Spinal health has an impact on overall well-being in ways that cannot be overstated. Knowledge of the anatomy of the human body, how the disease arises, its signs, makes it possible to prevent violations and act correctly when they appear.
Most spinal problems can be prevented with a healthy culture. This will keep the freshness of youthfulness as long as possible.
The concept of the syndrome
If there is a sudden sharp pain in the lumbar region, which made the patient freeze so that it does not intensify, then specialists diagnose the patient with lumbago.
This disease combines a large variety of disorders that have caused the pain signal.
The pain may be short-lived or last a few hours. In any case, this is a reason to pay attention to your health.
Symptoms and signs of the disease
Lumbago is characterized by the following symptoms:
- The man bent down and when straightening felt like a “knife in the back” pain. This pain signal has characteristic features.
There is a feeling in the lower back:- like a bolt of lightning
- push,
- electric shock,
- stabbing pain
- brains ,
- cold,
- burning sensation
- bulging in muscles
- or, it seems that the muscles of the lower back are contracting,
- running goose bumps.
The pain is localized at a specific point. The patient can indicate where the “lumbago” occurs. Aggravated by coughing. Stress can also trigger increased pain.
- The second sign of lumbago is the inability to change the posture in which the pain found the person. Muscles respond to a pain signal by generating tension in them. This limits the ability to move during an attack.
- Due to muscle spasm, when examining the back by palpation, dense areas can be found. When you press on them, pain occurs.
The reasons
Acute pain is the visible part of the iceberg of the disease. It is important to identify the invisible part where the causes of lumbago lie. It:
- Osteochondrosis – the largest number of cases of the disease cause degenerative changes in the discs and vertebrae. The causes of violations can be acquired, congenital. A provocation is often served by:
- Rapid cooling after overheating, for example in a sauna.
- Long stay in one position, this may be due to the specifics of the work.
- Finding a long time in drafts.
- Excessive stress on the spine.
- Hernia – the consequences of osteochondrosis can be the cause of lumbago.
- Tumors as a cause of lumbago are much less common.
- Acute pain in the spine can be triggered by infectious processes that cause spondylitis.
Diagnostics
Carrying out a study using a magnetic resonance imaging scanner provides comprehensive information, including about the state of soft tissues. Based on the results, the doctor can determine the causes that led to the acute lower back pain.
Accurate diagnostics will help avoid erroneous assignments. Early diagnosis gives hope for the complete elimination of the causes of the disease.
When does lumbago with sciatica occur?
Traumatic effects on nerve endings involving the sciatic nerve cause lumboischialgia . Root nerves can suffer from oppression of tissues deformed from disease or from inflammation. Compression of the nerve can also lead to inflammation in it.
The pain causes a spasm in the muscles of the back, which further creates the prerequisites for pain syndrome. The hardened muscles create additional pressure on the source of the problem.
The brain sends a signal to the muscles to increase the spasm. This vicious circle creates a stable focus of the problem, where inflammation and edema still occur in the compressed tissues.
A provocation for the appearance of this disease can be:
- awkward fast movement,
- trying to lift a heavy load from an inclined position,
- stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
Symptoms
Developing osteochondrosis is often the background for the onset of lumbago with sciatica. This disease manifests itself through the following signs:
- A sharp onset of acute pain in the lower back, which radiates to the lower extremities. The pain can radiate to one leg or both.
- The trajectory of pain runs along the back of the leg, reaching the calf, and it starts from the buttocks.
- Lumbar stiffness.
- Forced patient posture: bending forward.
- Changing body position causes pain.
- On painful areas, sensations may occur:
- heat,
- itching
- goosebumps
- cold.
- When stepping with a foot into which pain is given, the painful sensations become sharp and burning.
- The skin on the leg affected by lumboischialgia becomes pale and cold to the touch.
- With overwork and hypothermia, the pain syndrome increases.
How to treat lumbar lumbago at home?
- If sudden pain is shackled, then the very first action to alleviate the condition should be to take a lying position. Blankets are laid on a solid base and laid on the back. To relax the large muscles of the back, the legs are laid on a pillow or rolled blanket (this can be a chair) so that the thigh part is perpendicular to the floor, and the lower leg lies on the support parallel to it.
- You can take a non-steroidal pill (Diclofenac).
- After that, a doctor is called. It is necessary to diagnose and receive an appointment for treatment.
- An ointment is applied to the lower back:
- Ketoprofen,
- Voltarenic ointment,
- Fastum gel.
- Rest must be observed.
- It is good to put on an elastic belt with a woolen inner side on the lower back.
- You should refuse to eat foods that can cause fluid retention in the body:
- coffee,
- spicy,
- salty,
- sweet,
- alcohol.
- When the acute pain relieves, perform simple exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back without overloading yourself.
Medicines
Specialists have developed standard methods for helping with lumbago. Among them, in the acute stage, it is recommended to take drugs.
- Non-steroidal drugs – help relieve painful sensations, swelling and inflammation:
- Ibuprofen,
- Diclofenac,
- Aspirin.
- To reduce the patient’s anxiety, the doctor may prescribe the use of tranquilizers.
- Spasmolitin – relieves muscle spasm.
- Sleeping pills – so that the patient can fall asleep, despite the acute pain.
- Dimexide – the drug is applied to the lumbar region, wetting napkins in it. It is able to penetrate the pores of the skin and provide analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Vitamin preparations containing group B.
After drug treatment, the doctor may prescribe physiotherapy, acupuncture, manual therapy. These procedures can be prescribed in parallel with taking medications after the acute phase of the disease has been removed.
Folk remedies
Common ways to help:
- Warming compress:
- turpentine (5 g) is applied to the lumbar region ,
- knead the dough in water from rye flour and apply to the lower back,
- cellophane layer,
- insulation in the form of cotton wool.
Remove the compress in an hour. Wipe off the remaining turpentine with a napkin. Do it for three days in a row.
- A special belt is put on the lower back, which includes dog hair. It has been tested that the heat from it has a healing effect.
Lumbagoishalgia treatment
- The first stage is an acute condition.
- The patient is credited with bed rest.
- It is recommended to reduce fluid intake to help reduce swelling.
- The use of NSAIDs to improve the patient’s condition. Non-steroidal drugs relieve pain, anti-inflammatory, relieve swelling. These are preparations in the form of injections, ointments and tablets:
- Nurofen ,
- Ketorol ,
- Diclofenac.
- If there is a strong spasm in the muscles, then the doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants and antispasmodics.
All drugs have serious contraindications. You should read the instructions and consult your doctor.
- When the acute pain relieves, they switch to physiotherapy, it is imperative to do therapeutic exercises.
Prevention and prognosis
If lumbago has arisen due to negligence, and there are no serious violations in the spine, then following the doctor’s instructions and bed rest, the patient will recover within two weeks.
You should find out the reasons that led to the disease and conduct a course of treatment to eliminate them.
To prevent the occurrence of acute lower back pain, you must:
- Strengthen your back muscles, for this you should do exercises.
- Avoid drafts.
- Avoid being in one position for a long time.
- Do not smoke.
- Go swimming.
- Give yourself some gentle physical activity.
- Lift weights with a straight spine. If it is necessary to bend the knees at the same time.
- When carrying weights, distribute the weight between two hands.
- Sleep on a semi-rigid or orthopedic mattress.
- Ensure that the diet is balanced.
- If there is an osteochondrosis disease, treat it in a timely manner.