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Acute sharp pain in the lower back. Why does severe pain occur in the lumbar region?

The causes of severe lower back pain or lumbago are not yet fully understood. One thing is absolutely clear - it is a pronounced syndrome and a sign of a disease that requires immediate treatment.

Spicy and sharp pain pain in the lower back can very frighten a person, especially when its intensity increases and does not allow any movement. When the body position changes, the pain intensifies, and when coughing or sneezing it becomes even more acute. Often people affected by this pathology freeze in the position in which they are in pain, since any movements intensify the pathological symptoms.

The main task of everyone who has encountered this problem is to find out real reasons sharp pain in the lower back. Required in the shortest possible time consult a doctor and undergo a thorough examination. If the treatment is not complete, the sharp pain in the lower back will turn into aching and pulling after some time, and the disease will become chronic, which is difficult to treat. Therefore, if you experience severe pain in the lower back, you cannot hesitate; you must immediately go to the clinic.

Possible causes of severe lower back pain

The causes of severe back pain are so varied that without a medical examination it is difficult to draw the right conclusion. Some reasons may be so serious that they require surgical intervention. There are ailments and problems that cause sharp pain in the lower back, which quickly disappear after taking necessary measures. Therefore, you should not immediately panic and think about yourself. worst case scenario when there is a sharp pain in the back.

Sharp pain in the lower back due to diseases of the internal organs

Attacks of urolithiasis, pyelonephritis, inflammation renal pelvis And renal colic give sharp pain in the lower back. If a stone blocks the canal, surgical intervention is urgently required. But in this case, the pain is so unbearable that the patient may lose consciousness, and simple painkillers do not help.

Inflammation of the abdominal and pelvic organs, ovaries in women, abdominal cavity also project acute pain into the back. The pain can spread to the thighs and buttocks, is felt in the lower abdomen, and it is difficult for the patient to tell where exactly it hurts. If pain of this kind is accompanied by fever, cough, nausea, dizziness, we can conclude that there are inflammatory processes in the internal organs.

Myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and other heart diseases; pleurisy and pneumonia give sharp pains in the middle or upper back, which also do not have a clear localization. Pregnant women may experience severe lower back pain.

Causes of severe lower back pain associated with spinal pathologies

Sharp pain in the lower back, which intensifies with movement and subsides at rest, is often caused by problems in the spine and diseases of the adjacent muscles. A person can adapt to such pain. In this case, the localization of pain coincides with the source of the disease, and it is easier to make the correct diagnosis. Such problems and ailments include lumbar osteochondrosis, injuries in the area thoracic spine, myositis (inflammation muscle fibers), offset intervertebral discs, spondylosis and other bone and muscular systems backs.

The causes of severe pain in the lower back can also be sprain of the spinal ligaments, aging processes in the intervertebral cartilage, hypothermia and drafts leading to sciatica injury or congenital pathologies development spinal column. With all these ailments, sharp pain in the lower back occurs from compression of the roots of the lumbar or sacral region spine.

The most severe pain comes from exacerbation of osteochondrosis, in which degenerative damage to the intervertebral discs occurs, which leads to disruption of their shock-absorbing functions. All of the above diseases arise as a result of insufficient motor activity, unhealthy lifestyle, excessive mental and physical stress.

Making the correct diagnosis when identifying the causes of severe lower back pain

In order to correctly diagnose the causes of sharp pain in the lower back, the doctor at the clinic prescribes full examination. When making a diagnosis, doctors, as a rule, rely not only on the patient’s subjective feelings, but carry out a large number of diagnostic measures, given the complexity of some of the above diseases. The patient must go through a series laboratory tests, ultrasonography, radiography, electrocardiography and, if possible, computed tomography.

As you can see, there can be many reasons for severe pain in the lumbar region. The information that the website gives you about health is extremely useful to the reader, however, we caution against self-medication and always recommend consulting a doctor if something worries you.

Acute back pain may be caused by for various reasons. It can be provoked by problems with muscles or ligaments: sprains, spasms, excessive strain after you lifted something heavy, turned unsuccessfully, or were in an uncomfortable, forced position for a long time.

Other common reason- problems with the spine: osteochondrosis, hernia intervertebral disc, arthrosis of the facet joints. A change in the natural “geometry” of the spine can lead to pinching of the nerve roots and severe pain.

First aid

What to do if you have acute back pain?

First of all, lie in bed, on a hard or semi-hard mattress, on your back. This position provides rest to the back muscles and intervertebral discs, due to which the muscles relax, the spasm decreases somewhat and the pain subsides.

Apply ointment to the affected area with an anesthetic or warming effect.

If the pain does not decrease after this, take. Such drugs provide a quick pain-relieving effect. However, remember: take them in large quantities you can't - they have a lot side effects. Before consulting a doctor, you can use such medications only as needed, when the pain becomes difficult to bear.

Muscle relaxants - drugs that relax muscles - can also relieve pain. But their use is possible only under the supervision of a doctor.

To the doctor!

Most often, back pain goes away within 10-14 days. But, even if you already feel well, you need to consult a doctor and find out the cause of its occurrence. The tricky thing about back pain is that if the trigger is not eliminated, it comes back. According to statistics, within a year after the first attack, 50% of patients experience a second one, and for many, the pain becomes chronic.

In addition, back pain due to osteochondrosis or muscle spasm- although unpleasant, it is not the most dangerous option. The back may hurt due to a vertebral fracture, tumors, inflammatory lesions of the intervertebral discs, or due to impaired kidney function. Therefore, consultation with a specialist is necessary.

Gymnastics

For a long time, doctors for acute back pain recommended adhering to strict bed rest within a few days. Today the approach is different: on the first day you really need to lie down, but then lack of movement is harmful, if possible you need to get up. And also - perform gymnastics, which improves blood supply to the back muscles and allows you to maintain a toned muscle corset.

The exercises should be performed lying on your back, with a small amplitude, without tension or sudden movements. Each - 8-10 times.

Bend left leg in the knee. Bend and straighten your right leg at the knee, sliding your heel along the bed. Switch legs.

The starting position is the same. Now right leg, without bending, you need to move it to the side. Do the same with your left leg.

Lying on your back, bend both knees and place your feet flat on the bed. Alternately move your knees to the sides.

Starting position - as in the previous exercise. If possible, pull your right bent leg towards your stomach, then your left.

Place a soft cushion or a wide, not too soft pillow under your feet. Lying like this, raise your arms up one by one, and then to your head.

With a bolster under your feet, without bending your knees, lift your legs one at a time as far as possible.

It is extremely important to know exactly what to do if you have acute lower back pain. This rule applies not only to first aid and treatment, but also to observing the nature of the symptoms, because the doctor will first ask about them during the examination in order to diagnose accurate diagnosis. The pain syndrome can be acute, pulsating or dull, appear when standing up, walking or moving, localized above the lower back or below, etc. Having identified these points, you should know how to provide first aid to relieve inflammation and painful spasms, because otherwise the the usual rhythm of life, since even straightening the spine can be very problematic.

However pain syndrome not always directly related to the musculoskeletal system. There are a number of diseases that can cause lower back pain, not only in the older generation, but also in younger men and women, and even children. In any case, such a problem greatly affects a person’s well-being, and this affects his work activity.

Common causes of low back pain

Sometimes it is possible to independently determine the source of the problem based on the nature of the pain and its location, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Often it is necessary to visit one or more doctors in order to establish an accurate diagnosis. Moreover, the sources of the problem may be different for men and women.

Doctors identify certain risk groups, whose representatives are especially predisposed to lower back pain. These are the people:

  • leading a sedentary/inactive lifestyle (due to their main activity);
  • conductive most driving time;
  • performing heavy physical labor (at work or in the gym).

But the above is rather the basis for the development of the problem. There can be many direct causes of pain, and all of them can be divided into primary and secondary:

  1. In the first case, this is different types pathologies of the spine itself: functional disorders of the intervertebral discs, diseases of the ligaments, muscles, atrophic changes, pinched nerves.
  2. In the second case, inflammatory processes most often make themselves felt internal organs, various infections and tumors.

Many doctors and healers believe that lower back pain is the price to pay for a person’s upright posture, as a result of which the main physical load falls on this part of the spine. Therefore, pain syndrome most often manifests itself due to primary factors.

Causes of primary lower back pain

Congenital malformations of the spine:

  • change in the shape of the vertebrae;
  • spina bifida;
  • accessory vertebrae and hemivertebrae;
  • vertebral fusion;
  • abnormal development of the arches, spinous processes, etc.

As a rule, this kind of pathology does not go unnoticed and can cause complications, even mental retardation. The pain is localized directly in the area of ​​the existing problem and can occur when bending or moving.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region

This is a disease that affects cartilage tissue and causing deformation of intervertebral discs. As a result, the distance between the vertebrae decreases, and the spine itself loses its flexibility. Irritation of the sacral roots occurs spinal cord, which form the sciatic nerve in the human body.

Gradually, as the disease progresses, pathological changes bone tissue of the vertebrae themselves. The disease progresses to chronic form, exacerbations of which are provoked by hypothermia, heavy lifting, stress, and infectious diseases.

Pain syndrome in osteochondrosis has different character and may manifest itself under the influence of certain provoking factors. For example, when lifting a heavy object, a sharp pain shoots out in the leg, after which there is a significant limitation of the mobility of the lower part of the spine and problems with bending.

On initial stage Pain diseases are noted in the sacral area, disappear at rest and after warming up the problem area. But they return again when provoked by the same factors.

Herniated disc

This is a disease in which, for one reason or another, the annulus fibrosus ruptures, followed by displacement of the nucleus pulposus. In other words, this is a slipped disc. It most often occurs as a result of osteochondrosis or some kind of injury and is considered the most severe disease of the spine.

Depending on which direction the disc is displaced, the consequences of the disease depend. In worst cases, when the hernia protrudes into the spinal canal, paralysis can occur (this happens quite rarely). In most cases, pinching of the nerve roots occurs, accompanied by severe pain or paresis.

The main symptom of intervertebral hernia is acute pain near the displacement of the vertebra, which often spreads to the entire area sciatic nerve. Numbness and tingling may occur in the area where the nerve endings are affected. Often the pain radiates (radiates) to the thigh or lower leg from the side of the displaced intervertebral disc. During physical activity painful sensations in the area of ​​the displaced disc are intensified.

Spondylosis of the lumbosacral region

This is one of the chronic diseases of the spinal column, which to some extent is a continuation of osteochondrosis. In the process of development of this disease The fibrous rings are involved, and flattening of the intervertebral discs is observed. Blood supply and nutrition to the affected areas deteriorate, and muscle spasms occur. Due to constant physical activity, the vertebrae are deformed, forming characteristic outgrowths - osteophytes.


At the beginning of the disease, the pain is the same as with osteochondrosis, directly in the lumbar region, which is associated with pinched nerve endings. Gradually, the pain becomes regular, becoming more severe, and in some cases spreading to the sacral region, buttocks and legs. Feeling better after changing body position and bending forward.

Protrusion of intervertebral discs

Most often it develops against the background of osteochondrosis and is characterized by displacement of the intervertebral disc, but without rupture of the fibrous ring. With this disease, there is no pinching of the nerve roots, and there are no specific clinical manifestations. However, aching pain in the lumbar region is present, and sometimes a burning sensation occurs. As the disease progresses, the sensations become more pronounced, spreading through the legs and down to the fingers.

Spondyloarthrosis – facet arthropathy and osteoarthritis

Spondyloarthrosis of the lumbosacral region is enough serious illness, which develops unnoticed against the background of osteochondrosis. If the disease is not detected in time, it progresses, causing changes in the facet joints of the spine that connect the vertebral arches. Gradually, the vertebrae become unstable, which is clearly revealed when turning and bending.

Pain in spondyloarthrosis is clearly localized in the lumbosacral back, sometimes radiating to the hip area when physical activity. As the disease progresses, it becomes more constant and intense, intensifying with changes in position at rest and sleep. This is why, in most cases, the lower back hurts a lot in the morning, getting up takes strength and it takes a lot of time to restore mobility to the back.

Causes of secondary low back pain

In this case, the true source of pain is not the spine, but internal organs, viruses, and infections. In men, women and children, lumbar pain can have different etiologies.

Lumbar pain in women

  1. Gynecology. Various kinds inflammation of the appendages, tumors, fibroids, vulvitis, adnexitis most often cause pain in the lower abdomen. But many women with gynecological problems may have pain in the lumbar region, both with right side, and with the left.
  2. Menstruation. Often menstrual pain are localized not only in the lower abdomen, but also cover the entire lower back with transition to the buttocks and thighs. Everyone can whine Bottom part torso.
  3. Abortion. Not strong cramping pain lower back are normal after an abortion. This is explained by a small inflammatory process during internal walls uterus and its active contraction.
  4. Climax. Hormonal changes A woman’s body affects almost all systems, including the bone system. At this age, bone density begins to decrease, which can cause the development of osteoporosis and characteristic aching pain in the lower back.
  5. Pregnancy. In the second and third trimester, a woman’s lower back experiences a colossal load, giving painful sensations, which usually disappears after childbirth. In some cases, nagging lumbar pain can signal contractions and the onset of labor.

Lumbar pain in men

  1. Prostatitis. With this disease, painful sensations in the lower back are combined with general weakness body and other pains. Therefore, there is no clear localization in the lower back.
  2. Epididymitis. This is an inflammation of the epididymis, characterized by pain in the abdominal cavity and sides. At the initial stage of the disease, there is a slight pain syndrome below the lower back.
  3. Tumors and metastasis of the lumbosacral region. In these cases, the pain is initially vague and temporary, but as the disease develops it becomes very strong and does not go away at rest. Often severe pain is localized below the lower back.
  4. Fracture of the spine/vertebrae. Enough common occurrence among men over 40 years of age, especially those suffering from osteoporosis. If the spinal cord is not damaged, the pain syndrome may not appear immediately, but after a while sharp pain is observed when moving the body, coughing or sneezing.
  5. Crick. Pain syndrome is explained by muscle spasm lumbar region, as a result of which the man’s mobility is temporarily limited. Usually the back recovers after 4-5 days.
  6. Lower back pain is typical for men who are actively involved in weightlifting or bodybuilding, but at the same time do not distribute the load correctly.
  7. Pain accompanying professional activities.

Common reasons for everyone

  1. Appendicitis, giving pain in the lower back on the right side;
  2. Cholecystitis with stabbing pain in the right hypochondrium, which sometimes radiates to the lower back;
  3. Excess weight, creating additional stress on the lumbar girdle;
  4. Kidney disease with aching, nagging pain in the upper lumbar region;
  5. Tuberculosis of the lumbar spine with pain deep in the spinal column at the site of destruction Bone Tissue and their subsequent irradiation to the legs;
  6. Myositis lumbar muscles- inflammation muscle tissue infectious, bacterial or viral in nature with localization at the site of the lesion;
  7. Pancreatitis with girdle pain around the waist.

Lumbar pain in children

As a rule, pain in the lower back occurs among children with scoliosis, mainly among schoolchildren. The reason for this may be improper sitting at a desk, a heavy backpack, or incorrectly selected shoes. Curvature of the spine can be easily treated with massage and therapeutic and preventive physical exercise, but under no circumstances should it be neglected.

Types of pain syndrome

In addition to the fact that pain syndrome is divided into primary and secondary, there is also a classification according to its duration:

  1. Periodic pain occurs during physical overexertion or acute inflammatory processes of internal organs, after which it disappears.
  2. Constant pain indicates chronic diseases and irreversible changes in the musculoskeletal system: osteochondrosis, scoliosis, lumbago, osteoporosis, spondylosis, atherosclerosis, thrombophlebitis.

When we're talking about about the lumbar region, then depending on the cause, the pain can be:

  1. Spasmodic, occurring during sprains. This pain hinders the movement of the lumbar muscles and can radiate to the buttocks.
  2. Radicular pain is a consequence of damage to the nerve roots. Characterized by numbness, tingling, decreased sensitivity in the affected area, and muscle weakness.
  3. In case of any diseases, for example, radiculitis, pain begins with mild manifestations, gradually increasing in both intensity and duration.

Others associated symptoms pain syndrome is: rapid heartbeat, sweating, fever, dilated pupils.

Classification of pain by intensity

It is also important to evaluate the nature of the pain, since this will later become useful information when the doctor collects an anamnesis.

Aching dull pain

Is a sign of both primary and secondary diseases. To accurately determine its cause, you need differential diagnosis. Most dangerous diseases that cause aching pain are: radiculitis and osteochondrosis, which cannot be treated, but progress over time. Among secondary causes aching pain accompanies cholecystitis, urolithiasis, pancreatitis. Also, dull pain in the lower back occurs with injuries, physical fatigue and pregnancy.


Girdle pain

The name here speaks for itself: such a pain syndrome can completely encircle the entire lower back without being localized to a specific point. There is a feeling as if the torso is being pulled together by a wide elastic belt. This is explained by the fact that pain is transmitted directly to all tissues located around the pain point.

Throbbing pain

This syndrome often occurs with lumbago - an acute pain attack in the lower back, complicated by sciatica, that is, a pinched sciatic nerve. Also primary reasons throbbing pain can be: osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia of any etiology, bruises and fractures of the spine, inflammation of the ligaments and myositis.

This type of lower back pain is often a reflex, that is, an echo of inflammatory processes in the stomach and duodenum, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis and cystitis. If other symptoms are added to lumbar pain in the form of high temperature, digestive disorders or problems with urination, urgent examination and appropriate treatment are required.

Sharp, sharp and stabbing pain

Acute pain, popularly called “lumbago,” together with throbbing pain, is one of the main signs of lumbago. The source of pain is pinched nerve, capable of transmitting a pain impulse to muscle tissue. Usually this condition is recognized more as a symptom inflammatory process, but not specific disease. Stitching pain can pulsate, accompanying diseases such as lumbosacral radiculitis and osteoarthritis.

Typically, such painful attacks occur in people over 30 years of age due to hypothermia, muscle strain, physical overload or spinal injury.

Pain when bending over and turning the body

Severe sharp pain that occurs when bending forward can be signs of osteochondrosis, radiculitis, vertebral displacement, or intervertebral hernia. This pain syndrome can also be provoked by too much physical exertion, muscle and ligament sprains, hypothermia, and neuralgia. All these factors lead to damage to muscle tissue and, as a consequence, to the development of the inflammatory process.

Other reasons that can cause pain when bending over are: pyelonephritis, ectopic pregnancy, urolithiasis disease, pancreatitis, rarely – appendicitis. In these cases, pain sensations are transmitted through nerve endings throughout the body, radiating, including, in the lumbar region.

Nagging pain

More familiar to women during menstruation and pregnancy. In other cases, nagging pain warns of damage to the vertebrae or injury to the spinal column, the development of ankylosing spondylitis or myositis. If nagging pain localized in the left side, it can be assumed that there are heart problems. If you experience pain in your lower back when you cough, you may have pneumonia. Pulling dull pain may make themselves felt after an uncomfortable position in sleep or sitting for a long time at one place.

Pain when getting up from a chair

Sharp pain in the lower back when standing up can appear as a result of muscle strain from heavy physical activity or, conversely, from a sedentary lifestyle. But the cause of this problem is sometimes much more serious than expected. For example, displacement of the vertebrae or osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, protrusion or intervertebral hernia, sprain of muscles or ligaments.

Localization of pain syndrome

In medicine, epicritic pain sensitivity and protopathic. In the first case, the pain is sharp, rapid, and has a clear localization that coincides with its focus. In the second case, the pain is prolonged, painful, and is an echo of the inflammatory process in other internal organ systems.


Based on the location of the pain syndrome, one can roughly determine concomitant disease, therefore, pay attention if lower back pain manifests itself:

  • against the background of pain in the lower abdomen - problems with the intestines or genitourinary system;
  • in the right side - lumbago, spondylosis, osteomyelitis, osteochondrosis, trauma, pyelonephritis, kidney stones and gallbladder, liver diseases;
  • in the left side - neuralgia, scoliosis, pinched sciatic nerve, heart disease, inflammation of the kidney or left appendage, pancreas;
  • along with spread to the leg - osteochondrosis, spondylosis, spinal tuberculosis, pinched/inflammation of the sciatic nerve, intervertebral hernia;
  • above the lower back – osteochondrosis, protrusion intervertebral disc, myositis, kidney inflammation, poor posture, focal pneumonia;
  • below the lower back – ankylosing spondylitis, radiculitis, spondyloarthrosis, malignant neoplasms, inflammation genitourinary system, colitis, spinal tuberculosis.

Diagnosis of lumbar pain

Accurate determination of the source of lower back pain will allow you to choose correct treatment, which will be more effective the earlier the visit to the doctor takes place. To do this, the patient must contact a therapist, who will prescribe tests and make a preliminary conclusion. If necessary, he will refer you to more to a specialist: orthopedist, surgeon, gastroenterologist, gynecologist, urologist, proctologist or nephrologist.

For diagnosis lumbar pain The following methods are used:

  • X-ray;
  • ultrasound diagnostics of internal organs;
  • computed tomography to study bone tissue;
  • MRI for soft tissue examination.

Additionally, they donate TAM and dilated TAC from a vein, and in some cases, blood for tumor markers.

First aid for lower back pain

When acute pain occurs, it is important to know which actions can and should be performed, and which ones it is better to refrain from.

Sudden sharp pain

Unexpectedly arising acute pain in the lower back can unsettle a person for several days and even temporarily deprive a person of his ability to work. What to do if your back hurts very badly and the cause is unknown:

  1. Accept horizontal position. It is better to lie on a bed with a hard or semi-hard mattress. The spine must maintain the correct position.
  2. It is necessary to relax all muscle groups. Stress should be excluded - psychosomatics has already proven its effectiveness.
  3. If the pain is too severe, you can take a painkiller. If it can be tolerated, then it is better not to take anything in order to preserve clinical picture as she is, before the doctor arrives.

It is advisable to record your condition whenever possible, so that you can then tell your doctor everything consistently.

What not to do:

  1. Rub the painful area with warming ointments so as not to worsen your well-being.
  2. Don't resort to manual therapy. Doing this during an exacerbation period is strictly prohibited.
  3. You should not take medications until the cause of the pain is known.

Pain from hypothermia

If you know for sure that lumbar pain is the result of hypothermia, you can take measures at home that are very effective. However, we should not forget that self-medication sometimes has reverse side. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and seek advice from a doctor.

Hypothermia these days most often happens not on a frosty street, but in a room with a split system. Therefore, if the next day after working under air conditioning it is difficult to get out of bed and straighten up, it means your lower back is cold. What can be the treatment for severe lower back pain when you can’t straighten up:

  • grind painful area warming ointment or alcohol;
  • wrap your lower back with a warm scarf or handkerchief;
  • If possible, maintain bed rest;
  • if the pain is very severe, you can take a painkiller.

This procedure must be performed every day until the pain completely disappears. But if the pain is very a strong character, then it is better to call a doctor who can prescribe anti-inflammatory non-hormonal injections.


Bruises and sprains

This type of injury can occur when falling on your back, playing sports, as a result of a fight, or in an accident. Symptoms can vary greatly - from a small scratch to complete immobilization.

When acting at home in case of a bruise or sprain of the lower back, you must first take an anti-inflammatory drug, which allows you not only to relieve inflammation, but also to numb the site of the bruise. To relieve swelling and improve blood circulation, it is recommended to take a diuretic. If you have an orthopedic belt, wrap it around the lumbar region to secure the spine and muscles. Or you can use a towel for this purpose. It is mandatory to undergo examination by a specialist.

Shot in the lower back

The lumbago is often of a single, transient nature, so that it is then easily forgotten until the next lumbago. If the pain is particularly piercing, then the person should be placed on a hard mattress and kept at rest for several days. For the back in this case it is necessary dry heat, so the bathhouse and hot bath inappropriate here. Pain relief and rubbing with warming ointments are acceptable. But if after 4-5 days the condition has not improved, you should urgently consult a doctor.

Lower back pain during pregnancy

The lower back of every woman experiences enormous stress during the nine months of pregnancy, and then after childbirth when carrying a child in her arms. How to relieve pain and improve general state body without resorting to medications? To do this, you can use the advice of experienced mothers and doctors:

  • wear a support bandage that takes part of the abdominal load;
  • minimize physical activity;
  • do special gymnastics for pregnant;
  • use a pregnancy pillow at night;
  • eat well, the diet should include fish, meat, nuts;
  • refuse high-heeled shoes;
  • Regularly take the knee-elbow position to relieve the back and kidneys.

Treatment methods for low back pain

How to treat hellish lower back pain caused by functional disorders musculoskeletal system? Doctors usually give the following recommendations:

  • bed rest for 4-5 days;
  • anti-inflammatory drugs;
  • blockades in the form of injections/needles to relieve pain;
  • physiotherapeutic procedures;
  • acupuncture;
  • manual therapy;
  • mud baths;
  • wearing a corset;
  • proper nutrition;
  • surgical intervention.

If the attacks of pain are mild in nature, then they can be cured with the help of yoga. According to studies, some people who regularly practice yoga were able to not only improve their health, but also completely overcome the disease. Psychosomatics, which is increasingly being resorted to, also plays an important role here. traditional medicine when your back hurts. However, we must not forget about the basic recommendations of the doctor.

Methods for pain relief in the lumbar region

If walking hurts, how to numb the sensitive area? Pharmaceutical market offers a number of remedies and medications to help relieve pain. But the prescription of painkillers is the exclusive prerogative of the attending physician.

  1. Non-narcotic analgesics in the form of tablets or injections (according to indications). The most common is Analgin, which is often prescribed along with Diphenhydramine in the form of injections for very severe pain.
  2. Narcotic analgesics. Used in in rare cases because they are addictive. Prescribed when serious injuries, after surgery and only under the supervision of a doctor.
  3. Blockade injections. Ideal for relieving acute pain when the sciatic nerve is pinched. The solution is injected into the pinched area, after which the pain in most cases does not return.
  4. Muscle relaxants. Reduce muscle tone, thus releasing the pinched nerve and eliminating painful impulses.
  5. Anti-inflammatory injections, gels and ointments work better than analgesics, since the main effect is on the cause of the pain, and not on the symptom. Prescribed in the form of tablets and injections.
  6. Plasters with local anesthetic effect. You can wear them both at home and at work.

Prevention of lumbar pain

Knowing the cause of acute pain syndrome, you can take a number of preventive measures which will help prevent the risk of relapse.

  1. Daily exercise for 15-20 minutes a day can protect against the development of the disease and thereby prevent its relapses.
  2. Correct posture helps correct location each individual vertebra.
  3. It is very important to eat well so that the body maintains a supply of micro- and macroelements, as well as vitamins responsible for the general condition of the body.
  4. For supporting water-salt balance you need to drink 2 to 3 liters clean water in a day. Individual daily norm water is calculated by the formula: 40 ml per 1 kg of body.
  5. Must be avoided stress conditions, especially women. It has been proven that a person’s psychosomatic state has a direct impact on his physical health.
  6. An annual examination by your doctor will allow you to identify disorders in time and begin their treatment.


This set of measures is especially good for lumbar pain caused by problems with the spine. If we are talking about pathologies of the abdominal cavity, some of the listed measures will not help. In each individual case, the attending physician is obliged to issue a reminder with exercises that will help strengthen your back and health.

Every third man and every fourth woman on Earth suffers from lower back pain. The main cause of back pain is disturbances in the structure of the spine. If you are overweight, it also often appears in those who lead sedentary lifestyle life, a disease of the musculoskeletal system and, in particular, the spine may develop.

What to do if there is acute pain in the lower back? If it appears during physical activity, the pain syndrome must first be eliminated. You need to take painkillers - for example, ortofen, indomethacin, voltaren. These medications reduce pain and swelling in the back. The lumbar area should be secured with a special professional belt or a long towel, which is tied around the back.

Causes of lower back pain

Most often, acute is associated with damage to the lumbosacral region. It also occurs if you stay in one position for a long time, with incorrect posture and heavy physical exertion, with long work in a sitting or standing position.

A little less often, the cause of acute pain is diseases not related to the joints.

Diseases that cause lower back pain:

  1. Lumbosacral radiculitis - the root of the nerve extending from the spinal cord is pinched, and the nerve itself becomes inflamed. The pain can be either sharp or aching. It is intensified by walking, bending the body, and sudden movements.
  2. Lumbar osteochondrosis - damage to the lumbosacral part of the spine. The pain is nagging, aching. They get worse when sneezing, coughing, or lifting weights.
  3. disc - prolapse or protrusion of part of the disc into spinal canal. In this case, the fibrous ring ruptures and the nucleus pulposus protrudes. When symptoms of a hernia appear, lower back pain and pain appear in the ankle joint.
  4. Myositis of the lumbar muscles is a thickening of the muscles, when exposed to them painful sensations appear. Acute form Myositis occurs if you get too cold or sharply strain a muscle.

Pain that lasts less than 3 months is acute pain. There is a high probability that it will disappear in a couple of weeks. If you follow the following recommendations, then in most cases sharp pains in the lower back will decrease significantly.


The best and simplest physical exercise for lower back pain - walking. Your doctor may also recommend special exercises, strengthening the muscles that support the spine. Strengthening your muscles improves your posture, keeps your body balanced, and reduces your chances of injury.

Article publication date: 02/12/2013

Article updated date: 12/01/2018

Suddenly my knee hurt. Why? How serious is this? Many of us ask ourselves these questions sooner or later. According to statistics, over 50% of humanity faces joint diseases, and all kinds of knee damage are among the most common problems. If you are worried about pain in the knee joint, the causes of its occurrence must be determined first.

Treatment of knee pain is one of the most important areas in arthrology*

*Arthrology is a branch of medicine that studies joints and their diseases.

Main causes of knee pain

As a rule, pain is a symptom of damage to the joints themselves, but this is not always the case. Here are the main reasons why pain often occurs:

  • Osteoarthritis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis) is a degenerative process of destruction of articular tissues, which, over a long period of time, causes deformation and deprives the joint of mobility.
  • Arthritis of the knee joint (gonarthritis, drives) – inflammatory disease. It can be either an independent pathology or a symptom or complication of other diseases.
  • Meniscopathy – . It manifests itself as a sharp pain that occurs after an injury (sometimes very minor - one awkward movement). If left untreated, the problem becomes chronic and can become a cause.
  • Vascular pain– are not articular pathology, but up to 10% of patients see orthopedists with this problem. Discomfort occurs due to poor circulation in the joints and can accompany a person throughout his life.
  • (periarthritis) – manifested by discomfort in the area inside knee pain that worsens when going up and down stairs. Most often, women over 40 years of age who are overweight are affected.
  • “Referred” pain in (coxarthrosis). In this case, the knees themselves do not suffer, the range of movements in them does not decrease, x-rays no changes are visible. Similar symptoms develop in 3–4% of patients suffering from coxarthrosis.

The causes of pain can be guessed by their nature. Dumb chronic pain, which occur during movements and intensify in the morning after waking up, are signs of arthrosis.

If there is swelling in the sore spot and a local increase in temperature (the knee feels hot to the touch), this is most likely arthritis.

Constant or frequent (especially at night) It's a dull pain may be a sign of leg vein thrombosis. This is a quite serious and even life-threatening pathology. Therefore, with such a symptom, consult a doctor immediately!

If severe pain occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, the meniscus may be damaged.

Symmetrical severe pain can occur with rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis and others common diseases body.

How to get rid of pain

Without treating the underlying disease, it will not be possible to get rid of discomfort. Therefore, a visit to the doctor is a top priority. After the diagnosis is established, the patient is prescribed therapy appropriate to his disease, and, if necessary, painkillers are prescribed.

There are cases when immediate consultation with a doctor is required:

  • unexpected sharp pain in the knee joint, up to the inability to step on the leg;
  • pain arising after injury, which is accompanied by knee deformation;
  • discomfort in the knee with a simultaneous increase in body temperature.

Warming ointments and compresses that you can prepare at home have a good pain-relieving effect. Here are some proven recipes:

    Mix a teaspoon of salt with a teaspoon of baking soda. Add 7 drops of iodine to this mixture. Steam your knees and apply the resulting mixture to them. Wrap your feet for 15 minutes, then rinse the mixture with water and lubricate the affected areas with vitamin cream. Positive effect you will feel it after 5 – 6 procedures.

    Mix 100 grams of dry mustard and 100 grams camphor oil. Whip 2 egg whites and add them to the mixture. At night, apply the resulting mixture and wrap your knees with a woolen cloth. Use until the pain subsides.

    Tincture of bitter pepper. Cut the pods and place in a container, filling half of its volume. Next, fill the container completely with alcohol or vodka and leave for a week. After this, use it as a rub.

    You can prepare golden mustache tincture yourself or buy it at a pharmacy. Use as a rub at night.

    Some analgesic effect is obtained by applying to knee joints fresh leaves birch, horseradish and burdock. Use several times a day.

Massage and physiotherapy. Massage will improve blood circulation and relieve stiffness in movements. Gymnastics will strengthen the muscle corset.

Depending on the disease and its stage, the doctor will prescribe a complex physical therapy. During classes, there is no need to strive to break records - a gradual and small increase in load will bring more benefit. The exercises are performed smoothly and slowly: they are aimed at working the muscles near the knee, causing them to relax, improving blood circulation, which helps reduce pain.

It is equally important to follow a diet - eating plant-based, rich in vitamins food, fish dishes and seafood helps restore articular cartilage. And, of course, when the pain can be overcome, we must try to make sure that it does not return: lead healthy image life, strengthen the body and not subject it to excessive stress.

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