Pain below the waist in the back worries almost every second person. Without knowing, we say that it is sciatica. However, this is not quite true. Back pain in the lower back can be caused by numerous reasons. Moreover, the list of potential diseases is more than just impressive. Let's study in more detail the nature of the pain, its localization and possible causes.
Lower back pain: causes
Back pain often begins to appear by the age of 30. Some people do not pay attention to pain, in particular men. However, even a slight pulling pain can cause a serious problem that will be dangerous for the body.
So, back pain below the waist. Here is a short list of possible reasons:
- osteochondrosis - a disease of the spine, in which there is a dystrophic lesion of the discs between the vertebrae;
- spondylarthrosis - arthrosis of the joints that are between the vertebrae;
- tumor of the spine - as a result of the development of a neoplasm, metastases may appear;
- fracturespine;
- infectious disease of the vertebrae and discs;
- diseases in the organs that are located in the pelvis;
- disruption of the digestive tract;
- impaired circulation in the spine;
- pain comes from improper metabolism that causes bone damage;
- an inflammatory disease that is non-infectious in nature.
This is not the whole list of possible causes of back pain.
Pain in men
Back pain is the first sign of a serious disease stage. If you do not start treatment in a timely manner, then a disregard for yourself will lead to disability or even death.
Often, men do not pay attention to back pain, because physical activity during sports or at home is a typical cause. However, this is what men think. And in vain. Let's take a closer look at why men experience back pain.
Stretching
At any traumatic impact on the back in men, the muscles are stretched. The center of the pain syndrome is the long muscles of the back. Pain in the lower back, radiating to the leg and groin area, increases the limitation in movement.
This usually happens when doing weight-bearing exercise. For example, deadlift is the cause of stretching of the back muscles. In this case, the main thing is to immediately eliminate the cause of the pain. To combat inflammation, apply a cold compress. Even frozen food from the freezer will do. Keep the compress for about 30 minutes. However, low temperaturecan injure the skin, so put the compress on the cloth. After that, you need to contact a specialist. Only he will be able to assess the degree of damage and prescribe an effective method of treatment so as not to cause complications.
Osteoporosis
Lower back pain in older men is characteristic of osteoporosis in most cases. A similar pathology develops due to a lack of calcium in the tissues. The pain first appears aching, then it can turn into a chronic form. It often occurs with sudden movements, sneezing, laughing or coughing.
Among the symptoms that characterize osteoporosis, there are muscle contractions, deformation of posture and gait. In this case, you must urgently consult a doctor. It is also recommended to consult an endocrinologist. Since disturbances in calcium metabolism are caused by age-related changes in hormonal levels.
Such a disease is dangerous because the integrity of the vertebrae is violated. The loin is the moving part of the back. Therefore, when tilting to the right or left, pain occurs. If the disease is not treated, the spine may lose its cushioning ability. Therefore, under heavy load, a fracture in the spine may occur.
Osteochondrosis
Pain below the waist is characteristic of another disease - osteochondrosis. With such a pathology, the bone and cartilage tissue of the vertebra grows, as a result of which they pinch the nerve endings and pain occurs.
Often this disease affects men due to increased physicalloads. Treatment should only take place under the supervision of an orthopedist or surgeon. In advanced cases, surgery will be needed to release the pinched nerve.
Hernia
The intervertebral discs of the spine, like shock absorbers, soften the vibration while walking. Each disc of a vertebra has a nucleus pulposus and a fibrous sheath.
Man often doesn't notice the pain. However, indifference to one's own condition can lead to the development of a serious illness. If the intervertebral discs rupture, an intervertebral hernia is formed. It can lead to disability and loss of the ability to walk.
Stress
The life of every man is filled with responsibility, the pursuit of success and financial gain. Often back pain has a psychological problem that is caused by fatigue and stress.
Psychologists say that a person who is in a difficult life situation stoops. For this reason, the main load goes to the lower back.
In such a situation, you need to change the type of activity or environment and just relax. However, the exact cause and diagnosis can be established by a neurologist.
Infections
Pain below the lower back on the right or left is often accompanied by additional symptoms - fever, vomiting, nausea. The nature of the pain is aching. Often aggravated by sharp turns of the body. Inflammation of the kidneys can be one of the causes of back pain. A similar disease is better known as pyelonephritis.
With such a picture, you must immediately contact a urologist. At an advanced stage, pyelonephritis can become chronic. Purulent formations and an abscess may also appear.
Pinched nerve
Often in men, pain in the back or lower back occurs due to pinched nerves. This condition is caused by physical exercise that involves lifting weights. Therefore, he did the exercise incorrectly in the gym - he got a pinched nerve. Severe pain may radiate to the legs.
As a first aid, it is necessary to provide the patient with warmth. Take a comfortable position of the body so that the back muscles are relaxed. A folded blanket should be placed under the knee joints, and a thick cloth should be wrapped around the lower back. If desired, you can wear a woolen belt.
Treatment should include a warming ointment or gel. If after a couple of days the condition has not improved, it is better to consult a neurologist.
Types of pain
Lower spine pain is often either acute or chronic. The main cause of pain is damage to nerve endings.
Acute pain occurs when the back muscles are stretched. Usually the long muscles of the back hurt. The pain is constant and localized in one place, does not radiate to the leg or groin.
Severe sharp pain can occur due to an epidural abscess. This is a disease that affects the thoracic region. In this case, immediate surgery will be required.
If the back pain does not subside for a long time, then the disease has passed intochronic stage. Usually such pain is not acute, but dangerous. People who constantly feel back pain do not take it seriously. Chronic pain is a sign of the progression of a serious disease. These include tumors, spondylosis, spondylarthrosis.
Fractured vertebrae
Sharp pain is a sign of a vertebral fracture. This pain cannot be ignored. Many believe that a fracture is a rare occurrence. However, this opinion is erroneous. You can earn a fracture of the vertebrae even if you fall on your leg. In particular, serious changes in the spine can cause brittle bones.
Displaced spinal discs
Displacement of the spinal discs is a common cause of acute pain.
Usually, the vertebrae are displaced in the lumbar region. Moreover, the symptom of such a phenomenon is quite serious: a person cannot even move.
Facet Syndrome
The cause of lower back pain may be hidden in the facet syndrome. This condition causes sharp, severe pain.
The symptom is caused by compression of the nerve roots in the spinal canal. Because of this feature, the pain in this syndrome was called radicular.
Epidural abscess
This is an extremely serious disease that causes pain in the area below the waist. Usually this pathology develops in the thoracic region. Yes, and the pain is localized in the same place.
If the disease is in an advanced stage, then pain can also occur in the lower back inincluding. With such a disease, it is urgent to hospitalize the victim for a surgical operation.
Lumbago
Chronic pain is most common in older people. However, today, more and more often, lower back pain is also felt by young people. This condition is called lumbago.
Most often, pain in the lumbar region is caused by increased physical activity. Even with a slight movement, the pain literally permeates the entire body. After that, a person can freeze for several minutes in one position. If you are familiar with this condition, then most likely you have lumbago syndrome.
Among the causes of lumbago are the following:
- sciatica - in most cases, it is this disease that causes such a syndrome;
- hernia in the lumbar;
- displaced vertebra;
- Prolapsed intervertebral disc - most often occurs with intense physical activity.
Usually there is a sharp and sharp pain, it is commonly called backache. The pain prevents me from moving or even breathing. The symptom can only subside if lying down and being at rest for a while.
If the back pain is to the right of the lower back?
If the pain is localized in this place, then we can safely say that diseases of the internal organs, the genitourinary system or the musculoskeletal system are developing.
Unpleasant sensations may be intermittent or temporary. Discomfort can accompany the patient even at rest. Often lower back painon the right occurs when there is a sudden movement, an attempt to sit down or stand up, as well as when sitting in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
Pain to the right of the lower back can signal osteomyelitis. This is a serious condition that requires conservative treatment.
If a woman has pain in this area, then the disease may develop in the pelvic organs. If men experience pain in this area, then perhaps these are the first signs of prostatitis. You can get rid of it only if you start treatment in a timely manner.
Pain in the back and in the right side at the same time may indicate the presence of cholecystitis, pneumonia, hepatitis and other serious diseases. They need to be treated urgently to prevent complications.
Localization of pain on the left side: what does it mean?
Pain below the lower back on the left is a fairly common symptom. Many mistakenly believe that this is a signal of problems with the spine. However, without an examination, even an experienced doctor will not make an accurate diagnosis.
It is likely that the cause of the pain is hidden in diseases of the internal organs. Moreover, the nature of the pain is diverse: aching, sharp, monotonous.
Among the common diseases that are manifested by back pain, there are diseases of the kidneys and heart, musculoskeletal system with damage to the spine, damage to the lungs and abdominal cavity. Pain on the left lower back in women often occurs during pregnancy.
Weakened immunity and excess weight lead to metabolic disorderssubstances. As a result, the spinal discs become thinner, causing pain.
And if there is a sharp pain in the lower back below the waist? Perhaps the reason lies in strong physical exertion, as a result of which the weakened intervertebral disc is shifted to the left. Accordingly, the posterior nerves are infringed, and the inflammatory process begins.
When the disease of the left kidney - pain in the back is sharp and aching.
Posterior heart disease is manifested by chest pain that gradually radiates to the lower left side of the back.
Pain below the lower back on the left may indicate pneumonia. Their surfaces rub during breathing, so pain occurs. It increases as body temperature rises.
Pain in women
Pregnancy is one of the causes of back pain. This condition is caused by cardinal changes taking place in the body: the stomach increases, the center of gravity shifts, the back bends, and the load on it becomes greater.
Back pain below the waist in women is caused by the fact that changes occur in both bones and cartilage due to the production of the hormone relaxin. Bones and cartilage become mobile due to the fact that the child takes a lot of nutrients. They are necessary for him to develop the musculoskeletal system. And with a lack of vitamins, the expectant mother feels discomfort, including back pain.
However, the causes of lower back pain in women may be hidden in changes in the body or in gynecological diseases, namely:
- Duringcritical days in the body of a woman increases the amount of substances that are responsible for pain. For this reason, during menstruation, it hurts in the lower abdomen and lower back. If discomfort persists for a long time, you should consult a doctor.
- If a woman feels pain in her back in the first stages of pregnancy, then this is a rather dangerous phenomenon. One of the serious reasons is the detachment of the fetal egg. Brown discharge is a phenomenon that accompanies the disease.
- Endometritis is a disease in which inflammation appears on the lining of the uterus.
- Ectopic pregnancy, cyst rupture and ovarian apoplexy are the causes of severe acute pain in the lower back. Usually the pain is localized at the bottom of the lumbar region. In this case, urgent hospitalization is required.
Pain below the lower back on the right in women does not always indicate sciatica. There is a huge list of serious diseases of both the spine and other organs in the body, which are manifested by back pain.
Pain radiates to the leg or buttock
Drawing pain below the waist radiates to the leg or buttock - this phenomenon indicates the affected nerve roots of the spine. However, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.
If the pain radiates to the groin, stomach or leg, then this indicates a serious lesion of the upper vertebrae. Pain can sometimes cause numbness in the leg or even lead to the loss of the ability to move it. This phenomenon indicates that the sciatic nerve is inflamed.
Negativefactors
If a person does not go in for sports or any physical activity for a long time, and then suddenly begins to actively “love” sports, then unpleasant back pain is not new. The body is not prepared. Therefore, with frequent bending, running, even when doing exercises, the back muscles quickly get tired and there is severe pain below the waist. Reasons:
- sedentary lifestyle (especially in a "twisted" body position);
- improper exercise with deadlift;
- excessive loads;
- metabolic disorder;
- hypothermia.
Even a normal draft can cause severe back pain.
Traditional treatment
Doctors identify several methods of treating back pain: surgical, non-drug and traditional. A specific method of treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor after receiving the results of the patient's examination.
Often, treatment includes the use of warming ointments, pepper patch, pain medication. Ointment is usually used during massage. For back pain, it is recommended to undergo physiotherapy, electrophoresis, analgesia.
Special corsets, belts, bandages will help reduce the load on the inflamed areas of the back. However, only a doctor can choose the right corset, taking into account the diagnosis and size.
If the pain is weak in the back, but still there, the doctor prescribes medical and manual therapy, mud baths.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine, it is folk medicine. Ways of treatment more than enough. So from the pain incompresses are effective on the back. They help relieve inflammation and pain. Chamomile, thyme, St. John's wort are herbs ideal for compress.
You can use mustard powder. It will take 100 g of mustard powder and 200 g of table s alt. Mix the components, dilute in 500 ml of vodka. Then let it brew for 2 days. This mixture must be applied to the affected area of the back, after laying it on the fabric. The compress should be kept for 2-3 hours. When carrying out the procedure, one rule must be taken into account: the compress should not burn, but fry.
Cold compress involves the use of garlic cloves and lemon juice. The resulting mixture should be laid out on a napkin, and then applied to the back. Keeping a cold compress worth about 20 minutes.
As an alternative, honey is used. They rub a sore spot on the back. This method increases blood circulation and tones the muscles.
Also use active rubbing if it hurts below the waist. For example, triple cologne is effective. We purchase a similar product in a pharmacy, pour it into a dark bottle, add 1 vial of valerian and a couple of hot pepper pods. We mix all the components and let it brew for 2 weeks. After that, the resulting composition must be lubricated back. In conclusion, it is recommended to wrap the lower back with a warm cloth.
In order to prevent back pain, watch your posture. Especially during sedentary work. Choose a chair with a back, sit comfortably with all your weight. Don't Forget to Strengthen Your Musclesback during sports. If necessary, wear a back brace when working at the computer. It will significantly reduce the load on the back. For a he althy sleep, choose an orthopedic mattress.
Never ignore your back pain. The progression of the underlying disease can lead to disastrous consequences. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience persistent back pain.
Daily exercise, proper diet, he althy sleep are the components that can prevent the development of diseases. The main thing is to fight laziness. After all, she is a prankster and the culprit of many diseases.
