Feelings of discomfort in the back are familiar to almost every one of us. It is enough to sit or work in an uncomfortable position for a short time to cause pain in the lumbar region.
Lower back pain in men most often has its own reasons and can serve as the first signal of the onset of a serious disease that needs to be treated. The answer of a specialist after the diagnosis to the question of why such pains appear is the first step towards productive treatment.
Pain in the spine - what is it?
Pain in the lumbosacral region can manifest itself throughout life in approximately 75% of all inhabitants of the globe. Moreover, the average age of the disease is decreasing every year, and at the moment it is 40-45 years. In medical practice, there are cases of complaints from teenagers and even children that the muscles of the lower back hurt.
Backaches, osteochondrosis, sciatica often cause temporary disability for a person. They affect the condition of the spine as a whole, and can alsobe localized in any part of the human body.
Why does lower back pain occur?
Persistent chronic or sudden onset acute pain is a consequence of various diseases that can occur in both men and women. In some cases, spinal pain can be a sign of stress, obesity, or a mental disorder.
Pain in the sacrum and lower back in men develop:
- for bone pathology;
- various changes in periarticular tissues, muscles, nerve trunks;
- disorders in the articular part of the spine.
Also, a prerequisite for the development of pain in the back is a sedentary lifestyle. Prolonged immobility leads to a decrease in the stability of the lower back.
Causes of lower back pain in men
Pain in the lumbosacral region is currently considered the most common syndrome among the representatives of the strong half of humanity. These problems are associated with constant stress on the spine, with sedentary work, or, on the contrary, with hard physical labor.
The causes of lower back pain in men are as follows:
- overweight;
- long driving or computer work;
- doing sitting (office workers) or standing (salespeople, hairdressers) work;
- various injuries and unprepared movements;
- work that involves constant physical labor;
- strength loads in the gym;
- long stays and work in cold or drafty conditions.
If a man has lower back pain, a doctor can diagnose the onset of the disease.
Diseases that cause back pain
Here are some examples of the most common conditions that cause back pain:
- stretching - this condition can be caused by heavy lifting or weakness of the latissimus dorsi;
- protrusion - protrusion of the intervertebral discs, because of which they begin to put pressure on the nerve roots (this pathology occurs only with increased physical activity);
- metastasis - the spread of malignant neoplasms of the male genital organs, often occurs in men over 50;
- a fracture occurs when a fall from a great height or a strong blow received in the back, the most serious injury is a fracture of the spine,
- infringement of the nerve roots in the intervertebral canal;
- pain that radiates to the lower back can be a signal of diseases of the prostate, kidneys, liver or stomach;
- Ankylosing spondylitis is marked by a decrease in mobility (especially in the morning) and chest volume during breathing, provokes a curvature of the spine in the chest area;
- osteomyelitis - persistent back pain;
- dystrophic changes in the lumbar vertebrae further lead to bone growth;
- Spinal cord tumors have neurological symptoms.
Almost always the pain thatlocalized in the back, are the body's response to abnormal processes in it.
Diagnosis
Often, doctors hear from patients at the reception "My back hurts in the lower back, what should I do?". As we have already written, there are a large number of different causes that lead to lower back pain. Therefore, for the differential diagnosis of diseases that have similar symptoms, additional medical studies are carried out:
- CT scan reveals changes in the spine and surrounding tissues that may be associated with injuries, fractures, tumors, infections;
- x-ray is performed to diagnose osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis, vertebral defects, reveals the presence of malignant neoplasms, osteomyelitis, pathology in the vertebrae;
- Magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to assess the condition of the spinal cord and determine the cause of back pain;
- myelography is performed to detect pathological processes in the muscles and to study the spinal cord, xenon is injected into it for contrast, and then an examination is carried out (if the primary data do not clearly reflect the situation, a radionuclide scan is performed).
The causes of lower back pain in men are varied, but it is not necessary to start the diagnosis with an X-ray examination and computed tomography due to the unsafety of these methods. They are only done if a spinal fracture is suspected.
In addition to carrying out the above studies, the doctorconducts a preliminary diagnosis of the patient:
- history taking - questions are asked about the onset and features of the course of the disease;
- general examination - palpation and visual examination of the spine, determination of mobility;
- analysis of complaints - what types of pain are there, how often do they occur, where in the back;
- blood and urine tests to detect kidney pathology or inflammatory processes in the body.
For a more complete examination, the patient is referred for a consultation with other doctors: a rheumatologist, an orthopedist, a neurologist. Primary information about back pain can be used when describing pain at the appointment with a neurologist.
Symptoms
The causes of lower back pain in men are lesions of peripheral nerve endings, which have both sensory and motor fibers. This means that painful symptoms are accompanied by a dysfunction that regulates movement, i.e. pain and impaired mobility are interrelated.
Symptoms that are characteristic of lower back pain are divided depending on the causes:
- stretching - are in the nature of spasms, impede the movement of muscles in the lumbar region, radiate to the lower body;
- damage to the nerve roots - pain spreads to the legs (sometimes both), numbness, the presence of goosebumps (when coughing or sneezing, the pain becomes stronger);
- various diseases - with osteochondrosis, radiculitis, painful manifestations increase gradually, they may notpass.
You must remember: if your back hurts for more than 3 days, only a doctor can determine the reasons, so you should not delay contacting a medical institution.
Lower back pain on the right in men indicates the presence of pathology in the musculoskeletal system or diseases in the internal organs located in this area.
Types of pain in the lumbar region
Intensity of pain symptoms can be seen on examination:
- skin - sweating is clearly visible;
- hearts - heart palpitations;
- body temperature - fever;
- eye - pupil dilation.
According to its location, the pain can be:
- local - the source is located in the lumbar region;
- reflected - a pathological pain symptom begins far from the painful place;
- irradiating - the pain impulse enters the back area along the branches of the nerves.
Actions for back pain
Do you often have lower back pain? What to do to improve the condition?
1. If the causes of pain are unknown, it is necessary to measure the temperature to detect an infection, an inflammatory process, to determine the presence of symptoms accompanying the disease: vomiting, indigestion. Call a doctor to find out the cause of lower back pain in men.
2. In the presence of a bruise, sprain, you need to take anti-inflammatory drugs, which will help relieve pain and relieve inflammation. To reduce swelling and increase fluid circulation at the site of injurytake a diuretic. Pull the back area for fixation. Get expert advice.
In the presence of pain, you should consult a doctor in the following cases:
- presence of oncology;
- pain has been there before;
- combination of pain with urinary and fecal incontinence;
- duration is more than 3 days;
- pain caused by injury;
- intense weight loss.
Low back pain in men: treatment
After the diagnosis is made, the patient is prescribed medications (pills, injections) that will help reduce pain, restore nerve tissue and blood circulation. It also facilitates the condition of local therapy (warming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory gels, ointments).
Surgical intervention will be required, for example, in case of a herniated disc as a consequence of osteochondrosis. Or if there is a purulent focus in the spine.
In some cases, the patient will be recommended to wear a corset (bandage) to reduce the load on the spine. After the disappearance of attacks of acute pain, the patient will be prescribed physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises or massage.
Most people who start treatment feel better within a week. After 5-6 weeks, the pain completely disappears.
Disease Prevention
To prevent back pain you should:
- treat the underlying disease;
- deleteinjuries, hypothermia, physical overload;
- be of good posture;
- avoid gaining weight;
- exercise regularly to strengthen back muscles;
- properly equip the working, sleeping place to exclude the wrong position of the spine, in which the curvature occurs.
It must be remembered that if there are back pains, only a doctor can identify the cause. Entrust your he alth to a specialist, and all problems will be solved.
