Severe lower back pain: possible causes, symptoms, medical advice and treatment

It is impossible to independently determine the cause of lower back pain.Back and lower back pain is medically known as lumbago.It can be felt in the lumbar region, accompanied by muscle spasms and other unpleasant symptoms.Acute lower back pain occurs for a variety of reasons and can last from a few minutes to several months.As a result, a person begins to get used to sharp pains in the lower back and back.However, if you do not seek help from your doctor in a timely manner, the person's health will significantly deteriorate and the chances of recovery will decrease.It is important to consider the causes of back pain and their treatment.

Description of the lesion

Severe pain in the back and lower back, a feeling of tension and stiffness are a common complaint that occurs sooner or later in many people.

In most cases, pain syndrome occurs in the lower back, since the lumbar spine is characterized by its mobility and absorbs half of the weight of the human body.Back pain in the lumbar region can arise from lifting heavy objects or turning sharply.

In some cases, unpleasant discomfort in the lumbar region occurs over time, which can be attributed to regular exercise or incorrect posture.In some cases it is not possible to determine the cause of the pain syndrome.The pain is most severe at night, when the lower back is strained or after being in an uncomfortable position for a long time, for example after a long car journey.In most cases, back pain in the lumbar region disappears when a person lies on a hard surface for a long time.

Most often, the pain persists for several days or weeks, after which the person's general well-being improves and the condition of the lower back is restored.You can speed up recovery by taking painkillers and optimizing daily physical activity: rest only for the first few days and then gradually return to normal.However, in some cases, aches and pains in the lower back indicate the onset of a chronic disease that requires complex treatment.

A person's mood also plays a special role.Due to the pain, the patient's general condition can deteriorate sharply, but according to statistics, a person who is in a good mood recovers faster than a person who is depressed.

Main causes of the syndrome

The condition of the back directly depends on the functioning of the bones, nerves, muscles and joints.In most cases, it is quite difficult to find out the exact cause of the pain.In rare cases, serious illnesses or injuries to the spinal region occur.

In most cases, back pain in the lumbar region occurs due to minor injuries, muscle strains, sprained ligaments and muscles, pinched nerves and at the beginning of the inflammatory process.Unpleasant back problems can occur suddenly or gradually worsen.Causes of back and lower back pain:

• too sudden movement: tilting or turning to the side;
• Lifting and carrying heavy objects, bending the body for long periods of time;
• incorrect posture when walking or working at a desk;
• severe muscle strain in the back;
• long car rides without rest breaks.

In some cases, pain in this area occurs for no particular reason, for example in the morning after waking up.

Main factors

There are factors that can cause severe back and lower back pain.Experts identify a large number of them;They can negatively affect the condition of the back.The most important include:

• High weight – in this case the spine is severely overstressed.To determine whether body weight affects the spine, total body mass index should be calculated.
• Smoking – it can have a negative impact on the back tissue, leading to pain.
• Carrying a child - in this condition, the woman's spine is exposed to a strong load, which only increases as the size of the belly increases.
• Long-term use of medications that reduce bone density, such as corticosteroids.
• Psycho-emotional overload, stress - regular fear leads to severe tension in the neck and back muscles, which causes pain.

Serious illnesses

Conditions that can cause lower back pain and back pain include:

1. Osteochondrosis and its complications, for example, a spinal fracture, are a degenerative process in which the intervertebral cartilage is destroyed, resulting in pain.Such diseases occur in older people, especially those who suffer from severe back strain.
2. Sprained ligaments and muscles – most commonly occur after prolonged physical activity or sudden movements.
3. Some types of arthritis are an inflammatory disease of the joints in which, in addition to pain, joint stiffness is felt and problems with mobility in the morning occur
4. Kidney diseases, for example pyelonephritis, can cause back pain on the right side of the lower back or on the left side.

Carrying out diagnostic activities

Severe back and lower back pain can be treated at home by taking special medications that are available at the pharmacy without a doctor's prescription.Inpatient therapy is usually not necessary.

If back pain radiates to the lumbar region and causes severe discomfort, the patient should definitely see a doctor.He will conduct an examination and prescribe treatment.

If back pain on the left side of the lower back prevents the patient from resting and moving normally, you should call a family doctor.

While examining the condition, the doctor will ask the person to sit, stand, walk around, alternately lift the legs and also determine the overall range of motion in the back.He also needs information about possible recent illnesses or injuries, finds out about lifestyle and work characteristics, and also asks the following questions:

1. When did the pain start?
2. Where does pain often occur?
3. Has your back ever hurt?
4. How does the pain syndrome manifest itself?
5. Why does the pain get worse or worse?

During the examination, the doctor will try to rule out possible infections and ruptures, as such phenomena occur in rare cases.If there are problems in making the diagnosis, the doctor may send the patient for additional diagnostic measures: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or an X-ray of the spine.To rule out kidney disease, a urine test is performed.

In many cases, the pain in the spine disappears on the third day of treatment.If therapy does not bring improvement and the pain persists for six weeks (chronic course) or a serious illness led to the lesion, the doctor refers the person to a specialist.In most cases, the treatment of back and lower back pain is prescribed by a neurologist.In addition, other doctors can examine the patient's condition: an osteopath, a chiropractor and a reflexologist.

Basic treatment methods

Treatment of pain syndrome depends on its duration and severity, as well as on the individual characteristics of the person.In most cases, the pain can be relieved at home with simple medications.

Main treatment methods:

• Mobility.Doctors used to believe that if you had pain in the lumbar region, it was important to take rest.It has now been found that the pain disappears more quickly in patients who start exercising earlier.Complete rest and bed rest should only be observed during the first few days of acute pain when it is severe and prevents normal movement.In this case, the person should lie on a hard and flat surface.After the condition returns to normal, you should gradually return to a normal lifestyle and previous stresses, building up more mobility day by day.Over time, the person will be able to walk around the house or visit public places normally.However, he has to accept some inconvenience and try to avoid anything that could lead to pain again.After a few days, a person can return to work without waiting for the severe pain in the back and lower back to completely disappear (of course, only if the work does not involve stress on the lumbar region).Early mobility helps restore condition and reduce the severity of pain.
• Taking painkillers.For severe back pain above the lower back or directly in the lower back, doctors prescribe painkillers.The products help eliminate pain and inflammation.Depending on the severity of the lesion, a specialist may prescribe different forms of these medications: injections, tablets, local preparations – ointments, gels and creams for back pain.In most cases, initial treatment involves injections.After the pain syndrome has subsided, the administration of medication is stopped and, if necessary, the administration of tablets or special ointments begins.Such drugs have some contraindications.Therefore, before you start taking it, you must consult a doctor and read the instructions.Painkillers are best taken with milk after meals.
• Muscle relaxants- Medications that help eliminate muscle spasms and relax muscles.They are prescribed when severe tension in the spinal muscles increases the pain syndrome, for example, in the acute stage of osteochondrosis or a herniated disc.Muscle relaxants also have different side effects;For example, it is forbidden to take them with you when driving.It is important to consult a doctor first.
• Treatment with warm and cold compresses.In some cases, pain can be relieved by taking a hot bath or applying heating pads to the painful part of the body.You can also improve your general well-being with a cold or a bag of frozen vegetables.However, you should keep in mind that you should not apply ice to the skin itself as this can cause frostbite.A previously cold object should be wrapped in a towel and then placed on the affected area of the body.You can also alternate the treatment with cold and heat by applying either ice or a heating pad to the body.
• Choose a sleeping position.Changing your sleeping position helps eliminate tension and pain.If the patient is used to sleeping on his side, he should pull his legs to his chest and place a pillow between his legs.If he sleeps on his back, a pillow should be placed under his knees to ensure a natural curvature of the spine in the lower back.
• Relaxation of the body– This is a very important component in the fight against severe back pain on the left side above the lower back, as the pain syndrome only worsens with severe anxiety and overexertion.As practice shows, people in a good mood recover much faster and their pain does not become chronic.There are special techniques that help a person relax and forget about the discomfort in the back for a while.To do this, it is recommended to perform special breathing exercises and perform a series of simple exercises with alternating tension and relaxation of the body muscles.
• Physical activity, follow a healthy lifestyle.It is important to eliminate the root cause of severe back and lower back pain to prevent it from recurring.The most common causes of pain in this area include obesity, poor posture and regular emotional outbursts.In this case, a positive effect can be achieved if you start leading an active and healthy lifestyle, for example, taking more walks or visiting the swimming pool.The main thing is to choose the activity that you like most.In some cases, the courses are conducted under the guidance of a trainer.The most commonly used exercises are those that help strengthen the back muscles, maintain a straight posture and stretch.
• If the pain syndrome does not disappear within 6 weeks after treatment, it automatically passes into the chronic stage.In addition to painkillers and a muscle relaxant, in this case you need to start complex treatment.

Treatment of chronic pain

In this condition, doctors prescribe the following measures to patients:

• Manual therapy is carried out by a chiropractor or osteopath and includes the use of various therapy methods, massages and mobilization.
• Alexander Technique – helps to eliminate severe tension in the muscles, teaches a person how to maintain the correct posture and move in various situations.With this technique you will learn to maintain body balance and a straight posture.
• Acupuncture sessions are an ancient Chinese treatment method in which thin needles are inserted into various parts of the body to relieve pain and normalize a person's condition.
• Taking antidepressants.Such drugs are prescribed to the patient when painkillers and other treatment techniques do not bring a positive result.Doctors advise taking tricyclic antidepressants in small amounts.Initially, such remedies were developed to eliminate depression and problems with the nervous system, but they can also help suppress certain types of pain.
• Session with a psychiatrist.A positive effect of such a procedure can be achieved when other methods of treatment do not help.Severe back pain in the lumbar region is a real illness.The way a person deals with it can make it stronger or, conversely, significantly weaken it.Cognitive behavioral therapy can help eliminate back pain in the lumbar region on the right or left by changing your attitude towards it.According to statistics, people who have undergone psychotherapy feel significantly less severe pain.In this case, a person is motivated to lead an active lifestyle and exercise regularly, which leads to a reduction in pain.

Carrying out the operation

Most often, surgery is only performed when all other methods of treating back and lower back pain are ineffective.The operation is used when the pain syndrome is so severe or constant that it prevents the patient from working or even resting.The chosen method of surgical intervention directly depends on the type of pain syndrome and the cause of its occurrence.

For example, if a spinal prolapse occurs, the doctor may prescribe a discectomy.Currently, doctors are able to perform surgery through a minimal incision using special microsurgical instruments.Such operations are complex, but are characterized by minimal trauma.

Spinal fusion is a complex and fairly rare surgical procedure.The results do not always meet expectations.For example, a person may continue to experience severe back pain below the lower back after surgery.

During spinal fusion, the overall mobility of the spine is significantly restricted because, during the operation, several pain-causing vertebrae are secured together in one position by implanting living bone tissue between them.At the end of the rehabilitation period, the bones are completely fused and when a person moves, they do not affect the nerve endings that are near him.It helps suppress severe back pain in the lumbar region on the left and right.Before deciding on an operation, the neurosurgeon should inform the patient about all possible complications and positive therapeutic effects.

Additional treatments

For acute and chronic pain in the lower back, other alternative treatment methods can be used, the effect of which has not been proven in medical practice.The main non-traditional treatment methods include:

• Laser treatment – lasers with minimal power act on the inflamed area of the body and lead to tissue regeneration;
• Treatment with interference currents - the lower back is exposed to medium and low frequency currents, which leads to increased production of endorphins (pain-relieving hormones), as well as active restoration of damaged tissue;
• Ultrasound treatment – in this case, an ultrasound wave is used, which is directed to the surface of the back: it ensures tissue restoration and active healing, thereby eliminating pain;
• electrical stimulation of nerves through the skin - electrodes glued to the surface of the skin deliver electrical impulses of a certain strength that stimulate the active production of endorphins and help stop the transmission of pain signals along the spine to the brain;
• Lumbar spine – for this, special pillows, neck rolls and corsets are used to maintain the condition of the spine;
• Spinal traction using special equipment and exercise sets;
• Injection of special injections into the spine – drugs are injected into the intervertebral spaces.

The specialist can also send the patient to a “pain school”, where people learn to deal with pain independently, perform special exercises and lead an active and healthy life.Such facilities primarily deal with group therapy, relaxation and psychology.

Prevention measures

A healthy and strong back is the best solution to prevent pain.For this reason, the most effective prevention is regular physical activity in an appropriate amount, correct posture and avoiding lifting heavy objects.

If a person has temporary back pain that radiates to the lumbar region, he should take the following preventive measures:

• Get rid of excess weight, if any: A large number of extra pounds can negatively affect the condition of the lower back and cause additional stress.
• Use suitable and comfortable shoes with low heels, which will help distribute the load evenly across the foot and avoid overloading the spine when moving;
• It is also important to stop exercising suddenly as this can cause muscle tension.
• Learn to deal with stress, depression and nervous breakdowns, stop worrying too much because all of these can cause pain.

Types of exercises for the back

A series of exercises is a good way to prevent and relieve lower back pain.However, if the pain persists for more than 6 months, it is very important to consult a doctor before starting the exercises.

Walking and strengthening swimming improve muscle condition and support the spine without overloading it, thereby preventing possible sprains.Pilates and yoga strengthen your back muscles and develop flexibility, but should be done under the strict supervision of a professional trainer.

The most common simple exercises for back pain that can be done at home:

1. Wall squats - to do this you need to stand up and place your feet shoulder-width apart.Next, perform a squat until the body is in a 90-degree bend position.
2. Alternating leg raises.To perform the exercise, you need to lie on the floor and start raising your legs one at a time without bending them.The exercise is repeated 5 times.
3. Pelvic lifts.The exercise is performed in the supine position.First the knees are bent, then the pelvis is raised while tensing the abdominal muscles.When performing the exercise, it is important to keep your back straight.Repeat 5 times.

Initially, the exercises are performed several times a day, over time the number of approaches increases to six, depending on how the person himself feels.This complex helps warm up and strengthen the back muscles.The most common way people injure their lower back is during everyday activities, such as lifting heavy objects or cleaning the house.Warming up your muscles thoroughly before work can help prevent injuries.

Pain due to osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease of the articular cartilage that connects the vertebrae.Due to this disease, the roots of the spinal cord become pinched, which causes pain.People over 30 years old are particularly susceptible to this condition, and recently the lesion is often diagnosed in young people.

The main cause of back and lower back pain is lifting heavy objects and monotonous work in an uncomfortable position (for example, in the garden).Osteochondrosis can occur as a result of a long, non-stop journey when a person is constantly sitting.

No person is immune from such a disease.It can be recognized by the following symptoms:

• back pain;
• Pain in the lower back, the right side of the back hurts (or the left), the pain radiates to the leg;
• the pain only increases with changes in position and strain on the lower back;
• a person may experience a strong burning and painful lumbago;
• after a long stay in an uncomfortable position, it is difficult to change it due to severe discomfort;
• the sensitivity of the buttocks and legs decreases, a feeling of goosebumps appears;
• Problems with sweating appear, the lower extremities become cold.

If a person is sure that the pain syndrome comes from the spine, he should carry out the following therapeutic measures:

• Use a special wool belt or scarf and tie it around the lower back.
• lie on a hard and flat surface;
• start taking anti-inflammatory drugs;
• If you have back pain in the lumbar region, apply anti-inflammatory ointments.

It is important to remember that painkillers should not be taken on an empty stomach, as they irritate the mucous membranes and can cause ulcers and gastritis.If someone is unsure about the cause of pain in the back and lower back, it is important to consult a doctor - taking anti-inflammatory drugs for diseases of the stomach and pancreas is very dangerous, as they can only worsen the overall situation.

What is forbidden?

In no case should the patient try to “straighten” his back on his own - this can only increase the pain syndrome and also cause great harm.With an acute form of osteochondrosis, you should not take warm baths or visit baths and saunas.

After warming up, a person may feel an improvement in his condition and relief of pain, but after that the health condition will only worsen.If back pain occurs frequently, it is important to have an MRI done and see a neurologist.