A modern person, having crossed the age limit at the age of 25, periodically begins to experience pain in the lower back, varying in frequency and intensity. Over time, the incidence of unpleasant symptoms increases, pain sensations increase. The period of irritation is getting longer and longer. This is a clinical picture of the development of lumbar osteochondrosis - a disease in which there is a gradual destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs. They become thinner, deformed, their elongation comes out. In advanced cases, in the absence of proper treatment, back pain becomes unbearable and interferes with normal movements. At this stage, as a rule, a lumbar disc herniation is diagnosed.
This is a kind of punishment of a person for upright posture and vertical position of the body. During the transition to the upright position, the center of gravity shifts, which we have in the mid-region. This means that all body weight during walking, running, jumping, torso flexion and other movements puts pressure on the lumbar spine vertebrae. With an insufficiently developed muscular framework of the spine and abdominal compression, destruction of the intervertebral discs occurs, the appearance of osteophytes and other pathological formations. And these are common causes of back pain.
Other causes of back pain
In addition to osteochondrosis and its complications, there are other causes of back pain. First of all, various injuries should be ruled out, as a result of which both the integrity of the cartilaginous lining and the vertebral body can be affected. These can be vertebral fractures, fractures of the spinous processes, compressive fractures of the spine with displacement of spinal cord structures.
Lumbar injuries can be caused by frontal and tangential shocks, falls from heights and traffic accidents. Often with injuries, athletes who deal professionally with weightlifting sports apply for a meeting.
In women, low back pain can be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease. The main one is adnexitis. In second place is cystic ovarian disease, which causes traction and pain in the lower back, which worsens at certain periods of the menstrual cycle. After the age of 45, it is not uncommon for back pain in women to be caused by tumor processes - uterine fibroids, oncological neoplasms of the ovaries and cervix.
In both sexes, there are causes of back pain such as inguinal hernia and kidney disease: pyelonephritis, polycystic ovary, amyloidosis, glomerulonephritis. To rule out renal pathology, it is necessary to consult a nephrologist and pass urine tests according to Nechiporenko, according to Zimnitsky. Helps differentiate renal ultrasound diagnosis.
In some cases, the cause of pain in the upper back is intercostal neuralgia or herpes. The first condition can be distinguished by palpation of the spaces between the ribs. Usually, with intercostal neuralgia, this causes a sharp increase in pain and is characterized by unilateral localization. With herpes, visible redness on the skin in the form of small blisters filled with a clear fluid.
The most dangerous causes of back pain can be tuberculosis and sarcoma. These diseases leave little chance for cure. Sometimes they disguise themselves in the initial stage as ankylosing spondylitis, in which there is also stiffness of movements and severe pain in the lower back in the morning. Then all the symptoms disappear.
Lower back pain: what to do?
If your lower back hurts - what to do in this case, which doctor to seek help? You can make an appointment with a therapist, who, after careful examination, will make the initial diagnosis and prescribe additional examinations. Mandatory are: general urine analysis, general blood analysis, ultrasound of the kidneys and urinary tract, exclusion of tumor processes in the abdominal cavity. A consultation with a neurologist, a gynecologist (for women) and a veterinarian can then be scheduled. X-ray and tomographic examination methods can be used to clarify the localization of the destructive process in the spine.
The description of treatment depends on the diagnosis. With osteochondrosis of the spine, complete treatment is possible only with methods of manual therapy. In the initial stage, the pain is relieved with the help of traction, osteopathy and therapeutic massage. Doctors then make efforts to restore the cartilage structure. To improve regeneration processes, reflexology, acupuncture and the introduction of minimal doses of drugs at biologically active points in the human body can be used.
After restoration of physiological mobility, the rehabilitation treatment complex should be continued. It includes physical therapy and massage. You should also listen to the expert recommendations for organizing your diet, work and rest, work organization and your place of sleep. In some cases, it may be necessary to temporarily use a brace to support the spine.