A person may consider himself healthy until one day he feels a pain in his back. Almost every disease is felt radiating in this area.
In addition, such sensations do not allow you to live and work in the same rhythm. What can back pain indicate and what is its nature?
Causes of back pain
A lot depends on what kind of lifestyle a person leads. Even excessive addiction to fatty foods can cause back pain. But the main causes of back pain are:
- diseases of the spine;
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- natural aging;
- too high loads;
- pregnancy.
Lumbar functions
The vertebrae located in the lumbar region have the most massive structure. They are strong and big.
This is due to the fact that the main part of the load falls here. The lower back takes on a very important function - upright posture.
In addition to body weight, other weights are placed on the lumbar spine. Athletes lift heavy weights, women try to bring huge bags from the market.
Intervertebral discs provide cushioning, but without proper care, the spine begins to change. This creates severe pain.
After sleep, the intervertebral discs are saturated with fluid again and are ready for work. But if the pain in the lower back becomes a constant companion, you should immediately consult a doctor.
In severe pathologies, even during sleep, the vertebrae do not diverge and access to nutrients is impossible.
Diseases of the spine
If the lower back hurts for no apparent reason, it is most likely caused by diseases of the spine. In the first place is osteochondrosis.
It develops against the background of general exhaustion caused by malnutrition, obesity, dystrophy of the muscular corset.
Excess weight loads the spine, the vertebrae begin to put pressure on each other with greater force. The intervertebral discs contract under pressure and do not have enough of a break to fill with fluid.
In addition, if a person does not eat properly, then the metabolism is disturbed and, accordingly, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs is disturbed.
Muscular dystrophy can develop due to constant stress, heavy loads and a sedentary lifestyle. The development mechanism is very simple.
- Muscles get too much stress. Due to unpreparedness, they freeze while accumulating lactic acid in themselves.
- Without proper relaxation (e. g. massage) the muscles cannot shorten. Because it is in constant tension, it does not allow blood to flow properly to it.
- Without receiving the necessary amount of nutrients, the muscles simply break down.
The spine is then included in the process. Bones alone cannot support the weight of a person. Bonds and muscles help them.
But when the muscles are missing, all the weight falls on the vertebrae. Under pressure, the intervertebral disc protrudes into the holes and can compress the nerve processes.
With lumbar osteochondrosis, the patient feels pain in the lower back, radiating to the leg. Most often, the sciatic nerve is damaged, and every step reacts with an electric shock.
If you do not treat such a disease, you can completely lose sensitivity in the lower extremities. The same condition is observed with displacement of the vertebrae, lordosis, scoliosis, etc.
The main difference between lesions of the spine is the increased pain after movement, as well as the feeling of relief after rest and sleep. Light relief of the condition helps to "stretch" the spine. It should be done before sleep.
Diseases of the genitourinary system
Pain in the lower back can occur with diseases of the ovaries in women, kidneys. In this case, symptoms may appear after hypothermia.
With inflammation of the ovaries, the woman experiences sensations similar to the menstrual syndrome. Pain in the lower back takes on a pulling, constant character.
If the lower back hurts sharply, like a knife piercing, to the left or right of the spine, this indicates inflammation of the kidneys.
In this case, pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis is possible. The doctor prescribes tests, conducts an examination. If kidney stones are found, they are removed with a laser.
natural aging
People over 30 come with complaints of back pain. It could be pain due to wear and tear on the vertebrae. The rate of aging of the spine is related to a person's lifestyle.
If he did not overdo it in the gym, but did sports, the pain will become chronic very soon.
The spinal department is felt first, as it withstands the greatest load. Many scientists claim that lower back pain is our retribution for the ability to keep our backs straight.
Without proper prevention, under the weight of the body, the intervertebral discs are destroyed, the vertebrae are displaced and twisted.
Loads too high
There is an opinion that it is simply necessary to go to the gym once a week and exhaust yourself in order to look good and be healthy.
But for any load you need to prepare. Before training, you should warm up, complete stretching exercises.
And increase the amount of exercise gradually. So it will be much more effective to do daily exercises.
With sudden loads, for example, in weightlifters, gymnasts, there is a high probability of dislocation, bulging of the disc, etc.
Pregnancy
Lower back pain during pregnancy is almost a physiological condition. As the fetus grows, they can become stronger, numbness in the limbs appears after sleep. This is due to the sudden weight gain.
Now the spine must hold not only the mass of the mother, but also the unborn child, which grows in a large amount of water.
Pregnant women often complain that their lower back hurts in the morning. You can avoid this if you sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow. And during the day, a special bandage will help relieve the load that unloads the lower back.
As a rule, such back pain disappears after childbirth. If they last a month, you should consult a doctor.
Diagnosis of low back pain
This type of pain is not difficult to diagnose. It is enough for the doctor to listen to the patient's description of the pain to find out whether it appears after sleep, has an increasing or constant character, whether there is an electric shock syndrome. And then the doctor can identify the main possible cause of the pain.
The basis of each treatment is gymnastics, which helps to strengthen the muscles, and massage to relax the latter.