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 will look at the most common causes of low back pain and discuss various treatments for this condition.
But before you start, it should be remembered that medicine is an individual matter that requires a professional approach. Therefore, if your back hurts in the lower back "in a serious way", then it is better to contact the appropriate doctor.
Causes of lower back pain
First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that back pain can occur as a result of the conditions in which a person lives, his work, and attitude to life.
Some of the possible causes of lower back pain can be:
- Overweight;
- Weak trunk muscles;
- Hypodynamics;
- Pregnancy;
- High growth;
- Certain occupations (driver, office worker);
- Sports;
- Mental disorders;
- Work where one has to use the torso and bend over often.
Some causes of low back pain may not pose a major health threat. However, there are some that need to be treated.
Why my back hurts in my lower back
Doctors say lower back pain may be the result of a medical condition. Therefore, the patient must be diagnosed to find out about a possible disease.
Doctors divide this syndrome into two categories: primary (musculoskeletal morphofunctional disorders associated with spinal cord injuries) and secondary (lower back pain is provoked by various pathologies).
Now it's worth discussing each category in more detail. Primary pain syndrome may include:
- Osteochondrosis. In osteochondrosis, the bone tissue and cartilage in the human body are affected. As a result, it displaces the intervertebral disc and the vertebrae around it.
- Spondyloarthritis. In this disease, the intervertebral joints are affected, which reduce the mobility of the spine. People with spondyloarthritis suffer from lower back pain, usually in the morning.
Secondary syndrome includes:
- Scoliosis, as well as some diseases that adversely affect growth.
- Bone damage caused by metabolic disorders such as osteomalacia or osteoporosis.
- Inflammatory processes that did not occur due to infection.
- Tumors forming on the spine.
- Spinal fracture. In this case, the back pain in the lumbar region can be particularly severe, as nerves can be compressed in these fractures.
- Infectious pathologies: tuberculosis, brucellosis and the like.
- Stroke condition. In this condition, the human body is disrupted by cerebrospinal circulation.
- Diseases related to the gastrointestinal tract.
- Diseases of the internal organs located in the small pelvis (kidneys, genitourinary system).
Pathologies in men
Men can have back pain in the lumbar region for the following reasons:
- Prostatitis, which causes inflammation of the prostate gland.
- Malignant tumors. They most often occur in men over the age of fifty.
- Genital hyperplasia leading to the growth of certain cells.
Pathologies in women
- Pathologies of the genitals (uterine fibroids, trichomoniasis).
- Pain during menstruation. In this case, in addition to pain in the lower back, swelling may also occur.
- Pregnancy. Because many changes occur in a woman's body during pregnancy, expectant mothers may experience unpleasant back pain.
Low back pain caused by pregnancy
The causes of lower back pain during pregnancy can be attributed to various factors:
- Hormonal changes. During pregnancy, girls have an increase in relaxin levels, which leads to weakening of ligaments and joints. For this reason, they may not be able to withstand the additional load.
- Enlargement of the fetus. The more the fetus grows in the womb, the more the center of gravity shifts. As a result, the entire load falls on the spine.
Discomfort after birth
However, back pain in the lumbar region can occur not only during pregnancy but also after childbirth. Below are the most common causes of pain.
- During gestation, some internal organs move to the sides. For this reason, the muscles that hold them tighten. It is necessary to understand that most organs are attached exactly to the vertebrae. This means that for some time after giving birth, a woman may be bothered by lower back pain.
- 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.
- Offset bones. This happens very early in birth to protect the fetus from injury. Every woman has a different process of bone repair, so many mothers can get back pain.
- Injuries. During childbirth, some of the joints may move during childbirth.
- Loads on the spine. Interestingly, even normal movements can cause discomfort in girls after birth. In addition, they begin to experience pain when breastfeeding or swaddling a baby.
Remember that if you have back pain in the lumbar region, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Causes of left pain
The most common causes of left back pain are osteochondrosis and disc herniation.
However, they can often be caused by the following factors:
- Myositis.After prolonged exercise or hypothermia, the muscles of the body can become inflamed. In this case, the pain is felt especially during movement.
- Kidney disease.Due to kidney disease, a person may experience painful and tingling pain.
- Diseases of the digestive system.In case of digestive disorders, a person experiences pain.
- Cardiac pathology. Some people who have had a heart attack or suffer from angina pectoris may also experience severe lower back pain. Also, pain can be felt under the left shoulder blade.
These are not all causes that can cause discomfort. As mentioned earlier, at the first symptoms you should seek medical attention immediately and identify the source of the pain.
What to do if your back hurts
It should be remembered that in most cases, back pain is a warning sign of some disease.
Thanks to this we can learn about our disease and start treating it.
A lot of people don't pay enough attention to such signals. Instead of seeking medical help, they prefer to take some kind of painkillers or injections.
Some people, for fear of going to the hospital, start self-medication, which is not always good. Don't be fooled into thinking that the pain will go away on its own and life will improve again.
The earlier you seek medical help, the faster and cheaper the recovery process will be.
If in doubt about the correctness of the diagnosis or method of treatment, it is prudent to contact several specialists to make a balanced objective decision.
Methods for treating back pain
An accurate diagnosis is needed before a disease can be treated. Below are the most common causes of back pain in the lumbar region and how they can be treated.
- Intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis.In this case, the patient should be at rest and avoid lifting any loads, especially heavy ones. Today in pharmacies you can buy special belts that help protect the spine from injury. Physiotherapy also helps with such 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 doctor has made a diagnosis, he can prescribe the appropriate medication. In this case, the doctor, in the first place, will pay attention to the course and stage of this or that disease, as well as the individual capabilities of the patient's body.
- Gastrointestinal diseases.Lower back pain can be caused by an ulcer, colitis or an inflamed appendix. The patient should refrain from self-medication and consult a doctor. In case of acute pain you should call an ambulance immediately.
- Kidney disease.It is also appropriate to call an ambulance here, especially if you are experiencing severe kidney pain. As a prevention of kidney disease, traditional medicine advises to drink cranberry or cranberry juice, as they contain vitamins and trace elements that help normalize kidney function.
- Cardiac pathology.If you suddenly feel noticeable pain under the left shoulder blade and then the pain begins to move to the chest, left arm and lower back, this is likely to indicate a high probability of myocardial infarction. In this case, you should call an ambulance immediately, as every minute can cost you your life.
- Postpartum pain.If the problem is related to bone displacement, the doctor may prescribe manual therapy or physical therapy to the patient. It is important to remember that the massage in such cases should be done only by an experienced specialist. Failure to do so can cause serious damage to the mother's health. Your doctor may also advise mothers to exercise to help restore their bones.
Exit
From all this we can conclude that if your back hurts in the lower back, then you should consult a doctor and only then begin treatment.