Low back pain is common to almost everyone. It is very difficult to find someone who has never experienced these very unpleasant symptoms at least once. Sometimes it is enough to sit in an uncomfortable position for a while to cause discomfort in the lumbar region of the spine. But this is not a serious problem, but only a consequence of being in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
But severe back pain almost always has a specific cause and is a reason to go to the doctor. Diagnosis will not always be expected, as osteochondrosis is just one of the problems that may arise, back pain.
Why the lower back hurts and what to do in such a situation is not hard to guess. The doctor will diagnose and identify the cause of the pain, after which you need to start treatment.
Pain syndrome - primary and secondary
Understanding why the lower back hurts, we must not forget that the causes of such pain number in the dozens, and the public will never be able to determine the true source of the problem.
In general, medical classification separates primary and secondary pain syndromes that can affect the lumbar region.
Primary low back pain syndrome occurs as a result of morphofunctional musculoskeletal changes. He is the cause of a large number of cases of back pain in the lumbar region. The most notable causes are degenerative-dystrophic changes that occur in various parts of the spine:
- osteochondrosis, which is a lesion of bone and cartilage tissue, the disease has a dystrophic nature. When it affects the intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebrae, spondylosis begins to develop.
- spondyloarthrosis is a form of osteoarthritis, in which the disease affects the intervertebral joints, which are responsible for the mobility of the spine, or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndromes have more different causes of pain:
- scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine, as well as several other growth diseases;
- various non -infectious inflammations. For example, rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter's syndrome;
- tumors located in the vertebrae, in the spinal cord itself or in the retroperitoneal space, regardless of whether they are primary or caused by metastasis;
- fracture of one or more vertebrae of the back. This is probably one of the most serious causes of back pain;
- various infectious diseases that cause damage to the vertebral and intervertebral discs (tuberculosis, brucellosis, epidural abscess);
- a stroke condition in which there is a serious violation of blood supply to the spinal cord. In this case, there is also the feeling that the lower back hurts;
- gastrointestinal tract disease. For example, acute appendicitis with atypical, intestinal obstruction;
- often, back pain is of a reflected nature. Similar problems can occur with some diseases of organs located in the pelvic area. For example, renal colic, venereal diseases (gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, and exfoliation - all of these diseases cause reflected back pain).
What is acute and chronic pain
Lower back pain is also divided into acute and chronic, which can be caused by a variety of problems and diseases, both from the nerve endings and the spine itself.
Replaced pain is also often observed - there is a translation of pain from other organs, which are located deeper. In other words, there seems to be lower back pain, even though in fact the problem is on a completely different part of the body. But often, pain from pelvic organs, pancreas, kidneys, large intestine or tumors located behind the peritoneum is projected into the lumbar region.
Usually people do not know what to do if their lower back hurts. But obviously what you can’t do - this is self -treatment. The causes of pain vary, only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis, and the continued use of painkillers (which many consider to be treatment) can be detrimental.
The specialist in turn makes a diagnosis based on data obtained as a result of additional examinations, for example, diagnostic MRI of the spine.
Causes of acute pain
Before deciding what to do when the lower back hurts badly, a serious doctor will first determine the cause of the pain that appears. The reasons may vary, but are mostly related to the spine.
One of the simplest and most harmless causes of pain is acute muscle tension. In this case, spasmodic long muscles are the source of the pain. With this problem, the pain rarely "radiates" to other parts of the body, but severely restricts a person’s movement. This reason is very common, often faced by athletes and people whose work is associated with a variety of physical activities.
A common but more serious cause of pain is a vertebral fracture, especially when having a vertebral fracture. Often this happens with unsuccessful falls and other back injuries. But if a person is ill with hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis, Paget’s disease or there is a tumor in the vertebral area, then the fracture can occur and go unnoticed by the patient, as they say "not necessarily. " Moreover, one will not understand when a fracture is present. this is happening.
The same unpleasant situation, in the event of acute pain in the lower back, is the displacement of the intervertebral disc in the lumbar spine. The symptom of this problem is severe and sharp pain in the lower back, which severely restricts movement. Often, pain occurs due to compression of the nerve root. The signs of compression are:
- sensitivity disorders;
- significant loss or decrease in Achilles reflex;
- absence or decrease in knee reflex intensity;
- unilateral radicular pain.
One of the unpleasant tendencies of this problem is that such displacement can lead to lower vertebral pathology. As a result, pain appears below the lumbar region, and rectal and bladder function may be impaired. Localization of pain above the lower back may also occur in some cases.
Acute back pain can also occur as a result of facet syndrome. In this case, the cause of the pain is root compression on the way out of the spinal canal, while the intervertebral disc itself remains intact. This syndrome usually occurs as a result of enlargement of the upper and lower parts of the intervertebral joint, which results in narrowing of the intervertebral foramen.
Epidural abscess is one of the most severe diseases that causes severe back pain. The disease requires immediate diagnosis and immediate treatment, and very effective measures are recommended, until surgical intervention, the main thing is to quickly remove the spinal cord compression.
Hip joint disease is also often a cause of acute lower back pain. They are characterized by pain that radiates to the lower back, to the feet to knee level.
Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain
One of the causes of chronic pain is spondylosis deformans. With this disease, dystrophic changes occur in the vertebrae of the lumbar spine, the ligament apparatus weakens and bone growth occurs. As a result, the spinal canal narrows, and bone growth begins to press on the nerve roots. Acute pain can be accompanied by numbness and weakness in the legs, as well as other neurological symptoms. In any case, a thorough examination will be required, in accordance with the results of which the final diagnosis will be set.
Bechterew's disease, also called ankylosing spondypoarthrosis, can also cause chronic pain. It manifests itself by pulling pain in the lower back, curvature of the spine in the thoracic area appears and develops rapidly. The first symptoms are limited movement and decreased chest movement while breathing.
Cancer and metabolic disorders often cause back pain. But benign tumors can also cause chronic pain that will not be accompanied by neurological symptoms.
Osteomyelitis can also cause aching back pain, which can last a long time.
In conclusion
As you can see, back pain can occur as a result of many diseases. At the same time, often one does not think that the problem will not be where it hurts. So even if your lower back hurts not always, but from time to time - do not pull, see a doctor. It is easier to cope with the disease at an early stage, and not when it is in a state of neglect and will cause many complications.