Causes and treatment of back pain in the lumbar region: what to do if it radiates to the leg

It turns out that back pain in the lumbar region is a very common occurrence.

According to biologists, this symptom is a consequence of our upright posture, in which the load falls mainly on the lumbar region and is not evenly distributed throughout the spine.Pain in the lower back can signal very serious problems not only with the spine, but also with internal organs.

If the pain is sharp and accompanied by fever, call an ambulance.

If such symptoms are not observed, for an accurate diagnosis you should consult a therapist.Let's find out why such symptoms occur, how they can be addressed and prevented.

The main causes of pain in the lumbar region

First, let's find out the causes of such unpleasant symptoms.Pain can be primary in spinal pathologies or secondary in internal organ diseases.

Along with the causes, it is important to identify the factors that increase the pain syndrome.

Here they are:

1. Characteristics of the profession: heavy physical activity for builders and loaders and heavy lifting for athletes.
2. Prolonged stay in a sitting position.
3. Overweight and sedentary lifestyle.
4. Poor nutrition and lack of proteins, calcium and phosphorus in the body.
5. Bad habits: alcohol and spirits.

Even by reducing the impact of these factors, you will significantly improve your condition and the health of your spine.

Primary factors

Primary factors are associated with degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine.

These include:

1. Osteochondrosis is a change in the cartilage and intervertebral discs, leading to herniation or deformation of the discs.
2. Spondylosis is characterized by the formation of bone spurs on the vertebrae.With this growth, the muscles around the spine spasm, limiting its mobility.The appearance of lesions in the lower back.
3. Spondyloarthrosis is the degeneration of the articular surfaces of the vertebrae, as well as their involvement in the pathological process of ligaments, joints and muscles.In this case, deformation of the intervertebral discs occurs and the mobility of the spine is limited.
4. Spondylolisthesis is manifested by displacement of the vertebrae, as a result of which the lumen of the spinal canal changes.
5. Herniated intervertebral discs.
6. Radiculopathy is damage to the nerve root.

Secondary factors

Secondary ones occur with concomitant pathologies:

1. Problems with metabolism.
2. Curvature of the spine.
3. When malignant tumors are located near the spine.
4. Infectious diseases: spinal osteomyelitis, tuberculous spondylitis, spinal epidural abscess.
5. Spinal injuries.
6. Autoimmune diseases.
7. Painful symptoms of a psychogenic nature.
8. Diseases of the digestive system.
9. Pelvic organ diseases.
10. Menstrual pain.

Also, spinal problems can be affected by flat feet, that is, the flattening of the arch of the foot.

Pregnancy can also cause pain.In the early stages they appear when progesterone affects the ligaments and muscles, even in case of danger of miscarriage or during an ectopic pregnancy.

After childbirth, pain may occur due to stretching of the pelvic muscles or increased load on the spine, with frequent carrying of the baby in the arms.

What diseases does this pain signal?

The location of the pain is also important.

So, let's look at each case:

• aching pain on the right and above the lower back may indicate lung disease.These symptoms are accompanied by shortness of breath, cough and fever.Also on gallbladder or liver problems.At the same time, the nature of the pain is excruciating;
• if you feel discomfort over the lower back on the left, this may be a sign of pancreatitis, myocardial infarction, pericarditis or pleurisy of the left side;
• pain symptoms in the lumbar region indicate osteochondrosis in this area, intervertebral hernias and compression fractures;
• a painful symptom under the lower back radiating to the lower abdomen is a sign of diseases of the pelvic organs.Such diseases include fibroids, endometriosis, prostate diseases, colon diseases and infectious gynecological diseases.This could also indicate that your kidneys are out of order.

Which doctor will help?

Most often, lower back pain occurs temporarily.Only in rare cases do such symptoms signal complex diseases.

In any case, it is worth knowing which doctor can help in such a situation.Often acute pain occurs with increased physical activity.

In other cases, you can seek help from a surgeon, urologist or even a chiropractor, who will make a more accurate diagnosis and prescribe how to treat such a problem.

Also, for such pain, you may need to consult a traumatologist, orthopedist, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist, proctologist or gynecologist.

Characteristics of the treatment

Depending on the causes of your back pain, your doctor will prescribe the following treatment options:

• pharmacological treatment with analgesics and hormones;
• blocks, which are injections into the intervertebral joints;
• manual techniques;
• physiotherapeutic procedures;
• therapeutic exercises;
• acupuncture.

If conservative treatment does not help, surgery is used.

When treating a herniated disc due to osteochondrosis, physiotherapeutic methods are used in addition to the main treatment.

Therapeutic blocks are used when other methods do not give the desired effect.Most often, for this purpose, anesthetics are injected into the lumen of the affected joint.

Acupuncture is recommended in cases of disc protrusions, osteochondrosis or hernias.If the pain radiates to the leg, physiotherapy is also used.

Wearing a special corset allows you to limit movement in the lumbar region.This helps reduce pain in the area of joint inflammation.

For back pain, your doctor may provide the following recommendations:

1. Bed rest on a hard surface for 2-5 days.
2. Wear a special bandage.
3. The use of anti-inflammatories and painkillers.
4. To eliminate muscle spasms, muscle relaxants are prescribed.Special medications are also used to help relax the muscles.
5. To improve blood circulation and reduce swelling, vascular drugs and diuretics are used.
6. All kinds of gels and ointments are used as local therapy.
7. To consolidate the positive result, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed.It can be electrophoresis, phonophoresis and magnetic therapy.

Therapeutic exercise and special massage help to improve blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, and also eliminate the inflammatory process.

If pain in the lumbar region is not associated with complex diseases, yoga classes will help alleviate the condition.

You can do similar exercises at home and they will not take much time.

Pain due to hypothermia

Did you know that a common cause of back pain is hypothermia.At the same time, you don't even have to freeze, but just sweat and go under the air conditioning.

In this case, the warm surface of the body will come into contact with a flow of cold air.And the next day it will be difficult to straighten up or get up.

In such a situation, the pain becomes constant and painful.

First of all, you need to warm up your back.A warming ointment is suitable for this purpose.If there is no remedy, then ordinary alcohol will also come in handy.After rubbing, the lower back should be wrapped in something warm.

A similar procedure is performed every day.If the pain is severe, you should seek help from a doctor.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to relieve pain.

If you often suffer from hypothermia, purchase a dog or sheep wool belt.

What to do with lower back pain?

This pain occurs during intense physical exertion.A sharp pain extending to the leg appears when carrying weights.

A similar symptom is characteristic of lumbosacral radiculitis, which is called lumbago or lumbago.In such a situation, you need to lie down on a hard surface.

To relieve pain, take a pain reliever.

Remember that if you have these symptoms you should not take a hot bath or steam in a sauna.In this case, dry heat will help the most.

For example, a special ointment.It is also worth limiting your salt and fluid intake for several days.

What will help with a hernia?

With a hernia, sharp, constant pain occurs, which increases with any movement.Relief occurs only in the supine position.

You may also feel numbness in your lower back.To reduce pain, you need to ensure bed rest and take painkillers.Then you need to call a doctor.

In the acute period, serious and qualified treatment is necessary.

What to do for prevention?

Don't wait for severe pain to appear, but start taking preventive measures.

Here they are:

1. Identification and treatment of concomitant diseases that can cause low back pain.
2. Proper nutrition with sufficient quantities of phosphorus, calcium and other vitamins.
3. Strenuous physical activities and heavy lifting should be avoided.In this case, the load should be distributed evenly.Do not make sudden movements.
4. Lead an active lifestyle.Try walking, swimming or yoga.
5. Follow therapeutic massage courses periodically.
6. When you work sedentary, take a break every hour and do some exercise.
7. The bed should be comfortable, for example, with an orthopedic mattress.

For prevention, you can wear special elastic belts, posture correctors or bandages.

Such devices are recommended during pregnancy and intense physical activity.

It is important to control your weight, as high body weight increases the load on the spine.Get rid of bad habits and also undergo a preventive examination every year.

Therapeutic gymnastics

To strengthen your back muscles and prevent pain, exercise at home.Exercise should be done regularly.

A well-designed set of exercises will help improve posture, increase muscle tone and also activate blood circulation.

In such a complex you can use the following movements:

• the body tilts in different directions.First left and right, then forward and backward;
• turn the body to the side;
• in the knee position - in the elbow position, you need to bend your back up and down;
• lying on your back with knees bent, lift your pelvis upward;
• from the lying position, straightened legs should be bent at the knees and pulled towards the chest.

Perform each exercise 8-10 times.

Do not ignore the symptoms of pain in the lumbar region, go to the doctor and take preventive measures that will help normalize your well-being and improve your health.