According to WHO statistics, more than 85% of the people of the world suffer from various types of osteochondrosis.
These figures prove that almost everyone of working age has experienced back discomfort at least once in their life. Especially often, due to high loads, the lumbosacral region 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 kidney and liver failure 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 lumbar region
There are dozens of factors that can cause lower back discomfort. The vast majority of them lead to the development of potentially fatal pathologies. Therefore, at the first sign of back pain in the lumbar region, you need to go to the hospital to find out the reasons for it. The most common pathologies causing such symptoms, according to the observations of doctors, are:
- arthritis;
- osteochondrosis;
- dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract;
- intervertebral hernia.
In addition, spasms are quite often observed as a result of hypothermia. The sciatic nerve is the largest in our body. In hypothermia, it can be pinched, causing severe pain. In addition, the common factors contributing to the appearance of discomfort in the lumbosacral region are:
- stress;
- passive lifestyle;
- lifting weights;
- 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 with serious sexually transmitted diseases. It is worth noting that unpleasant sensations of this nature do not always indicate a disease. A spasm in the lumbar region is considered normal if it occurs for the following reasons:
- pregnancy;
- menopause;
- menstruation.
But even in such cases, when the pain appears, 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 blood circulation. More often than others, overweight people suffer from this symptom.
Diagnostic
In total, more than 40 reasons can cause pain in the back and lumbar region. Even an experienced doctor cannot determine the pathology that caused such a symptom without a series of examinations. Usually, with discomfort in the lower back, doctors use the following diagnostic methods to make a diagnosis:
Basic methods for diagnosing belt pain in the lumbar region
Also, in case 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 see?
When the first unpleasant sensations appear in the lumbosacral region, you should immediately contact a therapist. He will refer you for a number 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 see a nephrologist, gastroenterologist, or traumatologist. Specialists will quickly determine the most likely causes of back pain in the lumbar region. The preliminary diagnosis should be confirmed by test results and history. Despite the variety of specialist profiles, each of them poses a number of questions:
- Has the patient suffered a back injury in the past few months?
- Was the patient hypothermic?
- Did anyone close to the patient suffered from degenerative diseases of the spine?
- What kind of life does a person lead?
- Does the patient have any chronic illnesses or allergies?
In addition, the doctor will certainly clarify for how long 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 from a 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:
- non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antispasmodics;
- analgesics of general and local action;
- vitamins.
It should also be noted that if discomfort is associated with degenerative processes in bone tissue, elimination of the disease is impossible without taking chondroprotectors. Physiotherapeutic procedures that should be prescribed in the treatment of back pain in the lumbar region include:
- UHF;
- relaxing baths;
- electrophoresis;
- laser therapy.
Specially designed massage and therapeutic exercises are also recommended. Such procedures help to relieve inflammation and strengthen the back muscles, 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. But they should only be used after approval by the attending physician. To the most popular traditional treatment methods:
- Compress of incense and apple cider vinegar.Mix the ingredients in a one-to-one ratio, soak a woolen cloth in it and apply to the back sore for quick relief from inflammation.
- Alcoholic infusion of dandelion.Mix 0, 5 liters of dandelions with 500 ml of vodka. Helps to warm up the back.
- 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 solve it. Therefore, in order to prevent back pain, a number of preventive measures should be followed. The main ones are:
- increase the amount of calcium-rich foods in your diet;
- get 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 tissue.
If, nevertheless, it was not possible to avoid back pain in the lumbar region, the causes of this phenomenon should be found as soon as possible.