Low back pain - causes and treatment

Various diseases can cause back pain in the lumbar region.

The main diseases that cause back pain are joint injuries to the spine or hip joint.

Most often this symptom is due to diseases of the lumbar spine.

The lumbar spine is flexible, which makes this area more likely to be injured.

Causes of back pain in the lumbar region

Back pain is a signal that the body has a problem with the spine, hip joint, or internal organs near the lower back.

If your back is sore in the lumbar area, it could be because of:

• Pain can occur as a result of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine;
• painful sensations can be due to an intervertebral hernia;
• Ankylosing spondylitis;
• Displacement of the vertebrae;
• Rheumatism;
• Inflammation of the back muscles (myositis);
• Sciatic nerve inflammation;
• Spinal fracture;
• Osteoarthritis of the hip joint and other diseases of the spine and hip joints.

Lower back pain can also occur due to a muscle strain or muscle spasm. Muscle spasms can occur when performing sudden movements with a load on the lower back:

• make sharp turns;
• sudden weight lifting;
• doing sports.

Lumbar spine osteochondrosis

In lumbosacral osteochondrosis, back pain in the lumbar region can be combined with symptoms such as:

• increased urination;
• Urinary incontinence;
• chronic and often aggravated diseases of the bladder;
• Diseases of the genital organs;
• rectal problems.

The most common back pain associated with osteochondrosis is:

• Pain;
• Blasting;
• draw;
• sometimes the pain is burning.

Pain in the lumbar region often disappears when standing or lying down and increases when sitting, especially on a hard surface, with coughing and physical exertion.

Causes of back pain in lumbosacral osteochondrosis

The lumbar spine is characterized by great mobility and withstands heavy loads in everyday life.

This is the main reason for the development of lumbar osteochondrosis, which is manifested by dystrophy and deformation of the intervertebral discs.

The group at high risk of developing lumbosacral osteochondrosis includes:

• overweight persons;
• lead an inactive lifestyle;
• have a wrong posture.

In addition, this disease can develop from excessive exertion in professional athletes and even from improper exercise at home.

Frequent stress and lack of sleep can contribute to the development of osteochondrosis.

People with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and other inflammatory diseases of the joints often develop lumbar osteochondrosis.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the sacrum and lumbar spine is aimed at slowing down the process of destruction of the intervertebral discs, restoring the functions of the nerve roots and eliminating pain.

Apply for it:

• Medication;
• manual therapy;
• physiotherapy methods;
• Physical therapy;
• surgical methods.

In the treatment of osteochondrosis of lumbar-sacral osteochondrosis, such drugs are used as:

• Chondroprotectors (to restore cartilage tissue);
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Immunomodulators;
• Steroids;
• Vitamin complexes.

It is necessary to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroid hormones with great care because they have many contraindications and side effects.

There are several other methods of treating osteochondrosis:

1. Manual therapy helps restore the functions of the lumbar spine and its anatomical structure. Massage for osteochondrosis helps to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and improve metabolic processes in tissues.
2. Physiotherapy is carried out after the acute phase of the disease is stopped with the help of drugs. The most useful for osteochondrosis are: electrophoresis, paraffin therapy, phonophoresis, and magnetic therapy. In order to achieve a noticeable effect, it is recommended to conduct 3 courses of 10 physiotherapy interventions with a two-week break in between.
3. One of the most effective methods of treating osteochondrosis is through physical therapy exercises. Physical education classes should be carried out after appropriate consultation with a doctor and preferably under the supervision of a specialist. A series of exercises specially developed for the treatment of lumbosacral osteochondrosis help strengthen the back muscles, thereby relieving some of the pressure on the intervertebral discs.
4. Spa treatments (radon baths, healing mud, etc. ) have a good effect on osteochondrosis.

If you ignore the symptoms of osteochondrosis and do not see a doctor, it will lead to the development of the disease, and soon the back pain will become so severe that you still need to see a doctor.

Prevention of osteochondrosis

For spine health, you need to eat properly, monitor your posture, and lead an active lifestyle.

When carrying weights and exercising, make sure that the back is not overstretched and the spine is not injured.

Back pain with a herniated disc

A spinal hernia or intervertebral hernia is a condition in which the intervertebral disc is deformed; the outer part of the disc is torn simultaneously with the protrusion of the inner part of the disc outside of the vertebral body.

lumbago

Often, lumbago back pain occurs in the lumbar region.

Lumbago is the sudden onset of acute lower back pain during physical exertion while lifting weights.

Back pain in this case has a tearing, stabbing, shooting character. It is associated with a sharp herniated disc and irritation of the nerve endings that are located in the annulus fibrosus.

A reflex is triggered, which greatly increases the tone of the lumbar muscles. The patient freezes in a monotonous position, unable to straighten his back and turn.

This manifestation of a herniated disc of the lumbar spine is most often found in men aged 30 to 40 years.

sciatica

Sciatica (sciatica) - irritation of the sciatic nerve due to pinching the protrusion of the hernia of the spinal roots.

Sciatica causes pain, burning, tingling, and numbness that spread from the lower back to the back of the leg.

These symptoms usually occur on one side, depending on the location of the herniated disc.

Symptoms of back pain with intervertebral hernia

Table - Symptoms of Herniated Discs

The main symptoms	particularities
Long-term pain in the lumbar region.	Can take up to several months. They have an aching, aching, burning character.
Dysfunction of the pelvic organs.	Incontinence or urinary retention. Violation of the bowel movement. In men, a hernia can affect potency.
Weakness of the muscles of the legs, decrease in their tone, decrease in reflexes.	Compression of the motor nerves in the spinal roots.
Paralysis (total immobility) or paresis (partial immobility) in the legs.	Compression and damage to the spinal cord.
Pale skin, increased sweating, white or red spots.	Compression of the nerves in the spinal roots that regulate blood vessels, sweat glands, and other autonomic functions.

With intervertebral hernias, in most cases, pathological changes develop in the lumbar spine.

Identification of herniated discs

Statistics for the detection of intervertebral hernias:

• 48% of herniated discs occur between the last lumbar vertebra (fifth) and the sacrum.
• 46% are between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae.

Reasons for developing an intervertebral hernia

A herniated disc is caused by:

1. Degenerative changes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Herniated discs are often a complication of osteochondrosis.
2. Postponed injuries to the spine: compression fractures of the vertebrae, subluxation.
3. Increased load on the spine: with constant work sitting or standing in a monotonous posture, incorrect weight bearing, excessive physical exertion, overtraining in athletes.
4. Sedentary lifestyle.
5. Infectious diseases that affect the spine.
6. Obesity.
7. Congenital malformations of the spine.
8. Vibration action. In most cases this is due to industrial hazards. Under the influence of vibrations, the structure of the intervertebral disc is disrupted, it is weakened.
9. Poor posture, scoliosis.

Treatment of herniated discs

According to statistics, in most cases with an intervertebral hernia, all symptoms go away 6 weeks after the first attack, and remission occurs.

The body can recover spontaneously after 24 weeks. Therefore, there are not always indications for surgical intervention.

Slipped disc medication is said to relieve back pain.

The main drugs used to treat hernias are:

• non-steroidal pain relievers;
• Steroids.

Physiotherapy for intervertebral hernias is performed as directed by a doctor.

There are other methods of treating intervertebral hernias without surgery:

1. Manual therapy. The chiropractor tries to get rid of the herniated disc with his hands.
2. Kinesitherapy. This is a type of physical therapy exercise. It normalizes muscle tone, restores blood circulation and increases tissue regeneration.
3. Hirudotherapy.
4. Cryotherapy. This is a low temperature treatment technique. Liquid nitrogen is applied to the affected area. This improves the blood flow to the tissue.

disc prolapse

Surgical treatment of intervertebral hernias is prescribed in:

• severe back pain in the lumbar region, which, despite persistent conservative treatment, does not go away for a long time;
• severe neurological disorders: decreased sensitivity, muscle tone and strength, paralysis and paresis;
• Urinary incontinence, male impotence (if caused by compression of a hernia of the spinal cord).

Back pain treatment with blockade

Hernia repair is a procedure that aims to numb the affected area and relieve muscle spasms.

The blockage is done by injecting anesthetic.

The therapeutic effect of the blockade is characterized by:

• rapid pain relief - relief comes in 1-2 minutes;
• Elimination of muscle spasms that aggravate painful sensations;
• Relief of inflammation, particularly with the administration of corticosteroids;
• Reduction of soft tissue edema that causes nerve fiber entrapment.

Contraindications for blockage:

• an infectious lesion of the spine;
• Fever;
• Mental illness;
• cardiovascular failure stage 2-3;
• weakness;
• Bleeding disorders;
• Kidney and liver dysfunction;
• Tendency to seizures;
• Pregnancy.

Diagnosing the disease in back pain

If your back is sore in the lumbar area, the first thing to do is to see a doctor and get an exam.

The doctor can prescribe spinal exams with the help of:

• Computed Tomography;
• X-ray of the lumbosacral spine;
• Magnetic resonance imaging;
• Electroneuromyography;
• Vascular dopplerography, etc.

An examination and palpation of the lumbar and spine is mandatory. Consultation with a neurologist or vertebrologist is required.

The cause of low back pain is almost always the displacement of the vertebrae, muscle spasms or intercostal neuralgia.