According to WHO statistics, more than 85% of the world's inhabitants suffer from various types of osteochondrosis.
These numbers prove that almost all people of working age have experienced back discomfort at least once in their lives. Especially often, due to the high loads, the lumbosacral region suffers. But, in addition to the degenerative processes in the spine, several pathologies can cause unpleasant sensations in it. Back pain in the lower back is associated with kidney and liver dysfunction 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 lower back
There are dozens of factors that can cause discomfort in your lower back. The vast majority of them lead to the development of life-threatening pathologies. Therefore, at the first sign of back pain in your lower back, you should go to the hospital to find out the reasons. The most common pathologies that cause these symptoms, according to doctors' observations, are:
- arthritis;
- osteochondrosis;
- malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract;
- intervertebral hernia.
In addition, spasms are often seen as a result of hypothermia. The sciatic nerve is the largest in our body. With hypothermia, it can be pinched, resulting in severe pain. In addition, the common factors that contribute to the occurrence of discomfort in the lumbosacral region are:
- stress;
- passive lifestyle;
- lifting weights;
- trauma;
- Poor nutrition.
In addition, back pain in the lower back can indicate urolithiasis. Ignoring such a pathology is known to be fatal. In addition, the same symptom is seen with serious sexually transmitted diseases. It is important to note that unpleasant sensations of this nature do not always indicate an illness. 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 the 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.
Diagnosis
In total, there are more than 40 reasons that can cause back and lower back pain. Even an experienced doctor cannot determine the pathology that caused such a symptom without a series of tests. Typically, for discomfort in the lower back, doctors use the following diagnostic methods to make a diagnosis:
Basic methods for the diagnosis of back pain in the waist in the low back
< border zxtable =< "1" >In addition, in cases of symptoms of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, an endoscopic examination of the intestine or uterus may be necessary. If you suspect the presence of neoplasms, a biochemical blood test is also performed.
Which doctor should I consult?
When the first unpleasant sensations appear in the lumbosacral region, you should immediately contact a therapist. He will indicate a series of initial exams 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 consult a nephrologist, gastroenterologist or traumatologist. Experts will quickly determine the most likely causes of lower back pain. The preliminary diagnosis must be confirmed by test results and anamnesis. Despite the variety of expert profiles, there are a number of questions each of them asks:
- Has the patient suffered any back injuries in the past few months?
- Is 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 illnesses 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's spasm, doctors use both conservative medicine and physical therapy procedures. In some cases, for example, when the discomfort is caused by pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, specialists even prescribe a diet. Most of the time, the treatment of back pain in the lower back involves taking the following types of medication:
- non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antispasmodics;
- general and local analgesics;
- vitamins.
It is also important to note that if the discomfort is associated with some degenerative process in the bone tissue, then elimination of the disease is impossible without the use of chondroprotectors. Physiotherapeutic procedures that should be prescribed in the treatment of back pain in the lower back include:
- UHF;
- relaxing baths;
- electrophoresis;
- laser therapy.
Specially designed massage and therapeutic exercises are also recommended. These procedures help to relieve inflammation and strengthen the back muscles, which contributes to the patient's rapid recovery.
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 only be used after approval by the attending physician. For the most popular traditional treatment methods:
- Frankincense tablet and apple cider vinegar.Mix the ingredients in a one-to-one ratio, soak a woolen cloth in them and apply to the sore back to quickly relieve the inflammation.
- Alcoholic infusion of dandelion.Mix 0. 5 liters of dandelion with 500 ml of vodka. Helps to warm up the back well.
- Broth.Mix 3 teaspoons of parsley root with 500 ml 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 your diet;
- getting 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 low back pain in the lower back, the causes of this phenomenon should be discovered as soon as possible.