Low back pain is a well -known symptom. It can appear in representatives 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, painful, stabbing, or shooting. Treatment directly depends on the type of pain and the cause.
Cause
It is very important to know the etiology of pain in time. First of all, it is necessary to note the nature of the pain and the timing 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 track the relationship between the menstrual cycle and the onset of pain.
The reasons that cause lower back pain to appear may be as follows:
- Neurological problems. Often, osteochondrosis and disorders associated with the preservation of the lumbar region are manifested in this way.
- Skeletal muscle pathology. Myositis is a frequent occurrence similar to osteochondrosis and also causes pain.
- Kidney disease. The kidney is located in the retroperitoneal space, that is, closer to the posterior than the anterior abdominal wall. This is why kidney disease can be accompanied by back pain.
- Internal organ pathology is located intraperitoneally. Sometimes, but not always, low back pain is associated with diseases such as appendicitis and cholecystitis.
- Pathology of the pelvic organs. Especially often, manifestations of such inflammation in the small pelvis appear in women.
Every disease that leads to low back pain should be considered in more detail.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a metabolic pathology of the spine, in which the structure of the intervertebral disc is disrupted. It is believed that after the age of 27, this condition is a common age -related change and occurs in almost everyone.
The problem arises due to the fact that the intervertebral disc loses its elasticity and ability to withstand stress. At the same time, he began to go beyond the vertebral body. In the immediate vicinity of the vertebral body are nerve roots that arise from the spinal cord. The disc compresses this nerve 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 occurs because the load on the spine in this section is maximum and disc protrusion is more common.
The nature of the pain that occurs with radiculitis caused by osteochondrosis can vary. There are three types:
- Lumbago.It is also called "lumbago". This is a sharp and very strong sharp pain that occurs in the lower back at the time of doing physical exercise. Such pain is subjectively like a blow. It makes you stop exercising. However, lumbago heals quite quickly, in seconds or minutes.
- Lumbodynia.The pain is less intense, but longer in duration. It also occurs during exercise, but not immediately, but gradually. Such pain can develop over several hours. He has a nagging personality. Lumbodynia persists for several days and significantly reduces exercise tolerance during this time period.
- Sciatica.The difference with the previous species is that in addition to the lower back, the legs are also sore. As a rule, this is a unilateral lesion, but bilateral pain is also possible. Lumioischialgia is an interesting character that lasts. It develops gradually and, as it were, descends from the lower back to the thighs. This pain can cause temporary lameness. It also passed in a few days.
If osteochondrosis occurs, you should consult a neurologist.
Myositis
Almost everyone has experienced pain for this reason. This is how people sound like "through" or "back to back". This term is not medical, but the general principle of pain is correctly described.
In this case, exposure to cold air or cold objects in the lumbar region leads to inflammation of the muscles located here. The fact is that the back muscle apparatus is very advanced and any pathological process in it can damage many anatomical structures simultaneously.
First, because of inflammation, the muscle itself hurts. The fibers increase due to edema and compress the nerve endings that normalize this muscle. Second, around the muscle is the nerve root, which here has turned into a nerve trunk. Their defeat can cause long -term radiating pain.
Inflammation can travel from the muscle to the nerve trunk itself, which will lead to the spread of pain to the upper or lower 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, pain when they are affected radiates right to the lower back. At the same time, painful sensations can lead to the idea of certain kidney diseases.
So, for example, urolithiasis is accompanied by 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 stimulation and forces them to take unmotivated action. 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 renal calyx-pelvic system. In addition to pain, fever, weakness and discomfort appear. With pyelonephritis, Pasternatsky's positive symptoms (tapping). The pain can be one -sided or two -sided.
Nephrologists treat renal pathology. It is better not to postpone a visit to them to avoid complications.
Diseases of other organs
Pathology of intraperitoneally located internal organs is very rarely accompanied by back pain. More often stomach ache. However, with inflammation of the appendicular process located atypically, when it is applied so that it is located behind the secum, the pain will be in the lower back. This is important to know because in this case there may be no pain in the abdomen at all. The person himself most often does not know about the anatomical features of his organs.
With cholecystitis, pain often occurs in the right hypochondrium. However, due to certain structural features of the gallbladder, it can also radiate to the lumbar region. Also, these symptoms 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 equivalent to menstrual abdominal pain or inflammation of the reproductive system. For example, this is how adnexitis or oophoritis manifests itself. These symptoms often appear during pregnancy. This is due to excessive pressure on the spine, possibly 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 pain. This can only be done with the help of appropriate specialists and after passing a series of examinations. Often, x-ray, MRI or CT scans of the spinal cord and spinal canal are required. You may also need ultrasound scans of all organs where the above pathology may develop.
Osteochondrosis is treated by providing special positions 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 area where the pain occurs.
Urolithiasis and pyelonephritis need to be treated by a doctor. In the first case, it can be the dissolution of the stone by drug methods or surgical removal. In the latter 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.
Pelvic organ disease is treated by a gynecologist. Such therapy can also be medical or surgical, depending on the type of pathology.
Thus, we can conclude that back pain is a symptom that can occur both with damage to the spine itself and the muscles around it, and with diseases of various internal organs. You can try to treat the pain yourself by starting with NSAIDs and reducing physical activity. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor for timely detection of pathology.