A person may consider himself healthy until one day he feels pain in his back. Almost every disease makes itself felt, radiating in this area.
In addition, such sensations do not allow you to live and work at the same pace. What can back pain indicate and what is their nature?
Causes of back pain
Much depends on the lifestyle that a person leads. Even an excessive addiction to fatty foods can cause back pain. But the main causes of back pain are:
- diseases of the spine;
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- natural aging;
- very high loads;
- pregnancy.
Middle functions
The vertebrae located in the middle region have the most massive structure. They are strong and big.
This is due to the fact that the main part of the load falls here. The lower back takes on a very important function - standing straight.
In addition to body weight, other loads are placed on the lumbar spine. Athletes lift heavy weights, women try to bring large bags from the market.
Intervertebral discs provide cushioning, but without proper care, the spine begins to change. This creates severe pain.
After sleep, the intervertebral discs are again saturated with fluid and are ready for work. But if back pain becomes a constant companion, you should immediately consult a doctor.
With severe pathologies, even during sleep, the vertebrae do not change and access to nutrients is impossible.
Diseases of the spine
If the lower back hurts for no apparent reason, then most likely the reason lies in diseases of the spine. In the first place is osteochondrosis.
It develops against the background of general exhaustion caused by malnutrition, obesity, muscular dystrophy.
Excess weight adds a load to the spine, the vertebrae begin to press on each other with more force. Intervertebral discs collapse under pressure and don't have enough breaks to fill with fluid.
Moreover, if a person does not eat properly, then the metabolism is disturbed, and the nutrition of the intervertebral discs is disturbed accordingly.
Muscular dystrophy can develop due to constant stress, heavy loads and a sedentary lifestyle. The development mechanism is very simple.
- Muscles take a lot of stress. Due to the lack of preparation, they freeze, while accumulating lactic acid in themselves.
- Without proper relaxation (for example, massage), muscles cannot contract. Being in constant tension, it does not allow the blood to flow properly.
- Without receiving the necessary amount of nutrients, the muscles simply break down.
After that, the spine is involved in the process. Bones alone cannot support a person's weight. Ligaments and muscles help.
But when the muscles are missing, all the weight falls on the vertebrae. Under pressure, the intervertebral disc protrudes into the holes and can compress the nerve processes.
With lumbar osteochondrosis, the patient feels pain in the lower back, radiating to the legs. More often, the sciatic nerve is damaged and every step responds with an electric shock.
If you do not treat such a disease, you can completely lose sensation in the lower extremities. The same condition is observed with displacement of vertebrae, lordosis, scoliosis, etc.
The main difference between spinal injuries is the increase in pain after movement, as well as a feeling of relief after rest and sleep. Slight softening of the condition helps to "stretch" the spine. It should be done before bedtime.
Diseases of the genitourinary system
Pain in the lower back can occur with diseases of the ovaries in women, kidneys. In this case, symptoms may appear after hypothermia.
With inflammation of the ovaries, a woman experiences sensations similar to menstrual syndrome. Pain in the lower back becomes an attractive, permanent character.
If the lower back hurts strongly, like a knife, piercing, to the left or right of the spine, this indicates inflammation of the kidneys.
In this case, pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis is possible. The doctor prescribes tests, performs an examination. If kidney stones are found, they are removed with a laser.
natural aging
People over 30 come with complaints of back pain. It may be pain due to wear and tear on the vertebrae. The rate of aging of the spine is related to a person's lifestyle.
If you did not overdo it in the gym, but played sports, the pain will become chronic very quickly.
The vertebral section makes itself felt first, as it bears the greatest load. Many scientists argue that back pain is our punishment for being unable to keep our backs straight.
Without proper prevention, under the weight of the body, the intervertebral discs are destroyed, the vertebrae are displaced and twisted.
Very high loads
There is an opinion that it is simply necessary to go to the gym once a week and get tired in order to look good and be healthy.
But for every load you have to prepare. Before training, you should perform a warm-up, complete stretching exercises.
And gradually increase the amount of exercise. So it will be much more effective to do daily exercises.
With sudden loads, for example, in weightlifters, gymnasts, there is a high probability of sprain, protrusion of the disc, etc.
pregnant
Back pain during pregnancy is almost a physiological condition. As the fetus grows, they can become stronger, numbness appears after sleep in the limbs. This is due to sudden weight gain.
Now the spine must support not only the mass of the mother, but also the unborn child, which grows in a large amount of water.
Pregnant women often complain that their lower back hurts in the morning. You can avoid this if you sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow. And during the day, a special bandage will help ease the load, which unloads the lower back.
As a rule, such back pain disappears after childbirth. If they continue for a month, you should consult a doctor.
Diagnosis of low back pain
This type of pain is not difficult to diagnose. It is enough for the doctor to listen to the patient's description of the pain, to understand if it appears after sleep, has an increasing or constant character, if there is an electric shock syndrome. And after that, the doctor can identify the main possible cause of the pain.
The basis of any treatment is gymnastics, which helps to strengthen the muscles and massage, to relax the latter.