It often happens that the patient goes to the doctor to find out why the back hurts in the lumbar region. Most often, such a pain syndrome is faced by those who spend a lot of time at their summer cottage, in their own garden. By constantly repairing the house and sparing no efforts on the plot, people thereby undermine their health. A day or two of hard work, and now you can't straighten up without excruciating pain. However, in some cases, pain indicates the presence of other pathologies. To determine the appropriate treatment strategy, you must first find out the root cause of the pain.
Possible factors: Is it all serious?
To find a good treatment for a problem, you must first identify the cause. The back in the lumbar region hurts on the left, right or even causes pain in the girdle, if a person has impaired kidney function and health, osteochondrosis has developed and neuralgia is observed. There is a possibility of acute pancreatitis. Each condition described requires a comprehensive approach to treatment and it is advisable to consult a doctor. Trying to choose a course of therapy for yourself, you can harm your health, the condition will worsen even more. If you come to the doctor, at the reception he will evaluate the symptoms, make a preliminary diagnosis and send him to studies that will confirm or refute the assumption.
The kidneys hurt
If the back hurts a lot in the lumbar region, there is a possibility of pyelonephritis. The term refers to the formation of foci of inflammation in the organ. If the disease is not infectious, glomerulonephritis can be diagnosed. Sometimes the pain syndrome indicates the appearance of stones in the kidneys and ducts. The processes of their generation, as well as movement, cause severe discomfort.
Often the disease develops against the background of hypothermia, it can be preceded by a cold. Note that people who adhere to strict diets are more likely to suffer from kidney disease. In many ways, the symptoms of kidney disease and the condition called "back tearing" are similar. There are a number of specific symptoms that allow you to more accurately identify the pathology. If the kidneys are sick, the sensations do not depend on the load, activity, movements. Many have a fever, urine becomes cloudy, the shade changes. Some note an increased need to urinate, the process itself is accompanied by pain. There is a light tap with the edge of the hand near the kidneys, the area will respond with severe pain.
How to help yourself?
If the back of a man, woman, child has pain in the lower back, if there is reason to suspect kidney disease, it makes sense to contact the local doctor, call him home. The kidneys are extremely important elements for the functioning of the human body, so unjustified risks are unacceptable. Pending the arrival of a specialist, you can try to alleviate the manifestations of the disease. The patient is lying or sitting so that he is as comfortable as possible, he is provided with a means to reduce the heat if the temperature exceeds 38 degrees. To make the pain a little weaker, you can take an antispasmodic drug. If the patient needs a change of position, he should be helped. In addition, it is reasonable to monitor blood pressure and body temperature.
It happens that people are convinced that they know for sure if the back hurts in the lumbar region, what to do: it is necessary to immediately put a warm compress or put the sick person in a warm bath. In case of kidney disease, such procedures are strictly prohibited. Any rewarming will drastically worsen the patient's condition. If a person has developed pyelonephritis, this activates the inflammatory focus. The patient's task is to wait for the arrival of a professional. The doctor will examine the sufferer and recommend further actions.
Pancreatitis
If the back hurts in the lumbar region, in a man, a woman, a child, the cause may be pancreatitis. Pathology can be suspected if pain surrounds, creating the sensation that it comes from the left half of the body, the region of the hypochondrium. It is possible to cover the back, abdomen - this forms pain rings. For some, pancreatitis causes severe pain near the navel. If the pathology proceeds atypically, the patient has back pain: the lower back and a little higher. This nature of the localization of the pain syndrome often causes an initial misdiagnosis.
Assuming pancreatitis, you need to call a doctor. While waiting for a specialist, you will have to completely refuse food: during the inflammatory process, food can drastically worsen the condition. The caregiver should help the patient to assume a comfortable posture; as far as possible, provide comfort and tranquility to a person. You can drink some water without additives, but it is only allowed to drink in moderation. It is advisable not to move away from the patient, constantly monitoring the change in conditions until the arrival of a specialist. The pain is believed to be slightly weaker if you curl up in a characteristic position of the embryo.
Osteochondrosis
If the back in the lower back is very sore, it is likely that the cause was a disease of the cartilage of the joints that connect the elements of the spine. The pathological process is associated with pinching of the nerve roots - this is what becomes the source of pain. According to doctors, the likelihood of developing the disease is high for all our compatriots over the age of 30. In recent years, osteochondrosis is increasingly being diagnosed in young people and is being detected in adolescents.
To provoke a pain attack can lift a heavy object, a long stay in a forced and uncomfortable position. The likelihood of developing a pathology is greater if a person drives a car for a long time, sits a lot and moves little in everyday life. Osteochondrosis may be suspected if the pain syndrome spreads to the leg, while feeling uncomfortable in the lower back. If you try to move, the pain increases. This accompanies any load and a simple change in body position. Sensations of burning pain and shooting are possible. It is possible to replace osteochondrosis if the buttocks and legs are characterized by reduced sensitivity and if a stable posture is maintained for a long time, it becomes difficult to change it. For many, the thermoregulation of the limbs is disturbed, the legs sweat profusely and the sensation of cold is disturbing.
Characteristics of the case and first aid
If the back, lower back, spine hurt, while there is no temperature, and the manifestations are similar to those described above, if there is no doubt that the cause of the pain is the spine, you can give you first aid with one simple means. The affected area is covered with a warm wool shawl or tied with a warming scarf and placed on a hard, flat surface. In the absence of the effectiveness of such measures, it is possible to smear the lower back with non-hormonal ointments to relieve the course of the inflammatory process. The doctor may prescribe systemic treatment with non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. As a rule, drugs containing meloxicam, ibuprofen are prescribed.
Do not take painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs on an empty stomach. Active components contained in medicines irritate the gastric mucosa, can cause peptic ulcer, gastritis.
If there is no exact certainty that osteochondrosis is the cause of the pain, it is necessary to visit a doctor for a diagnosis. Unjustified self-treatment with non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs will certainly cause a deterioration of the condition. This will be especially pronounced if the patient has pancreatic disease, a violation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Safety first
If the back hurts in the lumbar region, what to treat, the doctor will tell. You can not try to "set" the spine, this will make the pain worse, there is the possibility of serious damage to the back. If osteochondrosis has progressed to the acute stage, rewarming should be avoided. Hot baths are not allowed. We will have to give up saunas and baths. Warming up initially gives a feeling of relief, but soon the pain comes with renewed vigor. If symptoms indicating osteochondrosis appear frequently, an appointment with a neurologist should be made. Your doctor will give you a referral for an MRI. Such an image will allow you to assess the condition of the lumbar spine and determine the best way to address the root cause of the pain.
If osteochondrosis caused pain during physical exertion while the person took an anesthetic or medication to stop inflammatory activity, the condition is likely to improve soon. Even if the pain is gone completely, you shouldn't go back to your previous activity. For some time, rest should be provided to the diseased back. The best option is bed rest.
Neuralgia
There are a huge number of different manifestations of how the lower back hurts: when they lie on their back, walk, bend over. In some cases, the cause of this is an inflammatory process that affects the nerve fibers. It is possible to assume neuralgia from manifestations similar to the symptoms of osteochondrosis described above. With any physical activity, the back immediately responds with pain, even a slight movement is difficult for the patient and the need to move creates fear. There are a number of features that allow you to suspect what exactly caused the pain and to distinguish neuralgia from pinched nerve endings that provide sensitivity to the spine.
With osteochondrosis, a person is subconsciously afraid to move, because the back gives pain to any action. Neuralgia also has this feature, but the pain will spread along the nerve that caused it, and the sensations themselves are described by sufferers as twitching. Perhaps unpredictable relief of the condition and the return of pain when a person is calm, immobile. Sometimes, against the background of neuralgia, convulsions occur, body aches and a change in the shades of the skin are disturbing. In some, the work of the sweat-producing glands is disrupted. With pressure on the back, the pain immediately covers both halves of the body symmetrically.
Help functions
If your back or lower back hurts a lot, only a qualified doctor will tell you what to do. Pain syndrome caused by neuralgia is quite difficult to exclude, at the same time it is necessary to take measures to improve the patient's condition, since constant pain can provoke mental deviations. To relieve the pain a little, the doctor will prescribe non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. In some cases, they prefer to dwell on drugs containing ibuprofen, meloxicam. The patient is shown at rest.
If a patient goes to the doctor because his back, lower back hurts a lot, what to do should be decided by a qualified specialist. Depending on the specifics of the case, hospitalization may be recommended. This measure is used if the sensations are very strong. In a hospital setting, a lockdown will be imposed on the needy using novocaine.
Features and pains
It also happens that a person has torn his back, and the lower back hurts. What to do in such a situation, the doctor will also tell you. This will depend on the severity of the damage. Sometimes rest is enough, in other cases the help of a surgeon is needed. Pain is known to often accompany a rest period after a long workout or an unreasonably large load. Pain can be caused by awkward and unsuccessful movements. Stressed people, as well as those who, due to the nature of their work, sit for a long time, especially in front of a computer, are known to complain of pain more often. The back often hurts in those who train too actively, spend a lot of time on their feet, suffer from excessive weight. Back pain almost always accompanies pregnancy and bothers for some time after the birth of a baby.
There are also situations in which, generally, it is not necessary to understand what to do: the back hurts in the lumbar area, but rather weakly, with time everything goes away on its own. If the attack is one-time, not too strong, was preceded by an obvious causal factor (for example, prolonged work at a summer cottage), then you just need to rest and wait for the pain to go away. If the pain comes in attacks, periods, worries for a long time, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since it is impossible to determine for yourself what causes the sensations.
Reasons: primary and secondary
Primary pain is observed if there is a disease of the spine. Such a syndrome is possible if a person has developed spondylarthrosis, spondylosis. Possible hernia or protrusion. Secondary pain syndrome accompanies fractures, tumor processes, prolonged muscle tension. Such pain can be caused by diseases (kyphosis, arthritis, tuberculosis), there is a possibility of a narrowed spinal canal, osteomyelitis and a malignant process. Lower back pain is possible with ovarian cysts, endometriosis. The doctor must clarify all the factors of the case, checking the patient's condition to find out what to do. Back pain in the lumbar region in people suffering from cystitis, in patients with scoliosis and osteoarthritis. Scheuermann-Mau disease can cause pain. In some women, the pain indicates complications in carrying the fetus.
Whether to hurry to the doctor?
There are some signs of pain that indicate the need to get qualified help as quickly as possible. So, if when walking the lower back responds with pain, coughing, sneezing leads to an aggravation of the sensation, while the sensations spread to the lower limbs, it is necessary to make an appointment with a neurologist. It will also help if the lower back hurts, the sensations are dull, the back hurts, the pain spreads to the legs, it is more noticeable when coughing and moving. Probably, such symptoms indicate sciatica, but a person needs the most timely help of a doctor, so you should not delay contacting the clinic.
A traumatologist can tell you what to do if your back hurts in the lower back, if the sensations came against the background of muscle stretching or lifting an object that is too heavy. For these reasons, in addition to pain due to hypothermia and exposure to a draft, it is first necessary to use creams that activate blood flow for three days at home. If the condition does not improve during this time, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
Measurements and times
For three days, you can try to help yourself with back pain, low back pain. According to doctors who know exactly what to do if the back hurts in the lower back, more often such symptoms are experienced by those who, due to their activities, are forced to work hard. The pain usually goes away on its own within a few days of exercising, although in rare severe cases it persists for weeks. To alleviate the condition, it is necessary to use analgesics, rest. It is necessary to experimentally find out in which position the pain is weakest. The first two days you should provide bed rest. If the sensations have not passed in three days, they are recorded with a doctor.
Possible pain syndrome against the background of myositis. Such a pathological process is usually preceded by hypothermia or severe muscle tension. The area responds with stiffness, the sensations are acute, especially strong when trying to move. Your doctor will also tell you better what to do if your back hurts in your lower back for this reason. Doctors advise before taking a hot shower, find suitable warm clothes and completely abandon any physical activity. The first three days use ointments that relieve the inflammatory process, relieve pain. If the sensations have not subsided, make an appointment with your doctor.
Chronic and radiant pain
About what to do if the back hurts in the lower back due to spondylosis, the doctor will tell only after a careful assessment of the patient's condition. The disease is indicated by a severe and sharp pain syndrome, the lower back hurts, the legs weaken and numb. With such manifestations, you should immediately make an appointment with a neurologist.
Ankylosing spondylitis can cause pain. One possible reason is metabolic failure or cancer. In any of these options, it will not be possible to help you on your own, it is necessary to consult a qualified specialist and a detailed examination of the body.
It also happens that a person is sure that the pain is localized in the lumbar spine, but the real reason is the failure of the functionality of the internal organ. Radiant pain is possible if the pathology is localized in the pelvis, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Often the pain gives to the lower back with cancer. It is impossible to postpone a visit to the doctor if the syndrome lasts more than three days, if it was preceded by an injury, if, in addition to the lumbar region, the foot and lower leg also hurt. In the event that the pain is accompanied by numbness in the limbs, the groin region, it is also impossible to delay contact with the clinic.
How to check?
If your back hurts in the lumbar region in the morning, this can be considered reason enough to contact a specialist. First, you can go to the local therapist. The doctor will give directions for examinations and instrumental examinations, redirecting to a highly qualified doctor based on the details of the case. The most accurate diagnosis is usually made by a neurologist. To do this, it is necessary to obtain the results of MRI, ECG and ultrasound. Blood and urine samples are checked in the laboratory. In some cases, it is necessary to study the puncture of the spinal cord, if malignant diseases are suspected, tissue samples are taken for a biopsy.
How will they be treated?
Many people are afraid to go to the doctor if they have back pain in the lower back in the morning because they believe that the doctor will send them for surgery immediately. Today, there are many effective methods for treating various diseases of the spine. There is a method that uses magnetic waves and fields. It may be helpful to administer a drug designed to treat the joints. Rehabilitation simulators have been designed that quickly restore mobility. With severe pain and the need to stop inflammation and spasm, the doctor will perform a block.
Drug treatment of back pain involves taking oral and injectable medications. Often such treatment is combined with physiotherapy - this increases effectiveness. Prescribe drugs to relieve swelling, relieve stiffness, eliminate the inflammatory focus. Since all these medicines have an extensive list of contraindications and possible side effects, self-medication with them is strictly prohibited.