How is lumbar spine pain treated?

Because of work or hobbies, do you spend a lot of time in a sitting position or do you exercise a lot in the gym? Everything was fine before, but now you have frequent back and lower back pain? So maybe you should see a doctor for help? What causes back pain? Which doctor should I go to and how to deal with the wound? We will talk about this and much more later in the article.

What causes pain?

So, "What to do if your back hurts and what can cause it? ", Let’s take a closer look at this question. There may be more than enough reasons. The fact is that pain in the back and lower back can signal numerous diseases, both of the spine and internal organs. This is due to the fact that many of the nerve endings that surround all the internal organs go from the spine. Therefore, according to the localization of pain in a certain area of the ridge, we can talk about some specific diseases.

back pain

Causes of occurrence

What do lower back pain say and which doctor should I see? Both habits and illnesses can cause lower back pain. The first are:

  • Permanent sedentary work. IT workers and drivers are in danger.
  • Constant constant work.
  • Frequent heavy physical activities. Athletes, especially weightlifters, are in danger.
  • Sedentary lifestyle.
  • A special risk group consists of pregnant women and women who have recently given birth.
  • Overweight.

As you can see, with habits, everything is simple. As for the second case, often pain in the lumbar region can be caused by disease. Here you can also highlight diseases of the spine itself and diseases in which pain in the lumbar region is just a symptom. The former include osteochondrosis, spondyloarthritis, intervertebral hernia, and bulge.

spinal hernia as a cause of back pain

The second group contains the following possible causes of back pain:

  • Reef fracture due to trauma.
  • Fracture caused by osteoporosis.
  • Tumor localized in the spinal canal.
  • Prolonged muscle strain.
  • Narrow structure of the spinal canal (quite rare).
  • Various complications in pregnancy.
  • Various arthritis such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis.
  • Spinal deformities, for example, kyphosis, scoliosis, Scheuermann-Mau disease, kyphoscoliosis.
  • Spinal tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, dyskitis.
  • Urolithiasis, pyelonephritis.
  • Ovarian cancer, endometriosis, ovarian cyst.

When should you see a doctor?

Mild back pain, which passes quickly and is the result of prolonged exertion, is the norm. But if the lower back hurts for quite a long time or the pain is periodic, then it occurs on its own, then disappears, then it is worth sounding the alarm. You must also go to the hospital immediately after a severe back injury. It should be understood that lower back pain may be accompanied by pain in the foot or lower leg. Also, part of the leg or buttocks may become numb. In this case you have something serious and it should be reviewed as soon as possible.

It is unlikely that you will make the diagnosis yourself, so you should go to the hospital, but which doctor should you go to? Some will tell the chiropractor, and some say the neurologist is more experienced. Both options are correct, however, it will be more correct to consult a neurologist, because he will be able to properly prescribe and conduct the entire course of diagnosing the disease. And in this case, the cause will be more accurately identified and there is every chance that you can deal with it successfully. So, from the point of view of a neurologist, with lower back pain, based on the intensity and intensity of the pain, you can roughly determine the cause of its occurrence.

see a doctor for back pain

Sharp pains

Acute lower back pain in men and women is the result of a recent injury (fall, muscle strain, shock, sudden movements). Also, the reason may be prolonged work in one awkward position or prolonged carrying and lifting of heavy items. And last but not least, the cold back due to hypothermia or prolonged exposure to drafts. Here you can easily treat back pain with folk remedies.

Lumbago and intervertebral disc displacement may differ separately from normal. The first disease is suffered by people whose area of activity includes constant hard physical work, which is why the lower back hurts in men. The disease is popularly called "lumbago". It usually stops on its own with rest or after a few days. However, this can easily take up to a month, so it requires at least home treatment for back pain.

pain in the lumbar spine

Acute and severe lower back pain in the lower back also manifests itself when moving the intervertebral discs. The disease can be caused by various injuries, hard physical work or a disease like osteochondrosis. You will not be able to undergo treatment at home. Hospitalization and complete diagnosis are required. There may even be surgery.

Strong pain

Severe pain differs from acute pain in that it is more prolonged in nature and is the result of some type of disease associated with the musculoskeletal system. These include sciatica and osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. In them, the pain in the waist in the lower back is felt during sneezing, coughing, sitting, walking, in a word, the back hurts with every movement. Also, pain can be given to the lower extremities and may even numb. It is no longer necessary to run here, but to fly to the doctor for an examination.

lower back pain in women

It hurts

As a rule, the back can ache from a sharp strong tension of the spinal muscles. You can relieve lower back pain by simply resting for a few hours. But you should not fly in the clouds, you have to be careful, because your back can hurt due to severe hypothermia. Therefore, a more chronic disease of myositis can develop, in which the psoas muscles become inflamed. In that case, it takes a few days of rest, as well as knowledge of how to remove the pain.

Chronic

Often caused by spondylosis deformity. The main symptoms of this disease are pain in the lower back that radiates to the buttocks or legs. Numbness of the lower extremities may also occur. Other diseases that cause similar symptoms include: cancer, metabolic disorders, ankylosing spondylitis.

Displaced

Such painful sensations are not the result of a disease of the back, but the consequences of a disease of an organ that enters the dorsal region. These include diseases of the pelvic organs of the male and female halves, as well as diseases of the colon, kidneys, pancreas and various types of tumors.

How is the treatment carried out?

So how do you get rid of lower back pain? You should go to the hospital first and make an appointment with a specialist. After the examination, the doctor will send you for an examination to confirm or deny the diagnosis he suspects. To find out what it could be, you may be sent for an X-ray of your spine. Today, a more advanced method is used, called myelography.

This method allows you to examine in detail the pathways leading to the spinal cord. It detects all pathologies in the presence of reduced road patency. It is worth knowing that before the X-ray, you will be injected into the spinal cord with a syringe with a xenon substance, which will highlight everything in the picture. This method is quite expensive but very effective and almost always helps to discover why your back hurts. In addition, MRI, ultrasound, ECG and CT may be prescribed. In additional cases, other tests may be needed, such as a complete blood count, etc.

the doctor prescribes treatment for back pain

Medications

In most cases, medications are great for back pain. It is intended to relieve pain, remove and further prevent inflammatory processes, improve blood circulation and repair damaged tissues. So, once we find out why the lower back hurts, we can get a general picture of how to treat lower back pain.

Conventionally, all treatment can be divided into 3 phases, namely: the beginning of treatment, the treatment itself and the end of therapy. At each stage, the drugs can act as drops, as well as in the form of blockages and injections. Treatment of lower back pain in the first stage should remove the pain itself, reduce swelling and inflammation, relieve cramps and relax muscles. In the second stage, you must completely get rid of the cause of the disease. Here the treatment is carried out mostly locally. Greases, coating mixtures are used. In addition, physiotherapy is recommended.

The third phase consists of injections that increase the regeneration of damaged tissues and nourish them with all the necessary components. This restores the full functionality of the segment. At all stages, the choice of medication and therapy depends on your diagnosis and the choice of the attending physician. Self-medication is not strictly recommended.

Physiotherapy

Once the exact cause of the pain has been determined, treatment with physiotherapy can be resorted to. Based on their reasons, the following treatment methods differ:

  • Ultrasound.
  • Laser therapy.
  • Exposure to electric current, etc.

Physical therapy is more focused on how to treat back pain in the early stages. In the later stages of the disease it can be recommended as an adjunctive method of treatment. The necessary therapy is prescribed only by a doctor after the examination.

Surgical intervention

In the vast majority of cases, back pain will not require surgery. However, if you have had pain for a long time and over time it only gets worse, and you refuse to consult a doctor, then this method of treatment is also possible. In this case, general anesthesia, where a lytic mixture is used, will most likely be used to completely immobilize the patient. The surgeon will make the plan of the operation on the basis of diagnostic data.

Folk methods

The question "How to relieve lower back pain? " Traditional medicine can also answer. Here, depending on how severe the pain symptoms are, different homemade ointments, lotions, etc. can be used. The main focus of such drugs is to relieve pain and inflammation. In most cases, treatment of the lower back with folk remedies is justified only as first aid. With long-term self-medication, without knowing the root cause of the pain, the disease can worsen significantly. Then a few folk remedies.

a poultice to treat back pain
  1. A compress of grated horseradish and radish mixed with sour cream is placed on the painful area of the lower back. From above, all this is covered with a paper napkin, and the entire lower back is tied with a scarf. Such a compress perfectly removes the symptoms of pain and removes muscle cramps.
  2. When your back hurts, warm infusion compresses prepared with a mixture of healing injuries will help. These include thyme, chamomile, St. John's wort and black elderberry. The dressing is applied at night. The damaged area is wrapped in a warm cloth. It is recommended to carry out the treatment at night. An identical compress is prepared from an infusion of dried burdock leaves.
  3. Another treatment with folk remedies is based on the healing properties of wild chestnut. You must first grind the chestnut into a powder. It is then mixed with camphor oil and melted lard. The ingredients are given in approximately the same amounts. The resulting ointment is smeared on a slice of black bread and applied to the sore back as a compress. Such a drug can improve blood circulation, has nutritional and anti-inflammatory properties.

But remember, no matter how much the folk remedy has proven, it is still necessary to consult a doctor. After all, self-medication is always carried out at your own risk. In addition, it may turn out that the treatment procedures bring only short-term relief, after which the pain will occasionally intensify.

Prophylaxis

When your back hurts in the lumbar region, it is too late for prevention. But in order not to face such a problem for as long as possible, you need to think about how to prevent it and what leads to it? It has already been described above that people who lead a sedentary or sedentary lifestyle, athletes, especially weightlifters and overweight people are at risk.

Accordingly, the best prevention of the disease will be mandatory morning exercises, sports, therapeutic exercises, reduction of the load on the back, massage, diet control, etc. Also, to eliminate what can cause lower back pain, periodic appointments with your doctor will help.

examination by a doctor for back pain

First aid

What to do if your lower back hurts a lot and it is far to the hospital? How to quickly relieve back pain to wait for a doctor? To do this, you need to know some first aid methods. Of course, they will not have a healing effect, but they will help cope with the pain. So, we do everything in stages:

  1. We lie on our backs, on a hard bed or on the floor. The blanket must be removed from the bed.
  2. At the same time, the legs are raised and bent at the knees. For greater comfort, lift your legs, lift a pillow or a rolled-up blanket.
  3. We take the usual dose of painkiller or anti-inflammatory drug we have.
  4. We lie down and try not to make sudden movements.
  5. Remember to call your doctor at home during the procedure.
  6. In most cases, you will need rest and bed rest for the next few days. After visiting the doctor, call the job and inform your supervisor.
  7. Try to avoid spicy and smoked foods during and after treatment.