According to world statistics, about 80% of the adult inhabitants of our vast planet share the same health problem - periodically, or even constantly, back pain in the lower back.Low back pain is the main symptom of many diseases of the spine and internal organs located in the abdominal cavity.And it is completely in vain that most people who experience discomfort in this area, bypassing the doctor and without understanding the reasons, begin to intensively use various ointments and other “homemade lotions”.With these methods you can easily achieve the opposite result to what you expected.
Reasons: determined, excluding
The success of any treatment directly depends on the accuracy of the diagnosis;when symptoms are eliminated, the likelihood of relapse increases.Subsequently, such treatment can only worsen the situation.Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to carefully check the condition of all organs, symptoms of which may be pain in the lower back.
Digestive system
Exacerbations of diseases of the digestive system (pancreatitis, ulcers, colitis, cholecystitis, enteritis, appendicitis) often cause pain in the lower back.
urinary system
Most often, kidney pain is confused with symptoms of lumbar spine diseases, as their nature is identical.Diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract of various etiologies are accompanied not only by “recoil” in the lower back, but also by urinary disorders (frequency, discomfort, the presence of blood in the urine and its cloudiness) and an increase in body temperature.
Reproductive system
With problems with the reproductive organs in men and women in the acute phase, the pain often radiates to the lower back, coccyx or side.The nature of these pains is usually circumscribed without pronounced localization.
If a disease of an organ unrelated to the musculoskeletal system is detected, it is treated, as this is the true cause of the pain syndrome.If, after a thorough examination, no problems with the above organs are identified, it is likely that there is a problem with the spine.
Osteochondrosis
The most mobile part of the spine, which takes on most of the load, is the lumbosacral part.With a sedentary lifestyle, excessive loads and insufficient supply of nutrients to the cartilaginous tissue of the spine, degenerative-dystrophic changes occur in the intervertebral cartilage of the lumbar region - osteochondrosis.
Symptoms and stages of the disease
The main alarming symptom of osteochondrosis is pain in the lower back.At the initial stage, it is located and directed towards the sacrum, its character is pulling (painful).During this period, the processes of destruction affected the nucleus pulposus (its dehydration occurs), as well as the vertebral discs (the height of their position decreases).Discomfort is observed with heavy loads, and the pain itself is mild.
After some time, if the problem is ignored and no measures are taken, the low back pain begins to radiate to the thigh and buttocks.Due to the narrowing of the intervertebral spaces, the muscles and ligaments “give in” and the spine becomes unstable.This leads to loss of sensation and numbness.
The third stage is characterized by morphological changes in the discs, the spinal column itself is severely deformed, and disc protrusion and prolapse develop.The pain at this stage becomes more intense and prolonged.Every movement brings unbearable pain.It is possible that areas of the spinal cord, blood vessels and nerve endings adjacent to the painful site may be compressed due to the fibrous ring protruding and affecting the spinal canal.
The last stage of lumbar osteochondrosis “forces” the body to adapt to the changes occurring due to the disease in the following way.In order for the support and protective functions to be preserved, bone tissue grows in the diseased area.This often leads to various microtraumas and subsequently to disability.
An integrated approach to treatment
Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis should be comprehensive, regardless of the stage of development of the disease.In mild cases, the treatment prognosis is favorable;deformation processes can be completely stopped and the consequences can be minimized.At the last stage of the disease, the aim of treatment is to eliminate all symptoms and consequences, normalize the nutrition of the spinal tissues and strengthen the muscular corset of the entire back and its lower part in particular.
Medicines
To relieve pain in lumbar osteochondrosis, analgesics in tablets or injections are used;the second option is preferable as it is more effective.To alleviate the inflammatory process, anti-inflammatory drugs (non-steroidal) are prescribed.Muscle spasms that occur simultaneously with pain are eliminated by muscle relaxants.Chondroprotectors are used to restore damaged cartilage tissue.
All of the above remedies sometimes do not have the desired effect, as damage prevents the medicine from penetrating the site of action.
To relieve an acute attack of pain, a block is used.It should only be carried out by a specialist.
A suitable analgesic is injected into the space located between the spinous processes using a long needle.After this procedure, the pain passes very quickly, but for some time, as there is no therapeutic effect.
The use of local complex products - ointments, gels - is effective.They have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and warming effects;Many preparations for topical use contain a chondroprotectant.These remedies, when used correctly and combined with massage, are quite effective.
Physiotherapeutic procedures
In combination with drug treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis, physiotherapeutic procedures are used - balneotherapy, laser and magnetic therapy, treatment with weak currents, light and vibrations.They have practically no side effects or contraindications.
Alternative Methods
Increasingly, alternative (non-traditional) methods are used simultaneously with traditional treatment - hirudotherapy, acupuncture, bee stings, manual therapy.These methods provide long-awaited relief, but some of them have contraindications, so consultation with your doctor is necessary.
In addition to all of the above treatment methods, physiotherapy helps to overcome the disease.Properly distributed loads of the required intensity will help restore blood circulation in damaged areas, form or strengthen the muscular corset and thereby ease the load on the spine.
When treating osteochondrosis, it is important to correctly combine treatment methods, first of all, acute pain attacks are relieved, then inflammatory processes, and only when the acute period of the disease has passed can non-traditional methods and physical exercises be used.
Yoga and Pilates complexes have proven themselves as excellent rehabilitation programs for spinal diseases.
Lumbar spine hernia
Against the background of untreated or neglected osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, a hernia often develops - a disease in which, due to insufficient physical activity or excessive stress, nutrition of the disc tissue occurs, its strength decreases and, as a result, disc rupture.The process of destruction can drag on for many years and go unnoticed all this time, but with a single unsuccessful movement the mechanism is triggered and all the symptoms begin to appear one after another.
General symptoms and course of the disease
Symptoms of a lumbar spine hernia include decreased tendon reflexes, pain of varying intensity, muscle weakness, and numbness of the limbs.Pain caused by a hernia does not always occur;Low back pain is possible, which gradually spreads in the direction of the pinched nerve.
Body distortion is a characteristic sign of a lumbar hernia.This phenomenon occurs involuntarily, as the body needs to find the most comfortable position where pain is minimal.In severe and rapidly progressing disease, the consequences may be paralysis of the lower extremities (partial or complete).This phenomenon is usually accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the abdominal organs, in particular the intestines and bladder.
The clinical manifestations of a hernia of the lumbosacral zone are expressed in a constant increase in pain and its intensification during specific physical activities (lifting weights, bending over, sudden strong muscle tension, coughing), dull pain localized in a point that does not disappear, direction of pain in the buttock or leg, or numbness in this area.
Diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation
It is difficult to diagnose a hernia visually or based solely on the symptoms described by the patient.To more accurately determine the presence of the disease, several methods are used to help accurately determine the location of the disease.Computed tomography, nuclear magnetic and radiography - thanks to these methods, the doctor will be able to clearly determine the location of the pathologically altered vertebra and see the deformed disc.
To determine the severity of the disease and the consequences, doctors use several tests: straight leg raising, tendon reflexes, sensitivity (reaction) of the leg at all levels (from the toes to the hip joint) to various types of stimuli - pain, vibration and temperature.
Treatment methods
Depending on the severity and condition of the patient, different methods of hernia treatment are used.In case of exacerbation, first of all, it is necessary to immediately limit physical activity to bed rest and relieve pain with medication.After 5-7 days, when the acute period passes and the pain subsides, drug treatment is supplemented with other restorative procedures (massage, physiotherapy, physical education).
Medical and conservative treatment for lumbar hernia is the same as for osteochondrosis.
Surgery
In case of severe illness and the presence of many serious consequences, surgical treatment is advisable.
Indications for surgical intervention:
- hernia sequestration - entry of a disc area damaged by a hernia into the spinal canal;
- dysfunction of all or one organ in the pelvis;
- the patency of the spinal canal is impaired (determined by MRI);
- lack of results when using medication and conservative treatment for three or more months;
- inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
Surgical treatment of hernia is now carried out through gentle and minimally invasive endoscopic operations.
The laser reconstruction method involves evaporating fluid from the protruding nucleus pulposus using a laser.Thanks to this, the nerve root is “released”, that is, its compression is eliminated.But this type of intervention has a series of contraindications, such as early spine surgery, spondylolisthesis, spondyloarthritis, obstruction of the spinal canal (stenosis) and protrusion of the nucleus pulposus into the canal.
To remove the damaged part of the intervertebral disc, the percutaneous discectomy method is used.Steaming and removing damaged tissue is performed with a needle inserted into the skin.
In cases where it is not possible to restore a damaged disc by any method, starting with medications and ending with minimally invasive surgery, or all the methods used do not bring results, the deformed disc is replaced with a prosthesis.
Preventive measures
To prevent the progression of the disease, special exercises are prescribed.Exercise series must be developed by a specialist individually for each patient and must contain muscle stretching, tension and light aerobic exercises.
For lumbar spine hernia, doctors recommend using a special fixation belt.Externally, it resembles a capsule, is about 30 cm wide, is attached to the body with Velcro and has varying degrees of rigidity.
This product is necessary to evenly distribute the load (from the diseased area to the healthy one) and relieve tension (unload).With constant use of the belt, the injured segments of the spine are corrected and returned to their anatomical position.
Lumbodynia with radicular syndrome
Against the background of osteochondrosis and hernia of the lumbar spine, low back pain develops as a consequence - lumbar lumbago (acute paroxysmal pain).This is the “simplest” scenario.Since hernias and osteochondrosis are characterized by deformation and frequent prolapse of the damaged disc and displacement of the spine, compression of nearby nerve roots is observed, called radicular syndrome.
It is intensified by compression of the veins, which causes swelling of the (soft) tissues and congestion.The symptoms of lumbodynia with radicular syndrome are similar to the symptoms of a lumbar hernia (sharp pain radiating downwards, loss of sensitivity and impaired reflexes) and, as it is a consequence, the cause must initially be treated with an integrated approach, otherwise disability may occur.
Sciatica
Another consequence of hernia and osteochondrosis is inflammation of the sciatic nerve - sciatica and the accompanying pain radiating to the leg or buttock.Despite the ability to clearly identify the “sore” point, the reason lies in the spine.
Sciatica is not an independent disease;This term refers to a series of symptoms that accompany certain spinal diseases.Pain sensations can be different, in some cases it is just a slight discomfort when staying in the same not very comfortable position for a long time, and sometimes the pain leads to loss of consciousness and painkillers do not help in this case.
For effective treatment, it is not enough to diagnose sciatica or low back pain;in any case, it is necessary to carry out a complete and comprehensive examination by several specialists and accurately identify the cause, as it is the provoking factor.By eliminating just a few symptoms, the likelihood of the underlying disease progressing and many complications appearing increases.Paying attention to your health, recognizing problems early and treating them promptly is the key to good health.