Many of us are familiar with pain in the lumbar spine. It is enough to spend a few minutes in an uncomfortable position, and the uncomfortable sensations do not go away for long. What causes back pain in the lumbar region? We will consider the reasons for them today, because often such a symptom is a sign of the development of an ailment.
Determine the nature of the pain syndrome
Before discovering the reasons why your 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 range of the back from the coccygeal part to the beginning of the ribs.
Pain syndromes in this spinal segment can appear even after prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position or strenuous physical activity. If the discomfort disappears immediately, then there is no cause for concern. But what if the pain attacks return 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. He will determine which medical specialist will help you. If 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:
- whine;
- binding;
- shot.
Specialists divide all types of low back pain into two broad categories:
- primary; child
- .
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 the case of previously suffered 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 disease by visual examination, since in nature there are many reasons for the appearance of such symptoms.
Low back pain may be associated with the development of pathology of the spine or internal organs. Often 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 lower back pain? In fact, there are a large number of them 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:
- bulge 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 that develops in the acute stage;
- unusual development of inflammatory processes in the appendix;
- stretch;
- violation of the integrity of the vertebral segments;
- pathological processes in the tissues of the hip joint.
If the pain syndrome is periodic, then perhaps we are talking about chronic pathologies. Chronic pain attacks in the lumbar segment of the spine can be caused by the influence of the following factors:
- ankylosing spondylitis;
- deforming spondylosis;
- bone tissue ailments;
- osteomyelitis;
- development of neoplasms;
- the appearance of metastasis;
- scoliosis;
- development of infectious processes in the vertebral segments (epidural abscesses, brucellosis, etc. );
- arthritis;
- spondylitis;
- tumor processes in the kidneys;
- atherosclerosis;
- Reiter's syndromes.
We often come across so-called wandering pains in our daily life. This condition misleads even the specialists who treat it, since the localization of the pain does not correspond to the place of the actual development of the pathology. Doctors call these radiating pains. The reasons for the appearance of a similar syndrome in the lumbar segment of the spine can be:
- digestive tract pathology;
- ailments 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;
- stone formation in the renal cavity.
Various reasons can lead to 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 may indicate the development of the following ailments:
- hepatitis;
- pyelonephritis;
- prostatitis;
- inflammation of the adnexa;
- appendicitis;
- pneumonia.
Which doctor should I see?
As you know, the spine is the most powerful support for our body. If its functioning is interrupted, you should go immediately to the specialist who treats you. But which doctor should you go to? If you are injured or severely bruised, you can safely see an orthopedic surgeon. It is the doctor of this specialization who will take care of the treatment.
If pain in the lumbar segment of the spine appears as a result of the development of an ailment and is your main symptom, first contact the lead therapist. The attending specialist will conduct a large-scale examination and, based on the results of ultrasound diagnostics and MRI, write the appropriate address.
Depending on the reasons for the appearance of pain in the lumbar segment of the spine, the following specialists may be treated:
- cardiologist;
- obstetrician-gynecologist;
- nephrologist;
- pulmonologist;
- orthopedist;
- gastroenterologist;
- infectious disease specialist.
Before starting a course of treatment, the doctor should take all measures to eliminate pain and alleviate the patient's condition. To begin with, a person is advised to change the sleeping mattress, take antispasmodic or analgesic drug drugs, and do light gymnastics.
Treatment of the disease: main aspects
When the back hurts in the lumbar region, only a doctor can identify the true causes of this condition and prescribe a complete and effective treatment. Self-treatment will help eliminate the symptom that has appeared for a while, but then the pain will overtake it again with unprecedented force.
The course of treatment is prescribed individually according to 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.
Treatment can be carried out through physiotherapy 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 lifestyle and the appearance of discomfort, but can also lead to the development of complicated consequences and serious pathologies. To avoid this, you should quickly seek qualified medical help and strictly follow all the doctor's prescriptions. Be healthy!