thereby relieving pain.
When a herniated disc is detected, the question of surgery arises. This technique involves the removal of a hernia that compresses the root and the creation of conditions for its recovery.