Causes of Lower Back Pain

Even children sometimes experience lower back pain. Grown-ups know trouble straight away. In order to deal with it, you need to figure out: why your lower back hurts and what is the cause. Causes range from benign to emergencies requiring medical attention. Once you've found the cause, you'll know what to do, and you can help yourself or contact your doctor.

pain factor

Low back pain is a common phenomenon, but it falls into the "accidental" category. Happens unexpectedly and always out of time. Everything has an explanation, consider the possible in order.

after bed

A man wakes up in the morning and intends to get out of bed. . . but he can't. Sharp, bone-chilling back pain. The day before, I hadn't lifted weights, I hadn't loaded my muscles, and it wasn't clear where the pain was coming from.

Action algorithm:

  1. As with any pain, it is important to calm down so that the situation can be fully assessed.Panic doesn't reduce pain, it makes it worse. No, we want to lie down.
  2. remember yesterday.If you spend your time at the office and spend your evenings in front of the TV or computer, which is your routine, the muscles experience (don't be surprised) overload. Constantly, every day. They don't have time to relax at night. Passive rest does nothing to restore unstressed muscles. Static loads are heavier than dynamic loads. The first (static) - being in the same position - overloads some muscles so that others cannot work. Kinetics (movement) involves many muscles.
  3. Let's continue the analysis.You load your muscles evenly, do minimal exercise, sit 18 hours a day, but wake up with lower back pain.

    possible reason:

    • uncomfortable posture during sleep;
    • the bed is too hard or too soft;
    • Manifestations of medical disease.

    The latter condition is rarely sleep-related. A person wakes up feeling unwell because the body is relaxed and sluggish during the dream. The Awakened One's perceptions are sharpened, he moves - the afflicted organ responds.

  4. If you calm down, analyze the situation, find out the cause of the pain - act.When you are convinced: Muscle pain has nothing to do with organ pathology, get up gently. It doesn't work - rolls over to the side of the bed and slides to the floor. There you will be exercising to relieve muscle cramps - this is your treatment.

Low back pain after sleeping for the first time is usually caused by the above reasons.The underlying causes are lack of training and muscle weakness.Weak muscles respond to factors that stronger muscles "don't notice". It's not the firmness/softness of the bed, clumsy movements, and flabby muscles that cause the pain.

Orthopedic mattresses may prevent low back pain after sleep

Learn more about sleep comfort. Which bed is better: a controversial question with diametrically opposed answers. Proponents of firm beds insist on using protective covers under the mattress, calling such beds orthopedic. It is believed that on a firm bed, the spine straightens, which is good for posture.

Opponents of stiffness advocate soft, firm mattresses that allow the body to "sink" into the filling. In semi-suspension, the muscles and spine occupy arbitrary positions. Advertisers of "soft sleep" argue that it is more useful and that the method is physiological. Mattresses are also known as orthopedic mattresses.

Low back pain can occur in both women and men after sleeping in any bed. Extreme is not the best solution. Our hardy ancestors, the farmers, slept on boxes or stoves, with beds made of feather beds. middle option. The posture is excellent, and the pain after getting up is not typical of young and middle-aged people.

To keep your body in shape, muscles - active, regular exercise will help: Exercise. muscle training. How to help yourself "instantly" - we'll be sure to discuss this. Why lower back pain occurs when we consider all possible causes and find out what might be.

You can also experience pain and burning in other conditions, including spinal disorders and injuries. Then they are non-specific mornings, which are disturbing regardless of the "sleepy" time.

after training

Lack of load leads to weakness, muscle atrophy, overload - pain that will reward diligence. Tip for trainees: Use "faster, slower" as your recovery motto. Rowing doesn't always fill with strength and fitness.Step by step is the key to success.

Calculating the optimal load is not difficult and requires two indicators:

  • HR (heart rate, which measures the number of heartbeats per minute);
  • arterial pressure.

Heart rate measurement is performed three times:

  • Before class;
  • at the end of the workout;
  • 5 minutes after class.

In a relatively healthy individual with an initial pulse of 70-72, post-exercise heart rate may increase to 120 (not to exceed) with sufficient load. After 5 minutes, the pulse should slow: less than 100 beats. If the heart rate is still more frequent, the load is too high, and the muscles respond with subsequent pain. The lower back is no exception.

Blood pressure should also return to normal within five minutes. This knowledge will tell you what to do to avoid psoas pain after training.

due to negative emotions

A person who is susceptible or chronically under severe stress may experience varying degrees of pain in the lower back. They are not associated with organic lesions of the spine. Lower back pain is caused by the body's response to stress.Nervous tension causes muscle spasms.A spastic muscle indicates a malfunction in its work - pain.

This doesn't just happen in the lower back, muscle cramps can happen anywhere. This symptom is called psychosomatic pain in medicine.

Regular exercise aims to strengthen and develop muscles, creating a "muscle corset" - preventing neuropathic pain.

spine disease

Diseases of the spine itself, with adjacent muscular dysfunction, are more difficult to treat. Main Support: Willpower, Perseverance, Patience. Diseases have individual causes. Treatment depends on its nature.

Injuried

Spinal muscles are injured for two reasons:

  1. Ignorance harms oneself: ignorance of one's own body physiology, improper "exploitation" of the body.
  2. External influences (accidents, factors, unforeseen circumstances).

Self-harm is not intentional (there are very few exceptions, we are talking about something else here), the injury is due to carelessness. Without counting his strength, the man suddenly lifted a heavy object and turned around clumsily at the same time. Injury to the spine in the lumbar region. The pain is sharp, sharp, and it's impossible to move.

This happens more often in men: they use weight bearing more.Doctor's standard advice:

  • restricted mobility (bed rest);
  • Powerful injections for back and lower back pain;
  • Warming rubbing, ointment, compress, heating;
  • physiotherapy procedures;
  • massage;
  • Exercise therapy - during periods of reduced intensity, symptom reduction and remission.

Let's take a closer look at the essence of medicine:

  1. Rest (restrict exercise). Muscles cramp, tense, some of them blocked by the wrong load. By depriving the patient of mobility, doctors involuntarily repair the blockage: immobility does not relieve the spasticity. Muscles become stiff -- lose their elasticity and stay tense for long periods of time. Muscle tissue weakens rapidly when the entire body loses motion. These are prerequisites for the transformation of the disease into a chronic form.
  2. painkiller. Injections "suppress" symptoms and are easier for patients. But there is no therapeutic effect. The cause remains, the person just feels less pain within two to three hours. Strong medicines are also strong and can have side effects. Often used to relieve episodes of pain in the lumbosacral spine, a drug derived from a derivative of phenylacetic acid can cause serious gastrointestinal problems. Other pain relievers are not without side effects. They are used for a long time, of course.
  3. Pain is always swelling. Either obvious or hidden, all coexist with soreness and swelling. Warming operation will aggravate edema. The situation is the same: the pain subsides, the problem persists or worsens.
  4. Physical therapy for spastic muscles is as effective as placebo. Best case.
  5. A skilled massage will benefit and relax the muscles. Careful stroking is useless, use a special massage that relieves spasms. Painful at first, but helps with quick recovery.
  6. Exercising immediately after an injury is essential. Pain-correct movement can restore muscles to normal without medication. It is necessary to know the exact diagnosis, focus on it, choose a set of exercises. Leave the diagnosis to the doctor.

Severe injuries (soft tissue tears, fractures) require hospitalization and sometimes surgery. But in rehabilitation, the main thing is the development, strengthening and recovery of the injured muscle. Drug anesthesia is a temporary measure and recovery is achieved with regular exercise.

Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is known as a dystrophic change in the intervertebral disc:

  • If the muscles adjacent to the spine are underdeveloped and sluggish, the cartilage tissue of the discs can wear down. Without the support of a reliable muscular corset, the spine is fragile and the load on the intervertebral discs is uneven.
  • The disc flattens and the surrounding tissue loses its elasticity and spasms. The pain reflex is transmitted from the vertebrae where the disc is compressed: from the spastic muscle to the brain via the nerve.
  • The edges of the vertebrae become deformed and begin to grow, in addition to injuring muscles.
  • A chronic process develops gradually, and pain perception is remote from the very beginning. From discomfort and dull pain to progressively more severe. Often results in disability.

Osteochondrosis usually occurs in men who are forced to lift weights. This disease usually occurs in women. Women are more likely to be sedentaryLack of exercise weakens the musculoskeletal system. Holding one position for long periods of time overstrains some muscle groups while leaving others unengaged. Spinal pain in the lumbar spine and elsewhere.

Nerve root syndrome in osteochondrosis leading to lower back pain

The scheme is the same: Muscles spasm, nerves read signals from pain receptors in compressed discs, and the person feels debilitating pain. It's called "radiculopathy" (doctors explain this by pinching the roots of the spinal cord). Physical fatigue is associated with an irresponsible attitude towards health. Muscle tissue can recover, and for that it needs your conscious help. A compressed nerve (a second inaccurate name for the syndrome because the nerve does not contain pain receptors, which transmit impulses from edematous muscles) does not heal easily.Willpower, patience, and time are your allies.

Treatment is done in an inpatient or outpatient setting and is also available for injuries that do not require surgery. Doctors block with painkillers, prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving injections.

Full muscle work can only be restored with regular exercise. Thoughtful, competent practice system. Choose from a variety of recovery methods from medical authors - just right for you.

spondylosis

Untreated progressive osteochondrosis may develop into spondylosis in the context of a series of violations of treatment regimens and the body itself. The growth of bone tissue is an adaptive response of the body. The muscles of the skeleton, the spine, are not supported. He tried to hold on with his own strength, pushing out the support - the bone spur. In advanced cases the protrusion grows with the adjacent vertebrae. The spine becomes immobilized, becomes stiff, and movement in the lower back is impeded.

Protrusions (growths) at the edges of spinal segments can continually damage adjacent tissues.

Stop the disease in time, or better yet, prevent it.Don't let osteochondrosis transition to spondylosis: the second is more difficult to deal with.

Simple (remember step by step) practice for at least half an hour to forty minutes a day. Take it step by step: don't skip class. Results appear within two to four weeks. The time to complete cure depends on the initial state: how far the disease has progressed.

Proper gymnastics will definitely improve your health, but it will only ease the neglected phase, not cure it. serious condition. Spine surgery is ineffective. Treatment is symptomatic. Anesthetize with ointments and injections.

People with unbearable lumbosacral pain should use medication. Dosage and frequency - adjust.For muscles strengthened through exercise, the need for anesthesia disappears.Pain will decrease. Prevention will serve as a guarantee that they will not come back: gymnastics of muscles, joints and the whole body. At the same time, the body heals completely.

Spondyloarthropathy

Lumbosacral pain is evident in spondyloarthropathies. Pain may radiate to the buttocks and thighs.

The disease is characterized by damage to the joints located between the bodies of the spine. The cartilage of the joint is destroyed, and the bone tissue is destroyed. Nearby muscles and ligaments become inflamed and tense. Reduced mobility. The disease progresses, it occurs in the elderly, rarely in the young - congenital abnormalities of the spine.

Factors that induce spondyloarthropathies:

  • Old age:
  • ground;
  • obesity;
  • engaged in heavy physical labor in the past;
  • strength exercises (barbell);
  • Injuried;
  • genetic predisposition.

In women, spondyloarthropathy occurs twice as often. This fact is associated with metabolic disturbances (fluctuations in hormone levels and composition - pregnancy, menopause). Statistics and differences affecting average life expectancy by sex. The age threshold for spondyloarthropathies is high and it is easier for women to overcome it.

Doctors decide how to treat and do not prescribe surgery. Procedures are designed to relieve pain. A doctor will prescribe medication and exercise if possible.

Radiculitis

If osteochondrosis is not cured, it may be complicated by sciatica. The symptoms are similar, but the condition is more serious. Nerve fibers are affected - bundles located in the muscles adjacent to the spine along the spine. Lower back pain aches, pulls, radiates to hip and left leg, may indicate sciatica, osteochondrosis, spinal hernia. Pain can also radiate to the right leg, rarely bilaterally. With sciatica, it can be difficult to find a location that reduces the intensity of the pain. Other health disorders where pain radiates to the legs and spine, see your doctor:High-quality diagnosis is half the success of treatment.

In the absence of effective treatment, radiculitis can lead to curvature of the spine. A common complication of this disease is a herniated disc, which is compressed by the vertebrae. With lumbar hernias, the pain is constant, which is a serious consequence of sciatica.

For the diagnosis of low back pain, a doctor must be consulted

Radiculitis attacks have similar causes as osteochondrosis:

  • violation of posture;
  • muscle training
  • flatfoot;
  • The habit of wrongly "hugging your back" when walking, sitting, working, or resting;
  • Violation of metabolic processes.

If osteochondrosis develops, with back pain and burning, seek immediate attention. until she got worse.

Treatment for radiculitis is the same as for osteochondrosis:

  • Relieve pain - apply ointments, gels, medicines;
  • relieve inflammation;
  • Strengthen the muscular system through exercise.

tuberculosis process

The infectious disease tuberculosis can cause inflammation of any local muscle. If the muscles in the lower back become inflamed, pain can be felt there. Tuberculosis in vertebral bone tissue is caused by the invasion of specific tuberculosis bacteria into the vertebral body tissue with the bloodstream. This can lead to tuberculous spondylitis or osteomyelitis (bacterial infection of the bone marrow in the spine).

Late stage of lumbar tuberculosis etiology is accompanied by severe pain.

How to diagnose spinal tuberculosis? Follow the directions of an experienced physician. Delaying treatment is dangerous: the spine is gradually deformed: vertebrae are destroyed, humps are forming.

Treatment is long, antibacterial, and sometimes requires surgery. It is recommended to limit the load. Medical supervision is required even after remission is achieved.

tumor

Neoplastic processes in the lumbar spine and adjacent tissues cause pain that can worsen as the tumor grows. Unpleasant sensations can produce tumors of any type: benign and malignant.

If a tumor is suspected, a thorough examination and treatment are crucial.Symptoms may resemble a pinched nerve, sciatica, or spinal hernia. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor to establish a reliable diagnosis.

Diagnosis is difficult due to the similarity of symptoms to other diseases. Night pain and morning pain are characteristic. Tumors involving the spinal cord have the worst prognosis.

Benign tumors are treated with surgery and then removed. Most of the malignant ones are formed by metastasis of other organs and are difficult to cure. You should contact your oncologist who will plan and administer your treatment. Treatment strategy: anesthesia, supportive therapy, if necessary - surgery.

visceral disease

disease, symptoms

Why does my back hurt

necessary action

A stroke is a violation of blood circulation in the brain. Failure of most bodily functions - speech, motor, mental.

Acute circulatory failure due to ruptured or narrowed blood vessels affects the spinal cord. Its function is disturbed and hypoxia occurs. This can cause pain.

Emergency call for ambulance paramedics.

atypical acute appendicitis

Pain occurs in places not typical for this disease - upper abdomen, left side or lower back.

Ambulance, hospitalization and surgery can be called.

Pyelonephritis, ICD (kidney disease)

The progression of inflammatory processes (pyelonephritis) or kidney stones can cause pain in the lower back and lower abdomen of varying intensity - from painful to acute, unbearable.

call the ambulance.

intestinal obstruction.

Acute life-threatening conditions: retention of feces and gas, vomiting, nausea, inability to pass food pieces through the intestines. A cold sweat, faster pulse, lower blood pressure.

Pain in the form of contractions can be transmitted to the lower back.

Emergency hospitalization.

reflex pain

give them:

  • diseases of the pancreas;
  • Pelvic organ pathology;
  • Intestinal disease.

Get examined, examined, diagnosed by a doctor, and then make an appointment for appropriate treatment.

women's issues

If we are talking about women, the cause of pain is not always pathological. Sometimes they are all about female physiology.

pregnancy period

Soreness in the expectant mother's lower back can be conditionally attributed to pain. It's a natural heaviness: the child grows, the stomach gets bigger, and the pelvic area carries the most weight. This increases the load on the lumbar spine. Imagine you have a bag strapped to your belt, a bucket or bucket half full of water. Men will also feel tired and have back pain after walking with weight for several hours. Parenting is not easy in any sense of the word.Pregnant women may suffer from lower back painIn the early stages, the body begins to rebuild and feel.

Healthy women don't see ideal "overweight" as discomfort.For normally developing muscles, gymnastics for pregnant women can neutralize the feeling of heaviness.In case of severe pain, pain in the lower abdomen and lower back, please tell your doctor. A doctor will help find out what it might be. Multiple pregnancies increase in severity - the load is greater than usual. Exacerbation of diseases existing before pregnancy is not excluded, a doctor's consultation will reveal this.

period

The normal process shows that the woman is in good health. At the beginning of menstruation, the cervix is slightly dilated, and there may be pulling pain. Then the inner mucous membrane lining the uterus is rejected - soreness may be too. If the pain is unbearable - go to the doctor, he will tell you how to normalize menstruation. Irregular cycles may indicate a hormonal imbalance.

how to relieve pain

Acute muscular back pain unrelated to organ damage resolves spontaneously and rapidly without medication.

  1. A strong exhalation (deep, from the abdomen) activates the diaphragm, activates blood circulation, and the condition is relieved.

    • Lying on your back, we put something cold under the waist (an iced heating pad, a bag of frozen vegetables, etc. ), and the cold compress can also numb the edema muscles.
    • We bend the leg slightly at the knee.
    • We put our hands over our ears, we raise our head, our shoulders on the exhale, and lower it on the inhale.

    A cold compress can reduce swelling and improve blood flow to the lower back. The pain subsides.

  2. Lie on all fours on the floor and walk with the support of your palms and knees to stretch your muscles. 5-20 minutes is the optimal duration of exercise. The edema subsided and anesthesia appeared.

  3. Lie on your back with your feet on a bench (couch, other comfortable support). On the lower back - a heating pad with ice. Put your hands behind your head. As you exhale, lift your shoulders and try to touch your elbows to your knees. Do this 20 or more times, if possible. Muscles are developed, swelling and cramps are gone, pain is gone.

There are a range of exercises to strengthen the muscles in the lower back, here are the main ones that will provide quick pain relief. Kind of like an ambulance. Exercise is safe, and initial soreness is natural. If you start performing these movements immediately, once a person feels discomfort, "pulling" the muscle, it is possible to relieve the pain syndrome in a session or two.

Medicated pain relievers can temporarily relieve symptoms, but do not eliminate the problem.If unbearable, ointments, folk remedies (salt washes, herbal baths) can be used, but the emphasis is on exercise.

Alternate work and rest reasonably so that you can get a good night's sleep.

Don't be rash: Be proactive about exercising your muscles. Practice movements that remove muscle stagnation. They are a living organ. The routine is reasonable, don't force it. Be patient. The work of muscles is controlled by the mind, and their ability to regenerate (recover) is amazing. Under load, new pathways are innervated, damaged ones are bypassed, and temporarily lost function of muscles affected by disease or external influences is restored.

Anatomical changes involve pathways only. Health, wellbeing, mobility - all restored.

There is no better investment than investing in your own health. It's about investing effort: making exercise a part of your lifestyle. Make it a habit -- every day, like brushing your teeth.

Treating disease is not an option. The desire to find a comfortable position for the body to relieve pain is understandable. But if "movement is life, " then peace (so desired in painful situations) is the antithesis of life. Eternal peace - any degree of laziness - is of little interest to anyone, so you have to bother with sick muscles. Loves sickness when it is pampered by pain (bed rest, minimal exercise, warm ups, and other indulgent indulgences). butDisease recedes before the brave, overcoming the fear of experiencing pain and working through it. Overcome self-pity: it's an excuse for laziness and fear. With a little courage, regular light work, and you can forget about low back pain.