With pain almost every sign. This type of diseases such as sciatica, lumbago, is a common feature of the causes of temporary disability, especially in people who engage 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 may be the result of congenital anomalies of the spine and its ligaments, acute and chronic infections, intoxication, or even tumors.
Back pain, sometimes very strong and sometimes people tolerate them easily. The fact that the reaction to pain is individual, affected by mental and age-related factors. The people in great pain with sciatica is very strong, although usually the perception of pain in the elderly weakness. And patients with the mental illness of the sensitivity to pain is reduced considerably, even when the sciatica.
Pain is a complex mechanism of adaptation, is sometimes called the "observatory" of health. Caused by impacts of external or blockages in the body, signals of danger. After receiving a signal of pain, the body includes defense mechanisms against the adverse effects. Pain due to a series of pathological processes reveal themselves before any external symptoms. So painful feelings play a positive role: they announce that is the time to act. If you have pain in the lower back and rump, do not delay treatment to the doctor. Remember the Eastern wisdom: "treat the disease light, having to treat heavy."
One-third of patients with low back pain caused by degenerative changes of the spine, which are collectively referred to as "osteochondrosis". Osteochondrosis is a set of changes in the bones and ligaments of the spine caused by degeneration of intervertebral disks. In addition, osteochondrosis in the spine can be formed bony outgrowths - osteophytes, which irritates the nerve roots and nerve endings of the spine and its ligaments, causing a dull pain pain in the back.
The intervertebral discs constitute the lenticular lens, the shape corresponding to the small indentations on the surface of the vertebrae. With age, the discs lose moisture, dry, there are cracks, holes, and cracks. As a result, the vertebra becomes movable and can slide out of the disk, which leads to the narrowing of the foramen intervertebral and compression that take place here cord and nerve roots. The lumbar vertebrae are the most mobile and are still under pressure when the weight lifting. Therefore, the discs between them are more susceptible to deformation.
Suffering from degenerative lumbar disc disease he suffers from pain, and the cause is not only a mechanical irritation of nerve roots: the rupture of the membranes and walls of the intervertebral disc releases irritating substances pain receptors.
In a more advanced stage of the disease of the units protrude, forming the so-called mezhpozvonkovuyu hernia, which is usually found in people of middle age and older people. Most often affects the discs of the lumbar spine, as the intervertebral foramina between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae and between the fifth vertebra lumbar and the sacrum is very narrow, and pass them to the nerve roots - most massive. mezhpozvonkovaya hernia is very dangerous. And it's not just that pinches the nerve roots, causing pain in the type of sciatica. Massive herniated disc presses on the spinal cord that can cause loss of sensation or even paralysis of the legs and urinary disorders.
For herniated lumbar disc, which is characterized by the following symptoms: "strut" - when standing the patient is obliged to lean a hand on the knee or a chair to reduce the load on the affected disc; "cushion" - the inability to lie on the belly, not tucked under the pillow; "destination" - the patient, trying to collect something from the ground, 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, their innate inferiority. The external factors that favour the development and aggravation of degenerative lumbar disc disease are: high humidity, extreme temperature changes, drafts; a significant and prolonged tension of the muscles, bones and ligaments of the lumbosacral spine; mechanical injuries and chronic infections.
The most common diagnosis for severe back pain - sciatica. For a long time it was believed that this disease has an infectious origin. However, the practice shows that patients do not usually the body temperature rises, not to increase the number of leukocytes in the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid. Sciatica almost never affects children. Therefore, in the majority of cases, unlikely to cause of the sciatica can be infection.
In fact, the sciatica is one of the most common manifestations of degenerative disc disease. Pain in the lumbar-sacral region in this disease can be both acute and obtuse. Normally it is unilateral, radiates to the buttock, rear thighs and the outer surface of the tibia. Pain with sciatica can be aggravated by change of body position, walking, coughing, sneezing, straining. Sometimes it is combined with sensations of numbness, tingling, pins and needles, burning, itching. Increased sensitivity of the skin, pain in muscles, lower back, buttocks, shins.
The symptoms of sciatica are severe. Patient change of motion, posture, appear characteristic movements and postures. At the time of walking, he leans the trunk forward and to the side of the healthy leg. In the standing position one leg bent, which reduces strain on the nerve trunks. Body of movement in the lumbar region of the spine is limited. On the sick side muscles of the back). With sciatica often curves of the spine. The patient is in a healthy cheek, throwing the trunk back with a tilt toward healthy legs. If the need to lift the object off the floor, squats or bends the torso forward while the bending of the leg affected. Lying down one leg usually bent.
Mild forms of sciatica is not limiting the patient in motion. If the disease progresses, reduced muscle mass, muscle weakness, patients concerned about the itching, sensation of "pins and needles". Lying in bed, suffering for hours can't find a comfortable position. They often feel cold, dryness, or, on the contrary, the moisture of the feet. The skin on the feet becomes pale or bluish color and becomes thinner. But these symptoms do not have to set up a hasty diagnosis of "sciatica". A similar image to give pannikulez - inflammation of the subcutaneous fat on the basis of violations of metabolism in the adipose tissue, and lesions of the joints of the feet.
In addition to the most common sciatica is very common to this acute form of the disease of the lumbar spine, lumbago, or cross. In lumbago irritation of the nerve roots and appears in acute pain. Often occurs in people who engage in heavy physical work, as a result of the overstrain muscles lumbar region, and often with colds. But sometimes an attack of lumbago can cause acute and chronic infection, which can be also one of the symptoms of sciatica. Pain usually stops after a few days, but sometimes lasts two or three weeks. While the attack did not let go, the patient is better to stay in bed.
A special form of lumbago develops when after heavy physical effort is the tension muscle bundles, tendons or bleeding in the muscles. This type of back pain manifests itself as pain along the entire length of the spine and a General feeling of muscular fatigue.
Especially important is: if you have an ailing lower back, this does not mean that the affected spine. Cause of back pain can be a myositis (inflammation) of the muscles lumbar. The disease lasts a long time. Muscle pain is not as strong as in lumbago, and dull, pain. When the muscles are compacted, painful to palpation and tension. Patients with chronic infections and metabolic disorders myositis of the muscles lumbar may be combined with pain in the joints.
Back pain: what to do?
Back pain can be so strong that without treatment will not do. Regardless of the cause of the attack in the first days you must stay in bed. In the following days, as the pain disappears, the patient is allowed to walk, first on crutches, it is advisable to download the spine. The bed should be hard - a thin mattress placed on a wooden Table.
For the local heating in the area of greatest pain used irritating ointments, and mustard or capsicum plaster. Bring relief to your warm scarf of wool, electric heating pad, a bag filled with heated sand, leeches. It also helps to benefits including anti-inflammatory and analgesics. With myositis help hot packs.
The analgesic effect elektroprotsedury: percutaneous elektroanal'geziya, sinusoidal modulated currents, diadynamic currents, electrophoresis with novocaine and other. With the same purpose, reflexology (acupuncture, moxibustion, electroacupuncture, laser therapy) and novocaine blockade. With sciatica caused by intervertebral disc displacement, apply traktsionnuyu therapy - traction of the trunk on the bed, or under the water. These procedures should be carried out in a hospital. Effective therapy - sodium chloride, radon, sulfide, turpentine, iodine-bromine baths, Naftalan, mud and low temperatures.
One of the developing types of therapeutic effects for the pain in the back, became a method of "biological feedback". Its principle is substantiated by the eminent physiologist Russian P. K. Anokhin in the 30-s of the last century. The method involves the training for the management of the functions of the body. Here is its use for the treatment of back pain. Before patients the goal is to maximally relax the muscles of the back. The patient sees his own elektromiogrammu that reflects the muscle tension in the screen and when you have it, hard, and hear a beep. During relaxation, the amplitude of the electromyogram is reduced, the sound disappears. As a result, the patient formed the motivation to reduce pathological tension in the muscles. Normally, the results immediately. For the patient to learn to relax and control the muscle tone necessary to spend five or six sessions. In the future, patients are able to manage the relaxation of the muscles of the back.
It is equally important to manage the pain and prevent attacks of exterior door supports - orthoses: corset corrector posture; reklinatora (special corset that eliminates tilt), brace and belt: belt elastic lifter or the installer. Prevent deformation of the spine, improve venous and lymphatic flow, giving the slim figure. Thus, if the composition of the material of the belt is wool.
You should only consider that if you do not follow medical advice, then the regular use of orthoses can cause damage. In the first place, that you will need to use more of the underwear to avoid chafing. Too strong tightening of the keys to difficult your breathing, digestion and the circulation of the blood in the lower half of the body. If you do not leave them, day or night, you can muscles to atrophy of the lumbar region of the spine. Orthoses useful to remain sitting at the table, the intensity of the physical effort, riding on public transport. The rest of the time it's better without them - the muscles have to work. The best option for back pain are exercise therapy. His muscle "corset" artificial "props" for the spine unnecessary.
Sometimes, in order to relieve the pain attack, patients have to resort to taking an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents. With a sharp pain are the most effective in the form of intramuscular injections. Usually prescribe analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . Anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal means of abuse is not worth. Contraindications for their use are peptic ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer in acute phase, expressed by the human liver. To avoid complications, you need to take only one medicine short courses of 5-7 days, pre-combining them with the individual characteristics of the organism.
In the elderly (over 65 years) with hypertension, heart failure, or peptic ulcer disease nonsteroidal preparations it is better to replace the so-called cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. These drugs practically does not irritate the gastrointestinal tract and do not have other side effects. Good to have a course of injections of vitamins, especially of group B.