According to WHO statistics, more than 85% of the world's population suffers from various types of osteochondrosis.
These figures show that a working person of almost any age has experienced back pain at least once in his life. Especially often, the lumbosacral region suffers due to high loads. However, in addition to degenerative processes in the spine, a number of pathologies can also cause unpleasant feelings. Low back pain is associated with impaired kidney and liver function and inflammation of the central nervous system. In addition, it may indicate the development of cancer and genitourinary infections.
Causes of low back pain
There are dozens of factors that can cause back discomfort. The vast majority of them lead to the development of life-threatening pathologies. Therefore, you should go to the hospital to find out the causes of low back pain at the first signs. According to doctors, the most common pathologies that provoke such symptoms are:
- arthritis;
- osteochondrosis;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- intervertebral hernia.
Also, spasms are often observed as a result of hypothermia. The sciatic nerve is the largest in our body. Hypothermia can cause constipation, resulting in severe pain. In addition, common factors that cause discomfort in the lumbosacral region are:
- stress;
- passive lifestyle;
- lift weights;
- trauma;
- poor nutrition.
Also, back pain in the lower back may indicate urolithiasis. Ignoring such a pathology is known to be life-threatening. In addition, the same symptoms are observed in severe sexually transmitted diseases. It should be noted that unpleasant feelings 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, it is better to consult a specialist when pain appears. After all, persistent spasms generally indicate the development of an inflammatory process and are often associated with circulatory disorders. People who are overweight suffer from this symptom more than others.
Diagnosis
In total, there are more than 40 causes that can cause pain in the lower back and lumbar region. An experienced doctor cannot diagnose the pathology that causes such a number of symptoms without a series of examinations. In general, doctors use the following diagnostic methods to diagnose low back pain:
Basic methods for the diagnosis of low back pain in the lumbar region
| Diagnostic techniques | Accuracy |
| Lumbar X-ray | 87-92% |
| Bel MRI | 97% |
| Ultrasound examination of pelvic organs | 85-90% |
| Blood and urine tests | 92% |
| Electroneuromyography | 88-94% |
In addition, endoscopic examination of the intestine or uterus may be required in case of symptoms of pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and urogenital system. 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 give you a recommendation for a series of initial examinations and tell you which specialist you should contact for more treatment. The following doctors can generally help with these symptoms:
- Surgeon
- Neurologist
You may also need to see a nephrologist, gastroenterologist or traumatologist. Experts will quickly determine the most likely causes of back pain in the lower back. The initial diagnosis should be confirmed by test results and medical history. Despite the variety of expert profiles, there are a number of questions that everyone asks:
- Has the patient had a back injury in recent months?
- Was the patient hypothermic?
- Do any of the patient's relatives suffer from degenerative diseases of the spine?
- What kind of life does a person live?
- Does the patient have chronic diseases or allergies?
In addition, the doctor will definitely clarify how long ago there were unpleasant sensations in the back, ask, after what actions the spasm intensifies? Based on the information received, it will be able to determine the nature of the disease and the most effective ways to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms.
Treatment
To relieve a patient's spasm, doctors use both conservative medications and physical therapy procedures. In some cases, for example, when the pathology is caused by pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, experts even prescribe a diet. Often, treatment of low back pain involves taking the following medications:
- non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antispasmodics;
- general and local analgesics;
- vitamins.
It should also be noted that if the concern is related to any degenerative process in the bone tissue, it is impossible to eliminate the disease without taking chondroprotectors. Physiotherapeutic procedures to be prescribed for the treatment of low back pain include:
- UHF;
- comfortable baths;
- electrophoresis;
- laser therapy.
Massages and specially designed therapeutic exercises are also recommended. Such procedures help to eliminate inflammation and strengthen the back muscles, which helps the patient to recover quickly.
Traditional methods of treatment
Sometimes the effect of a course prescribed by a specialist can be increased with the help of natural remedies. However, they should only be used after approval by the attending physician. The most popular traditional treatments:
- Incense and apple cider vinegar compression.Mix the ingredients one by one, dip a piece of wool into it and pull it back to the wound to quickly eliminate the inflammation.
- Dandelion alcohol infusion.Mix 0. 5 liters of dandelion with 500 ml of vodka. Helps warm the back well
- Broth.Mix 3 teaspoons of parsley root with 500 ml of water. To prevent osteochondrosis, boil and take 3 times a day.
Prophylaxis
As you know, it is better to prevent a problem than to solve it. Therefore, a number of preventive measures should be taken to prevent back pain. The main ones include:
- increase the amount of calcium-rich foods in your diet;
- get rid of excess weight;
- daily long walks or jogging (avoid a sedentary lifestyle);
- Exclusion from the diet of smoked meat, which increases the load on the liver and promotes the development of degenerative processes in bone tissue.
However, if low back pain cannot be prevented, the causes of this phenomenon must be found as soon as possible.