Lower back pain reduces quality of life and can cause depression. Before going to the doctor, it's important to understand what is causing the pain, stop it and reduce its intensity.
The cause of lower back pain can be due to a lot of physical activity, serious diseases of the internal organs and the musculoskeletal system. Self-diagnosis and self-medication are dangerous and unacceptable. It is possible and necessary to stop an unpleasant symptom for a while before consulting a medical professional. Only a doctor can determine what the trigger is, prescribe the correct treatment. All the patient has to do is assess the intensity of the pain, to determine what triggers their increase. Accurate data provided by the patient at the doctor's appointment is one of the keys to successful treatment.
The main causes of lower back pain
Age of patients with frequent or recurrent low back pain is declining. Symptoms can vary - intense and moderate, localized and spread to the entire spine. There are many reasons for back pain:
- spinal deformity or cancer - herniation;
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- high physical activity and injury;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- circulatory disorder in the pelvic region;
- psychological problems - stress, depression;
- overweight;
- gastrointestinal problems.
Low back pain should not be ignored - this way the body signals serious problems. Most of the causes of it are asymptomatic and manifest themselves in the late stage, when complex treatment is required.
Problems with the musculoskeletal system, such as spinal hernia, become apparent only when a nerve or blood vessel has been pinched. Most gynecological diseases in women are precisely manifested by pain in the lumbar spine - uterus or ovary proliferation due to the development of inflammation that causes muscle spasms, stable blood supply. intentionally to a small, clogged pelvis. Problems with the reproductive system in men are also reflected in the form of pain such as a knife stabbing or cutting spreading to the back.
Types of back pain
It is necessary to consult a specialist even in cases where symptoms are not apparent and do not seriously affect quality of life and performance. The intensity and type of pain vary, and before going to the doctor's office, you need to determine what they are:
- locally;
- generalizes;
- cyclic; constant
- .
Lumbar local pain concentrated at a certain point, can be reflected in one or both legs, leading to the coccyx. Systemic syndrome gradually spreads to the entire back, including the abdomen.
Recurrent low back pain differs from other types in that it disappears after the elimination of the cause that appears - internal organ problems, excessive stress or individual physiological characteristics. In medicine, such symptoms are divided into reflexes and diffuse. Those reflected appear due to problems with internal organs located in the pelvic region. Radiation back pain occurs due to problems with the spine - compression of nerve fibers or blood vessels, deformation of the spine.
When visiting a doctor, the patient should clearly state his complaints and tell what pain he or she is suffering - chronic or acute and how long they last. Without these data, the doctor would not be able to prescribe an accurate diagnosis, which would complicate and delay treatment, and possibly lead to the development of more serious conditions.
Self-diagnosis and emergency care for back pain
It is not always possible to seek medical help as soon as low back pain appears. To reduce the intensity of an unpleasant symptom, you need to determine the cause of its occurrence. This can be done even without medical knowledge. For a preliminary self-diagnosis, you can use one of three tests:
- Dejerine's experiment;
- Lasegue trials;
- Lerrey test.
Dejerine Test - Tighten your abs and listen to your feelings. If the pain in your lower back increases, then you are more likely to have scleroderma or osteonecrosis. But if you feel discomfort in the abdominal cavity, then the cause lies in the internal organs are problematic.
Lasegue test - lie on your back, alternately raise your legs. If there is pain in the upper leg or spine during movement, then the sciatic nerve is pinched.
Check out Lerrey - try to get up from a supine position without bending her knees. If low back pain or soreness is localized in the lower back, this should be considered a sign of a hernia in this part of the spine.
How to reduce the intensity of low back pain depends on self-diagnosis. Medical experts do not recommend using ointments or compresses to relieve the syndrome without consulting a doctor. They can provoke the development of inflammation or other complications. In the emergency vehicle, you can take pain relievers, NSAIDs, or NSAIDs. The second option is more appropriate, since the range of action of the funds is wider - they eliminate pain, reduce inflammation and lower temperature, but taking them longer than 3 days is dangerous.
Which doctor should I contact for back pain
Usually, patients seek doctor's help when the disease progresses and low back pain becomes severe and can no longer cure itself. As a result of regularly taking pain relievers and external agents - ointments, gels - most patients at the time of examination had gastrointestinal and skin problems. The visit cannot be delayed even with mild lumbar pain syndrome. In addition, it is important to choose the right specialist.
Some highly qualified physicians should not be involved in determining the cause of back pain:
therapist- ; neuroscientist
- ;
- gynecologist or urologist.
At an appointment with a general practitioner - a therapist - the cause of back pain is determined. What it could be - neuralgia, disease of internal organs or psychological problems, must be determined by the therapist. He will prescribe standardized tests and make recommendations for further actions.
At the neurologist's appointment, more detailed exams are prescribed - x-rays, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (CT or MRI). Such diagnosis is deeper, studies help evaluate the condition of each vertebra, nerve endings and blood vessels. At this stage, people discover degenerative bone conditions, lumbar pain, sciatica, locate disc herniation, damage to bone and muscle tissues.
Should consult a gynecologist or urologist for patients whose general practitioner suspects internal organ problems. The following diseases can cause pain in the lumbar spine:
- ulcers and tumors in the gastrointestinal tract with retroperitoneal propagation;
- colitis, problems with the colon;
- inflammatory processes of the uterus, appendages in women;
- cholecystitis or pancreatitis;
- kidney and liver disease;
- anatomical abdominal aortic aneurysm;
- appendicitis or peritonitis.
Regardless of the diagnostic strategy and with the involvement of a highly specialized physician selected by the treating physician, the patient must undergo the following standard exams - venous and finger sampling, urine. Research results will help determine the presence of inflammation in the body and evaluate the effectiveness of the internal organs.
It's important to understand that any self-medicating remedy for back pain can be harmful, often irreversible. Long-term use of pain relievers, NSAID drugs, and folk methods is very dangerous. All medicines, herbs, and ointments have contraindications and side effects, most of which can aggravate the situation, make the pain syndrome worse or drown away, masking an underlying disease. . It is not possible to self-medicate for more than 3-5 days if the techniques are not approved by the attending physician, who knows the true cause of the symptoms. Only the consultation of a specialist and a course of treatment with complex drugs will help remedy the condition, improve quality of life, and complete recovery.