According to WHO statistics, over 85% of the world's population suffers from various types of osteochondrosis.
Such figures prove that almost every person of working age has experienced back discomfort at least once in his life. Especially often, due to heavy loads, the lumbosacral area suffers. But in addition to degenerative processes in the spine, a number of pathologies can cause unpleasant sensations in it. Back pain in the lumbar region is associated with impaired kidney and liver function and inflammation of the central nervous system. It can also signal the development of cancer and urogenital infections.
Causes of back pain in the lumbar region
There are dozens of factors that can cause lower back discomfort. Most of them lead to the development of life-threatening pathologies. Therefore, at the first signs of back pain in the lumbar region, you should go to the hospital to find out the causes. According to the observations of doctors, the most common pathologies that provoke such symptoms are:
- arthritis;
- osteochondrosis;
- malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract;
- intervertebral hernia.
Also, quite often spasms are observed as a result of hypothermia. The sciatic nerve is the largest in our body. In hypothermia, it can be compressed, leading to severe pain. In addition, common factors contributing to lumbosacral discomfort are:
- stress;
- passive lifestyle;
- weight lifting;
- trauma;
- poor nutrition.
Also, back pain in the lumbar region may indicate urolithiasis. Ignoring such pathology is known to be life-threatening. In addition, the same symptom is observed in serious sexually transmitted diseases. It is worth noting that unpleasant sensations of this nature do not always indicate illness. Lumbar spasm is considered normal if it occurs for the following reasons:
- pregnancy;
- menopause;
- menstruation.
But even in such cases, when pain occurs, it is better to consult a specialist. After all, persistent spasms usually indicate the development of an inflammatory process and are often associated with impaired circulation. More often than others, overweight people suffer from this symptom.
Diagnosis
In total, there are more than 40 causes that can provoke back and lumbar pain. Even an experienced doctor cannot determine the pathology that caused such a symptom without a series of tests. Usually, for lower back discomfort, doctors use the following diagnostic methods to make a diagnosis:
Basic methods for diagnosing lumbar back pain in the lumbar region
| Diagnostic technique | Accuracy |
| Lumbar X-ray | 87-92% |
| Lumbar MRI | 97% |
| Ultrasound of the pelvic organs | 85-90% |
| Blood and urine tests | 92% |
| Electroneuromyography | 88-94% |
Also, in cases of symptoms of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, endoscopic examination of the intestine or uterus may be necessary. If you suspect the presence of tumors, a biochemical blood test is also performed.
Which doctor should I go to?
When the first unpleasant sensations in the lumbosacral area appear, you should contact a therapist immediately. He will recommend a number of initial check-ups and tell you which specialist you should contact for further treatment. The following doctors can usually help with these symptoms:
- Surgeon
- Neurologist
You may need to consult 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 profiles of specialists, there are a number of questions that each of them asks:
- Has the patient received a back injury in recent months?
- Is the patient hypothermic?
- Have any of the patient's relatives suffered from degenerative diseases of the spine?
- What kind of life does a person lead?
- Does the patient have chronic diseases or allergies?
Also, the doctor will definitely clarify how long ago there were unpleasant sensations in the lower back, he will ask, after what actions the spasm intensifies? Based on the information received, he will be able to determine the nature of the disease and the most effective ways to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms.
Treatment
To relieve the patient from spasm, doctors use both conservative medicine and physiotherapy procedures. In some cases, for example, when the 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 drugs:
- anti-inflammatory non-hormonal drugs;
- antispasmodics;
- painkillers of general and local action;
- vitamins.
It is also worth noting that if the discomfort is associated with any degenerative processes in the bone tissue, then the elimination of the disease is impossible without taking chondroprotectors. Physiotherapy procedures to be prescribed for the treatment of lumbar back pain include:
- UHF;
- relaxing baths;
- electrophoresis;
- laser therapy.
Massages and specially developed 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. However, they should only be used after approval by your doctor. To the most popular traditional methods of treatment:
- Incense and apple cider vinegar compress.Mix the ingredients in a ratio of one to one, soak a woolen cloth in them and apply on the inflamed back to quickly relieve the inflammation.
- Dandelion alcohol infusion.Mix 0, 5 liters of dandelions with 500 ml of vodka. Helps to warm 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.
Prevention
As you know, it is better to avoid the problem than to solve it. Therefore, a number of preventive measures must be taken to prevent back pain. The main ones include:
- increase the amount of calcium-rich foods in your diet;
- getting rid of excess weight;
- daily long 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 tissue.
If, however, it was not possible to avoid back pain in the lumbar region, the causes of this phenomenon must be found as soon as possible.