Back pain is a very common symptom. Everyone has experienced this in one form or another in their life.
Causes, frequency and risk factors for low back pain
Let's take a look at why the lower back can hurt in the country. Most of the time, low back pain signals that you have:
- osteochondrosis and neuralgia;
- kidney disease;
- pancreatitis in the acute phase.
Let's consider each of the possible reasons in more detail.
Low back pain can occur with several kidney diseases:
- glomerulonephritis - non-infectious kidney damage;
- pyelonephritis - purulent inflammation in the renal pelvis;
- the formation and movement of stones in the kidneys and ureters.
Often hypothermia, a cold, or diet contribute to kidney disease; It's easy to mistake a lower back injury for kidney problems. However, there are symptoms that are characteristic of this type of disease:
- pain is not associated with movement and physical activity;
- body temperature often rises to more than 37. 5 degrees;
- light tapping with the edge of the palm of the hand in the kidney area causes severe pain;
- there are problems with urination - frequent or very rare, painful;
- urine becomes cloudy, changes color.
When a person has kidney problems, the first thing to do is call a doctor. This organ plays a very important function in the body to risk. While the doctor comes to your country house, try to alleviate the patient's condition.
What can be done:
- lay the patient down or help him to a comfortable position;
- in the presence of temperature - give an antipyretic;
- give a sick antispasmodic, for example, no-shpu;
- monitor pressure, temperature;
- provide assistance, if necessary, if the person needs to turn around.
It is often written that heating compresses or hot baths will help with kidney disease. To remember!
If the pain is caused by pyelonephritis, heating will only make the situation worse as heat inflammation increases.
All other measures can be prescribed by a doctor after a professional examination.
Injury to the lumbar spine is the most common cause of low back pain.
Low back pain occurs in almost everyone at least once in their lifetime. It should be noted that the pain can be in any part of the back, but nevertheless, pain in the lumbar spine occurs more often. This is due to the fact that the lumbar vertebrae bear the maximum load of your body weight.
Low back pain is the second most common cause of doctor visits, right after viral infections. You may experience lower back pain after lifting a heavy object, after a sudden movement, after being in one position for a long time, or after a spinal injury. Acute lumbar spine pain is most often caused by intervertebral disc displacement and spinal trauma.
Conditions that can cause back pain:
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
- Intervertebral hernia and intervertebral disc protrusion
- spondylarthrosis
- spondylosis
- spondylolisthesis
- Compression fracture due to osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, vertebral hemangioma
- Tumor in the lumen of the spinal canal
Destruction of the lumbar vertebra in tuberculosis is a rare cause of low back pain.
- Spinal fracture after injury
- prolonged muscle tension
- Anatomically narrow spinal canal
- Spinal curvature (scoliosis, kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis, Scheuermann Mau disease)
- aortic aneurysm
- Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis
- Spinal infections - osteomyelitis, discitis, spinal tuberculosis
- Pyelonephritis, urolithiasis
- complicated course of pregnancy
- Gynecological diseases (endometriosis, ovarian cyst, ovarian cancer, etc. )
back pain with pancreatitis
A tumor in the lumen of the spinal canal is a common cause of low back pain.
The pain can be varied: sharp, dull, pulling, burning, may be accompanied by tingling and chills, numbness. The intensity of low back pain can vary significantly - from mild to excruciating pain that makes even a small movement difficult. Pain can be combined with thigh pain, leg pain, foot pain.
For low back pain, don't start with a spinal x-ray.
- Reduce physical activity for the first two days after the onset of an attack. This will help reduce the symptoms of the disease and the swelling in the area of pain.
- Do not sit forward until the pain has completely subsided.
- Take painkillers only if the pain is unbearable. It is better to have an intramuscular injection than to drink an anesthetic drug. This will protect the stomach wall from direct contact with the anti-inflammatory medication. Try to avoid taking too many medications. Do not use hormonal medications for treatment if your lower back pain is not associated with an autoimmune disease.
- Sleep in the fetal position with a pillow between your legs. If you usually sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees.
- A common misconception is the idea that you should limit physical activity for a long time. Bed rest is not recommended! If you don't have a fever, weight loss, involuntary urination and bowel movements, you should stay active for as long as possible. You can reduce your activity for just the first two days after the pain starts. Start doing some light aerobic exercise. Walking on the simulator, swimming will help improve blood flow to the back muscles. Consult your doctor for exercise selection so as not to cause an increase in pain.
A characteristic symptom of pancreatitis is pain in the waist, which starts under the ribs on the left. It then spreads to the stomach and back, forming a ring. Pain in the belly button area can also indicate pancreatitis. In atypical forms of the disease, back pain, just above the waist, is not uncommon - they are often mistaken for anything but a symptom of pancreatitis.
Back pain in acute pancreatitis is very serious. First aid for pancreatitis includes:
- hunger (the patient should not eat before the examination);
- comfortable position (helping the person to take it), peace and comfort;
- drink moderately (you can gradually give regular water);
- condition control (do not leave the patient alone).
There are body positions that help reduce pain: the knee-elbow position and the fetal position.
diagnostic methods
First you need to consult a neurologist. The doctor will ask questions about the nature of your pain, its frequency, recurrence. The doctor will try to determine the cause of the pain and start treatment with simple methods (ice, mild pain relievers, physical therapy and necessary exercise).
MRI in 95% of cases will determine the true cause of back pain.
In most cases, these treatments lead to a reduction in back pain. During the examination, the doctor will determine the exact position of the pain, its irradiation, neurological reflexes. Most people with low back pain recover within 4 to 6 weeks. Diagnosis includes MRI (eng.
MRI) of the lumbar spine, computed tomography of the lumbosacral spine, radiography of the spine. As the most common cause of low back pain is a herniated disc in the lumbosacral spine, the first thing you need to do is an MRI of the lumbar spine.
This study will also help rule out most causes of pain such as a spinal canal lumen tumor, spinal tuberculosis, spinal fracture, multiple myeloma, anatomically narrow spinal canal, sponlolisthesis, various types of spinal curvature, spondylosis and spondylarthrosis.
If your neurologist hasn't ordered an MRI, do it yourself. The power of the MRI machine must be 1 Tesla or more. You should not start the diagnosis with an X-ray and CT scan, these methods are not safe. They can be done in the first place only if a spinal fracture is suspected.
The diagnosis is made on the basis of the patient's complaints, external examination, anamnesis data, and results of instrumental and biochemical studies. The most informative in the detection of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system is radiography. The resulting images clearly visualize deformed vertebral bodies and a decrease in the distance between them, as well as formed bone growths (osteophytes).
If hernia protrusion is suspected, protrusion, diseases of Organs internal organs, MRI, CT scan and ultrasound are performed. These studies make it possible to detect the location of the pathology and assess the degree of the inflammatory process.
General clinical blood and urine tests are mandatory. If systemic disease (gout, rheumatoid arthritis) is suspected, biochemical and serological studies are indicated.
Low back pain due to osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease of the articular cartilage that connects the vertebrae. Due to its pathology, the roots of the spinal cord are compressed, which is the cause of the pain. Anyone over the age of 30 is at risk for osteochondrosis, and recently this diagnosis is often found in teenagers and the very young.
The main cause of an attack of back pain is heavy lifting, prolonged work in an uncomfortable position (eg weeding or gardening). The development of osteochondrosis is also provoked by long car journeys, when a person is constantly sitting.
This lower back pain can overtake almost anyone. You will be able to recognize osteochondrosis by the following symptoms:
- the lower back hurts, the pain radiates to the leg;
- pain becomes stronger with movement, change of position, load;
- may be disturbed by burning or stabbing pains - "lumbago";
- after a long stay in a position, it is difficult and painful to change it;
- the sensitivity of the legs and buttocks decreases, a feeling of "goose bumps" appears;
- feet are cold, perspiration is disturbed.
There is no temperature in osteochondrosis.
Pain in osteochondrosis can overtake at any time.
If you are absolutely sure that the subject is in the column, the following measures will help the person:
- woolen belt or woolen scarf in the lumbar region;
- lie on a hard surface: board, table, hard mattress;
- taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- local anti-inflammatory ointments.
If you're not sure about the diagnosis, see a doctor - taking anti-inflammatories for stomach or pancreas problems can make the situation worse.
what not to do
In no case do not try to "define" the back on your own - this can increase pain and even harm the back.
With exacerbation of osteochondrosis, warming procedures are not recommended. In no case should you take a hot shower or steam in the bath. After warming up, a person will feel temporary relief, and the pain will increase significantly. If this pain often bothers you, you should have an MRI (lumbar spine image) and see a neurologist.
Important! If after taking anti-inflammatories you feel relief or complete disappearance of pain, you should not resume physical activity. The patient needs to rest - even bed rest - for a while longer.
How to relieve pain if it is neuralgia
Neuralgia is inflammation of a nerve. Symptoms of neuralgic low back pain are similar to signs of osteochondrosis: the back reacts to movements, the patient is afraid to move. But there are also specific points:
- pain spreads along the inflamed nerve;
- the nature of the pain is "pushed", it can subside and appear suddenly even at rest;
- skin color and sweating may change, muscle tremors occur;
- if you press on the back, the pain occurs on both sides of the spine.
It is difficult to cure neuralgic pain, but it is necessary to try to alleviate it. Help the sick person:
- anti-inflammatory analgesics;
- drugs that relieve spasm;
- complete rest.
With severe neuralgic pain, the patient is better off being hospitalized. Doctors in the hospital use novocaine blocks for neuralgia.
To remember! The use of medicines without guidance and medical examination can put your health at risk.
Timely access to a doctor will prevent serious complications from the disease.
Conditions where you need to see a doctor:
- Low back pain associated with leg pain and foot pain
- Pain prevents you from taking care of yourself
- Pain associated with urinary and fecal incontinence
- Combination of lower back pain with numbness in the buttock, thigh, leg, foot, groin
- If you've had back pain before
- If the pain lasts for more than 3 days
- If you are taking hormones
- If back pain occurs after an injury
- Previously diagnosed with cancer
- If you have recently lost weight for unknown reasons