Back pain is familiar to almost everyone. It is difficult to find someone who has not experienced this extremely unpleasant symptom at least once. Sometimes it is enough to sit in a restless position for a while to create discomfort in the lumbar region of the spine. However, this is not a serious problem, it is simply the result of being in a state of anxiety for a long time.
However, severe back pain almost always has a specific cause and is a reason to see a doctor. Diagnosis will not always be expected, because osteochondrosis is just one of the possible problems with back pain.
It is not difficult to guess why the back hurts and what to do in such a situation. The doctor will determine and determine the cause of the pain, after which you should begin treatment.
Pain syndrome - primary and secondary
Understanding why you have back pain, we must not forget that there are dozens of causes of such pain.
In general, the medical classification distinguishes between primary and secondary pain syndromes that can affect the lumbar region.
Primary low back pain syndrome occurs as a result of changes in the musculoskeletal system of a morphofunctional nature. It is the cause of the vast majority of low back pain. The most important reasons are degenerative-dystrophic changes that occur in different parts of the spine:
- Osteochondrosis, a lesion of bone and cartilage tissue, has a dystrophic nature. When it affects the intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebrae, spondylosis begins to develop.
- Spondyloarthritis is a form of osteoarthritis in which the disease affects the intervertebral joints, which are responsible for the mobility of the spinal or synovial joints.
There are many different causes of secondary pain syndrome:
- scoliosis and other growth diseases with curvature of the spine;
- various inflammations of non-infectious nature. For example, rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter's syndrome;
- a tumor located in the vertebrae, in the spinal cord itself, or in the retroperitoneal space, regardless of whether it is primary or metastatic;
- fracture of one or more dorsal vertebrae. This is one of the most serious causes of back pain;
- various infectious diseases (tuberculosis, brucellosis, epidural abscess) that cause damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs;
- stroke conditions in which the blood supply to the spinal cord is severely impaired. In this case, there may be a feeling of back pain;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, an atypical course, acute appendicitis with intestinal obstruction;
- often has a character that is reflected in back pain. A similar problem can occur in some diseases of the pelvic region. For example, renal colic, sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, andexitis - all these diseases cause reflected back pain).
What is acute and chronic pain
Low back pain is divided into acute and chronic, which can be caused by various problems and diseases of both the nerve endings and the spine itself.
Dislocation pain is also common - there is a translation of the pain from other organs deeper. In other words, a person seems to have back pain, in fact, the problem is in a completely different part of the body. However, most pains from the pelvic organs, pancreas, kidneys, intestines, or tumors behind the peritoneum are reflected in the lumbar region.
Usually people do not know what to do if they have back pain. But it is clear what you should not do - treat yourself. The causes of pain are different, only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis, and the continued use of painkillers (which many consider a cure) can do even more harm.
The specialist makes a diagnosis based on the information obtained from additional examinations, such as MRI of the spine.
Causes of acute pain
Before deciding what to do when you have low back pain, any serious doctor will first determine the cause of the pain. The reasons may be different, but most of them are related to this.
One of the simplest and most harmless causes of pain is acute muscle tension. In this condition, spasmodic long muscles are a source of pain. With this problem, the pain rarely "spreads" to other parts of the body, but severely limits a person's mobility. This reason is very often encountered by athletes and people whose work is associated with various physical activities.
Another common but more serious source of pain is a vertebral fracture, especially when it comes to compression fractures of the vertebrae. Often this occurs with a failed fall and other spinal injuries. However, if a person suffers from hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis, Paget's disease, or tumors in the spine, then a fracture can occur and is "not visible" to the patient. Moreover, a person will not even know when this fracture occurred.
An equally unpleasant situation is the displacement of the intervertebral discs in the lumbar region in the event of a sharp pain in the lumbar region. Symptoms of this problem are severe, sharp back pain that severely limits mobility. Often the pain is due to compression of the nerve roots. Signs of such compression are:
- sensitivity disorders;
- Absence or significant reduction of the axillary reflex;
- absence or decrease in the intensity of the knee reflex;
- unilateral radicular pain.
One of the unpleasant tendencies of this problem is that such a displacement can lead to pathology of the lower vertebrae. As a result, pain appears below the lumbar region and the functions of the rectum and bladder may be impaired. In some cases, localization of pain in the upper back is possible.
Acute low back pain can also occur as a result of facet syndrome. In this case, the cause of the pain is compression of the root as it exits the spinal canal, and the intervertebral disc itself remains healthy. This syndrome usually results in narrowing of the intervertebral foramen as a result of enlargement of the upper and lower sides of the intervertebral joint.
Epidural abscess is one of the most serious diseases that cause severe back pain. The disease requires immediate diagnosis and urgent treatment, and all sorts of highly effective measures are recommended before surgery, the main thing is to quickly eliminate the compression of the spinal cord.
Diseases of the hip joint are also a frequent cause of acute back pain. It is characterized by pain that spreads to the lower back, legs to the level of the knees.
Causes of chronic back pain
One of the causes of chronic pain is deformed spondylosis. With this disease, a dystrophic change occurs in the lumbar vertebrae, the garden apparatus weakens, and bone growth occurs. As a result, the spinal canal narrows and the bone protrusions begin to press on the nerve roots. Painful aches and pains in the legs may be accompanied by other neurological symptoms. In any case, you need a full-fledged examination, the results of which will make a final diagnosis.
Bechterew's disease, also known as ankylosing spondypoarthritis, can also cause chronic pain. It manifests itself with pulling pain in the lower back, curvature of the spine in the thoracic region and develops rapidly. The first symptoms are limited mobility and decreased chest movement while breathing.
Cancer and metabolic diseases often cause back pain. However, even benign tumors can cause chronic pain that is not accompanied by neurological symptoms.
Osteomyelitis can also cause back pain that can last for a very long time.
The result
As you can see, back pain can be the result of many diseases. At the same time, often a person does not expect that the problem will not be where it hurts. Your back is not stable, even if it hurts from time to time - do not smoke, consult a doctor. It is easier to cope with any disease at an early stage, when neglected, and with it will suffer many complications.