Even children sometimes experience pain in the lower back. Adults know the problems firsthand. To cope with it, you need to find out: why the lower back hurts, what are the reasons. The range of causes is wide: from benign conditions 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 consulting a doctor.
Factors provoking pain
Lower back pain is a common phenomenon, but from the category of "arrives accidentally". It occurs unexpectedly and always inopportunely. There are explanations for everything, consider the likely ones in order.
After sleep
A person wakes up in the morning, intends to get up . . . And he can't. Sharp and piercing back pain. The day before, I didn't lift weights, I didn't load my muscles, where the pain comes from, it's not clear.
Action algorithm:
- With any pain, it is important to calm down in order to adequately assess the situation.Panic doesn't relieve pain, but it can make it worse. It doesn't work, we think lying down.
- Remember yesterday.If you've spent it in the office, and in the evening in front of the TV or computer, and this is your usual routine, the muscles undergo (don't be surprised) an overload. Constantly, daily. They have no time to relax at night. Passive rest does not help unused muscles recover. A static load is heavier than a dynamic one. The first (static) - being in the same position - overloads some muscles, leaving others out of work. The dynamics (movement) involves many of the muscles.
- We continue to analyze.You load your muscles evenly, do a minimum of exercises, do not sit eighteen hours a day, but wake up with back pain.
Probable causes:
- Awkward posture during sleep;
- Excessively hard or excessively soft bed;
- Manifestation of internal diseases.
The latter circumstance is rarely associated with sleep. A person may feel bad after waking up, because in a dream the body is relaxed, sensations are dulled. The perception of the awakened person sharpens, moves - the suffering organ reacts.
- If you calmed down, analyzed the situation, found out the cause of the pain, take action.When convinced: muscle pain, not associated with organ pathology, get up gently. Doesn't work - rolls over to the edge of the bed, slides to the floor. There you will practice to relieve muscle spasm - this is your treatment.
Back pain after sleep, which has arisen 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 strong ones "do not notice. "Not the hardness / softness of the bed, awkward movements and flabby muscles give pain.
Learn more about sleeping comfort. Which bed is better - a controversial question, the answers to which are diametrically opposite. 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 firmness promote a soft, thick mattress that allows the body to "sink" into the filling. In a semi-suspended state, the muscles and spine occupy an arbitrary position. "Sweet sleep" advertisers argue: it is more useful, the approach is physiological. The mattress is also called orthopedic.
Lower back pain in both women and men occurs after sleeping on any bed. Extremes are not the best solution. Our strong ancestors, peasants, slept on chests or stoves, making beds with feather beds. Medium option. Posture was excellent, pain after waking up was not typical for young and middle-aged.
To keep the body in shape, muscles - active and regular exercises will help: exercises. Muscle training. How to help yourself "here and now" - we will definitely talk about this. When we consider all probable causes and find out what it could be, why back pain appeared.
You can also feel pain and burning in other cases, with spinal diseases, injuries. So it's non-specific, creepy mornings regardless of the "sleepy" weather.
After training
Lack of load leads to weakness, muscle atrophy, overstrain - pain will reward for diligence. Reminder to trainees: Take the phrase "hurry up, slowly" as the catch-up motto. It is not always possible to row strokes of strength and health.Gradual is the key to success.
Calculate the optimal load is not difficult, two indicators are needed:
- HR (heart rate, the number of heartbeats per minute is measured);
- Blood pressure.
Heart rate measurements are performed three times:
- Before the lesson;
- 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 to 120 (no more). After 5 minutes, your pulse should slow down: drop below 100 beats. If the heart rate remains more frequent, the load is excessive, the muscles will respond resulting in 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 lower back muscles does not occur after training.
Due to negative emotions
A person who is prone to feelings or who has fallen into a severe prolonged stressful situation 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.
This happens not only in the lumbar region, muscle spasm can occur 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.
Diseases of the spine
Diseases of the spine itself, dysfunction of the muscles adjacent to it, are more difficult to treat. Main assistants - willpower, perseverance, patience. Diseases have individual triggers. The method of treatment depends on its nature.
injuries
The muscles of the spine are injured for two reasons:
- Harming oneself through ignorance: ignorance of the physiology of one's body, improper "exploitation" of the body.
- External influence (accidents, elements, unforeseen circumstances).
Self-mutilation is not involved deliberately (the exceptions are rare, we are talking about something else here), the injuries occur due to carelessness. The man did not calculate his strength, he pulled on a heavy object and at the same time spun awkwardly. Injury inflicted on the spine in the lumbar region. The pain is sharp, sharp, not allowing to move.
More often this happens in men - they work more with weights.Standard recommendations of doctors:
- Restriction of movement (bed rest);
- Powerful injections for back and lower back pain;
- Warming rub, ointments, compresses, warming;
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- Massage;
- Physical therapy - after a decrease in intensity, relief of symptoms and during remission.
Let's take a closer look at the essence of medical prescriptions:
- Rest (restriction of movement). The muscles are spasmodic, tense, some are blocked by the wrong load. By depriving the patient of mobility, the doctor involuntarily resolves this blockage - immobility does not relieve the spasm. Muscles become stiff: they lose flexibility, remaining tense for a long time. Muscle tissue rapidly weakens throughout the body deprived of movement. These are prerequisites for the transition of the disease into a chronic form.
- Painkillers. Injections "suppress" 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 or three hours. Even strong drugs are strong and give side effects. Often used to relieve pain attacks in the lumbosacral spine, a drug from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives causes serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Other pain relievers are also not without side effects. And they have been used for a long time, Corsicans.
- 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 is relieved, the problem remains or progresses.
- Physiotherapy for spasmodic muscles is close in effect to placebo. Best case scenario.
- Skillful massage will benefit, relax the muscles. Attentive stroking is useless, use a special massage that relieves spasms. It's painful at first, but helps with a quick recovery.
- Exercise is essential immediately after an injury. Through painThe correct movements bring muscles back to normal without drugs. It is necessary to know 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 with regular exercises.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is called dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs:
- The cartilaginous tissue of the discs wears out if the muscles supplying 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, spasm. The pain reflex is transmitted from the place of compression from the vertebrae of the disc: from the spasmodic muscles through the nerve to the brain.
- The edges of the vertebrae are deformed, they begin to grow, further injuring the muscles.
- The chronic process is formed gradually, pain sensations are far from its beginning. It progresses from discomfort and dull ache to growing, intense. It 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 overloads some muscle groups without engaging others. There is spinal pain in the lumbar and other segments.
The scheme is the same: muscle spasm, the signal of the pain receptors from the compressed discs is read by the nerve, the person feels debilitating pain. It's called "radicular syndrome" (doctors explain it by squeezing the root of the spinal cord). Hypodynamia in tandem with an irresponsible attitude to health is to blame. Muscle tissue is able to recover, for this it needs your conscious help. A pinched nerve (the second, imprecise, name of the syndrome, since the nerve does not contain pain receptors, it transmits an impulse from the swollen muscles) is not easy to cure. Willpower, patience, time are your allies.
Treatment is carried out on an inpatient or outpatient basis, as well as for injuries that do not require surgery. Doctors use pain-relieving blocks, prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving injections.
Full muscle work can only be restored with regular exercise. Thoughtful and competent exercise system. Choose from a remarkable variety of medical author rehabilitation methods - right for you.
Spondylosis
Untreated progressive osteochondrosis against the background of a number of violations of the regime and the body itself can turn into spondylosis. The growth of bone tissue is an adaptive reaction of the body. The muscles of the skeleton, the spine, do not hold. Try to hold on with your own strength, pushing out the supports - bone spikes. The processes in advanced cases grow together with neighboring vertebrae. The spine is fixed, becomes stiff, movements in the lower back are blocked.
Protrusions (growths) on the edges of the spinal segments constantly injure adjacent tissues.
Stop the disease in time, or rather, prevent it.Do not allow the transition from osteochondrosis to spondylosis - the latter is more difficult to deal with.
At least half an hour - forty minutes of simple (remember gradual) exercises a day. Add regularity to gradualness: don't skip classes. The result in two to four weeks, they will show tangible. The time for a complete cure depends on the initial state: how far the disease has gone.
Proper gymnastics will certainly improve your well-being, but it will only ease the neglected phase, not heal it. The disease is serious. Operations for spondylosis are ineffective. Treatment is symptomatic. Anesthetize with ointments, injections.
The use of medications is advisable if the pain in the lumbosacral region is unbearable. Dosage and frequency - regular.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 for muscles, joints and the whole body. At the same time, the body heals completely.
Spondylarthrosis
Pain in the lumbosacral spine is pronounced in spondylarthrosis. The pain can radiate to the buttocks and thighs.
The disease is characterized by damage to the joints located between the bodies of the spine. The cartilage of the joint is destroyed, the bone tissue breaks down. Nearby muscles and ligaments are inflamed and tense. Mobility is reduced. The disease progresses, occurs in the elderly, young people rarely suffer - with congenital anomalies of the spine.
Factors provoking spondylarthrosis:
- Senior age:
- Floor;
- Obesity;
- Heavy physical work in the past;
- Power sports (barbell);
- 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). It affects the statistics and the difference in the average life expectancy of different genders. The age bar for spondylarthrosis is high, women pass it more often.
The doctor decides how to treat, operations are not indicated. The procedures aim to reduce pain. The doctor will prescribe feasible medications and exercises.
Radiculitis
If osteochondrosis is not treated, it can be complicated by sciatica. The symptoms are similar, but the disease is more severe. Nerve fibers are affected - bundles located in the muscles adjacent to the spine along the spine. Aching, pulling back pain, radiating to the buttock and left leg, may indicate sciatica, osteochondrosis, spinal hernia. The pain also radiates to the right leg, less often it is bilateral. With sciatica, it's hard to find a position that relieves the intensity of the pain. The pain radiates to the leg and with other spinal health complaints, consult a doctor:high-quality diagnostics is half the success in treatment.
Radiculitis in the absence of competent treatment leads to a curvature of the spine. A frequent complication of the disease is a vertebral hernia - a protrusion of a compressed disc from 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 feet;
- The habit of incorrectly "holding the back" when walking, sitting, working and resting;
- Violation of metabolic processes.
If osteochondrosis develops, pain and burning in the back appear, deal with the problem immediately. Until it got worse.
Radiculitis is treated by the same method as for osteochondrosis:
- Eliminate pain - apply ointments, gels, drugs;
- Relieve inflammation;
- Strengthen the muscular system with exercises.
tuberculous process
The infectious disease of tuberculosis can cause inflammation of the muscles of any localization. If the muscles in the lower back are inflamed, pain is felt there. The tuberculous process in the bone tissue of the vertebrae is 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 hump is formed.
Treatment is long, antibacterial, sometimes surgical. It is recommended to limit the load. Medical supervision is also required after remission is achieved.
Cancer
Tumor processes in the lumbar spine and adjacent tissues cause pain, which increases with the growth of the neoplasm. Unpleasant sensations give tumors of any kind: benign and malignant.
If cancer is suspected, a thorough examination and treatment is essential. Symptoms can resemble a pinched nerve, sciatica, or spinal herniation. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor, establishing a reliable diagnosis.
Diagnosis is difficult due to the similarity of symptoms to other diseases. Night and morning pains are characteristic. A tumor involving the spinal cord is the most prognostically serious.
Benign tumors are treated surgically, they are removed. Malignant ones are most often formed from metastases from other organs, they are difficult to cure. You should contact an oncologist, he will plan and carry out treatment. Treatment tactics: anesthesia, supportive therapy, if necessary - surgery.
Diseases of internal organs
disease, symptoms |
Why does the lower back hurt |
Actions required |
|---|---|---|
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. This causes pain. |
Urgent call for an ambulance paramedic. |
Atypical acute appendicitis |
The pain occurs in places unusual for this disease: epigastrium, left side or lower back. |
Call an ambulance, hospitalization and surgery are possible. |
Pyelonephritis, ICD (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 blockage. Acute life-threatening condition: retention of feces and gases, vomiting, nausea, food masses do not move through the intestines. Cold sweat, rapid pulse, drop in blood pressure. |
Pain in the form of contractions can be given to the lower back. |
Emergency hospitalization. |
Reflected pain |
Give them:
|
Examination by a doctor, examination, diagnosis, followed by the appointment of adequate treatment. |
women's issues
The causes of pain are not always pathological, if we talk about women. Sometimes they are found in purely female physiology.
During pregnancy
Aching pains in the lumbar region in expectant mothers can conditionally be attributed to pain. This is a natural feeling of heaviness: the baby grows, the stomach increases, the weight on the pelvic region is maximum. This increases the load on the spine in the lumbar region. She imagines that she has a bag strapped to her belt, a bucket or bucket, and half of the water is poured into it. After walking with such a load for several hours, a man will also feel tired, his lower back will hurt. Carrying a child is not an easy joy in every sense. 
In the early stages, the body begins to rebuild itself, it feels.
A healthy woman does not perceive the desired "excess weight" as discomfort.Normally developed muscles, gymnastics for pregnant women neutralize the feeling of heaviness.If the pain is intense, the lower abdomen and lower back hurt, she informs the doctor leading the pregnancy. Your doctor will help find out what it could be. Multiple pregnancy can increase the severity - the load is greater than usual. Exacerbation of diseases that existed before pregnancy is not excluded, a doctor's consultation will reveal this.
Period
Normal process showing: the woman is healthy. At the onset of menstruation, the cervix opens slightly and excruciating pain may occur. Then the internal mucous membranes lining the uterus are pushed back - pain can also be. If the pain is unbearable, she consults a doctor, she will tell you how to normalize menstruation. Irregular periods may indicate hormonal disorders.
How to relieve pain
Acute muscular back pain that is not associated with organ 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 your 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 bend our legs slightly at the knees.
- We put our hands to our ears, on the exhale we raise our head, shoulders up, and on the inhale we lower it.
The cold relieves swelling by activating blood flow to the lower back. The pain subsides.
Lie on the floor on all fours, stretch your muscles by walking with support on your palms and knees. 5-20 minutes is the optimal duration of the exercise. Edema resolves, anesthesia occurs.
Lie on your back, feet on a bench (sofa, other comfortable support). Under the lower back is a heating pad with ice. Hands behind the head. As you exhale, lift the shoulder part up, trying to reach your knees with your elbows. Perform 20 times or more if possible. Muscles develop, swelling and spasms are removed, pain disappears.
There is a set of exercises that strengthen the muscles of the lower back, here are the main ones that quickly relieve pain. Some kind of 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 bring temporary relief, but do not eliminate the problem.Apply, if unbearable, ointments, folk remedies (salt lotions, herbal baths), but the emphasis is on exercises.
Reasonably alternate work and rest, give yourself a good night's sleep.
Don't be flippant: Train your muscles proactively. Practice movements that eliminate muscle stagnation. I am a dynamic organ. Applying reasonable sets of exercises, do not force. Be patient. The work of the muscles is controlled by the mind, their ability to regenerate (recovery) 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 changes only affect the paths. Health, well-being, mobility - are restored.
There is no better investment than investing in your health. It's about investing the effort: exercise 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 is so desired in case of pain) is at the antipodes 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 they are pampered (bed rest, a minimum of movements, warm-ups and other indulgent indulgences). Butthe ailments retreat before the brave, bypassing the fear of feeling pain and through it itself. Get over self-pity - it's an excuse for laziness and fear. A little courage, regular light work and you will forget about back pain.