Many of us are familiar with lower back pain. It is enough to spend a few minutes in an uncomfortable position, and the unpleasant sensations do not go away for a long time. What are the causes of back pain in the lumbar region? We will consider the reasons for them today, because often such a symptom is a signal of the development of a disorder.
Determines the nature of the pain syndrome
Before discovering the reasons why the back hurts in the lumbar region, let's take a closer look at the classification of pain syndromes. As you know, the human spine has several sections, one of which is the lumbar. This area occupies the interval of the back from the coccygeal part to the beginning of the ribs.
Pain syndromes in this spinal segment can also appear after prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position or after strenuous physical activity. If the discomfort disappears immediately, there's no reason to worry. But what if the pain attacks recur again and again and over time this condition interferes with life and full development?
There is only one way out - contact a treatment specialist. If the pain is not associated with an injury, the initial consultation should be referred to a therapist. It will determine which specialist doctor will help you. If the trauma has become a prerequisite for the appearance of pain, you can immediately contact a traumatologist.
Pain syndromes in the lumbar segment of the spine can have a different character:
- whining;
- binding;
- shot.
Specialists divide all types of lower back pain into two broad categories:
- primary;
- secondary.
Primary pain sensations are diagnosed in cases where pathology develops. This may be due to deformation of the joint or intervertebral tissue, ligaments or tendons.
Secondary pain syndrome occurs in case of previous injuries or the development of pathological processes associated with one or another ailment, for example, with osteoporosis, osteochondrosis, the appearance of a malignant or benign neoplasm.
Learn more about the causes of pain
In medical practice, there is a wide variety of cases in which patients complain of pain in the lumbar segment of the spine. It is practically impossible to diagnose the disorder by visual examination, since in nature there are many reasons for the appearance of such symptoms.
Lower back pain can be associated with the development of pathologies of the spine or internal organs. Often the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity have pain in the lumbar segment of the spine on the eve or during menstrual bleeding.
What are the causes of acute pain in the lower back? In fact, there are so many and it will not be possible to compile an exhaustive list. However, you can choose the main and most common causes of acute pain. These include:
- protrusion of the intervertebral disc;
- a hernia between the vertebral segments;
- spondyloarthritis;
- osteochondrosis;
- pathology of the urinary system, in particular, the presence of stones;
- dysfunction of blood circulation in the spinal part;
- intestinal obstruction;
- pyelonephritis which develops in the acute phase;
- unusual development of inflammatory processes in the appendix;
- elongation;
- violation of the integrity of the vertebral segments;
- pathological processes in the tissues of the hip joint.
If the pain syndrome is periodic in nature, then, perhaps, we are talking about chronic pathologies. Attacks of chronic pain in the lumbar segment of the spine can be caused by the influence of the following factors:
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- deform spondylosis;
- bone disorders;
- osteomyelitis;
- development of neoplasms;
- the appearance of metastases;
- scoliosis;
- development of infectious processes in the vertebral segments (epidural abscesses, brucellosis, etc. );
- arthritis;
- spondylitis;
- tumor processes in the kidneys;
- atherosclerosis;
- Reiter's syndromes.
In our daily life we often encounter so-called wandering pains. This condition also misleads treatment specialists, since the localization of pain does not correspond to the place of the true development of the pathology. Doctors call such pains radiating. The reasons for the appearance of a similar syndrome in the lumbar segment of the spine can be:
- pathology of the digestive tract;
- disorders of the pancreas;
- inflammatory or infectious processes in the small pelvic organs;
- development of inflammation in the accessory part in the fair sex;
- oncological pathologies of the uterine organ;
- gonorrhea;
- renal colic;
- ulcerative colitis;
- prostatitis;
- ovarian pathology;
- kidney stone formation.
A variety of reasons can cause left back pain in the lumbar region. Often, such localization of pain is determined by the course of inflammatory or infectious processes in the internal organs. If the pain syndrome surrounds both parts of the lumbar segment, this could signal the development of the following disorders:
- hepatitis;
- pyelonephritis;
- prostatitis;
- inflammation of the appendages;
- appendicitis;
- pneumonia.
Which doctor should I contact?
As you know, the spine is the most powerful support for our body. If its functioning is interrupted, you should immediately go to the present specialist. But which doctor should you go to? If you are injured or badly bruised, you can safely go to the traumatologist. It is the doctor of this specialization who will handle the treatment.
If pain in the lumbar segment of the spine appears as a result of the development of a disorder and is its main symptom, contact the primary therapist first. The participating specialist will conduct a full-scale examination and, based on the results of ultrasound diagnostics and MRI, write the appropriate direction.
Depending on the reasons for the onset of pain in the lumbar segment of the spine, the following specialists may be treated:
- cardiologist;
- obstetrician-gynecologist;
- nephrologist;
- pulmonologist;
- orthopedic;
- gastroenterologist;
- infectious disease specialist.
Before starting a course of treatment, the doctor must take all measures to eliminate pain and alleviate the patient's condition. To begin with, a person is advised to change the mattress for sleep, take antispasmodic or analgesic drug drugs, and do gentle gymnastics.
Dealing with a disorder: main aspects
When the back hurts in the lumbar region, only a doctor can identify the true causes of this condition and prescribe a comprehensive and effective treatment. Self-treatment will help eliminate the symptom that appeared for a while, but later the pain will hit you again with unprecedented force.
The course of treatment is prescribed individually based on the diagnosis. At the initial stage, the patient may be prescribed the use of anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical agents, as well as the use of ointments that have a warming effect.
The treatment can be carried out through physiotherapeutic procedures, in particular:
- acupuncture;
- laser therapy;
- vacuum therapy;
- manual manipulations;
- electrostimulation;
- pharmacopuncture.
Pain in the lumbar segment of the spine can not only cause disruption of the usual way of life and the appearance of discomfort, but also provoke the development of complicated consequences and serious pathologies. To avoid this, it is necessary to promptly seek qualified medical help and strictly follow all the prescriptions of the doctor. Be healthy!