Sudden onset, sharp, painful or dull, radiating pain in the legs, lower back pain, the cause of which can not always be determined immediately, may indicate the development of various diseases. Only an experienced doctor will be able to understand exactly what caused the pain syndrome after studying the clinical picture, the patient's complaints, as well as the results of ultrasound, X-ray or MRI examinations and tests. But often, even before going to the doctor, a person wants to know in advance what his condition is related to.
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The main causes of lumbar pain
First of all, all the causes of back pain can be divided into two main types:
- Primary (pain is associated with the pathology of the spine, intervertebral discs, muscle tissue or joints).
- Secondary (pain occurs in pathologies of internal organs and is given to the lower back, as well as due to infectious diseases in the body, the development of tumors).
Main causes of back pain
Today, bicuspid is called the cause of all diseases of the spine. The load on the spine increases greatly when the body is upright, especially on the lower part - the lumbar, which wears out faster.
The main causes of back pain are as follows:
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. Degenerative changes in the spine cause sharp pain, inflammation, swelling in the affected area, difficulty moving. The characteristic changes in the cartilage tissue of the spinal discs and the vertebral bodies themselves often cause nerve pinching, which manifests itself with sharp pain.
- Spondyloarthritis. This pathology affects the joint tissue in the area of the spine. In addition to joint pain, a person with spondyloarthritis may experience severe stiffness when it is impossible to stand or turn.
Low back pain caused by osteochondrosis or spondyloarthritis requires urgent, immediate medical attention and, of course, immediate treatment.
Secondary low back pain
A huge number of diseases that are not associated with pathological processes in the spine can provoke unpleasant back pain.
There are secondary causes of lower back pain, such as:
- curvature of the spine (scoliosis, lordosis, etc. );
- infections of various origins affecting the intervertebral discs (tuberculosis, etc. );
- urinary tract infections and the effects of influenza;
- inflammatory processes in the genital area;
- gastrointestinal diseases (appendicitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, intestinal colic);
- kidney disease;
- oncological diseases localized in the peri-lumbar region;
- Overweight;
- osteoporosis, acute rheumatism, chronic arthritis;
- prolonged standing or sitting;
- muscle spasm;
- nervous tension, stress.
Diseases of the internal organs have their own bright symptoms, reflected only in the lower back.
Causes of low back pain in women and men
The structure of the female body predisposes to the appearance of heaviness and pain in the lumbar region. This is due to the hormonal background: the menstrual cycle, menopause and pregnancy affect the lumbar region, as the reproductive organs are located in close proximity. Gynecological diseases (inflammation of the appendages and uterus) cause radiating low back pain in women.
In the same way, in men, prostatitis and inflammation of the epididymis cause pain. It happens that men periodically have back pain during constant cold work or if the work involves lifting weights. Such causes of back pain require preventive measures: you need to warm your back and wear a special corset.
Muscle braces
Separately, I would like to dwell on such a moment as muscle spasms, which are often the cause of lower back pain. Constant lack of physical activity leads to the fact that the back muscles are weak and can not withstand prolonged or increased loads. Therefore, working on the legs or in a stationary sitting position causes strain on the back muscles and pain.
Stress has the same effect when muscle tension arises as a result of emotions of fear or anger. This is followed by spasm and pain if not eliminated in time.
Concomitant symptoms
Low back pain, the causes of which lie in the lesion of the spine, is most often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- the discomfort can cover not only the back, but also move to the buttocks and lower limbs;
- movement can be very difficult or completely impossible;
- the affected area is usually inflamed and swollen.
For any of these symptoms you should seek medical help from a neurologist. If there are other accompanying symptoms, then it is better to contact a therapist who will determine the causes of back pain and then refer you to a specialist or prescribe treatment.