Low back pain

Causes and treatment of low back pain

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

In this article, we will examine the most common causes of back pain and discuss various treatments for this condition.

But before you start, it is important to remember that medication is an individual matter that requires a professional approach. Therefore, if your back hurts "severely", it is better to consult a suitable doctor.

Causes of low back pain

First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that back pain can occur as a result of a person's living conditions, work and attitude to life.

Some of the possible causes of low back pain may be:

  • Overweight;
  • Weak trunk muscles;
  • Hypodynamics;
  • Pregnancy;
  • High growth;
  • Certain occupations (driver, office worker);
  • Sports;
  • Mental disorders;
  • The work that a person has to use the body and bend often.

Some causes of back pain do not pose a major health risk. But there are those who need to be treated.

Why does your back hurt

According to doctors, back pain may be the result of a medical condition. Therefore, a diagnosis must be made to inform the patient about a possible disease.

Doctors divide this syndrome into two categories: primary (morphofunctional disorders of the musculoskeletal system associated with spinal cord injuries) and secondary (back pain causes various pathologies).

Now it is worth discussing each category in more detail. The main pain syndromes may include:

  1. Osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis in the human body affects bone tissue and cartilage. As a result, it causes displacement of the intervertebral disc and surrounding vertebrae.
  2. Spondyloarthritis. In this disease, the intervertebral joints are affected, which reduces the mobility of the spine. People with spondyloarthritis usually suffer from low back pain in the morning.

Secondary syndrome includes:

  1. Scoliosis and some diseases that adversely affect growth.
  2. Bone damage caused by metabolic diseases such as osteomalacia or osteoporosis.
  3. Inflammatory processes that do not occur due to infection.
  4. Tumors of the spine.
  5. Vertebral fracture. In this case, low back pain in the lumbar region can be especially severe, because the nerves in these fractures can be compressed.
  6. Infectious pathologies: tuberculosis, brucellosis and the like.
  7. Stroke condition. In this case, the human body is concerned about the cerebral spinal cord blood circulation.
  8. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
  9. Diseases of the internal organs located in the small pelvis (kidneys, genitourinary system).

Pathologies in men

Men may have low back pain for the following reasons:

  1. Prostatitis caused by inflammation of the prostate gland.
  2. Malignant tumors. They often occur in men over the age of fifty.
  3. Genital hyperplasia, which causes the growth of some cells.

Pathologies in women

  1. Genital pathologies (uterine fibroids, trichomoniasis).
  2. Pain during menstruation. In this case, swelling can occur along with back pain.
  3. Pregnancy. Because many changes take place in a woman's body during pregnancy, expectant mothers may experience unpleasant back pain.

Low back pain caused by pregnancy

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

  • Hormonal changes. During pregnancy, girls have an increase in relaxation levels, which leads to the weakening of ligaments and joints. Therefore, they will not be able to carry the additional load.
  • Fetal growth. The more the fetus grows in the mother's womb, the more the center of gravity changes. As a result, the entire load falls on the spine.

Postpartum Anxiety

However, low back pain can occur not only during pregnancy, but also after birth. The following are the most common causes of pain.

  1. During pregnancy, some internal organs move sideways. For this reason, the muscles that hold them are tightened. It is important to understand that most organs are attached to precise vertebrae. This means that a woman may have back pain for some time after giving birth.
  2. Stretching of abdominal muscles. Even after the baby is born, the mother's abdominal muscles are tense.
  3. Excess weight during pregnancy.
  4. Offset bones. This happens at the beginning of labor to protect the fetus from damage. Every woman has a different bone regeneration process, so many mothers may have back pain.
  5. Injuries. Some joints may move during childbirth.
  6. Loaded on the spine. Interestingly, even normal movements can cause discomfort in girls after childbirth. In addition, they begin to feel pain while breastfeeding or closing the baby.

Remember that if you have back pain in the lower back, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Causes of left-sided pain

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

However, they are often caused by the following factors:

  1. Myositis.Muscles can become inflamed after prolonged physical exertion or hypothermia. In this case, the pain is felt especially during movement.
  2. Kidney disease.Kidney disease can cause a person to have aches and pains.
  3. Diseases of the digestive system.In case of digestive disorders, a person feels pain in the left side.
  4. Heart pathology. Some people who have a heart attack or suffer from angina pectoris may experience severe back pain. There may also be pain under the left shoulder blade.

These are not all the reasons for concern. As mentioned earlier, at the first symptoms you should immediately consult a doctor and determine the source of pain.

What to do if your back hurts

Remember that in most cases, back pain is a warning sign of some kind of disease.

Thanks to this, we can learn about our disease and start treating it.

Very few people pay enough attention to such signals. Instead of seeking help from a doctor, they prefer to inject some kind of painkiller or injection.

Some people start self-medication for fear of going to the hospital, which is not always good. Do not deceive yourself into thinking that the pain will go away on its own and that life will improve again.

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

If you have any doubts about the accuracy of the diagnosis or treatment method, it is wise to contact several specialists to make a balanced objective decision.

Low back pain treatment methods

An accurate diagnosis must be made before any disease can be treated. The following are the most common causes of back pain and how to treat them.

  1. Intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis.In this situation, the patient should be at rest and avoid lifting any load, especially heavy loads. Today, you can buy special belts in pharmacies to help protect your spine from damage. Physiotherapy also helps with such diseases. However, there are many cases in which an intervertebral hernia needs to be surgically removed.
  2. Diseases of the genitourinary system.Complex therapy is appropriate here. Once diagnosed, the doctor can prescribe the appropriate medication. In this case, the doctor will first pay attention to the course and stage of the disease, as well as the individual capabilities of the patient's body.
  3. Gastrointestinal diseases.Low back pain can be caused by ulcers, colitis, or an inflammatory joint. The patient should refrain from self-medication and consult a doctor. In case of acute pain, you should call an ambulance immediately.
  4. Kidney disease.It is also advisable to call an ambulance, especially if you feel severe pain in your kidneys. As a prevention of kidney disease, traditional medicine recommends drinking cornflower or lingonberry juice because it contains vitamins and trace elements that help normalize kidney function.
  5. Heart pathology.If you suddenly feel a material pain under the left shoulder blade and then the pain begins to move towards your chest, left arm and back, it is most likely a myocardial infarction. In this case, you should call an ambulance immediately, because every minute can cost your life.
  6. Postpartum pain.If the problem is related to bone displacement, the doctor may prescribe manual or physical therapy to the patient. In such cases, it is important to remember that massage should be performed only by an experienced specialist. Failure to do so can seriously damage the mother's health. Your doctor may also recommend that mothers do any physical exercise that will help them rebuild their bones.

Output

From all the above, it can be concluded that if you have back pain, you should consult a doctor and only then begin treatment.