Today, many people complain of back pain in the lumbar region. In fact, this problem is very common. At the same time, women are more likely to suffer from back pain than men.
In this article, we'll look at the most common causes of low back pain and discuss different treatments for this condition.
But before we start, it should be remembered that medicine is an individual matter which requires a professional approach. Therefore, if your back hurts in the lower back "in a serious way", it is best to contact the appropriate doctor.
Causes of back pain in the lower back
First of all, you need to pay attention to the fact that back pain can appear due to the conditions in which a person lives, his work, as well as attitudes towards life.
Some of the possible causes of back pain in the lower back can be:
- Overweight;
- Weakness of the core muscles;
- Hypodynamic;
- Pregnancy;
- High growth;
- Certain professions (driver, office worker);
- Sports;
- Mental disorders;
- Work in which a person must use the torso and bend often.
Some causes of low back pain may not pose a major health threat. However, there are those who need to be treated.
Why does the back hurt in the lower back
According to doctors, low back pain can be the result of a health problem. Therefore, the patient must be diagnosed to discover possible disease.
Doctors divide this syndrome into two categories: primary (musculoskeletal morphofunctional disorders associated with damage to the spine) and secondary (low back pain is caused by various pathologies).
Now it's worth discussing each category in more detail. Primary pain syndrome can include:
- Osteochondrosis. With osteochondrosis in the human body, bone tissue and cartilage are affected. As a result, it leads to a displacement of the intervertebral disc and the vertebrae surrounding it.
- Spondylarthrosis. In this disease, the intervertebral joints are affected, which reduces the mobility of the spine. People with spondyloarthrosis suffer from back pain in the lower back, usually in the morning.
Secondary syndrome includes:
- Scoliosis, as well as some diseases that negatively affect growth.
- Bone damage caused by metabolic disorders, such as osteomalacia or osteoporosis.
- Inflammatory processes that have not occurred due to infection.
- Tumors forming on the spine.
- Spinal fracture. In this case, back pain in the lumbar region can be particularly serious, as the nerves can be pinched in these fractures.
- Infectious pathologies: tuberculosis, brucellosis, etc.
- Race condition. In this state, the human body is disturbed by the cerebrospinal circulation.
- Diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract.
- Diseases of internal organs located in the small pelvis (kidneys, genitourinary system).
Pathologies in humans
Men can have back pain in the lumbar region for the following reasons:
- Prostatitis, which causes inflammation of the prostate.
- Malignant tumors. Most often they appear in men who have crossed the threshold of fifty years.
- Genital hyperplasia, causing some cells to grow.
Pathologies in women
- Genital pathologies (uterine myoma, trichomoniasis).
- Pain during menstruation. In this case, in addition to lower back pain, swelling may also form.
- Pregnancy. Since many changes take place in the female body during gestation, pregnant women may experience unpleasant back pain.
Low back pain caused by pregnancy
The causes of low back pain during pregnancy can be attributed to various factors:
- Hormonal changes. During pregnancy, girls have an increase in the level of relaxin, which leads to weakening of the ligaments and joints. For this reason, they may not be able to support the additional load.
- Fetal enlargement. The more the fetus grows in the uterus, the more the center of gravity shifts. As a result, the whole load falls on the spine.
Discomfort after childbirth
However, back pain in the lumbar region can occur not only during pregnancy, but also after childbirth. Here are the most common causes of pain.
- During the gestation period, some internal organs move to the sides. Because of this, the muscles that hold them tighten. It should be understood that most of the organs are precisely attached to the vertebrae. This means that for some time after childbirth, a woman may be embarrassed by back pain in the lower back.
- Stretching the abdominal muscles. Even after the baby is born, the mother's abdominal muscles are still in a state of tension.
- Overweight gained during pregnancy.
- Staggered bones. This happens very early in labor to protect the fetus from injury. Every woman has a different bone repair process, so many mothers may experience back pain.
- Injuries. During childbirth, some joints may move in women in labor.
- Load on the spine. Interestingly, even the usual movements can cause discomfort in girls after childbirth. In addition, they begin to feel pain when breastfeeding or swaddling a baby.
Remember that if you have back pain in the lumbar region, you must seek medical attention immediately.
Causes of left side pain
The most common causes of back pain on the left side are osteochondrosis and herniated discs.
However, they can often be caused by the following factors:
- Myositis.After prolonged physical exertion or hypothermia, the muscles of the body can become inflamed. In this case, the pain is especially felt during movement.
- Kidney disease.Due to kidney disease, a person may experience pain and tingling.
- Diseases of the digestive system.With a disturbance of the digestive system, a person feels pain on the left side.
- Cardiac pathology.Some people who have had a heart attack or suffer from angina may also experience severe back pain in the lower back. Additionally, pain may be felt under the left shoulder blade.
Not all of the reasons can cause discomfort. As mentioned earlier, at the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor and establish the source of the pain.
What to do if you have back pain
It should be remembered that in most cases back pain is a warning sign of some kind of illness.
Thanks to this, we can learn more about our disease and start treating it.
Many people do not pay enough attention to these signals. Instead of seeking medical help, they prefer to take some kind of pain reliever or injections.
Some people, for fear of going to the hospital, start to self-medicate, which is not always good. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the pain will go away on its own and life will get better again.
The sooner you seek medical help, the faster and more economical the recovery process will be.
If you are in doubt about the correctness of the diagnosis or the method of treatment, it is wise to contact several specialists in order to make a balanced objective decision.
Methods of treating back pain
Before a disease can be treated, an accurate diagnosis is needed. Here are the most common causes of back pain in the lumbar region and how to treat them.
- Intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis.In this case, the patient should be at rest and avoid lifting weights, especially heavy ones. Today in pharmacies you can buy special belts that help protect the spine from injury. Physiotherapy also helps with these diseases. However, there are many cases where an intervertebral hernia needs to be surgically removed.
- Diseases of the genitourinary system.Complex therapy is appropriate here. Once the diagnosis is made, the doctor can prescribe the appropriate medication. In this case, the doctor will first of all pay special attention to the course and stage of this or that disease, as well as to the individual capabilities of the patient's body.
- Gastrointestinal disorders.Low back pain can be caused by an ulcer, colitis or inflammation of the appendix. The patient should refrain from self-medication and consult a doctor. In case of sharp pain, you should immediately call an ambulance.
- Kidney disease.It is also worth calling an ambulance here, especially if you have severe kidney pain. As a prophylaxis for kidney disease, folk medicine advises drinking cranberry or lingonberry juice, since they contain vitamins and trace elements that help normalize kidney function.
- Cardiac pathology.If you suddenly feel tangible pain under the left scapula, and then the pain begins to move to your chest, left arm, and lower back, this probably indicates a high likelihood of myocardial infarction. In this case, you should immediately call an ambulance, because every minute can cost you your life.
- Postpartum pain.If the problem is with moving the bones, the doctor may prescribe manual therapy or physical therapy. It is important to remember that massage in such cases should be performed only by an experienced specialist. Failure to do so could seriously harm the health of the mother. The doctor may also advise moms to do any physical exercise that helps restore bones.
Output
From all that has been said, we can conclude that if your back hurts in the lower back, you should consult a doctor and start treatment only.