Low back pain is an acute illness that comes on suddenly or can be a chronic, long-term condition. If not treated in time, the disease will seriously affect the musculoskeletal system and spine. So what is low back pain?
Table of contents
1. Symptoms of low back pain often occur?
2. Who often suffers from low back pain?
3. Causes of low back pain
3.1. Spine pathology group
3.2. Other groups of diseases
3.3. Risk factor
4. Is low back pain dangerous?
Lower back pain when to see a doctor right away?
5. Diagnostic method
6. Ways to treat low back pain
6.1. Care at home
6.2. Use a medicine
6.3. Surgery
6.4. Chiropractic treatment
6.5. Physical therapy
7. How to prevent low back pain effectively
1. Symptoms of low back pain often occur?
Low back pain or low back pain syndrome describes pain in the lower half of the back located between the 2 iliac Crestial spines, in the middle of the lumbar spine, or on both sides of the lumbar spine with the following manifestations:
Every movement of sneezing, coughing, or changing position leads to pain.
The level of pain increases gradually when exercising a lot or when the weather changes.
The pain can be intense for a short time or last several days or weeks.
In addition to pain, the patient also has pain in the lower back.
Inflammation or swelling in the back, fever.
Numbness radiates down the hip and down the leg.
Urinary incontinence.
2. Who often suffers from low back pain?
Low back pain occurs at any age, and anyone can experience this symptom, but it is mainly related to the following risk factors:
People aged 30-50: Frequent low back pain. As you age, pain levels increase due to the body's natural aging process. Over time, the discs begin to lose flexibility and lose their ability to withstand pressure from the vertebrae. At the same time, osteoporosis makes bones and joints more susceptible to wear and tear, reduced elasticity and muscle strength.
People who do heavy work: Frequently lifting, pushing, or pulling with the wrong posture, overexertion; leading to muscle spasms, spinal injuries (especially improper postures such as bending the back when carrying heavy loads, adding unnecessary weight to the spine), leading to pain in the lumbar region.
Office workers: Sitting in the wrong position or sitting for a long time puts pressure on the vertebrae, easily leading to chronic back pain.
People often fall into a state of anxiety, depression, or excessive stress at work or in life, which can cause muscle tension in the lumbar region.
People with family members with chronic low back pain: (especially ankylosing spondylitis – inflammation at the junction between the vertebrae of the back or between the spine and pelvis) are also at risk. The risk of low back pain symptoms is higher than that of the general population.
People who do not regularly exercise: Making back muscles, abdominal muscles become weaker and do not support the spine well are also at risk of low back pain.
Obese people, uncontrolled weight gain: Causes the amount of excess fat in the abdomen to increase rapidly, easily leading to the loss of the physiological curve in the lumbar spine, pulling the pelvis forward. This causes the back muscles to tighten, causing muscle tension and pain in the lower back.
Pregnant women: Usually low back pain near the buttocks because the pelvis changes to adapt to the weight and size of the fetus.
Young children have a habit of wearing heavy backpacks: It exerts a strong force on the vertebrae and discs, and causes muscle fatigue, leading to low back pain from childhood to adulthood.
Many women often experience low back pain during pregnancy
3. Causes of low back pain
Low back pain is a common sign of bone and joint diseases such as:
3.1. Spine pathology group
Degenerative back spine
As people age, the human bone and joint system will gradually degenerate, especially in the position of joint cartilage and discs, causing dull, continuous low back pain. Moreover, every time you bend over, turn around or carry something, the pain will increase.
Back pain can't bend down: What's the cause?
Some serious diseases such as herniated discs or slipped lumbar vertebrae can make patients feel back pain and cannot bend down. To treat this problem thoroughly, patients can look to Neurotherapy…
Disc herniation
The structure of the spine consists of interlaced vertebrae and discs. The job of the disc is to reduce shock and maintain flexibility in the spine. When there is a lumbar disc herniation, the mucous nucleus of the disc is released, pressing on the nerve roots and causing pain. Low back pain caused by a herniated disc can be aggravated by a strong cough or sneeze.
A herniated disc compresses a nerve causing pain
Spinal spines
The bone spurs on the vertebrae can rub against each other or the surrounding soft tissues, causing pain.
Lumbar spinal stenosis
The degenerated yellow ligament in the lumbar spine will thicken, narrowing the spinal canal and compressing the nerve roots. A pinched nerve not only causes low back pain but can also radiate down the leg.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve runs from the spinal cord along the buttocks and back of the legs, when this part of the sciatic nerve is compressed, it will cause low back pain along with numbness or burning symptoms along the buttocks down the feet.
The older people are, the higher the risk of the degenerative disc disease and herniated discs
3.2. Other groups of diseases
Sprains
A sprain is an injury to the ligaments due to strong impact but does not cause dislocation or fracture. With a sprain, ligaments can stretch or tear, leading to low back pain.
Kidney stones
In some cases, back pain is more likely to be caused by kidney stones. If the stone is large and stuck in the right kidney, you will have lower back pain on the right side. Similarly, left kidney stones can cause throbbing and low back pain on the left side.
Prostatitis
This is a swelling of the prostate gland that causes low back pain in men.
3.3. Risk factor
Injury
Injuries such as sports accidents, car accidents or falls can damage tendons, ligaments, muscles, and vertebrae, leading to low back pain.
Wrong posture
Standing stooping, squatting, lying down, etc. can all cause dull and prolonged low back pain.
4. Is low back pain dangerous?
In fact, many patients with lower back pain subjectively think that the symptoms will go away on their own, so they often do not get treatment right away. For acute low back pain without definitive treatment, can turn to chronic. Continuous, prolonged pain with increasing intensity can lead to many complications.
If the disease is mild, it can affect normal activities such as standing up, sitting down, etc. However, if it is more severe due to disc herniation, it can cause sciatic nerve pain, long-term muscle atrophy. thighs, lower legs, limited mobility, paralysis.
Lower back pain when to see a doctor right away?
If you experience the following signs, the patient should see a doctor as soon as possible for timely diagnosis and treatment, preventing dangerous complications:
Lower back pain after a fall or pain that has occurred in the past.
From 2-3 days, the pain does not improve, even gets worse: pain spreads down the leg, obvious pain when coughing or sneezing.
Burning when urinating or blood in the urine.
The pain keeps you awake at night.
Numbness in the groin, thighs, and legs.
Feeling weak in the legs, falling easily, having difficulty walking.
Unexplained fever with back pain.
5. Diagnostic method
During the exam, your doctor will ask about your medical history, current symptoms, and the extent and frequency of pain. For some special cases (low back pain caused by trauma, pain for a long time...), the doctor may order the patient to perform some tests such as:
X-ray: Shows the alignment of bones and helps detect abnormalities such as inflammation, fractures.
MRI or CT scan: Through MRI or CT results, your doctor can detect problems in tissues, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, bones, etc.
Electromyography: The test helps measure electrical impulses generated by nerves, thereby detecting nerve compression due to herniated disc or spinal stenosis...
6. Ways to treat low back pain
Here are ways to treat lower back pain that you can refer to:
6.1. Care at home
When you have low back pain, what should you do? First of all, take care and monitor at home.
Stop physical activity for a few days and apply ice to the lower back (ice is recommended for the first 48-72 hours, then switch to heat).
Lie on your side with knees bent, knees between legs. However, if you can lie on your back comfortably, place a pillow or rolled towel under your thighs to reduce pressure on your back.
Apply heat or take a warm bath and massage regularly to relax tight muscles in your back.
Collective exercises back pain exercise according to the instructions of a doctor or specialist as well as measures to speed up the recovery process and prevent the pain from coming back.
6.2. Use a medicine
Your doctor will prescribe an appropriate dose of medication based on your symptoms, such as muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs for pain, or corticosteroid injections.
In general, this can only provide temporary pain relief and the disease can still recur. In particular, the use of pain relievers without the supervision of a doctor but arbitrarily used can lead to serious side effects.
6.3. Surgery
In many cases of vertebral compression fracture (L1 to L5) or severe disc herniation and medical treatments do not respond, the patient will be indicated for lumbar surgery.
However, this indication needs to be carefully considered. Because spine surgery is very complicated, it can completely lead to infection, nerve damage or fibrosis, muscle weakness, internal bleeding, paralysis, and even death.
6.4. Chiropractic treatment
Chiropractic therapy (Chiropractic) was born in the US in 1895, is highly appreciated for its positive therapeutic effect in the musculoskeletal industry. Specifically, by gentle spinal manipulation, this method helps to realign the structure of the lumbar spine, releasing the compression of misplaced vertebrae or deformed discs on the nerves. nerve or spinal cord, encouraging the body's self-healing mechanisms. After a while, the function of the musculoskeletal system works better and the pain automatically disappears.
Modern medicine evaluates that Chiropractic is really a treatment solution from the root of the Manyerniated disc disease and spinal degeneration, completely solving low back pain, avoiding recurrence like conventional methods.
6.5. Physical therapy
Physical therapy exercises aim at stretching movements to reduce pressure on the lumbar spine, contributing to quick pain relief. At the same time, if the patient is treated with modern equipment that enhances blood circulation and regenerates tissues, the body's ability to recover is accelerated, shortening the treatment time.
7. How to prevent low back pain effectively
To prevent low back pain you can refer to a few things below:
When lifting objects, need to spread your legs wide; squat down in the knee and hip flexed position, spine not flexed; then use your hands to bring the object close to the abdomen while stretching the abdominal muscles; slowly get up and lift the object.
Allocate time to rest and work properly, avoid stress or constant stress.
Those who do office work need to choose a chair with a suitable height (make sure the feet are comfortably touching the floor), every 1-2 hours, they should stand up to exercise, perform a few gentle movements to The lumbar spine is relaxed.
Everyone should spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising.
Control your weight to avoid being overweight, which puts pressure on the back spine.
Supplement necessary nutrients, pay special attention to calcium, magnesium, and potassium in daily meals. Drinking enough water helps you avoid spasms and recover faster.
Get regular health check-ups to recognize early signs of disease.
Hopefully, through the above article, you have understood what low back pain is as well as found the best ways to prevent and treat it.
Note, when low back pain persists and home care does not improve, you need to see a doctor immediately to avoid unpredictable complications.
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