Back pain in the lumbar region: causes, diagnosis and treatment

Many of us know about pain in the lower back. It is enough to spend a few minutes in an uncomfortable position, and the uncomfortable sensations do not go away for long. What are the causes of back pain in the lumbar region? Today we will consider the reasons for this, because often such a symptom is a signal of the development of a disease.

Determine the nature of the pain syndrome

causes of back pain in the lumbar region

Before we get to the reasons why the back hurts in the lumbar region, let's take a closer look at the classification of pain syndromes. As you know, the human spine has several sections, one of which is the lumbar. This area occupies the interval of the back of the coccygeal part at the beginning of the ribs.

Pain syndromes in this spinal segment can appear even after prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position or strenuous physical activity. If the discomfort goes away immediately, there is no reason to worry. But what if the pain attacks come back again and again, and over time this condition interferes with life and full development?

There is only one solution: contact a treating specialist. If the pain is not associated with an injury, the initial consultation should be referred to a therapist. He will determine which specialist doctor will help you. If the trauma has become a prerequisite for the onset of pain, you can immediately contact a traumatologist.

Pain syndromes in the lumbar segment of the spine may have a different character:

  • whine;
  • link;
  • Shooting
  • .

Specialists divide all types of lower back pain into two broad categories:

  • primary;
  • secondary
  • .

Primary pain sensations are diagnosed in cases where pathology develops. This may be due to a deformation of the tissue, ligaments or tendons of the joints or intervertebral muscles.

Secondary pain syndrome occurs with previous injuries or the development of pathological processes associated with one or another condition, for example, with osteoporosis, osteochondrosis, the appearance of a malignant neoplasmor benign.

Learn more about the causes of pain

why does the back hurt in the lumbar region

In medical practice, there are a wide variety of cases where patients complain of pain in the lumbar segment of the spine. It is practically impossible to diagnose the disease by visual examination, since in nature there are many reasons for the appearance of such symptoms.

Low back pain may be associated with the development of pathology of the spine or internal organs. Often representatives of the beautiful half of humanity have pain in the lumbar segment of the spine on the eve or during menstrual bleeding.

What Causes Acute Lower Back Pain? In fact, there are a large number and it will not be possible to draw up an exhaustive list. However, you can choose the main and most common causes of acute pain. These include:

  • protrusion of the intervertebral disc;
  • a hernia between the vertebral segments;
  • spondyloarthritis;
  • osteochondrosis
  • ;
  • pathology of the urinary system, in particular, the presence of stones;
  • dysfunction of the blood circulation in the vertebral part;
  • intestinal obstruction;
  • pyelonephritis developing to the acute stage;
  • unusual development of inflammatory processes in the appendix;
  • stretch;
  • violation of the integrity of the vertebral segments;
  • pathological processes in the tissues of the hip joint.

If the pain syndrome is periodic in nature, then perhaps we are talking about chronic pathologies. Chronic pain attacks in the lumbar segment of the spine can be caused by the influence of the following factors:

  • ankylosing spondylitis;
  • deforming spondylosis;
  • diseases of bone tissue;
  • osteomyelitis
  • ;
  • development of neoplasms;
  • the appearance of metastases;
  • scoliosis
  • ;
  • development of infectious processes in the vertebral segments (epidural abscess, brucellosis, etc. );
  • arthritis
  • ;
  • spondyloarthritis;
  • tumor processes in the kidneys;
  • atherosclerosis
  • ;
  • Reiter's syndromes.
how to treat back pain in the lumbar region

We often encounter so-called wandering pains in our daily life. This condition misleads even treating specialists, since the localization of pain does not correspond to the place of the actual development of the pathology. Doctors call these irradiated pains. The reasons for the appearance of a similar syndrome in the lumbar segment of the spine can be:

  • pathology of the digestive tract;
  • pain of the pancreas;
  • inflammatory or infectious processes in the small pelvic organs;
  • development of inflammation in the accessory part in the fair sex;
  • oncological pathologies of the uterine organ;
  • gonorrhea;
  • renal colic;
  • ulcerative colitis;
  • prostatitis;
  • ovarian pathology;
  • formation of stones in the kidney cavity.

Various reasons can cause left back pain in the lumbar region. Often such localization of pain is determined by the course of inflammatory or infectious processes in internal organs. If the pain syndrome encircles both parts of the lumbar segment, it may signal the development of the following conditions:

  • hepatitis;
  • pyelonephritis;
  • prostatitis;
  • adnexal inflammation;
  • appendicitis;
  • pneumonia.

Which doctor should I go to?

As you know, the spine is the most powerful support in our body. If its functioning is impaired, you should immediately go to the attending specialist. But which doctor should you turn to? If you are injured or seriously bruised, it is safe to go to the trauma specialist. It is the doctor of this specialization who will take care of the treatment.

If pain in the lumbar segment of the spine appears as a result of the development of a disease and is its main symptom, contact the main therapist first. The attending specialist will conduct a full-scale examination and, based on the results of ultrasound diagnostics and magnetic resonance imaging, write the appropriate direction.

Depending on the reasons for the appearance of pain in the lumbar segment of the spine, the following specialists can be treated:

    cardiologist
  • ;
  • obstetrician-gynecologist;
  • nephrologist;
  • pulmonologist;
  • orthopedist
  • ;
  • gastroenterologist;
  • specialist in infectious diseases.

Before starting treatment, the doctor should take all necessary measures to eliminate the pain and relieve the patient's condition. To begin with, a person is advised to change the sleeping mattress, take antispasmodic or analgesic pharmacological drugs and do gentle gymnastics.

Treating the disease: the main aspects

lower back pain treatment methods

When the back hurts in the lumbar region, only a doctor can identify the true causes of this condition and prescribe a comprehensive and effective treatment. Self-treatment will help get rid of the symptom that has appeared for some time, but later the pain will catch up with you with unprecedented force.

The course of treatment is prescribed individually depending on the diagnosis. At the initial stage, the patient may be prescribed the use of anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical agents, as well as the use of ointments with a warming effect.

Treatment can be carried out through physiotherapy procedures, including:

  • acupuncture;
  • laser therapy
  • ;
  • vacuum therapy
  • ;
  • manual manipulations;
  • electrostimulation
  • ;
  • Pharmacopuncture
  • .

Pain in the lumbar segment of the spine can not only cause a disruption of the usual way of life and the appearance of discomfort, but also provoke the development of complicated consequences and serious pathologies. To avoid this, you need to quickly seek qualified medical help and strictly follow all the doctor's prescriptions. To be in a good health!