Low back pain is familiar to almost everyone. It is very difficult to find a person who has not experienced this extremely unpleasant symptom at least once. Sometimes just sitting in an uncomfortable place for a while is enough to cause discomfort in the lumbar region of the spine. But this is not a serious problem, but simply the result of being in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
But severe back pain almost always has a specific reason and reason to see a doctor. Don't always expect to get a diagnosis, because osteonecrosis is just one of the possible problems, which is back pain.
Why the lower back hurts and what to do in such a situation is not difficult to guess. Your doctor will diagnose and determine the cause of your pain, and then you'll need to start treatment.
Pain syndrome - primary and secondary
Understanding why the lower back hurts, we must not forget that the causes of such pain number in the tens, and a layperson will never be able to pinpoint the true source. of the problem.
In general, the medical classification separates primary and secondary pain syndromes that can affect the low back.
Primary low back pain syndrome occurs due to morphological musculoskeletal changes. He is the cause of the vast majority of cases of low back pain. The most important reason is that degenerative-dystrophic changes occur in different parts of the spine:
- osteonecrosis, which is a lesion of bone and cartilage tissue, this disease has a dystrophic nature. As it affects the disc and adjacent vertebrae, spondylolisthesis begins to develop.
- Osteoarthritis is a form of degenerative joint disease in which the disease affects the disc joints, responsible for spinal mobility, or synovial joints.
Secondary pain syndromes have many different causes of pain:
- scoliosis, which is a curved spine, as well as a number of other growth diseases;
- various inflammatory diseases of a non-infectious nature. Examples include rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter's syndrome;
- a tumor located on the vertebrae, in the spinal cord, or in the retroperitoneal space, whether primary or metastatic;
- fracture of one or more dorsal vertebrae. This is probably one of the most serious causes of back pain;
- various infectious diseases that lead to damage to the vertebrae and discs (tuberculosis, brucellosis, epidural abscess);
- stroke conditions in which there is a serious violation of the blood supply to the spinal cord. In this case, there may also be a feeling that the lower back hurts;
- gastrointestinal diseases. For example, acute appendicitis with atypical course, bowel obstruction;
- Usually, back pain is reflective in nature. A similar problem can occur with some diseases of the organs located in the pelvic region. For example, renal colic, sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, ureaplasmosis and dermatitis - all these diseases cause reflective back pain).
What is acute and chronic pain?
Low back pain is also divided into acute and chronic, which can be caused by many different problems and diseases, both nerves and spine.
Pain at the site is also often observed - there is a displacement of pain from other organs, located much deeper. In other words, to a person, it may seem like the lower back hurts, even though in reality the problem is in a completely different part of the body. But usually, pain from pelvic organs, pancreas, kidney, colon or retroperitoneal tumors radiates into the lumbar region.
Often people don't know what to do if their lower back hurts. But obviously you should not do anything - it is to buy the drug yourself. The causes of pain are varied, only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis, and the continued use of pain relievers (which many consider treatment) can cause even more harm.
The therapist, in turn, makes a diagnosis based on data obtained from additional examinations, such as a diagnosis of an MRI of the spine.
Causes of acute pain
Before deciding what to do when the lower back is in severe pain, any serious doctor will first determine the cause of the pain that has appeared. The reasons can vary, but most of them are related to the spine.
One of the simplest and most harmless causes of pain is an acute muscle strain. In this case, the constricted long muscles are the source of the pain. With this problem, the pain rarely "spreads" to other parts of the body which severely limits a person's mobility. This reason is very common, often faced by athletes and people whose jobs involve various physical activities.
Another common but much more serious source of pain is a spinal fracture, especially when it comes to compression fractures of the vertebrae. This often happens with failed falls and other back injuries. But if a person has hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis, Paget's disease, or tumors in the vertebrae, fractures can occur and the patient goes unnoticed, as they say "surprise". Moreover, a person will not even understand when this fracture occurs.
An equally unpleasant situation, in the event that acute pain in the lower back appears, is the displacement of the intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine. Symptoms of this problem are severe, sharp pain in the lower back, severe limitation of mobility. Usually, the pain occurs due to compression of the nerve roots. Signs of such compression are:
- sensitivity disorder;
- disappear or significantly reduce the Achilles reflex;
- absence or decrease in the intensity of the knee reflex;
- pain in the bone on one side.
One of the unpleasant tendencies of this problem is that such displacement can cause pathology of the lower vertebrae. As a result, pain occurs below the lumbar region, and functions of the rectum and bladder may be impaired. Localization of the pain in the lower back can also occur in some cases.
Acute back pain can also occur from facet syndrome. In this case, the cause of the pain was compression of the roots at the exit from the spinal canal, while the disc itself was still intact. This syndrome is usually the result of enlargement of the upper and lower surfaces of the intervertebral disc joint, leading to narrowing of the foramen.
Epidural abscess is one of the dangerous diseases that cause severe back pain. This disease requires urgent diagnosis and immediate treatment, and any highly effective measures are recommended, up to surgical intervention, the main thing is to quickly remove the compression of the pulp. living.
Diseases of the hip joint are also often the cause of acute low back pain. They are characterized by pain that radiates down the lower back, to the legs to the knees.
Causes of chronic low back pain
One of the causes of chronic pain is spondylolisthesis. With this disease, dystrophy of the vertebrae of the lumbar spine occurs, the ligamentous apparatus weakens and bone growth occurs. As a result, the spinal canal narrows and the growing bones begin to press on the nerve roots. The aches and pains may be accompanied by numbness and weakness in the legs, as well as other neurological symptoms. In any case, a formal examination will be necessary, according to the results of which a final diagnosis will be established.
Bechterew's disease, also known as ankylosing spondylitis, can also cause chronic pain. Manifested by pulling pain in the lower back, curvature of the spine in the chest area and rapid development. The first symptoms are limited movement and decreased chest movement when breathing.
Cancer and metabolic disorders often cause lower back pain. But even benign tumors can cause chronic pain that won't be accompanied by neurological symptoms.
Osteomyelitis can also cause severe low back pain, which can last a long time.
Inference
As you can see, back pain can occur as a result of many diseases. At the same time, often a person does not even expect that the problem will not lie where it causes pain. So even if your lower back hurts intermittently, but from time to time - don't pull, consult your doctor. It is easier to deal with any disease in its early stages, not when it is in a neglected state and entails a lot of complications.