Pain in the lumbar region is a clinical symptom of pathological changes in various tissues. At a young age, muscle cramps and overload appear in this way, and at a more mature age, osteochondrosis and its complications. In the elderly, any pain is considered a sign of compression fracture of the vertebral body against the background of developing osteoporosis.
The causes and methods of treating low back pain discussed in this article are factual information. It only gives a general idea of what is going on in your body. But this is no substitute for expert advice. If you experience any discomfort in the lumbar and sacral region, consult a doctor immediately. It is best to make an appointment with a vertebrologist or neurologist. These physicians have an appropriate level of professional competence in the treatment of spinal diseases.
To do this, we recommend that you choose a manual therapy clinic in your area. There are usually doctors who have extensive practical experience in treating patients with pathologies of the spine and other parts of the skeletal muscle system.
An accurate diagnosis should be made before starting treatment for low back pain at home. The fact that pain syndrome can be provoked by a variety of pathological reactions. The most common types of infringements are:
- the consequences of the traumatic effect on bone tissue - fractures and cracks in the vertebral bodies and their processes;
- stretching and microscopic tearing of fibers in ligaments, tendons, and paravertebral muscles;
- formation of hematomas after soft tissue injury - they put pressure on the nerve fiber;
- inflammation - may be due to prolapse of the intervertebral hernia, aseptic reaction to the trauma, introduction of an infectious agent (for example, spinal tuberculosis);
- the degenerative dystrophic process of destruction of intervertebral discs;
- rupture of the fibrous rings of the discs;
- tissue ischemia in the background of disorders of the blood supply and innervation processes;
- compression (e. g. , due to instability or displacement of the vertebral bodies).
The spine is an anatomically complex structure. It consists of vertebral bodies, intervertebral discs, and separating end plates. There are longitudinal and transverse ligaments and paravertebral muscles around the spine. Inside the spinal canal, which is made up of vertebral bodies and arched processes, is the spinal cord. It is the central structure of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for the functioning of the entire human body. The innervation is due to radical nerves protruding from the spinal cord through the lateral openings in the vertebral bodies.
The intervertebral disc keeps the vertebral bodies separated at some distance. As a result, there is no compression effect on the radical nerves and their branches. They do not become inflamed and do not experience ischemia due to impaired blood supply. If the activity of the muscle fibers in the area of the intervertebral discs decreases, the quality of the diffuse diet decreases sharply. And cartilage intervertebral discs do not have their own blood vessels. This causes a decrease in height and compression of the nerve fiber and other soft tissues near the spine. Of course, this process is accompanied by severe pain syndrome in the lumbar region.
Then talk about the possible causes of pain - the diseases and the risk factors for their development.
The main causes of lower back pain
So let’s start with the fact that there are a lot of big muscles in the lumbar region. Some of them support the body in a vertical position responsible for the movement of the two legs and allow different body movements (tilting, twisting, turning, etc. ).
These muscles are made up of myocytes. Which cell is fitted with the nerve ending and its own blood vessel - the capillary. In the event of any disruption of innervation or blood supply, muscle performance will be sharply reduced. For example, if a person has been exposed to excessive physical activity in the lower back, the muscle fiber has entered a spasm. In this state, it is unable to conduct nerve impulses and has a compressive effect on the capillary vessels. There are ischemic reactions and trigger points (places where myocytes contract and relax inadequately). These conditions may go away on their own. But in most cases, fibromyalgia pain syndrome can last for several years and may require the help of an experienced chiropractor.
Other possible causes of low back pain include:
- degenerative dystrophic destruction of the cartilage fibers of the intervertebral discs (osteochondrosis);
- complications of osteochondrosis in the form of protrusion and extrusion of intervertebral discs, prolapse and separation of the hernia;
- instability of the relative position of the cartilage discs and vertebral bodies in the form of weakness or deformity of the ligament and tendon device;
- movement of vertebral bodies according to the type of antelthesis, retrolisthesis or lateroslisthesis;
- curvature of the spine, a violation of posture, including a thoracic spine, which is complicated by the twisting and skewness of the pelvic bones;
- narrowing of the spinal canal, including loss of the intervertebral hernia or displacement of the vertebral body;
- compression fracture of the vertebral body or rupture of its process;
- stretching and tearing the longitudinal or transverse ligament;
- deforming spondylarthrosis, in which the amplitude of mobility in the projection of the intervertebral joint may decrease;
- destruction of the hip-sacral joints;
- destruction of the joint between the coccyx and the sacrum;
- neoplastic and infectious pathologies of the spinal cord and spinal cord tissues;
- inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity and pelvic organs;
- piriformis and cauda equina syndrome.
These are just some of the possible causes of pain in the lumbar region. Keep in mind that only an experienced doctor can make an accurate diagnosis based on a test and further clinical trials. Therefore, you should not participate in self-diagnosis and treatment. This can have sad consequences for the organization.
Be sure to consult an experienced doctor who will determine the causes of the lower back pain and prescribe a treatment that will allow the damaged tissues to recover without compromising your health.
What symptoms should you look out for?
Any disease that causes low back pain causes additional symptoms. Care should be taken not to waste time and contact a specialist in the treatment of such diseases.
So let's start with the most common. This is osteochondrosis and its consequences. In the case of such a disease, in addition to the pain, the stiffness of the movements and muscle tension also occur in the lumbar region. Difficulty sitting or standing for long periods of time. I want to take a stand. With such manifestations, it is worth making an appointment with a vertebrologist.
If the pain spreads along the lower extremities, radiates around the groin, anterior abdominal wall, there is an intestinal disorder, there are areas of skin numbness, it is advisable to see a neurologist. This means that pinched nerve fiber has occurred. Only a neurologist can determine the level at which a nerve is damaged and how to eliminate this compression quickly and safely.
Treatment is performed by a traumatologist if the back and lower back hurt due to a violation of tissue integrity. After restoring tissue integrity, a rehabilitation course should be taken with a manual therapist. Therefore, if a traumatic effect has occurred and subsequent pain syndrome has occurred, contact the emergency department first.
If you experience frequent urination, fever, muscle aches, headaches, contact your local therapist to rule out urinary tract pathology. If possible, make an appointment with a nephrologist.
In women, low back pain can lead to genital damage, so a gynecologist should be consulted. Men are advised to see an andrologist or urologist. Damage to the tissues of the rectum and the lower parts of the colon should also always be ruled out.
If you experience back pain in the lumbar region, an x-ray of the lumbosacral region is prescribed. On this, the doctor can see indirect signs of osteochondrosis, deforming spondylarthrosis, disc herniation, and so on. An MRI scan is required to confirm or refute the diagnosis. The doctor may conclude that intervertebral hernia, spinal stenosis, and so on. Ultrasound and colonoscopy are performed to rule out pathology of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis.
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region
Treatment of back pain in the lumbar region should begin with the elimination of the negative influencing factor. If this is a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc, the compression of the soft tissues surrounding the nerve fiber and the spinal column should be stopped. The easiest way to achieve this effect is to pull the spine manually. Patients already feel a significant improvement in their condition after the 2nd session. But that does not mean complete recovery.
Complete treatment should be performed to completely repair damaged cartilage tissue in the intervertebral discs. It may contain the following types of therapeutic effects:
- massage of the muscular frame of the back and lower back - allows to normalize the tone of muscle fibers, restore their performance, increase capillary blood supply and trophism;
- osteopathy in the treatment of pain in the lumbar region allows the cessation of infiltrative swelling of soft tissues by increasing the microcirculation of blood and lymph fluid;
- Reflexology initiates regenerative processes using the hidden reserves of the human body;
- therapeutic practices and kinesitherapy take pride in the treatment of back pain in the lumbar region, allowing full recovery of all muscle performance;
- physiotherapy is used to increase cellular metabolism.
It is recommended to treat low back pain in manual therapy clinics. Doctors there have accumulated vast practical experience in treating such patients. If you have low back pain, do not treat yourself under any circumstances. This is dangerous to your health.