Every third person has experienced back pain at least once in their life. According to statistics, more than 25% of all visits to specialists are caused precisely by unpleasant sensations in this section of the spinal column. This is not surprising, because there are many reasons for the appearance of unpleasant symptoms, both in men and in women and children.
The development of osteochondrosis, sciatica or lumbar hernia - this is only part of the pathologies that lead to pain. The fact is that the lower back is the lower back, in which a large number of nerve endings are concentrated. They are connected to the internal organs, so when pain occurs, it is difficult to immediately determine what exactly caused the symptoms.
Patients characterize their condition in different words. Some say that backaches appear in the back, others complain of aches or nagging pains. Based on this, experts divided the symptoms into two categories, depending on the intensity and characteristics of persistent low back pain. Let's take a closer look at them.
Primary pains
This medical term indicates that a person suffers from unpleasant, aching sensations in the lumbar region against the background of the appearance of various diseases that affect the spinal column. This negatively affects the condition of muscles and joints, as well as intervertebral discs. Most often, these symptoms begin to appear unexpectedly.
For example, a person complains about the appearance of backache, and after a few minutes the patient may experience relief. However, such primary pains can linger for up to 2-3 days. The main characteristic of this symptomatology is that the lower back hurts more and more every day.
Exacerbation occurs during physical exertion and the appearance of infectious pathologies or at the time of hypothermia. Such painful sensations are commonly called lumbalgia. Sometimes symptoms may not appear at all, but the lumbar region becomes more constrained, and the patient experiences discomfort in any position of the body.
Secondary pains
In this case, we are talking about serious infectious diseases or back injuries, as well as pathologies that greatly affect the performance of internal organs. This condition is considered very dangerous and requires the immediate intervention of specialists. If we are talking about secondary pains, then in this case additional symptoms appear.
First of all, the patient begins to lose weight very quickly. Doctors suspect cancer. The second signal will be that painful symptoms may intensify even after the patient,rested or is completely at rest. Also, at the same time, a deterioration in blood counts and an increase in body temperature will be diagnosed. The patient may develop neurological problems. For example, during urination, sensitivity will deteriorate significantly.
When there is such constant pain in the lower back, the causes can also be very diverse. Therefore, it is recommended to contact a specialist as soon as possible. It is extremely difficult to determine on your own what exactly caused the unpleasant sensation.
It will also be helpful to review the most common causes of persistent low back pain.
Osteochondrosis
If unpleasant symptoms are caused by this particular pathology, then in this case, pain will begin to intensify during coughing or sneezing, as well as when making any movement. Aggravation can occur when the torso is tilted forward and backward. In addition to these manifestations, it is worth paying attention to additional symptoms. It may consist in a violation of the sensitivity of some areas of the skin or muscles located in the lower part of the body.
In addition to constant back pain, patients complain of weakening of the tendon reflexes. Also, osteochondrosis is evidenced by the occurrence of certain curvatures in the lumbar region. They can occur in different planes, based on this, scoliosis is distinguished. Often this pathology leads to pinching of the spinal cord. This can lead to serious violations in the process of urination.or defecation. However, it should be noted that with the development of osteochondrosis, so-called radiculitis pains often appear.
As a rule, this happens when individual nerve roots that extend from the spinal cord are pinched. Such unpleasant sensations appear at a time when a person is very tense or his body is in an extremely uncomfortable position. In this case, patients just complain about the appearance of the so-called lumbago.
Lumbago
In this case, we are talking about sudden bouts of sharp pain. Also, lumbago is characterized by muscle strain in the lower back. As a rule, such symptoms appear at the moment when a person experiences strong physical exertion or some time after it.
Also, an aggravation can occur if there is a strong overheating and a sharp cooling of the body. At first, the lower back does not hurt much, so the discomfort does not bother the person much. However, dystrophic processes in the area of intervertebral discs gradually begin to develop. The gelatinous nucleus loses its elasticity and breaks up into separate elements. These particles, with any movement or physical activity, begin to put pressure on the fibrous ring, which contains a large number of sensitive receptors. Their irritation manifests itself in the form of sharp and sharp pain.
In moments of exacerbation, the patient cannot even straighten up, as the back muscles are very tense. At the slightest movement or cough, his condition worsens. In such a situation, in no case is it recommended to presson the back in the lumbar region. This will only increase the pain syndrome and bring severe suffering. In fact, a person freezes in the position in which he was, and any attempt to make a movement brings him terrible pain.
Sciatica
In this case, we are talking about a constant pulling pain in the lower back against the background of lumbosacral sciatica. With this pathology, it is the sciatic nerve that is affected. This nerve ending is the largest in the human body. The sciatic nerve originates in various areas of the spinal cord that bear the greatest load. After that, it passes along the leg and gradually splits into smaller nerves that diverge into the thigh, knees, lower legs and other areas, reaching the fingers.
Since the sciatic nerve is so long, pain can be caused by almost any disease of the internal organs. Symptoms of sciatica can also be varied. Most often, patients complain of constant pain in the lumbar region, the appearance of burning, backache, tingling and the so-called goosebumps. Moreover, all of these symptoms can occur at the same time. Often this leads to the fact that the patient cannot fall asleep and lead a normal life. If there are backaches, then they can occur in the buttocks or the back of the legs. As a rule, symptoms appear only on one side of the body. Therefore, if there is constant pain in the lower back on the left or right, then there is every reason to believe that this is sciatica. However, such manifestations cantestify to other pathologies.
Kidney disease
Persistent lower back pain may be due to this pathology. In this case, the symptoms will be aching in nature and localized in the region of the costovertebral angle. That is, in close proximity to the diseased kidney. Very often, pain is also given in the hypochondrium, navel and other lower abdomen. Similar symptoms appear against the background of stretching of the renal capsules, for example, if edema or acute pyelonephritis has occurred. However, in this case it is not necessary to talk about chronic pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis or malignant tumors. These pathologies, as a rule, proceed without serious manifestations.
Additional causes that lead to constant aching lower back pain
Sometimes unpleasant symptoms have nothing to do with the development of pathologies or other problems in the human body. It is possible that the lifestyle of the patient also affects this. For example, pain may appear if a person spends a long time driving or constantly sitting at a computer. Also, people engaged in dynamic physical labor complain of such problems, that is, when there is a constant sharp change in body position during the day.
Such symptoms are often tormented by those who work out too long and hard in gyms or fitness centers. The same goes for office workers, shop assistants, waiters and many other professions.
On the one hand, the constant bluntback pain can be associated with serious physical exertion, and on the other hand, on the contrary, with the fact that a person sits in one position all the time. Summer residents and overweight people also complain about pain syndrome. In addition, this is a completely normal manifestation in pregnant women who have recently given birth to a baby. However, there are more serious pathologies worth paying attention to.
Muscle spasms
This is exactly the case when the factor of incorrect body position for a long time in connection with work or hobby is considered. In this case, the pain is quite intense, but short-lived.
Muscle spasms can limit the mobility of a certain area of the spine for a while. However, while the muscles are clamped, the pain becomes really unbearable. If such a condition persists for a long time and only subsides or intensifies a little, then this indicates more serious problems that require immediate diagnosis
Herniated disc
When it comes to constant low back pain in men over the age of 40, doctors first of all suspect this particular pathology. A herniated disc is characterized by compression of the roots of the spinal cord. First, the primary symptomatology appears with additional signs. Pain can radiate to the buttocks and even the feet. Symptoms appear during sneezing, laughing and coughing.
Also, patients complain thatit is difficult for them to bend and unbend. This problem becomes most noticeable when a person puts on socks or ties shoelaces. Such pain is often mistaken for a manifestation of ordinary sciatica. This is not surprising, because in this case the so-called lumbago appears. But to exclude the possibility of a herniated disc, you will also have to undergo an examination.
Spinal instability
If we consider the appearance of constant back pain in women, then first of all, this ailment comes to the mind of a doctor. This problem mostly affects middle-aged women. Spinal instability is characterized by pain in the back, which increases if a woman engages in prolonged physical activity or stands in the same position throughout the day.
The patients complain of constant fatigue and the need to periodically take a horizontal position and rest. A similar disease develops against the background of the fact that there is a lesion of the disc or the intervertebral joint itself. Additionally, so-called moderate obesity is often manifested. Any extra movement brings inconvenience.
Narrow spinal canal
With the appearance of constant pain in the lower back, this pathology can be suspected. It is quite easy to identify by symptoms. In this case, pain will also appear at rest. At the same time, pain can also be observed while walking. It also often radiates to the buttocks and feet. painthe sensations can be so strong that it becomes simply impossible to sit on the sore part of the buttocks. A similar syndrome is associated with the appearance of degenerative changes, which are characterized by the growth of bone or articular materials in the spine. This leads to the fact that the roots of the spinal nerves gradually begin to become more pinched.
Based on this, it is obvious that the symptoms of many pathologies are very similar. Therefore, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.
Diagnosis
When severe or persistent low back pain occurs, experts recommend that patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. These studies help to assess the condition of the bones of the spine. Additionally, an ultrasound of the internal organs is performed.
Another of the fairly common methods of diagnostic methods is an x-ray. This is one of the most affordable and cheapest ways to assess the condition of patients. During the study of the picture, the doctor will be able to identify disorders (including kidney pathologies) that provoke unpleasant symptoms.
Based on the data obtained, a diagnosis is made and an individual course of treatment for persistent low back pain is developed. This may include both medication and exercise.
Treatment
Depending on the specific pathology, certain therapeutic measures are prescribed. If we are talking about the classical scheme, then in this case, as a rule,the doctor resorts to complex treatment, which includes both medication and physiotherapy and other exercises. Manual therapy and even acupuncture may be prescribed.
If we talk about medicines, then, as a rule, specialists prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. When a strong pain syndrome appears, painkillers can be prescribed, which at the same time have a weak anti-inflammatory effect. For example, "Analgin" or "Paracetamol" will help reduce discomfort. However, you need to understand that each of the drugs has its own side effects, so it is not recommended to engage in diagnosis and treatment on your own.
Very often, doctors prescribe a course of exercises, as unpleasant symptoms are often associated with a person's wrong lifestyle. However, despite the variety of physiological therapy, it should be performed only under the supervision of a specialist. Training is recommended to be carried out on a regular basis. All exercises should be performed very smoothly and calmly. In the process of training, sharp bends and turns should be avoided.
