The sudden, acute, painful or dull appearance, radiating to the legs, pain in the lower back, the cause of which can not always be determined immediately, may indicate the development of various diseases. Only an experienced physician will be able to understand exactly what caused the pain syndrome by studying the clinical picture, patient complaints, and the results of studies and tests with ultrasound, X-ray, or MRI. But often, even before going to the doctor, a person wants to know in advance what his condition is related to.
The main causes of low back pain
First of all, all causes of back pain can be divided into two main types:
- Primary (pain is associated with pathology of the spine, intervertebral discs, muscle tissue or joints).
- Secondary (pain appears with pathologies of internal organs and is given in the lower back, as well as due to infectious diseases in the body, the development of tumors).
The main causes of back pain
Today, bipedalism is called the cause of all spinal diseases. The load on the spine increases strongly with an upright body position, especially in the lower back - lumbar, which is consumed faster.
The main causes of back pain are as follows:
- Lumbar spine osteochondrosis. Degenerative changes in the spine cause acute pain, inflammation, swelling in the affected area, difficulty moving. Characteristic changes in the cartilaginous tissue of the vertebral discs and the vertebral bodies themselves often cause nerve constriction, which is manifested by acute pain.
- Spondyloarthritis. This pathology affects the articular tissue in the region of the spine. In addition to joint pain, a person with spondyloarthritis may experience severe stiffness of movements when it is impossible to direct or turn.
Low back pain caused by osteochondrosis or spondyloarthritis requires urgent, immediate medical attention and, of course, immediate treatment.
Secondary lumbar pain
A large number of diseases that are not associated with pathological processes in the spine can provoke unpleasant back pain.
There are secondary causes of back pain such as:
- curvature of the spine (scoliosis, lordosis, etc. );
- infections of various origins affecting the intervertebral discs (tuberculosis, etc. );
- urinary tract infections and the consequences of the flu;
- inflammatory processes in the genital area;
- gastrointestinal diseases (appendicitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, intestinal colic);
- kidney disease;
- oncological diseases localized in the peri-lumbar region;
- excess weight;
- osteoporosis, acute rheumatism, chronic arthritis;
- long standing or sitting;
- muscle spasms;
- nervous tension, stress.
Diseases of the internal organs have their vivid symptoms, reflected only in the lower back.
Low back pain causes in both women and men
The structure of the female body predisposes to the appearance of heaviness and pain in the lumbar region. This is due to the hormonal background: the menstrual cycle, menopause and pregnancy affect the lumbar region, as the reproductive organs are located in the vicinity. Gynecological diseases (inflammation of the appendages and uterus) cause radiating back pain in women.
Similarly, in men, prostatitis and inflammation of the epididymis cause pain. It happens that men periodically have back pain while working continuously in the cold in a stream, or if the work is accompanied by lifting weights. Such causes of back pain require preventive measures: you need to warm your back and wear a special corset.
Muscle clamps
Separately, I would like to dwell on a moment such as muscle spasms, which are often the cause of back pain. Persistent lack of physical activity leads to the fact that the back muscles are weak and can not withstand prolonged or increased loads. Therefore, working on foot or in a sitting position without movement causes back muscle overload and pain.
Stress has the same effect when muscle tension arises as a result of emotions of fear or anger. This is followed by spasms and pain, if not eliminated in time.
Accompanying symptoms
Low back pain, the causes of which lie in spinal cord injury, is most often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- discomfort can cover not only the back but also move the buttocks and lower limbs;
- movement may be very difficult or completely impossible;
- the affected area is usually inflamed and swollen.
For each of these symptoms, you should seek medical help from a neurologist. If there are other accompanying symptoms, then it is best to contact a therapist who will determine the causes of the back pain and then refer you to a specialist specialist or prescribe treatment.