Pain almost every brand. Such ailments as sciatica, lumbago, is very common causes of temporary disability, in particular people engaged in physical work. Most often back pain is associated with changes in the lumbosacral spine, which should be treated very seriously. Although painful sensations in the lumbar region can be the result of congenital abnormalities of the spine and its ligaments, acute and chronic infections, intoxication, or even tumors.
Lower back pain, sometimes very strong, and sometimes people tolerate them quite easily. The fact that the reaction to pain is individual, affected by mental and age-related factors. The elderly the pain of sciatica is very strong, although in general the perception of pain in the elderly weakened. And in patients with mental illness, sensitivity to pain is significantly reduced, including when sciatica.
Pain is a complex adaptive mechanism, it is sometimes called the "watchdog" of health. Caused by external impacts or malfunctions in the body, it means danger. After receiving the pain signal, the body contains defense mechanisms against the harmful effects. The pain is due to several pathological processes, reveal themselves before any external symptoms. So painful feelings play a positive role: they let you know that it is time to act. If you have pain in the lower back and hips, do not delay treatment to the doctor. Remember the Eastern wisdom: "treat the disease light, having the treatment of heavy."
One-third of patients with lumbar pain caused by degenerative changes in the spine, which are collectively called "osteochondrosis". Osteochondrosis is a complex changes to the bones and ligaments of the spine caused by degeneration of the vertebrae discs. In addition, osteochondrosis of the spine can be formed bony outgrowths - osteophytes, which irritates the nerve root and the sensory nerve endings of the spine and its ligaments, causing a dull aching pain in the back.
The intervertebral discs form the lenticular lens, the shape corresponding to the small indentations on the surface of the vertebrae. With age, the discs lose moisture, dry, they have cracks, gaps and crevices. As a result, the vertebrae will become movable and can slide off the plate, which leads to narrowing of the intervertebral foramen and compression is happening here in the spinal nerve root. The lumbar vertebrae are the most mobile and yet are under pressure when weight lifting. Therefore, the discs between them are the most susceptible to deformation.
Suffering from lumbar degenerative disc disease is severe pain, and the reason is not just the mechanical irritation of the nerve roots: rupture of the membranes and the walls of the intervertebral disc released substances, irritating the pain receptors.
In the later stages of the disease drive you to push, forming a so-called mezhpozvonkovuyu hernia, which is usually found in middle-aged and the elderly. Most often affects the discs in the lumbar spine, including the intervertebral foramina between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebra and the fifth lumbar vertebra and the sacrum is very narrow, and passes them the nerve roots - most massive. mezhpozvonkovaya hernia is very dangerous. And it's not just that it pinches the nerve roots, causing pain type of sciatica. Massive herniated disc pressing on the spinal cord that can cause loss of sensation or even paralysis of the legs and urinary disorders.
A Herniated lumbar disc, which is characterized by the following symptoms: "strut" - when standing the patient is forced to lean on the hand, knee or chair to reduce the load on the affected disc; "cushion" - the inability to lie on the belly, not tucked under his pillow; "landing" - the patient, trying to pick up something from the floor, not tilted, and squats.
One of the main causes of osteochondrosis - a violation of lipid and mineral metabolism. Sometimes osteochondrosis arises as a result of abnormalities of the intervertebral discs, with their inherent inferiority complex. External factors that contribute to the development and aggravation of lumbar degenerative disc disease are: high humidity, temperature fluctuations, drafts; a significant and prolonged tension of muscles, bone and ligaments of the lumbosacral spine; mechanical injury and chronic infection.
The most common diagnosis for severe back pain - sciatica. For a long time it was believed that this disease is infectious in origin. However, practice shows that patients do not usually the body temperature rises, does not increase the number of white blood cells in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Sciatica almost never affects children. So, in most cases, the most likely cause of sciatica can be an infection.
Indeed, sciatica is one of the most common symptoms of degenerative disc disease. Pain in the lumbar-sacral region of this disease can be both acute and obtuse. It is usually unilateral, radiates to the buttock, rear thighs and the outer surface of the tibia. The pain of sciatica can worsen with a change in body position, walking, coughing, sneezing, straining. Sometimes it is combined with sensations of numbness, tingling, tingling, burning, itching. Increased skin sensitivity, sore muscles, lower back, buttocks, legs.
Symptoms of sciatica are severe. Patients change the gait, posture, appear characteristic movements and postures. When walking, she leaning your upper body forward and to the side of a healthy foot. A standing position one leg is bent, which reduces the tension nerve trunks. Movement of the body, the lumbar spine is limited. Sick side back muscles tense. Sciatica, often curved spine. The patient sits in a healthy cheek, throwing the trunk back to tilt towards healthy feet. If he needs to lift an object from the floor, he squats or bend the body forward while bending the affected leg. Lie down one leg usually bent.
Mild forms of sciatica is not limited to patient motion. If the disease progresses, reduced muscle tone, muscle weakness, patients worried about itching, feeling of "pins and needles". Lying in bed, sufferers for hours to find a comfortable position. They often feel cold, drought, or, conversely, cold feet. The skin on the feet becomes pale or bluish color and becomes thinner. But these symptoms should set yourself a hasty diagnosis of "sciatica". Similar to the image given pannikulez - inflammation of the subcutaneous fat on the basis of violations of metabolism in adipose tissue, and damage to the joints of the foot.
In addition, recurrent sciatica is very common in this acute form of the disease the lumbar spine, lumbago, or cross. In lumbago irritated nerve roots and looks sharp pain. It often occurs in people engaged in heavy physical work, as a result of overstrain of lumbar muscles, and frequent colds. But sometimes an attack of lumbago can cause acute and chronic infection, it can also be one of the symptoms of sciatica. The pain usually stops in a few days, but sometimes lasts two or three weeks. When the attack did not let go, the patient is better to stay in bed.
A special form of lumbago develops when after heavy physical exertion not to strain the muscle bundles, tendons, or bleeding in the muscles. Such back pain occurs tenderness of the back along the entire length of the spine and a feeling of General muscle fatigue.
It is worth highlighting in particular: if you have a sore lower back, this does not mean that affects the spine. Cause of lumbar pain can be muscle inflammation (inflammation) in the lumbar muscles. The disease lasts a long time. Muscle pain is not as strong as lumbago, and dull, aching. When the muscles are compacted, painful on palpation and excitement. Patients with chronic infections and metabolic disorders myositis of the lumbar muscles can be combined with pain in the joints.
Sore lower back: what to do?
Back pain can be so intense that without treatment will not do. Regardless of the cause of the attack in the first few days you need to stay in bed. In the following days, when the pain subsides, the patient is allowed to walk, first on crutches, it is desirable to unload the spine. The bed should be hard - a thin mattress laid a wooden board.
Local heating area, the biggest pain used to annoy ointments, and mustard or capsicum plaster. To bring relief from a warm wool scarf, electric heating pad, a bag filled with heated sand, leeches. Well help rubbing, including anti-inflammatory and painkillers. Myositis help hot packs.
Analgesic effect elektroprotsedury: percutaneous electro net'geziya, sinusoidal modulated currents, diadynamic currents, electrophoresis with novocaine and other. With the same purpose, reflexology (acupuncture, moxibustion, electroacupuncture, laser therapy) and novocaine blockade. Sciatica caused by intervertebral disc displacement, applied traktsionnuyu treatment - anti-skid frame bed or under the water. These procedures should be carried out in the hospital. Effective treatment - sodium chloride, radon, hydrogen sulfide, turpentine, iodine-bromine baths, Naftalan, mud at low temperatures.
One of quickly developing a variety of therapeutic effects in the back became a way of "biological feedback". Its principle is justified, which the eminent Russian physiologist P. K. Anokhin in the 30-ies of the last century. In the method of education management functions of the organism. Here is its use for the treatment of back pain. Before patients the goal is to get as far as possible to relax the back muscles. The patient sees his own elektromiogrammu which muscle tension on the screen and when they tense, hard, and you hear a beep. During relaxation the amplitude of the electromyogram is reduced, the sound disappears. As a result, the patients formed the motivation to reduce pathological tension in the muscles. Typically, results can be obtained immediately. Patients learn to relax and manage your muscle tone, you will have to spend five or six times. In the future, patients are able to manage the relaxation of the muscles of the back themselves.
Equally important to manage pain and prevent the attacks is wearing external supports - orthoses: corset posture corrector; reklinatora (a special corset, which eliminates the tilt), brace and belt: elastic belt lifter or the installer. They prevent deformation of the spine, improves venous and lymphatic flow, leaving the figure slim. Well, if the composition of the material, where the belt is wool.
You should only consider that if you don't follow the doctor's advice, then the regular wearing orthoses can cause damage. First, they need to use more than underwear to avoid chafing. Too tight the tightening of the braces difficult breathing, digestion and blood circulation in the lower half of the body. If you do not leave them, day or night, can of muscle atrophy in the lumbar spine. Orthoses useful in prolonged sitting at the table, strong physical exertion, riding on public transport. The rest of the time it is better without them, the muscles have to work. The perfect remedy for back pain are exercise therapy. Their muscle "corset" artificial "props" of the spine unnecessary.
Sometimes, in order to relieve the pain attack, patients are forced to resort to taking an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving substances. With a very strong pain they are more effective in the form of intramuscular injections. Usually prescribe analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal means that the abuse is not worth it. Contraindications to their use are peptic ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer in the acute stage, expressed in the human liver. To avoid complications, you need to take only one drug, short courses of 5-7 days, pre-arrange it with the individual characteristics of the organism.
The elderly (over 65 years) with high blood pressure, heart failure, or peptic ulcer disease nonsteroidal preparations it is better to replace the so-called. cyclo-oxygenase-2-inhibitors. These drugs practically does not irritate the gastrointestinal tract, and do not have any other side effects. Comfortable is, of course, injections of vitamins, especially group B.