Lower back pain is called lumbago in medicine. This is an acute pain attack, most often occurring as a result of osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia. It can last for several minutes, hours.
Lower back pain: causes and manifestations
Osteochondrosis leads to a decrease in the space between the vertebrae, which causes them to be clamped and squeezed. The nerve branches of the spinal cord become inflamed, causing piercing pain, which in turn causes muscle spasm. In the case of an intervertebral hernia, the nerve roots are clamped by a prolapsed disc, and it can fall out due to a sharp lifting of weights. In addition to acute pain in the lumbar region, patients sometimes complain of headaches. The provoking factor for the occurrence of such symptoms is muscle strain, which can happen due to sudden physical exertion, hypothermia or overheating, and then a sharp cooling of the body, colds, long-term being in an uncomfortable position. Also, backache can occur due to injuries (with bruises, displacement of the vertebrae), tumors, infections.
The same causes of lumbago have another pathology - the so-called lumbodynia, characterized by prolonged aching pain in the lumbar region. Lumbago and sciatica are often combined - lumboischialgia. In this state, the pain can be both sharp and aching, shooting or throbbing. They are felt deep in the ligaments, muscles, bones and intensify during walking, physical exertion, and coughing. Such pain can spread to the legs and buttocks. Due to the tension of the back muscles, a person is forced to freeze in a bent position, he does not have the opportunity to straighten up. Backaches in the lower back occur more often with time as dystrophic processes develop in the tissues of the intervertebral discs. They become more intense and longer. As a result, if left untreated, everything can end with persistent numbness of the legs and disability.
Lower backache: treatment
The main measures that can be taken with lumbago are rest, rubbing the affected area with various anesthetic ointments, using mustard plasters, cans, taking painkillers. But such methods can only temporarily muffle backaches. If you suddenly undergo hypothermia or make some awkward movement, lift a heavy object, an attack will definitely occur again. To eliminate lumbago qualitatively, it is necessary to act on the root cause, that is, it is necessary to restore in the tissues of the intervertebral discsmetabolic processes and thereby eliminate the compression of the roots of the nerves. This can be achieved through reflexo-, osteo- and physiotherapy, manual therapy. Acupuncture, massage (acupressure) and other procedures should be used together. This will eliminate muscle spasms, normalize the load on the spine, improve the nutrition of nerve endings. If backaches are due to a herniated disc, treatment will take a long time.
