Why does my lower back hurt?

Unfortunately, there are no absolutely healthy people in the world. Each of us occasionally worries about something in the state of our own organism. This is probably the reason why we usually want each other's health, well-being, complemented by a good mood.

Low back pain is among the most common complaints. And, if in childhood it seemed to us that it concerned only the elderly, then, as we matured, we came to the realization of the wrong opinion. We are not insured against back pain by age, social status or type of activity. And that is primarily due to the different causes of pain in the lumbar spine, as well as its various manifestations.

Diseases that cause low back pain

Often lower back pain is caused by a specific disease and the consequence is - a symptom whose nature allows for targeted diagnosis, correct diagnosis and indication of ways, methods, methods and, in general, tactics of treatment of the disease.

Pain in the lumbar region is primary or secondary.

It is primarily directly related to spinal diseases:

• osteochondrosis or dystrophic disorders of articular cartilage (one third of the total number of patient visits);
• "bulge" of the intervertebral disc beyond the boundaries of the spine (protrusion), movement of the disc nucleus, in which the annular fibrosus ruptures (intervertebral hernia);
• moving one or more vertebrae: forward, backward;
• accelerated aging and destruction of the cartilage of the intervertebral joints (spondyloarthritis);
• growth of bone tissue along the edges of the spine in the form of thorns (spondylosis).

Secondary pain is caused by diseases of other organs:

• vertebral fractures due to trauma or osteoporosis (increased bone fragility);
• appearance of a tumor in one of the parts (lumens) of the spinal canal;
• muscle strain;
• congenital insufficient width of spinal canal;
• all types of curvature of the spine and their combinations, including deformations that lead to the appearance of a "hump" in the thoracic spine;
• various types of arthritis / joint diseases (psoriatic, rheumatic and others);
• vertebral tuberculosis and other inflammatory processes affecting the intervertebral discs;
• kidney / urinary stones, pyelonephritis (kidney damage);
• ovarian cysts, including cancers;
• Spinal pain is also possible as a complication of pregnancy in women.

What can the character of low back pain indicate?

Of course, it is impossible to independently diagnose the degree, level, type of back pain. But regardless of when our back hurts, some specific symptoms indicate this or that disease.

Severe pain

When the pain in the lumbar spine is severe, the patient is most likely to have osteochondrosis or lumbar sciatica. Moreover, in the first case it is manifested in the process of walking, when a person sits for a long time, lifts weights, and also when he coughs or sneezes. In some cases, they may complain that their back hurts and that the pain radiates to their leg.

If we talk about radiculitis, the patient describes the pain as acute or dull, painful, often - unilateral and "reacts" in the thigh, lower leg, buttocks. It can be increased by walking, changing the position of the human body, coughing.

What can acute lumbar pain indicate?

In cases where the pain is acute, you should talk about:

• muscle stretching;
• prolonged operation in an awkward position for the trunk;
• back pain after sleeping due to, again, uncomfortable body position and staying in it for a significant period of time;
• pain that occurs in the process of lifting or carrying weights, in case of a fall, impact or sudden movement;
• hypothermia or prolonged exposure to drafts;
• also probably has lumbago (so-called lumbago), which suffers from patients involved in hard physical work. In this case, the lower back pain may go away in a few days, but it also happens to drag and follow the person for two or more weeks;
• movement of intervertebral discs that occur in the lumbar region - often occur in connection with a fracture of the spine, osteochondrosis, interaction with heavy objects (especially their lifting), in the process of performing heavy physical actions or as a result of surgery aimed at the spine.

The painful nature of pain: what is he talking about?

Painful pain (the patient can formulate his description as "lower back pain" or "pulling the lower back") - very often manifested in the inflammatory process of the lumbar muscles.

This disease occurs as a result of hypothermia or sudden muscle tension / overexertion. In this case, the patient defines pain as that which restrains the lumbar spine and is accompanied by sharp pain during movement.

Chronic, persistent lower back pain

If the lower back hurts, and even the patient can describe it as chronic, then the diagnosis will most likely be:

• deforming spondylosis - an increase in the amount of bone tissue in the spine due to the appearance of spine-like growths along the edge of the spine (manifested in severe back pain, especially in the lumbar region, which can combine numbness and / or weakness of the legs);
• spinal joint disease - most often has a chronic systemic character;
• diseases from a number of oncological;
• metabolic disorder.

Pain without permanent localization, displacement

One of the most difficult cases of recognizing causal diseases is pain that moves from time to time. At the same time, a person can be sure that the lower back is in pain, even though the body is actually “cheating” and the disease has crept into other organs.

These pains are often caused by diseases of the pelvic organs. Inflammatory process in the kidneys, diseases of the pancreas, colon can contribute to the appearance of pain in the lumbar spine, and can also occur due to painful changes in bone tissue and tumors of various natures.

Sometimes the painful condition of the lower back is replaced by pain that occurs in the shoulder blade area. However, these are still different types of pain and are mostly associated with different diseases. Thus, for example, pain in the shoulder blades indicates a stomach ulcer, myocardial infarction, intercostal neuralgia, and even a person's psychological problems.

If you find it difficult to determine the area where the pain occurs, and at the same time it is regular or acute, consult a doctor immediately!

Injuries leading to lower back pain

Strange, but very often the cause of pain in the lumbar region is an injury sustained by a person - for example, a bruise on a back muscle or a sprain. A timely visit to the doctor is a guarantee of an accurate diagnosis and the effectiveness of the treatment.

In advanced cases, there is a high probability of complications, not excluding a serious curvature of the spine.

Peculiarities of back pain in women

"What are the specific causes of low back pain in women? " - you ask. And we will answer that there are not so few of them. And people, in general, could thank the Creator for the fact that they just can’t have these reasons.

Among the "provocateurs" of lumbar pain in women are:

• menstruation / spots;
• pregnancy;
• climax.

In each of these cases the pain may be of a different nature. Depending on the immediate cause, the characteristics of the female body, the degree of stress on the lower back during pregnancy, the woman's age, employment, type of professional activity - the pain manifests itself in different ways.

But what about men?

Unfortunately, lower back pain syndrome is quite common in men.

And there are enough reasons for it without the female component:

• stretching (muscles, accompanied by sharp pain);
• fracture of the spine (after a person has fallen on his feet or when a man is hit in the lower back), very often men suffer such injuries in car accidents;
• bulging / bulging of the intervertebral disc or displacement of several intervertebral discs, when it begins to put pressure on the nerve roots, usually this pathology occurs and is diagnosed by an excessive degree of physical activity;
• growth of genital cancer metastases in men, most often occurs after the age of 50; at the same time the pain develops with a change in the degree of damage to the bone tissue, and is so strong that it can be stopped only by taking special narcotic drugs, analgesics;
• spondyloarthritis (when one nerve root or several roots in the area of ​​the intervertebral canal are damaged);
• in case painful manifestations radiate, then they indicate the presence and development of prostate disease, liver or kidney problems.

Risk factors: what can cause low back pain?

Unfortunately, we cannot insure ourselves against this or that disease. But in our power to study the risk factors - the most common causes of disease and take measures to eliminate them (if possible) or at least partially neutralize their effect on the body.

The most common, pronounced risk factors for low back pain include:

• performing intensive training with great physical effort (gym), especially on the spine and its lumbar spine;
• sudden awkward movement;
• keeping a significant period of time in the same position (for example, people whose activities are related to driving a car, working at a computer, and even jobs where a person is forced to stand for a long time - store counselors, pharmacists) in pharmacies, foremen atmachines in factories, etc. );
• In the morning, your lower back can also hurt, which "tells" that a mattress or pillow is not suitable for you, but they do not exclude the inflammatory process that manifests itself symptomatically in this way;
• work based on great physical or psychological stress, stress can also manifest itself in lower back pain;
• As mentioned earlier, pregnancy and childbirth also increase the likelihood of lower back pain;

• Heaviness and lower back pain are also closely related, as the force of pressure on a person’s internal organs and spine depends on total body weight.

When do you need medical help?

Just as we hate getting sick, we hate going to the doctors for help. There are many ways to self-determine the causes of diseases and treat them. There are reasons for this belief.

But in the case of back pain, I still want to make a difference: here you can lie down and treat yourself, but here - without the help of a doctor, sometimes - urgently! - just not enough.

We can unequivocally say that if the pain is one-time or the cause of the pain is one of the reasons for the female line, then, in principle, you can not panic, but wait, observe the body, give it a chance to rest, do not overload.

If the pain does not last and does not recur, then you have correctly determined the cause and you can without medical intervention.

For lower back pain:

• are systematically repeated;
• pass and continue;
• are amplified;
• pain lasts more than three days;
• are repeated in the morning;
• you are injured and associated with lower back pain;
• suddenly feel pain in the lower back and legs (foot and lower legs);
• or - lower back pain is combined, and with it tingling and buttocks and legs (thigh, lower leg, foot), and even the groin area - this is a serious reason for an urgent visit to the doctor!

In any of the above cases you do not have to guess, look for the causes of pain yourself, wondering why your lower back hurts, but contact a medical institution immediately. Without medical help, the situation can get worse, and treatment will take much more time and effort.

Remember that back and lower back pain is not the case when you can joke or hope “at random” (deformities or displacements of the intervertebral discs, for example, are never corrected on their own).

Failure to diagnose pain in a person, as well as proper treatment, can lead to serious, complicated diseases, lumbar surgery, and even lower body paralysis and disability.