Back pain is a well-known symptom. It can be seen in any gender and age. Pain may indicate damage to the musculoskeletal system, spinal cord, kidneys, pelvic organs, or abdomen. It may be weak or very intense, sharp, painful, stabbing or shooting. Treatment directly depends on the type of pain and its causes.
Reasons
It is very important to find the etiology of pain in time. First of all, it is necessary to note the nature of the pain and the time of its appearance. In addition, it should be associated with physical activity, food intake, going to the toilet. It is also important for women to follow the link between the menstrual cycle and the onset of pain.
The reasons for the appearance of low back pain may be:
- Neurological problems. Often, osteochondrosis and disorders of the innervation of the lumbar region manifest themselves in this way.
- Pathology of skeletal muscles. Myositis occurs as often as osteochondrosis and causes pain.
- Kidney disease. The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space, ie closer to the back than to the front wall of the abdomen. For this reason, kidney disease may be accompanied by back pain.
- Pathology of intraperitoneal internal organs. Sometimes, but not often, back pain is associated with diseases such as appendicitis and cholecystitis.
- Pathology of the pelvic organs. Such a manifestation of inflammation in the small pelvis is especially common in women.
Each of the diseases that cause back pain should be considered in more detail.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a metabolic pathology of the spine, in which the structure of the intervertebral discs is disrupted. It is believed that after the age of 27, this condition is a normal age-related change, and it happens to almost everyone.
Problems arise due to the loss of elasticity of the intervertebral disc and its ability to withstand stress. At the same time, it begins to extend beyond the vertebral bodies. In the immediate vicinity of the spinal cord are the roots of nerves emanating from the spinal cord. The disc compresses these nerves and causes discomfort. This complication of osteochondrosis is called radiculitis.
Osteochondrosis can occur in any part of the back, but most commonly affects the lumbar region. This is due to the maximum load on the spine in this part of it and the greater protrusion of the disc.
The nature of the pain caused by radiculitis caused by osteochondrosis may be different. There are three types of this:
- Lumbaqo.This is also called "lumbago". This is a sharp and very intense sharp pain that occurs in the lumbar region during physical exertion. Such pain is subjectively like a shot. It forces you to stop training. However, the lumbago resolves fairly quickly, in a matter of seconds or minutes.
- Lumbodynia.This pain is less intense, but lasts longer. This also happens during training, but not immediately, but gradually. Such pain can develop within a few hours. He has a flattering character. Lumbodynia lasts for several days, during which time significantly reduces exercise tolerance.
- Sciatica.The difference from the previous types is that in addition to the back, there is pain in the legs. As a rule, it is a unilateral lesion, but bilateral pain is also possible. Lumioischialgia is a long-term withdrawal. It grows slowly and seems to come down from the waist down. This pain can cause temporary disability. This also takes a few days.
If osteochondrosis occurs, you should consult a neurologist.
Myositis
Almost everyone suffers from this. This is what people call "through" or "back inflated. "The terms are not medical, but the general principle of pain is correctly described.
In this case, exposure to cold air or cold objects in the lumbar region causes inflammation of the muscles located there. The fact is that the muscular apparatus of the back is very well developed, and any pathological processes in it can damage many anatomical structures at the same time.
First, the muscles themselves ache due to inflammation. Its fibers grow due to edema and compress the nerve endings that innervate this muscle. Second, there are many nerve roots in the immediate vicinity of the muscles, where they are already transformed into nerve trunks. Their defeat can cause long-term radiation pain.
Inflammation can spread from the muscle to the nerve trunk itself, causing the pain to spread to the back or upper or lower extremities. It is also better to treat myositis with a specialist.
Kidney disease
Due to the proximity of the kidneys to the back, the pain spreads precisely to the lower back when affected. At the same time, painful feelings can lead to the idea of a certain kidney disease.
Thus, for example, urolithiasis is accompanied by very sharp unbearable pain in the lumbar region. This is also called colic. It most often occurs after urination or during urination. Such pain can be so intense that it puts a person in a state of emotional turmoil and forces them to act without motivation. For example, during a seizure, a person may start running around the room or make other sudden movements. They are justified by the fact that the stone under load changes its position in the urinary tract and reduces pain.
Also, pain can occur with pyelonephritis. In this situation, it is less intense, but lasts longer. Pyelonephritis is a purulent inflammation of the pelvic-pelvic system of the kidneys. In addition to the pain, fever, weakness, and malaise appear. With pyelonephritis, Pasternatsky's positive symptom (tapping). The pain can be unilateral or bilateral.
Nephrologists treat kidney pathology. It is better not to delay their visit to avoid complications.
Diseases of other organs
Intraperitoneal pathology of the internal organs is very rarely accompanied by back pain. More often stomach ache. However, with inflammation of the atypically located appendicular process, the pain will be in the lumbar region when placed behind the cecum. It is important to know this, because in this case there may be no pain in the stomach. Man himself is often unaware of such an anatomical feature of his organs.
With cholecystitis, pain in the right hypochondrium is common. However, due to certain structural features of the gallbladder, it can also radiate to the lumbar region. Also, this symptom may appear with pancreatitis. In this case, the pain is associated with food intake. More often it occurs after fried or greasy foods.
In women, back pain can be equivalent to menstrual abdominal pain or inflammation of the reproductive system. For example, adnexitis or oophoritis manifests itself as such. This symptom often appears during pregnancy. This is due to excessive stress on the spine, possible pyelonephritis, or fetal pressure on the nerve endings in the lumbar region.
How to get rid of such pain
First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of pain. This can be done only with the help of an appropriate specialist and after passing a series of exams. X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans of the spine and spinal canal bones are often needed. You may also need an ultrasound examination of all the organs where the above pathology may develop.
Osteochondrosis is treated by giving the spine and spine a special position, limiting physical activity and doing special exercises. Swimming also works well on the spine with this pathology. Pain can be reduced with oral or topically administered NSAIDs.
With myositis, it is also necessary to take NSAIDs and apply them to the lumbar region where the pain occurs.
Urolithiasis and pyelonephritis should be treated by a doctor. In the first case, the stones may be melted by medicine or surgically removed. In the second case, antibiotics and uroseptics are prescribed.
Appendicitis is most often treated surgically. Surgical treatment can also be used for cholecystitis and pancreatitis, but more often these pathological conditions are treated conservatively. NSAIDs, enzymes and bile acid substitutes are prescribed.
Diseases of the pelvic organs are treated by a gynecologist. Such therapy can also be medical or surgical, depending on the type of pathology.
Thus, we can conclude that back pain is a symptom that can damage both the spine itself and the muscles that surround it, as well as diseases of various internal organs. Starting with NSAIDs, you can try to treat the pain yourself by reducing physical activity. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor for timely detection of pathology.