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Back pain in the lower back

causes and treatment of back pain in the lumbar region

Today many people complain of back pain in the lumbar region. In fact, this problem is very common. At the same time, women are more likely to suffer from back pain than men.

In this article, we'll look at the most common causes of low back pain, and discuss the various treatments for this condition.

But before starting, it should be reminded that medicine is an individual matter that requires a professional approach. Therefore, if your back hurts in the lower back "in a serious way", then it is better to contact the appropriate doctor.

Causes of back pain in the lower back

First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that back pain can appear as a result of the conditions in which a person lives, his work, as well as attitudes towards life.

Some of the possible causes of back pain in the lower back may be:

  • Overweight;
  • Weak trunk muscles;
  • Hypodynamics;
  • Pregnancy;
  • High growth;
  • Certain professions (chauffeur, office worker);
  • Sports;
  • Mental disorders;
  • Work in which a person has to use the torso and often bend over.

Some causes of low back pain may not pose a major health threat. However, there are those that must be treated.

Why does the back hurt in the lower back

According to doctors, lower back pain may be the result of a medical condition. Therefore, the patient should be diagnosed to find out about a possible ailment.

Doctors divide this syndrome into two categories: primary (musculoskeletal morphofunctional disorders associated with spinal injuries) and secondary (lower back pain is provoked by various pathologies).

Now it's worth discussing each category in more detail. Primary pain syndrome may include:

  1. Osteochondrosis. With osteochondrosis in the human body, bone tissue and cartilage are affected. As a result, this leads to a displacement of the intervertebral disc and the vertebrae around it.
  2. Spondyloarthrosis. In this disease, the intervertebral joints are affected, which reduce the mobility of the spinal column. People with spondyloarthrosis suffer from back pain in the lower back, usually in the morning.

Secondary syndrome includes:

  1. Scoliosis, as well as some diseases that negatively affect growth.
  2. Bone damage caused by metabolic disorders, such as osteomalacia or osteoporosis.
  3. Inflammatory processes that did not appear due to infection.
  4. Tumors forming on the spine.
  5. Vertebral fracture. In this case, back pain in the lumbar region can be especially severe, because nerves can be pinched in these fractures.
  6. Infectious pathologies: tuberculosis, brucellosis and the like.
  7. Stroke condition. In this state, the human body is impaired by the cerebrospinal circulation.
  8. Diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract.
  9. Diseases of the internal organs located in the small pelvis (kidneys, genitourinary system).

Pathologies in men

Men may have back pain in the lumbar region for the following reasons:

  1. Prostatitis, which causes the prostate gland to become inflamed.
  2. Malignant tumors. Most often, they appear in men who have overcome the fifty-year threshold.
  3. Genital hyperplasia, leading to the growth of certain cells.

Pathologies in women

  1. Genital pathologies (uterine myoma, trichomoniasis).
  2. Pain during menses. In this case, in addition to lower back pain, swelling may also form.
  3. Pregnancy. Since many changes occur in the female body during gestation, expectant mothers may feel unpleasant back pain.

Low back pain caused by pregnancy

The causes of lower back pain during pregnancy can be attributed to various factors:

  • Hormonal changes. During pregnancy, girls have an increase in the level of relaxin, which leads to a weakening of the ligaments and joints. For this reason, they may not be able to withstand the additional load.
  • Fetal enlargement. The more the fetus grows in the womb, the more the center of gravity shifts. As a result, the entire load falls on the spine.

Discomfort after childbirth

However, back pain in the lumbar region can occur not only during pregnancy, but also after childbirth. Below are the most common causes of pain.

  1. During the period of gestation, some internal organs are displaced to the sides. For this reason, the muscles holding them tighten. It is necessary to understand that most of the organs are attached precisely to the vertebrae. This means that for some time after childbirth, a woman may be bothered by back pain in the lower back.
  2. Stretching the abdominal muscles. Even after the baby is born, the mother's abdominal muscles are still in a state of tension.
  3. Overweight gained during pregnancy.
  4. Offset bones. This occurs very early in labor to protect the fetus from injury. Every woman has a different process of bone repair, so many mothers may experience back pain.
  5. Injuries. During childbirth, some of the joints may move in women in labor.
  6. Loads on the spinal column. Interestingly, even habitual movements can cause discomfort in girls after childbirth. In addition, they begin to experience pain when breastfeeding or swaddling a baby.

Remember that if you have back pain in the lumbar region, you should seek immediate medical attention.

Causes of left-sided pain

The most common causes of left-sided back pain are osteochondrosis and herniated discs.

However, they can often be caused by the following factors:

  1. Myositis.After prolonged physical exertion or hypothermia, the muscles of the body can become inflamed. In this case, the pain is especially felt during movement.
  2. Kidney disease.Due to kidney disease, a person may experience aching and tingling pain.
  3. Diseases of the digestive system.In case of disruption of the digestive system, a person feels left-sided pain.
  4. Heart pathology.Some people who have had a heart attack or are suffering from angina pectoris may also experience severe back pain in the lower back. Also, pain may be felt under the left shoulder blade.

These are not all reasons that can cause discomfort. As mentioned earlier, at the first symptoms, you should immediately seek medical help and establish the source of the pain.

What to do if your back hurts

It should be remembered that in most cases back pain is a warning sign of some kind of ailment.

Thanks to this, we can learn about our disease and begin to treat it.

Quite a few people do not pay enough attention to such signals. Instead of seeking help from doctors, they prefer to take some kind of pain reliever or injections.

Some, for fear of going to the hospital, begin to self-medicate, which is not always good. Do not deceive yourself into thinking that the pains will go away by themselves, and life will get better again.

The sooner you seek help from a doctor, the faster and cheaper the recovery process will be.

If you doubt the correctness of the diagnosis or treatment method, then it is reasonable to contact several specialists in order to make a balanced objective decision.

Treatment methods for back pain

Before any disease can be treated, an accurate diagnosis is required. Below are the most common causes of low back pain and how to treat them.

  1. Intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis.In this case, the patient should be at rest and avoid lifting any loads, especially heavy ones. Today in pharmacies you can buy special belts that help protect the spine from injury. Physiotherapy also helps with such diseases. However, there are many cases when an intervertebral hernia has to be surgically removed.
  2. Diseases of the genitourinary system.Complex therapy is appropriate here. After the doctor makes a diagnosis, he can prescribe the appropriate medications. In this case, the doctor, first of all, will pay attention to the course and stage of this or that disease, as well as to the individual capabilities of the patient's body.
  3. Gastrointestinal ailments.Lower back pain can be caused by an ulcer, colitis, or an inflamed appendix. The patient should refrain from self-medication and consult a doctor. If acute pain occurs, you must immediately call an ambulance.
  4. Kidney disease.It is also appropriate to call an ambulance here, especially if you experience severe pain in your kidneys. As a prophylaxis of kidney disease, traditional medicine advises drinking cranberry or lingonberry juice, since they contain vitamins and trace elements that help normalize kidney function.
  5. Heart pathology.If you suddenly feel a tangible pain under the left shoulder blade, and then the pain begins to move to the chest, left arm and lower back, then this will probably indicate a high probability of myocardial infarction. In this case, you need to immediately call an ambulance, since every minute can cost your life.
  6. Postpartum pain.If the problem is related to the displacement of the bones, the doctor may prescribe the patient manual therapy or physical therapy. It is important to remember that massage in such cases should only be done by an experienced specialist. Failure to do so could cause serious harm to the mother's health. The doctor may also advise moms to do any physical exercise that helps restore bones.

Output

From all that has been said, we can conclude that if your back hurts in the lower back, then you should consult a doctor and only then start treatment.