Low back pain is a symptom that is known to many. It can appear in a representative of any gender and age. Pain may indicate damage to the musculoskeletal system, spinal cord, kidneys, pelvic organs, or abdominal cavity. It can be weak or very intense, sharp, aching, stabbing, or shooting. Treatment directly depends on the type of pain and the causes that caused it.
Causes
It is very important to find out the etiology of pain in time. First of all, it is worth noting the nature of the pain and the time of its appearance. In addition, it is necessary to establish its connection with physical activity, food intake, and going to the toilet. It is also important for women to trace the connection between the menstrual cycle and the onset of pain.
The reasons due to which lower back pain appears may be as follows:
- Neurological problems. Most often, osteochondrosis and associated disorders of the innervation of the lumbar region are manifested in this way.
- Skeletal muscle pathology. Myositis is the same frequent occurrence as osteochondrosis and also causes pain.
- Kidney disease. The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space, that is, closer to the back than to the anterior abdominal wall. This is why kidney disease can be accompanied by back pain.
- Pathology of internal organs located intraperitoneally. Sometimes, but not often, lower back pain is associated with diseases such as appendicitis and cholecystitis.
- Pathology of the pelvic organs. Especially often, such a manifestation of inflammation in the small pelvis appears in women.
Each of the diseases leading to lower back pain should be considered in more detail.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a metabolic pathology of the spine, in which the structure of the intervertebral discs is disrupted. It is believed that after 27 years, this condition is a normal age-related change and occurs in almost everyone.
Problems arise due to the fact that the intervertebral disc loses its elasticity and ability to resist stress. At the same time, he begins to go beyond the vertebral bodies. In the immediate vicinity of the vertebral bodies are the roots of the nerves that emerge from the spinal cord. The disc compresses these nerves and discomfort occurs. This complication of osteochondrosis is called radiculitis.
Osteochondrosis can occur in any part of the back, but most often it affects the lumbar region. This happens because the load on the spine in this part of it is maximum and disc protrusion is more common.
The nature of the pain that occurs with radiculitis caused by osteochondrosis can be different. There are three types of it:
- Lumbago.It is also called "lumbago". This is a sharp and very intense sharp pain that occurs in the lower back at the time of physical exertion. Such pain is subjectively like a shot. It makes you stop exercising. However, lumbago resolves quickly enough, in a few seconds or minutes.
- Lumbodynia.This pain is less intense, but longer in duration. It also occurs during exercise, but not immediately, but gradually. Such pain can develop for several hours. She has a nagging character. Lumbodynia lasts for several days and significantly reduces exercise tolerance during this period of time.
- Sciatica.Its difference from the previous species is that in addition to the lower back, the leg also hurts. As a rule, this is a unilateral lesion, but bilateral pain is also possible. Lumioischialgia is of a prolonged pulling character. It develops gradually and, as it were, descends from the lower back to the thigh. This pain can lead to temporary lameness. It also passes in a few days.
If osteochondrosis occurs, you should consult a neurologist.
Myositis
Almost everyone has experienced pain for this reason. This is exactly what the people sound like "through" or "inflated back". The terms are not medical, but the general outline of pain is correctly described.
In this case, exposure to cold air or cold objects on the lumbar region leads to inflammation of the muscles that are located here. The fact is that the muscular apparatus of the back is very well developed and any pathological processes in it can simultaneously damage many anatomical structures.
First, because of the inflammation, the muscles themselves hurt. Its fibers increase due to edema and compress the nerve endings that innervate this muscle. Secondly, in the immediate vicinity of the muscles are those same nerve roots, which here already turn into nerve trunks. Their defeat can lead to long-term radiating pain.
Inflammation can move from the muscle to the nerve trunk itself, which will lead to the spread of pain to the overlying or lower parts of the back or internal organs. It is also better to treat myositis with a specialist.
Kidney disease
Due to the close proximity of the kidneys to the back, the pain when they are affected radiates precisely to the lower back. At the same time, painful sensations can lead to the idea of a certain kidney disease.
So, for example, urolithiasis is accompanied by a very sharp unbearable pain in the lower back. It is also called colic. It most often occurs after or during urination. Such pain can be so intense that it puts a person in a state of emotional arousal and forces them to take unmotivated actions. For example, during a seizure, a person may start running around the room or make other sudden movements. They are justified by the fact that under load, the stone changes its position in the urinary tract and the pain decreases.
Also, pain can occur with pyelonephritis. In this case, it is less intense, but more prolonged. Pyelonephritis is a purulent inflammation of the calyx-pelvic system of the kidneys. In addition to pain, there is an increase in temperature, weakness and malaise. With pyelonephritis, a positive symptom of Pasternatsky (tapping). The pain can be one-sided or two-sided.
Nephrologists treat renal pathology. It is better not to delay a visit to them in order to avoid complications.
Diseases of other organs
The pathology of the internal organs located intraperitoneally is very rarely accompanied by back pain. More often the stomach hurts. However, with inflammation of the atypically located appendicular process, when it is deployed so that it is located behind the cecum, the pain will be in the lower back. This is important to know because in this case there may be no pain in the stomach at all. The person himself most often does not even know about such an anatomical feature of his organs.
With cholecystitis, pain often occurs in the hypochondrium on the right. However, due to certain structural features of the gallbladder, it can also radiate to the lumbar region. Also, this symptom can appear with pancreatitis. In this case, the pain is associated with food intake. More often occurs after eating fried or fatty foods.
In women, lower back pain can occur as the equivalent of menstrual abdominal pain or inflammation of the reproductive system. For example, this is how adnexitis or oophoritis manifests itself. This symptom often appears during pregnancy. This is due to excessive stress on the spine, possible pyelonephritis or fetal pressure on the nerve endings of the lumbar region.
How to get rid of such pain
First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of the pain. This can only be done with the help of an appropriate specialist and after passing a series of examinations. Most often, an x-ray, MRI or CT scan of the bones of the spine and spinal canal is necessary. You may also need an ultrasound scan of all organs in which the above pathology may develop.
Osteochondrosis is treated by giving a special position to the back and spine, limiting physical activity and special exercises. Swimming also acts well on the spine with this pathology. Pain can be reduced with NSAIDs taken by mouth or topically.
With myositis, it is also necessary to take NSAIDs and apply them to the lumbar region where pain occurs.
Urolithiasis and pyelonephritis should be treated by a doctor. In the first case, it can be the dissolution of stones by a drug method or surgical removal. In the second case, antibiotics and uroseptics are prescribed.
Appendicitis is most often treated with surgery. Surgical treatment can also be used for cholecystitis and pancreatitis, but more often these pathological conditions are treated conservatively. NSAIDs, enzymes and bile acid substitutes are prescribed.
Diseases of the pelvic organs are treated by a gynecologist. Such therapy can also be medical or surgical, depending on the type of pathology.
Thus, we can conclude that lower back pain is a symptom that can occur both with damage to the spine itself and the muscles surrounding it, and with diseases of various internal organs. You can try to treat pain yourself by starting with NSAIDs and reducing physical activity. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor for the timely detection of pathology.