Back pain in the lower back: causes, diagnosis and treatment

Many of us are familiar with low back pain. Just spend a few minutes in an uncomfortable position, and the uncomfortable sensations won't go away for long. What causes back pain in the lower back? We will consider the reasons for them today, because this symptom is often a sign of the development of a disease.

Determine the nature of the pain syndrome

causes of back pain in the lower back

Before we discover the reasons why the back hurts in the lower back, let's take a closer look at the classification of painful syndromes. As you know, the human spine has several sections, one of which is the lumbar spine. 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 sitting for a long time in an uncomfortable position or exhausting physical activity. If the discomfort goes away immediately, there is no reason to worry. But what if the attacks of pain come back repeatedly 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 the injury, the initial consultation should be referred to a therapist. He will determine which specialist doctor will help you. If trauma has become a prerequisite for the onset of pain, you can immediately contact a traumatologist.

Pain syndromes in the lumbar spine may have a different character:

  • whining;
  • link;
  • shot.

Experts divide all types of low back pain into two broad categories:

    primary
  • ;
  • secondary
  • .

Primary pain sensations are diagnosed in cases where the pathology develops. This may be due to deformation of the articular or intervertebral tissue, ligaments or tendons.

Secondary painful syndrome occurs in case of previous injuries or development of pathological processes associated with one or another disease, for example, osteoporosis, osteochondrosis, appearance of a malignant or benign neoplasm.

Learn more about the causes of pain

why the back hurts in the lumbar region

In medical practice, there is a wide variety of cases in which patients complain of pain in the lumbar spine segment. It is practically impossible to diagnose the disease by visual examination, because in nature the reasons for the appearance of these symptoms are many.

Low back pain may be associated with the development of pathologies of the spine or internal organs. Representatives of the beautiful half of humanity often experience pain in the lumbar segment of the spine the day before or during menstrual bleeding.

What are the causes of acute low back pain? In fact, they are numerous and it will not be possible to compile an exhaustive list. However, you can choose the main and most common causes of acute pain. This includes:

  • 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 that develops in the acute phase;
  • atypical development of inflammatory processes in the appendix;
  • stretching
  • ;
  • 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, we may be talking about chronic pathologies. Attacks of chronic pain in the lumbar spine segment can be caused by the influence of the following factors:

    ankylosing spondylitis
  • ;
  • deforming spondylosis
  • ;
  • bone tissue diseases;
  • osteomyelitis;
  • development of neoplasms;
  • the appearance of metastases;
  • scoliosis;
  • development of infectious processes in the vertebral segments (epidural abscesses, brucellosis, etc. );
  • arthritis;
  • spondylitis
  • ;
  • kidney tumor processes;
  • atherosclerosis;
  • Reiter's syndromes.
how to treat back pain in the lower back

We often encounter so-called wandering pains in our daily lives. This condition deceives even treatment specialists, as the location of the pain does not correspond to the place of the actual development of the pathology. Doctors call these pains irradiation. The reasons for the appearance of a similar syndrome in the lumbar segment of the spine can be:

  • pathology of the digestive tract;
  • diseases of the pancreas;
  • inflammatory or infectious processes in the small pelvic organs;
  • development of inflammation in the accessory part of the fair sex;
  • oncological pathologies of the uterine organ;
  • gonorrhea;
  • renal colic; ulcerative colitis; prostatitis; ovarian pathology;
  • stone formation in the renal cavity.

Several reasons can cause back pain on the left side of the lower back. Often, this location of pain is determined by the course of inflammatory or infectious processes in Organs internal organs. If the pain syndrome involves both parts of the lumbar segment, it can signal the development of the following diseases:

  • hepatitis;
  • pyelonephritis; prostatitis;
  • adnexal inflammation;
  • appendicitis;
  • pneumonia.

Which doctor should I consult?

As you know, the spine is the most powerful support of our body. If its operation is interrupted, you must immediately go to the responsible specialist. But which doctor should you see? If you are injured or seriously injured, you can safely go to the traumatologist. It is the doctor of this specialization who will take care of the treatment.

If pain in the lumbar spine appears as a result of the development of a disease and is its main symptom, contact the responsible therapist first. The responsible specialist will perform a thorough examination and, based on the results of the ultrasound and MRI diagnostics, write the appropriate direction.

Depending on the reasons for the appearance of pain in the lumbar spine segment, the following specialists can be treated:

  • cardiologist;
  • obstetrician-gynecologist;
  • nephrologist;
  • pulmonologist;
  • orthopedist;
  • gastroenterologist;
  • infectious disease specialist.

Before starting a course of treatment, the doctor must take all measures to eliminate the pain and relieve the patient's condition. To begin with, the person is advised to change the sleeping mattress, to take antispasmodic or analgesic drugs and to do gentle gymnastics.

Treatment of the disease: the main aspects

methods of treating low back pain

When there is back pain in the lower back, only a doctor can identify the true causes of this condition and prescribe a complete and effective treatment. Self-treatment will help to eliminate the symptom that has appeared for a while, but then the pain will overtake you again with unprecedented strength.

The course of treatment is prescribed individually according to the diagnosis. In the initial phase, the patient may be prescribed the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as the use of ointments with a warming effect.

Treatment can be performed through physiotherapy procedures, in particular:

  • acupuncture;
  • laser therapy;
  • vacuum therapy;
  • manual manipulations;
  • electrostimulation
  • ;
  • Pharmacopuncture of
  • .

Pain in the lumbar spine can not only cause disruption of the usual way of life and the appearance of discomfort, but also cause the development of complicated consequences and serious pathologies. To avoid this, you need to seek qualified medical help immediately and strictly follow all the doctor's prescriptions. Be healthy!