Even children sometimes experience lower back pain. Adults know the problems first hand. To deal with it, you need to know: why the lower back hurts, what are the reasons. The range of causes is wide: from minor ailments to urgent conditions requiring medical attention. Having found the root of the disease, you will understand what to do, you can help yourself or by contacting a doctor.
Factors causing pain
Lower back pain is a common phenomenon, but in the category of "accidentally occurring". Occurs unexpectedly and always untimely. There are explanations for everything, consider the probable ones in order.
after sleep
A person wakes up in the morning, intends to get up. . . And he can't. Acute, piercing backache. The day before, I did not lift weights, did not load the muscles, where the pain came from is not clear.
Action Algorithm:
- With any pain, it is important to calm down in order to adequately assess the situation.Panic won't relieve the pain, but it can make it worse. It doesn't work, we think lying down.
- Remember yesterday.If you spent it in the office and in the evening in front of the TV or computer, and this is your usual routine, the muscles are (don't be surprised) overloaded. Constantly, daily. They don't have time to relax at night. Passive rest does not help recovery of unused muscles. A static load is heavier than a dynamic load. The first (static) - being in the same position - overloads certain muscles, leaving others without work. Dynamics (movement) involves many muscles.
- We continue to analyze.You load the muscles evenly, do a minimum of exercises, do not sit eighteen hours a day, but woke up with lower back pain.
Probable causes:
- Uncomfortable posture during sleep;
- Excessively hard or excessively soft bed;
- Manifestation of internal diseases.
This latter circumstance is rarely associated with sleep. A person may feel bad after waking up, because in a dream the body is relaxed, the sensations are dulled. The perception of the awakened person is sharpened, he moves - the suffering organ reacts.
- If you calmed down, analyzed the situation, found out the cause of the pain - take action.When you are convinced: muscle pain, not associated with an organic pathology, get up slowly. It doesn't work - roll to the edge of the bed, slide to the floor. There you will exercise to relieve muscle spasms - this is your treatment.
Lower back pain after sleep, which manifested itself for the first time, usually occurs for the reasons listed above.The deep and main reason is detraining, muscle weakness.Weakened muscles react to factors that stronger ones "don't notice". Not the hardness/softness of the bed, awkward movements and loose muscles give pain.
Learn more about sleep comfort. Which bed is better: a controversial question, the answers to which are diametrically opposed. Proponents of a hard bed insist on using a shield under the mattress, calling such a bed - orthopedic. It is believed that on a hard bed, the spine straightens, which is good for posture.
Opponents of stiffness promote a thick, plush mattress that allows the body to "sink" into the padding. In a semi-suspended state, the muscles and the spine occupy an arbitrary position. Advertisers of "sweet sleep" argue: it's more useful, the approach is physiological. The mattress is also called orthopedic.
Lower back pain in women and men occurs after sleeping on any bed. Extremes are not the best solution. Our strong, peasant ancestors slept on chests or stoves, making beds with duvets. Choice of medium. Posture was excellent, pain after waking up was not typical for young and middle-aged people.
To keep the body in shape, the muscles - active and regular exercises will help: exercises. Muscle training. How to help yourself "here and immediately" - we will definitely talk about this. When we consider all the probable causes and find out what it could be why the lower back pain appeared.
You can also feel pain and burning in other cases, with diseases of the spine, injuries. Then they are morning unspecific, disturbing regardless of the "sleeping" time.
Post workout
Lack of load leads to weakness, muscle atrophy, overload - will reward pain for diligence. Memo to trainees: take the phrase "hurry up, slowly" as your recovery motto. It is not always possible to row armfuls of strength and health.Progressiveness is the key to success.
Calculating the optimal load is not difficult, you need two indicators:
- HR (heart rate, the number of heartbeats per minute is measured);
- Blood pressure.
Heart rate measurements are taken three times:
- Before the classes;
- At the end of the workout;
- 5 minutes after class.
In a relatively healthy person with an initial pulse of 70-72, immediately after exercise, the heart rate can increase with adequate load up to 120 (no more). After 5 minutes, the pulse should slow: drop below 100 beats. If the heart rate remains more frequent, the load is excessive, the muscles will respond with subsequent pain. The lower back is no exception.
Blood pressure should also return to normal within five minutes. This knowledge will tell you what to do so that pain in the lumbar muscles does not occur after training.
Due to negative emotions
A person prone to emotions or who has fallen into a situation of intense and prolonged stress may experience pain of varying intensity in the lower back. They are not associated with an organic lesion of the spine. The causes of back pain in the lumbar region lie in the body's response to stress.Nervous tension causes muscle spasms.Spasmodic muscles signal a malfunction in their work - pain.
It doesn't just happen in the lumbar region, muscle spasms can happen anywhere. Such a symptom in medicine is called psychosomatic pain.
Regular exercises aimed at strengthening and developing muscles, the formation of a "muscle corset" - the prevention of neurological pain.
Spinal diseases
Diseases of the spine itself, dysfunction of the muscles adjacent to it, are more difficult to treat. Main assistants: will, perseverance, patience. Diseases have individual triggers. The method of treatment depends on its nature.
injuries
Spinal muscles are injured for two reasons:
- Harm oneself out of ignorance: ignorance of the physiology of one's own body, abusive "exploitation" of the body.
- External influence (accidents, elements, unforeseen circumstances).
Self-harm is not deliberately committed (exceptions are rare, we are talking about something else here), injuries occur due to negligence. The man did not calculate his strength, he lifted a heavy object and at the same time awkwardly turned around. Injury inflicted on the spine in the lumbar region. The pain is sharp, sharp, not allowing to move.
This happens more often in men: they work more with weights.Standard recommendations from doctors:
- Restriction of movement (bed rest);
- Powerful injections for back and lower back pain;
- Warming rubs, ointments, compresses, heating;
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- Massage;
- Exercise therapy - after a decrease in intensity, improvement of symptoms and during remission.
Let's take a closer look at the essence of medical prescriptions:
- Rest (restriction of movement). The muscles are spastic, tense, some of them are blocked by the wrong load. By depriving the patient of mobility, the doctor involuntarily repairs this blockage: immobility will not relieve the spasm. Muscles become rigid - lose their flexibility and remain tense for a long time. Muscle tissue quickly weakens throughout the body deprived of motion. These are the prerequisites for the transition of the disease to a chronic form.
- Analgesics. The injections "remove" the symptoms, it is easier for the patient. But there is no therapeutic effect. The reason remains, the person simply feels less pain for two to three hours. Strong drugs are also strong, giving side effects. Often used to relieve attacks of pain in the lumbosacral spine, a drug from the group of derivatives of phenylacetic acid causes serious problems in the gastrointestinal tract. Other painkillers are also not without side effects. And they have been used for a long time, course.
- The pain is always swelling. It is visible or hidden, but pain and swelling coexist without fail. Edema is aggravated by warming manipulations. The situation is the same: the pain fades, the problem persists or progresses.
- Physical therapy of spastic muscles is indeed similar to placebo. Best case scenario.
- Skillful massage will benefit, relax the muscles. Careful stroking is useless, use a special massage that relieves spasms. It's painful at first, but helps with quick recovery.
- Exercise is essential immediately after an injury. Through the pain Correct movements bring the muscles back to normal without medication. It is necessary to find out the exact diagnosis, focusing on it, choose a set of exercises. Leave the diagnosis to the doctor.
Serious injuries (soft tissue tears, fractures) require hospitalization, sometimes surgery. But in rehabilitation, the main thing is the development and strengthening, restoration of injured muscles. Drug anesthesia is a temporary measure, recovery is achieved by regular exercise.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is called dystrophic changes of intervertebral discs:
- The cartilaginous tissue of the discs wears out if the muscles that supply the spine, adjacent to it, are poorly developed, sluggish. The spine is vulnerable without the support of a reliable muscle corset, the load on the discs is uneven.
- The discs flatten, the tissues around them lose their elasticity, spasms. The pain reflex is transmitted from the place of compression through the disc vertebrae: from spastic muscles through the nerve to the brain.
- The edges of the vertebrae are deformed, begin to grow, additionally injuring the muscles.
- The chronic process is formed gradually, pain sensations are far from its onset. Progresses from discomfort and dull pain - to growing, intense. Often leads to disability.
Osteochondrosis often occurs in men who are forced to lift weights. The disease often develops in women. Women tend to be more sedentarylack of movement weakens the musculoskeletal system. Staying in one position for a long time overwork some muscle groups without engaging others. There are pains in the spine in the lumbar and other segments.
The pattern is the same: muscle spasm, the signal from the pain receptors of the compressed discs is read by the nerve, the person feels debilitating pain. This is called "root syndrome" (doctors explain this by squeezing the root of the spinal cord). Hypodynamia is to blame in tandem with an irresponsible attitude to health. Muscle tissue is able to recover, for this it needs your conscious help. A pinched nerve (the second inaccurate name of the syndrome, since the nerve does not contain pain receptors, it transmits an impulse from edematous muscles) is not easy to cure. Willpower, patience, time are your allies.
Treatment is performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis, as well as for injuries that do not require surgery. Doctors use blockades of painkillers, prescribe anti-inflammatory and analgesic injections.
Full muscle work can only be restored by regular exercise. Thoughtful and competent exercise system. Choose from a wide variety of rehabilitation methods from medical authors - which is right for you.
Spondylosis
Untreated progressive osteochondrosis against the background of a number of violations of the diet and the body itself can develop into spondylosis. The growth of bone tissue is an adaptive reaction of the body. The skeletal muscles, the spine, don't hold. He tries to hold on with his own strength, pushing supports - bone spikes. Processes in advanced cases grow together with neighboring vertebrae. The spine is fixed, it becomes rigid, the movements of the lower back are blocked.
Protrusions (growths) on the edges of the segments of the spine constantly injure adjacent tissues.
Stop the disease in time, or better, prevent it.Do not allow the transition of osteochondrosis to spondylosis: the second is more difficult to treat.
At least half an hour to forty minutes of simple exercises (remember gradual ones) a day. Add regularity to progression: don't skip classes. The result in two to four weeks, they will show themselves tangible. The time for complete healing depends on the initial state: how far the disease has gone.
Good gymnastics will certainly improve your well-being, but it will only relieve the neglected stage, not cure it. The disease is serious. Operations for spondylosis are ineffective. Treatment is symptomatic. Anesthetize with ointments, injections.
The use of medication is advised if the pain in the lumbosacral region is unbearable. Dosage and frequency - adjust.For muscles strengthened by exercises, the need for anesthesia disappears.The pain will subside. Prevention will serve as a guarantee of their non-return: gymnastics of muscles, joints and the whole body. At the same time, the body completely heals.
Spondylarthrosis
Pain in the lumbosacral spine is pronounced in spondylarthrosis. The pain may radiate to the buttocks and thighs.
The disease is characterized by damage to the joints located between the bodies of the spine. The cartilage in the joint is destroyed, the bone tissue is broken. Nearby muscles and ligaments are inflamed and tense. Mobility is reduced. The disease progresses, it occurs in the elderly, young people rarely suffer - with congenital anomalies of the spine.
Factors provoking spondylarthrosis:
- Old age:
- Floor;
- Obesity;
- Heavy physical labor in the past;
- power sports (dumbbells);
- injuries;
- genetic predisposition.
In women, spondylarthrosis occurs twice as often. This fact is associated with metabolic disorders (fluctuations in the level and composition of hormones - pregnancy, menopause). Affects the statistics and the difference in the average life expectancy of different sexes. The age bar for spondylarthrosis is high, women overcome it more often.
The doctor decides how to treat, operations are not indicated. The procedures aim to reduce pain. The doctor will prescribe medications and doable exercises.
Radiculitis
If you do not cure osteochondrosis, it can be complicated by sciatica. The symptoms are similar, but the disease is more serious. Nerve fibers are affected - bundles located in the muscles adjacent to the spine along the spine. Aching, pulling lower back pain, radiating to the buttock and left leg, may indicate sciatica, osteochondrosis, vertebral hernia. The pain also radiates to the right leg, less often it is bilateral. With sciatica, it is difficult to find a position that relieves the intensity of the pain. Pain radiates to the leg and with other spinal health conditions seek medical attention:high-quality diagnostics are half of treatment success.
Radiculitis in the absence of competent treatment leads to curvature of the spine. A common complication of the disease is vertebral hernia, a protrusion of a disc compressed by the vertebrae. With a hernia of the lumbar spine, the pain is constant, this is a serious consequence of sciatica.
The onset of radiculitis, like osteochondrosis, has similar causes:
- Violation of posture;
- Muscle detraining;
- flat foot;
- The habit of "holding the back" incorrectly while walking, sitting, working and resting;
- Violation of metabolic processes.
If osteochondrosis develops, pain and burning in the back appear, treat the problem immediately. Until it gets worse.
Radiculitis is treated by the same method as osteochondrosis:
- Eliminate pain - apply ointments, gels, drugs;
- Relieve inflammation;
- Strengthen the muscular system with exercises.
tuberculous process
The infectious disease tuberculosis can cause inflammation of the muscles of any localization. If the muscles of the lumbar back are inflamed, pain is felt there. The tuberculous process in the bone tissue of the vertebrae occurs due to the penetration of specific tuberculosis bacteria into the vertebral tissue with blood flow. This causes the development of tuberculous spondylitis or osteomyelitis (bacteria infect the bone marrow of the spine).
Diseases of lumbar tuberculous etiology are accompanied by severe pain in the advanced stage.
What to do if spinal tuberculosis is diagnosed? Follow the instructions of an experienced doctor. Delaying treatment is dangerous: the spine is gradually deformed: the vertebrae are destroyed, a bump is formed.
The treatment is long, antibacterial, sometimes surgical. Load limiting is recommended. Medical supervision is necessary even after obtaining a remission.
Tumor
Tumor processes in the lumbar spine and adjacent tissues cause pain, which increases with the growth of the neoplasm. Unpleasant sensations give tumors of all kinds: benign and malignant.
If a tumor is suspected, a thorough examination and treatment are essential.Symptoms may resemble a pinched nerve, sciatica, or spinal hernia. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor for a reliable diagnosis.
Diagnosis is difficult due to the similarity of symptoms with other diseases. Night and morning pains are characteristic. A tumor involving the spinal cord is most prognostically severe.
Benign tumors are surgically treated, they are removed. Malignant ones are more often formed by metastases from other organs, it is difficult to cure them. You need to contact an oncologist, he will plan and carry out the treatment. Treatment tactics: anesthesia, supportive therapy, if necessary - surgery.
Diseases of internal organs
disease, symptoms |
Why the lower back hurts |
Actions needed |
|---|---|---|
A stroke is a violation of the blood circulation of the brain. Failure of most bodily functions - speech, motor, mental. |
Acute circulatory failure due to rupture or narrowing of a vessel can affect the spinal cord. Its functions are disturbed, hypoxia occurs. It causes pain. |
Urgent call for a paramedic. |
Atypical acute appendicitis |
Pain occurs in unusual places for this disease - epigastrium, left side or lower back. |
Call an ambulance, hospitalization and surgery are possible. |
Pyelonephritis, CDI (kidney disease) |
The inflammatory process (pyelonephritis) or the advancement of a kidney stone causes pain in the lower back and lower abdomen of varying intensity - from aching to sharp, unbearable. |
Call an ambulance. |
Intestinal obstruction. Acute life-threatening condition: retention of stool and gas, vomiting, nausea, food masses do not move through the intestines. Cold sweats, rapid pulse, drop in blood pressure. |
Pain in the form of contractions can be transmitted to the lower back. |
Emergency hospitalization. |
reflected pain |
Give them:
|
Examination by a doctor, examination, diagnosis, monitoring the appointment of adequate treatment. |
women's issues
The causes of pain are not always pathological, if we talk about women. Sometimes they reside in purely female physiology.
During pregnancy
Aching pains in the lumbar region in pregnant women can be conditionally attributed to pain. It is a natural feeling of heaviness: the child grows, the belly grows, the weight on the pelvic region is the most important. This gives an increased load on the spine in the lumbar region. Imagine that you have a bag attached to your belt, a bucket or a bucket and a half of water is poured into it. After walking with such a load for several hours, even a man will feel tired, his lower back will hurt. Carrying a child is not an easy joy in any sense. 
In the early stages, the body begins to rebuild, it is felt.
A healthy woman does not perceive desired "overweight" as discomfort.Normally developed muscles, gymnastics for pregnant women neutralizes the feeling of heaviness.If the pain is severe, the lower abdomen and lower back hurt, tell the doctor responsible for the pregnancy. The doctor will help find out what it could be. A multiple pregnancy can increase the severity - the load is higher than normal. Exacerbation of diseases that existed before pregnancy is not excluded, a medical consultation will reveal this.
Period
Normal process showing: the woman is healthy. At the start of menstruation, the cervix opens slightly and a pulling pain may occur. Then the internal mucous membranes that line the uterus are rejected - pain can also be. If the pain is unbearable - consult a doctor, he will tell you how to normalize menstruation. An irregular cycle can indicate hormonal disorders.
How to ease the pain
Acute muscular back pain that is not associated with organic damage can be relieved on its own, quickly and without medication.
Intense exhalation (deep, from the abdomen) activates the diaphragm, activates blood circulation and the condition is relieved.
- Lying on the back, we place a cold object under the lower back (a heating pad with ice, a bag of frozen vegetables, etc. ), the cold also anesthetizes the edematous muscles.
- We slightly bend the legs at the knees.
- We put our hands on the ears, on the exhale we raise the head, shoulders and lower it on the inhale.
The cold relieves swelling, activating blood flow to the lower back. The pain recedes.
Get on all fours on the ground, stretch the muscles while walking, leaning on the palms and knees. 5-20 minutes is the optimal duration of the exercise. Edema disappears, anesthesia occurs.
Lie on your back with your feet on a bench (sofa, other comfortable support). Under the lower back - a heating pad with ice. Hands behind head. As you exhale, lift the shoulder portion trying to reach your knees with your elbows. Perform 20 times or more, if possible. Muscles are developed, swelling and spasms are eliminated, pain disappears.
There is a complex of exercises that strengthen the muscles of the lower back, here are the main ones that quickly relieve pain. Kind of like an ambulance. The exercises are safe, the initial pain is natural. If you start performing these movements immediately, as soon as a person feels discomfort, "pulls" the muscles, it is possible to relieve the pain syndrome in one or two sessions.
Medicinal painkillers provide temporary relief, but do not eliminate the problem.Apply, if unbearable, ointment, folk remedies (salt lotions, herbal baths), but the emphasis is on exercises.
Alternate work and rest reasonably, get a good night's sleep.
Don't be flippant: work your muscles proactively. Practice movements that eliminate muscle stagnation. They are a dynamic organ. By applying reasonable series of exercises, do not force. To be patient. The work of the muscles is controlled by the mind, their ability to regenerate (recover) is amazing. Under load, new pathways are innervated, bypassing damaged ones, and temporarily lost functions of muscles affected by disease or external influence are restored.
The anatomical modifications concern only the pathways. Health, well-being, mobility - are restored.
There is no better investment than investing in your own health. It's about investing in effort: exercising as part of a lifestyle. To make it a habit - every day, like brushing your teeth.
Curing the disease is not an option. The desire to find a comfortable position for the body that relieves pain is understandable. But if "movement is life", then peace (which one so desires in times of pain) is the antipode of life. Eternal peace - with any degree of laziness - few people are interested, so you have to disturb the sick muscles. Through PainDiseases are loved when pampered (bed rest, minimal movement, warming up and other indulgent indulgences). Butthe evils recoil before the brave, stepping over the fear of experiencing pain and through itself. Overcome self-pity: It's an excuse for laziness and fear. A little courage, regular light work, and you will forget about lower back pain.