Acute lower back pain: causes, treatment methods

Structure and features of the lumbar spine

The lumbar spine includes 5 vertebrae. They are designated (from top to bottom) as L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5. The lumbar vertebrae are connected to each other by intervertebral discs, muscles and ligaments. The location of the discs is between the vertebral bodies. Like the bodies, they belong to the supporting elements of the spine.

The posterior parts of the vertebra form an arch. It is designed to protect the spinal cord. The connection of the arches occurs due to the articular surfaces of the spinous processes. They are also articulated using ligaments, which determine the degree of mobility of the spine.

The spinal cord ends at the level of the first and second lumbar vertebrae. In the lumbar region it transforms into the filum terminale, consisting of the roots of the spinal nerves. From each of them there is a branch that contributes to the innervation of the spinal tissues. Pain receptors (nerve endings) are located in joints, ligaments and muscles.

Functions and role in the body

The lumbar vertebrae form lordosis. It forms when the child begins to stand and walk. The main function of this zone is shock-absorbing. When a person ages, it levels out.

The lumbar vertebrae are the largest in the entire spine - increasing from the first element to the fifth. This is due to the maximum load on the lower spine.

All vertebrae and the coccyx form 5 spinal motion segments. Thanks to this, the body can rotate to the sides. Also, thanks to this, the body moves in the frontal and sagittal planes, tilts and combined turns are made.

The lower back has fairly strong muscles, so a person can carry out movements even with additional loads.

Common pathologies

Pain in the lumbar region is considered common after 30-50 years. According to statistics, up to 80% of people experience severe pain in this area. This is the cause of temporary disability in all professional groups.

According to etiology, pain in this area is divided into 6 groups:

• visceral (provoked by diseases of internal organs);
• metabolic;
• neoplastic;
• inflammatory;
• infectious.

For many people, lumbar pain is caused by mechanical causes. These include sprains in the lumbosacral region, as well as degenerative pathologies of the intervertebral disc.

Common diseases: hemangiolipoma of the vertebral body, osteoporosis, spondylosis, hemangioma, vertebral hernia, protrusion, pinched nerve, Schmorl's hernia.

There are also spinal injuries: bruises, fractures, cracks. A compression fracture is often diagnosed. Sometimes fractures are accompanied by displacement of fragments.

Doctors call mechanical pain syndrome regional. The pain may radiate to one or both legs. In this case we are talking about sciatica.

If lumbar pain has a mechanical etiology, the disease takes a natural course. The prognosis in this case is favorable. In 50% of cases, the pain goes away within 2 weeks. In older people, as well as in case of untimely treatment, pain syndrome is present for 2-3 months.

In every 10 cases, the acute form of the disease transforms into chronic.

Pathology is a systemic lesion of connective tissue. As the disease progresses, cartilage tissue is destroyed. This leads to ankylosis (the vertebrae begin to fuse together). The risk group is teenagers and young people aged 16-30 years.

The main feature of this pathology is that at first a slight pain syndrome appears in the lower back. Then it becomes stronger and spreads to other parts of the spine.

In 90% of cases, pain is constant. In 10% of cases it is episodic. Over time, it becomes so strong that it subsides only after the administration of powerful analgesics.

The main symptom is stiffness of movement. Some complain of shoulder pain. Sometimes there is swelling of the upper and lower extremities.

This pathology is also called lumbar spondyloarthrosis. The main symptom is dull pain in the lower back and sacrum. It intensifies when a person bends sideways, makes rotational movements with the body, or leans backward.

The pain radiates to the groin (rarely), thigh, buttock.

For most patients, discomfort occurs when there is a sudden change in body position.

In the morning, a person may feel stiffness in the lower back, but gradually the unpleasant sensation disappears.

There are no neurological symptoms with facet syndrome. Frequent relapses are observed in 70% of patients. Sometimes the pain becomes chronic - in this case it is present for more than 3 months.

Pathology is an infection of bone tissue. The lower back may hurt and ache constantly. When a person makes this or that movement, the pain intensifies, but does not subside at rest. At first, you can calm her down by applying a dry, warm compress.

When the pathology progresses, there are signs of general intoxication. The person begins to sweat heavily. Weight decreases, the patient often has a fever - this condition is especially aggravated at night. Body temperature rises slightly.

A local abscess is present. Against this background, compression of the nerve roots is observed. The functions of the organs that are innervated by these roots are disrupted.

In severe cases, paralysis develops.

Chronic degenerative disease of the intervertebral joints at the lumbar level. Accompanied by pain and stiffness of movement.

The pathology is provoked by spinal injuries or age-related changes. People over 60 years of age are at risk.

The symptoms of the pathology are similar to those of osteochondrosis:

• pain in the lower back (its character is aching, dull);
• joint instability;
• impaired sensitivity of the skin of the legs.

Gradually, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs is disrupted. With the last degree of the disease, paralysis develops in 80% of cases.

The protrusion extends only to the spinal disc. At the same time, its internal structures remain intact. For a long time, the only symptom of the pathology was slight weakness in the legs. Against this background, a person does not even suspect that he is sick and attributes the discomfort to fatigue.

Gradually the symptoms intensify. As the disease progresses, the person complains of discomfort when moving. The pain radiates to the lower extremities.

• numbness of the legs;
• tingling in the lower extremities;
• convulsive muscle contraction.

With osteochondrosis, degeneration of the intervertebral discs is observed. The joints of the spinal column are destroyed, and degeneration of the ligamentous apparatus occurs.

The pain syndrome with this pathology is quite strong. Its appearance is caused by irritation of the nerve roots. Also, pain receptors are irritated by rupture of the membranes and septa of the intervertebral disc.

There is a feeling that a nerve (or muscle) in the lumbar region has been pinched. As the pathology develops, pain appears in the buttock and radiates to the back of the thigh.

If a person sits for a long time, his legs go numb. In the later stages, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, and pain appears in the epigastrium. This symptomatology is mistakenly taken by a person to be a manifestation of a gastrointestinal tract disease.

At the late stage of osteochondrosis, protrusion of the intervertebral discs occurs. This leads to the formation of a hernia. The symptoms are similar to those of radiculitis of the lumbar spine.

The main manifestations of a hernia:

• inability to bend over (due to pain and stiffness, a person is forced to squat);
• inability to lie on your stomach (this can only be done with a thick pillow);
• inability to stand without support (to reduce pain, a person is forced to lean on his knee or on a chair).

A large hernia puts pressure on the spinal cord. This leads to decreased sensitivity in the legs. In the worst case, paralysis develops.

Areas of sharp pain in the area methods and methods of dealing with it

Low back pain in the lower back – this is a common phenomenon in the lower back, it appears to be a struggle and provides a lot of discomfort to the sharp “owner”. It would seem that he didn’t do anything enough - he just bent over the rug or tied the pain, but then his lower back was twisted, and she couldn’t even straighten up. Should this be done in such emergencies? The answer to this question is suddenly logical - go to the doctor. But how much can this be done if it’s impossible for you to move without aggravating anything? First of all, it is important to take all measures to get rid of this unpleasant inconvenience.

What is the nature of the lumbar spine?

There are several quite intervertebral reasons that cause the owner pain in the lumbar region.

Common

The most common reason is to straighten the lumbar spine.
It seemed that every person who was not indifferent to his or her special needs knew about the nature of the disease. When the intervertebral mat is destroyed and their height decreases, correct the conditions for compression and move the roots between the two vertebrae. Often this is the lower back during a sharp and large twisting movement in the lumbar spine (laces forward, to the sides, etc.). Check out what to do:
What to do if your lower back hurts?

Strong pain occurs, which is called emergency. In this case, painful cases have the character of a lumbago, it seems logical for a person to freeze in the one in which the pain has overtaken or radiates to one (sometimes even here) legs. The slightest movements make the situation even worse. The answer is that for some time (from several to hours), the painful sensations in question gradually go away, if emergency measures were taken by the doctor on time and correctly. There remain no exacerbations of lower back pain that will bother a person for at least 1-2 weeks (lumbodynia).

Radiculitis

You've heard of this medical procedure, but not everyone correctly understands the essence. This non-infectious is necessary for the spinal roots. When the spinal nerve root becomes swollen and swollen, this leads to pain and some other unpleasant symptoms that depend on the lumbar pathological process.

The first cause of radiculitis is osteochondrosis, widespread hernia, pathological curvature of the column, physical overexertion, hypothermia, etc.

Radiculitis can cause symptoms such as sharp pain on the right or left, or a gradually increasing pain in nature. Without adequate neurological support, lower back pain can last for a long time, which even worsens the quality of life.

Osteochondrosis hernia

Herniated intervertebral pain is a complication of osteochondrosis, the fibrous capsule of the disc does not have enough load and ruptures, which causes the nucleus pulposus to be squeezed out. Hernial protrusion is caused by nerve fibers that lead to the development of pain.

Without a very dangerous and serious area, which is accompanied not only by causes in the lower back, but also by disturbances in the functioning of the lower back of the brain, which can often lead to paralysis and disability.

With osteochondrosis, the hernia compresses the nerve itself, which causes a sharp

Pathology of internal organs

Pain is the main group of causes; the cause leads to sharp pain in the region; there are a number of lumbar internal organs that cause pain to occur with soreness in the lower back.

Genitourinary pathology is probably often disguised as a spinal cord. Low back pain is indifferent to glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, disease, hydronephrosis, polycystic disease. But, as a rule, the character knows something different - not so when expressed. In addition, health signs of kidney damage (human, increased blood pressure, spinal disorders) make it possible to distinguish this condition from vertebrate lesions in nature.

Also, pain in the lumbosacral spine can occur due to disc diseases of female internal organs that are destroyed (ovarian cyst, shrinkage, salpingitis, endometritis, endometriosis, etc.).

Can you help yourself if your lower back is developing?

We will talk about height, which is caused by diseases called, in particular about help with conditions, since this occurs between all, and these two are the most intense.

Often you suddenly have this in the lower back on the left or the roots, then the first thing the vertebrae need is to lie down on a flat surface and apply pressure. Do not try to get to the adjacent ones or to the bench - this will intensify the pain, do not focus your time on what is sharp around you - lie down immediately on what.

Why is this necessary? If you want to remove the big one from the spine. In this case, the amplitude is as follows. Do not lie down horizontally, take that position, the pain in the lumbar region is less bothersome when bending over. Contrary to the general mistake of moving forward, the spinal muscles do not move to the spine when placed in a horizontal position.

After a few minutes, carefully turn the sides onto your back and place them firmly on some elevation. It hurts and forces the muscles to relax as much as possible. It is necessary to lie like this until the pain in the article decreases.

In this sharp pose, you are as relaxed as possible

Now which carefully rise from the floor. The lower back is necessary in stages. At the beginning, we roll over onto our stomach and get onto all fours, then slowly aggravate it using support for this. You need to straighten up very lumbago.

After you feel pain, you can take a non-infectious tablet (Ibuprom, Imet, Sensations, etc.). This will help relieve pain, but will also relieve possible damage to the nerve roots. Also, apply an anti-inflammatory and analgesic to the lumbar area (Finalgon, Postrela, Voltaren).

The next stage of a person should be fixation and several unloading of the back. If the pain has a special orthopedic one for the lower back, then wear one. If not, tie a scarf around part of your back. I overtook minimal movement, no bending, no gravity.

After relief of sometimes pain in the lower back, the slightest need to seek medical attention and refer to a specialist. The doctor will prescribe two necessary treatments to relieve pain and prevent it in the future.

Situation.ru

Diagnostic methods

If lower back pain is constantly present or occurs very often, you should contact a neurologist. First, the doctor does a physical examination. Then the patient is sent for hardware examination. Basic diagnostic methods:

• X-ray;
• CT;
• MRI;
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs.

If the pain syndrome is very severe, neurological disorders are present, myelography is performed. If necessary, to clarify the diagnosis, the patient may additionally be prescribed an ECG.

Causes of primary and secondary low back pain syndrome

The causes of lower back pain number in dozens. According to the medical classification, there are primary and secondary pain syndromes affecting the lumbar region.

1. Primary lumbar pain syndrome (musculoskeletal changes of a morphofunctional nature) is the cause of most cases of back pain in the lumbar region. In the first place are degenerative-dystrophic changes in various parts of the spine:

Osteochondrosis is a lesion of cartilage and bone tissue that is dystrophic in nature. The intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebrae are affected, and spondylosis develops.

Spondyloarthrosis is a form of osteoarthritis in which the lesion affects the intervertebral joints (facets), responsible for the mobility of the spine, or synovial joints.

2. Secondary syndrome can have even more diverse causes of low back pain:

Scoliosis, in simple terms – curvature of the spine, and some other growth diseases;

Bone lesions associated with metabolic disorders, such as osteoporosis and osteomalacia;

Inflammations of a non-infectious nature, such as ankylosing spondylitis (another name is ankylosing spondylitis), Reiter's syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis;

A tumor located on the vertebrae, directly in the spinal cord or in the retroperitoneal space, primary or caused by the formation of metastases;

A fracture of one or more spinal vertebrae is one of the most serious causes of lower back pain;

Infectious diseases of various kinds, leading to damage to both the vertebrae and intervertebral discs: brucellosis, tuberculosis, purulent inflammatory process in the epidural tissue (epidural abscess);

Stroke conditions with acute impairment of spinal circulation can also cause a sensation of lower back pain;

Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular acute appendicitis of atypical course, intestinal obstruction.

Also, lower back pain can be referred; This situation occurs in a number of diseases of organs located in the pelvic area. These include, first of all, renal colic and infectious diseases of the gynecological sphere (venereal). Thus, referred pain in the lower back is caused by gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, chlamydia, andexitis, and ureaplasmosis.

Treatment options

Drug therapy is usually carried out - this allows you to stop inflammation (if any) and relieve pain. In case of very severe pain, blockades with novocaine are performed.

The patient is prescribed drugs that help restore decaying cartilage (chondroprotectors). Vitamin B is additionally prescribed.

Next, the patient is sent for physical treatment. Depending on the indications, he is prescribed massage sessions, electrophoresis or manual therapy. The main goal of treatment at this stage is to strengthen the muscle corset. Additional goals include relieving stress on the intervertebral discs and releasing pinched nerves and muscles.

During rehabilitation, the patient is prescribed physical therapy exercises. The set of classes depends on the indications: in rehabilitation centers they most often resort to S. Bubnovsky’s method. At home you can do the exercises developed by A. Bonina.

In rare cases (if conservative treatment does not bring results), surgery is used. Usually, surgical intervention is resorted to in the presence of a hernia, when there is a need to release the spinal cord from tissue pressure.

As part of prevention, it is necessary to get rid of excess weight (it increases the load on the spine) and give up bad habits.

Regular physical activity is recommended. It is advisable to do morning exercises, and if you work sedentarily, do a 5-10-minute warm-up during the day.

• A few words about anatomy
• Structural pathologies
• Diseases
• Let's sum it up
• Video on the topic

The lumbosacral spine most often worries people throughout their lives. Both men and women, young people and the elderly experience pain. What pathologies of the lumbar region exist, and how do they manifest?

Lumbosacral osteochondrosis

If your lower back constantly hurts, this may be a manifestation of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine. This is a disease that primarily affects the discs between the vertebrae. They become thinner, which leads to friction between them and decreased disc mobility. The following predisposing factors for the development of this disease are identified:

• staying in an uncomfortable position for hours;
• prolonged bending of the body;
• insufficient warm-up during physical education;
• weakness of the muscles and ligaments of the back;
• wearing backpacks with 1 strap;
• presence of flat feet;
• hard physical labor;
• large static load;
• improper organization of the workplace.

Back pain is the main symptom of osteochondrosis. With stage 1 of the disease, there is no pain syndrome. With the development of protrusion (bulging) of the disc, lumbago develops. This is a sudden onset of pain in the lower back. Some people feel it like an electric shock. It appears when there is a sudden change in posture or when moving.

If your back hurts in the lumbar region, then the cause may be lumbodynia. This is chronic pain due to osteochondrosis. Its appearance does not depend on human motor activity. The pain is aching. It is difficult for such people to straighten their body. In the position of a person lying on his back, the pain syndrome disappears or decreases.

With grade 3 osteochondrosis, radicular syndrome develops. It manifests itself as lumboischialgia. This is pain that radiates to the lower limb all the way to the toes. It is often combined with sensory disturbances. Discomfort in the lumbar region is caused by compression of nerves, blood vessels and muscle spasms.

A few words about anatomy

Nature has ideally provided for the structure of the spinal column. A perfectly straight spine in a baby who is just lying in the crib, as he grows older, more and more resembles the shape of the Latin letter S. This is necessary to give the spine stability and strength. During intense movements, the main load is taken by physiological bends, which have springing properties. This especially applies to the natural curve anteriorly, where the lower back is located in humans.

The lumbar region itself consists of five vertebrae and connects the sacral and sternal areas. The sacral zone is almost static, and the sternal spine has minimal mobility. It turns out that any movement is assumed by the lumbar vertebrae. In addition, a huge load is placed on the lower back in the form of pressure from the upper half of the body. This leads to rapid wear of the vertebrae, their deformation and the onset of inflammatory and degenerative processes.

The vertebrae themselves are counted from top to bottom. The upper ones are cylindrical in shape. The shape of the latter is wedge-shaped, with a forward bend. This helps keep the entire department moving. The vertebrae are connected to each other by a connecting system consisting of tendons, intervertebral discs, articular parts and ligaments.

The structure of the human lumbar region, its functions

The problem with medicine is that similar symptoms can indicate different diseases. Accordingly, incorrect diagnosis can cause even greater problems for the patient’s health. For pain in the lumbar region, this statement is also very relevant.

Lower back diseases are our price for walking upright. In any case, most of these diseases are associated precisely with the anatomical features of the human body - with the vertical position of the spine.

Let us briefly consider the structure of the lumbar region. This is the part of the back that lies between the lowest pair of ribs and the lumbosacral joint in the pelvic region. From the sides, the lower back is limited by the posterior axillary lines.

The functions of the lumbar region are to support the body in an upright position with the help of a bone frame and muscular system, as well as protect internal organs (pancreas, intestines, kidneys).

The lumbar region consists of five large vertebrae, separated by elastic intervertebral discs, which act as shock absorbers that perform a protective function.

The muscular apparatus of the lumbar region is represented mainly by the vastus dorsi muscle and the muscle responsible for straightening the spine. They are the ones who are subject to the heaviest loads.

Structural pathologies

Usually we are talking about two main anatomical pathologies of the lower back:

• Lumbalization. In this case, the lumbar region includes not five, but six vertebrae. Where does the additional element come from here? The sacrum separates and becomes part of the lower back.
• Sacralization. In this case, on the contrary, the last vertebra is fused with the sacral region. It can be complete, symmetrical or partial.

Why does such a violation of the structure of the spinal column occur? Incorrect segmental development begins in the womb, during embryonic development. It is believed that infections and intoxications in the first trimester can lead to this. However, it is impossible to reliably talk about this as the only reason for such pathologies, because even a perfectly proceeding pregnancy can end in the birth of a baby with a similar anatomy, and vice versa.

What problems does a person with such pathologies generally face, and how does it manifest itself? If lumbarization, that is, the presence of the sixth vertebra, is congenital, then a person may not be aware of this feature for a long time. However, the sixth vertebra will constantly increase the lateral curvature of the spinal column, which is already pathological.

The functions of the lumbar region weaken, and the person himself may feel rapid fatigue after physical exertion, as well as the appearance of sharp pain in the lumbar region with accompanying factors: lifting weights, falling, hitting. Typically, these symptoms occur no later than 20–25 years, when the bone skeleton is already fully formed.

Sacralization is considered no less dangerous, since the lower back loses the most important element necessary for the mobility of the spinal column - the fifth lumbar vertebra.

With asymmetrical fusion of a vertebra, a person is faced with an uneven load on different parts of the tissues of the right or left lumbar region. A common consequence of this situation is scoliosis, that is, curvature of the spine to the right or left.

Problems with the structure of this part of the spine include lumbar lordosis, or more precisely hypo- and hyperlordosis. In the first case, there is excessive smoothing of the area of ​​the lower back in which there should be a physiological curve. In the second case, this bend takes on a hypertrophied shape.

Why does my back hurt in the lumbar region?

The intensity of pain, as well as its duration, may indicate the development of serious diseases that require immediate detection and urgent treatment. If there is pain in the lower back in the lumbar region, then this indicates the presence of acute, chronic, primary and secondary ailments. Such pain can be localized on the left back, radiating to the lower abdomen, left leg, buttock.

Complaints about lower back pain come from girls before or after menstruation, during pregnancy, after childbirth, with cystitis, after training. An accurate determination of the nature or intensity of pain, combined with the results of tests performed and an in-person examination by a doctor, can give a reliable determination of which internal organ signals a pathological condition.

Pain in the lower back and lower abdomen

Depending on the cause, the pain can be dull, burning, aching, sharp and spread throughout the lower back or localized to one point. If a woman complains that in addition to the entire lower back she also hurts below her abdomen, then consultation with a gynecologist, nephrologist, and then a surgeon is necessary. After tests and an ultrasound, doctors can diagnose:

• Kidney dysfunction.
• Ovarian disease.
• Inflammation in the bladder.
• Impaired bowel or rectal function.
• Ulcerative colitis.
• Colon tumors.
• Adnexitis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis.

Refers to the left leg and buttock

If you feel that the entire lower back at the bottom of the spine hurts, radiating to the left leg and buttock, and makes it difficult to bend over, then this indicates a muscle strain. But if these symptoms are supplemented by a feeling of numbness in the toes, the appearance of pins and needles and increased pain when sneezing, prolonged sitting or walking, then the cause is presumably nerve root syndromes. When the lower back hurts for more than a day, you need to immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Spine pain in the lumbar region

Our spine is exposed to multiple loads every day, which subsequently lead to pain in the entire lower back. Remember that any pain is always the first signal of danger, early identification of which gives a better chance of achieving a speedy recovery. If your lower back hurts constantly, then you need to consult a doctor for examination to rule out the presence of the following pathologies:

1. Osteochondrosis. This disease is considered the most common cause of lower back pain and is determined by the presence of damage to bone tissue, cartilage and vertebrae that are adjacent to the disc.
2. Spondyloarthrosis. This disease is determined by the presence of deformation of the form, function and anatomy of the intervertebral joints.
3. Scoliosis. The curvature of the spine leads to lower back pain.
4. Reiter's syndrome. This disease is characterized by the presence of an inflammatory process in the lower back, the cause of which is not infection.
5. Intervertebral tumor. A benign or malignant tumor can form between the vertebrae, which signals its presence by unbearable pain in the lower back.

Diseases

As a rule, they are associated with the active use of this part of the spinal column, as a result of which it is injured more often than others. What diseases threaten people?

This pathology is called osteochondrosis. Most often, dystrophic processes arise against the background of existing metabolic problems. Impaired nutrition of cells and tissues leads to a decrease in the volume of articulation elements. The discs decrease in height and cease to fully perform their padding function. The vertebrae begin to touch each other.

It is natural that friction occurs during movements, and this is nothing more than abrasion of the surface areas of bone tissue. Typical signs of this condition are pain and stiffness of the spine. Manifestations of osteochondrosis appear gradually, and therefore patients are usually admitted to hospitals quite late, when there are complications and other disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Reducing the size of the layer between the vertebrae. This is one of the complications of osteochondrosis. With a large loss of moisture and nutritional components, the discs cease to be elastic and resilient. They begin to protrude beyond the vertebrae to the sides, forming protrusions. How does a person feel with this pathology?

Pain and stiffness increase significantly. To these are added innervation (impaired nerve conduction) of the hands and internal organs. In the most severe cases, there is a risk of pinching the nerve roots. A person in this state feels absolutely sick, his activity is reduced to a minimum.

This is nothing more than an intervertebral hernia. If access to nutritional components is disrupted, the structure of cartilage tissue deteriorates significantly. The likelihood of its rupture increases sharply, and if the integrity is violated, the contents partially come out. How to recognize this pathology? It manifests itself with unpleasant pain and tingling sensations that radiate to the leg. By the way, pain in the leg can be felt much stronger than in the lumbar region, and it is with this that a person can visit a specialist.

These pathological growths on the surface of the vertebrae or articular processes take a long time to form. They can have different shapes - hooks, spikes. They carry a double danger. Firstly, they interfere with the natural movement of the vertebrae of the lumbar spine, and a person develops stiffness in this area, which prevents him from living actively.

Secondly, sharp thorns can deform cartilage tissue, nerve roots or blood vessels when moving. But the most important thing is that in close proximity there is a canal in which cerebrospinal fluid flows. Osteophytes exert compression on this area, which can lead to impaired sensitivity of the lower extremities and even disability.

The lumbar region is an area where many muscle groups are located that are closely interconnected. When muscles spasm, compression is applied to the nerve roots of the lower back. The person experiences a sharp, shooting pain. Patients often say that at that moment they simply could not move and were simply frozen in some position.

By the way, this condition is considered a protective reaction of the body: in this way it tells the person that further continuation of movement can lead to damage to the nervous tissue, and the consequences of this can be much worse. By the way, lumbago rarely appears in completely healthy people. As a rule, it reports the presence of some other spinal disease, for example, osteochondrosis.

This disease is quite rare. The lumbar region is the second most common location after the cervical spine. The muscles that are located here begin to become inflamed for some reason. The severe weakness that torments the patient will not go away on its own.

In the absence of proper therapy, the patient runs the risk of causing muscle fibers to atrophy, which means that the muscle corset in the lumbar area will no longer be able to perform its function - to support the upper parts of the spine and neutralize the load that occurs during movement.

Injuries that occur in this area (and throughout the entire spinal column) are considered one of the most serious, especially if the spinal canal is damaged. A considerable part of patients with such injuries lose the ability to move for the rest of their lives, that is, they become disabled.

The visceral group of pain appears due to the presence of problems in the internal organs that are located in close proximity to the lumbar spine. Therefore, you should not be surprised that the therapist will refer the patient not to a rheumatologist or orthopedist, but to a urologist, gastroenterologist or gynecologist who deals with problems of the iliopsoas region.

Ankylosing spondylitis

This is another degenerative disease of the spine (or rather, its joints), which is accompanied by complaints such as pain in the lower back. Another name for the disease is ankylosing spondylitis. Usually it causes constant lower back pain. Patients with this pathology do not note analogues of lumbago and other variants of “lumbago”.

Why does the lower back hurt in this situation? Rheumatologists explain the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis from the standpoint of autoimmune processes. This means that once started, the inflammatory process proceeds steadily and progressively if therapy is not started.

Patients are bothered by pain in the lower back. They are inflammatory in nature. Pain occurs in the morning, as with rheumatoid arthritis. As the motor mode expands (by lunchtime), the patients' condition improves significantly. Pain in the lower back can also intensify late at night, in the early morning hours.

Over time, other manifestations of the disease appear. If at first the patient claims that he does not know how to get rid of lower back pain, then other problems arise. Appearance and posture change. The so-called “supplicant pose” appears. Pain in the lower back persists. Respiratory dysfunction is a common occurrence in ankylosing spondylitis. It becomes difficult for the patient to breathe deeply and deeply. There is a limitation in the volume of respiratory movements.

In addition to pain in the lower back, patients are also worried about peripheral joints. Arthralgia may debut in the area of ​​the feet, hands (small joints), as well as in larger joints. Then they talk about the peripheral form of ankylosing spondylitis, which is prognostically a more unfavorable variant of the course.

Let's sum it up

If a person has back pain, he should immediately consult a doctor. The spine is the basis of the skeleton, and how a person takes care of it determines his well-being and activity in the future. A number of problems can be treated quite quickly; therapy for some pathologies requires long courses of several years and even a complete change in lifestyle. But the main thing is that the patient receives health, well-being and the ability to move normally, and this gift of nature should be appreciated from a young age.

When women have back pain in the lumbar region, the causes of pain can be not only pathological changes in the spinal column or diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract, genitals and other organs, but also the physiological characteristics of the female body.

In previous materials we have already written about the causes of pain in the lumbar region and the factors that provoke them; in this article we will focus on the features and mechanism of the occurrence of lumbar pain in women.

Pain at work as a symptom of illness

Disorders with underlying diseases that cause painful sensations in the lumbar spine:

1. Hernias in the intervertebral bodies. The main symptom indicating a stretched stenosis is difficulty moving, in which the patient may suffer from ligament pain, lameness, and movements of the gluteal muscles. After stretching and physical activity, the pain becomes sharp quite quickly.
2. Rheumatic due to. This syndrome, like a load, occurs in people with elderly joints and is expressed by stiffness of movements of the lower limbs. Pain in the performance department is also a physical symptom.
3. Osteochondrosis. When complaining of pain, a similar ligament is placed in most cases. The cause of pain is the sensation of height of the intervertebral discs.
4. Sore muscles. A common cause of occurrence is severe overexertion due to physical work. Muscles in the midst of spasm become tense and exercise, a person’s attempt to correct that with the help of movement causes severe pain.
5. Unstable stretch condition. This intervertebral problem mainly occurs in women over 40 years of age. Spasm damage to the vertebrae of a woman raises attacks of pain from heavy back pain and quickly gets tired. In exposed cases such women are muscular and overweight.
6. Narrow vertebral muscles. This is a serious disease for corset, as it accompanies both active and resting conditions. Severe pain starts from the spine and the pain goes to the fingertips. The patient is most often not bound to receive the long-awaited release from or even in a lying position. The soft canal is a consequence of changes in the intervertebral nature, due to which the structures begin to grow with tears. The injury results in severe and permanent tissue damage, as the lesion ends are pinched.

In order to usually establish the causes of such pain in the lumbar region, joints, consult a doctor and see if they appear.

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Physiological causes of lower back pain in women

The female body, as is known, has a number of hormonal and physiological characteristics. It is intended for bearing and giving birth to a child, therefore it has reproductive organs (uterus, ovaries, mammary glands).

A woman's hormonal background changes throughout her life. Hormones are biologically active compounds (there are more than 60 types) that regulate basic human functions; in women, they determine her life periods: puberty, reproductive, menopause, postmenopause.

Hormonal changes at different periods of a woman’s life cause bleeding (menstruation, menopausal bleeding, during childbirth, etc.), as well as pain in the lower abdomen and lumbar region.

Such causes of lower back pain in women are usually called physiological, associated with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.

For example, during pregnancy, a woman may have back pain in the lumbar region in the last trimester due to the weight gained and the growth of the fetus, when the spinal column is overloaded. Therefore, doctors recommend that pregnant women wear special bandages that reduce the load on the spine.

The cause of back pain in the second half of pregnancy may be expansion of the pelvic bones before childbirth or weak skeletal muscle tone.

But pain in the lumbar region in the early stages of pregnancy, accompanied by bloody discharge and general malaise, is an alarming signal of an incipient miscarriage. Therefore, in such a situation, you need to immediately contact a gynecologist.

Gynecological diseases are associated with the physiological characteristics of women, which also provoke pain in the lumbar region. But these are, rather, pathological conditions of the female genital organs that require diagnosis and treatment by a specialist.

How is low back pain diagnosed?

Those who go to the hospital with problems with severe pain in the area are prescribed standard procedures to examine such pathologies. The backs of it all are:

• computer microtrauma – provides information about the condition of the frequent tissues of the spine;
• musculoskeletal tomography (full examination of weak tissues - muscles, tendons, etc.);
• OR - is carried out for all organs affected in order to assess the joints and state of the body and identify consequences that are not related to the area of ​​activity, but cause pain there;
• X-ray - will help identify types of lower back pain, if hernia and kidney stones are associated with spinal injuries.

Diagnosis of sports is an important stage in making a gymnastics diagnosis and, as a result, aerobics prescribing treatment that will get rid of the problem.

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Pathologies as causes of lower back pain in women

Women may experience back pain in the lumbar region not only with pathologies in the reproductive system, but also with injuries or destructive changes in the spine, diseases of the kidneys, bladder and other abdominal organs.

What gynecological ailments can cause lumbar pain? Many pathologies of the female reproductive system are associated with hormonal imbalances, as well as with inflammatory or oncological processes, in which pain radiates to the lumbar region. Such processes include:

1. Inflammation of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
2. Endometriosis of the uterus.
3. Ovarian cyst.
4. Cervical cancer, etc.

All these pathologies that occur in women with lower back pain are necessarily accompanied by other specific symptoms: pain in the lower abdomen, discharge of various types, menstrual irregularities, general weakness, fever, etc.

Injuries or diseases of the spinal column in the lumbar area cause pain in women of an acute or moderate intensity, short-term and longer-term or constant pain.

Quite often, women develop osteochondrosis, since they, despite the natural flexibility, elasticity and extensibility of the ligaments (which is necessary for childbirth), are more vulnerable than men during large or prolonged uneven loads on the lumbar region of the spine. Lifting a heavy object or a child, overload in the gym, etc. can lead to muscle spasm and displacement of the vertebrae, as well as deformation of the intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine.

More details about the causes of lumbosacral osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment can be found in the article of the same name.

The main factors provoking the development of osteochondrosis and lower back pain in women are excessive physical activity, hypothermia, a sedentary lifestyle that contributes to weakness and atrophy of the muscles in the back, inflammatory processes in the joints of the spine, leading to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs of the lumbar and sacral regions. spine.

To prevent the development of osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia, it is important to lead an active lifestyle, do regular gymnastics, swimming, yoga, do not catch a cold in your back, do not lift weights, do not physically overload the spine, monitor your posture, consult a doctor promptly if your back hurts in the area lower back.

Women may have lower back pain due to diseases of the kidneys and urinary organs. Thus, with chronic pyelonephritis, there are girdling pains in the lumbar region.

Sudden sharp pain on one side in the lumbar region indicates inflammation in the kidney or movement of stones in the kidney or ureter.

You need to know that lower back pain with kidney and bladder disease is always accompanied by other symptoms: nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, the presence of pus or blood in the urine, fever, etc.

In such cases, the help of a doctor is necessary, as well as analysis of urine, blood, etc.

And in conclusion: There are a great many causes of lower back pain in women, from physiological ones, which are not dangerous to health, to pathological ones, resulting from the development of diseases of the spinal column, kidneys, and urinary system. Therefore, periodic long-term or constant pain in the lower back requires contacting a general practitioner, who, based on the results of a comprehensive examination and consultations with a gynecologist or urologist, will be able to identify the cause of lower back pain and prescribe appropriate treatment.

In psychosomatics, which studies the mental causes of diseases, pain in the lumbosacral region is associated with a person’s constant anxiety about his financial well-being, that is, about money. At the same time, such a person does not want or cannot resolve his material problems.

If your back hurts in the lumbar region, find out from the video what mental causes of such pain are typical for women.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones! Find out the causes of lower back pain in a timely manner, and be healthy!

The kidneys are located closer to the back surface of the abdominal cavity, so kidney pain is easily confused with diseases of the spine. There are several solutions to the question of how to determine whether your kidneys or back hurt. Pain of renal origin can be distinguished by a significant deterioration in well-being, frequent urge to go to the toilet, bouts of vomiting, and an increase in body temperature.

1. Can your kidneys hurt?
2. How to determine if your kidneys are hurting
3. Nature of pain
4. Localization
5. Radiation of pain
6. Pain and mobility
7. Response to tapping
8. What preceded the pain?
9. Additional signs that your kidneys are hurting, not your back
10. Characteristic symptoms of back pain
11. What tests are needed for kidney and lumbar pain?

What can the nature of lumbar pain indicate?

Of course, it is impossible to independently establish a diagnosis based on the degree, level, or type of lower back pain. But still, when your back hurts, some specific symptoms indicate to us a particular disease.

Severe pain

When the pain in the lumbar region is severe, then most likely the patient has osteochondrosis or lumbosacral radiculitis. Moreover, in the first case, it manifests itself during walking, when a person sits for a long time, lifts weights, and also when he coughs or sneezes. In some cases, there may be complaints that the back hurts and this pain radiates to the leg.

If we are talking about radiculitis, then the patient describes the pain as sharp or dull, aching, often it is one-sided, and “responses” in the thigh, lower leg, buttock. It may intensify while walking, when changing the position of the human body, or when coughing.

What could acute pain in the lumbar region indicate?

In cases where the pain is acute, you should talk about:

• muscle strain;
• prolonged work in a position that is uncomfortable for the body;
• back pain after sleep due, again, to an uncomfortable body position and staying in it for a significant period of time;
• pain that occurs during lifting or carrying heavy objects, in the event of a fall, blow, or sudden movement;
• hypothermia or prolonged exposure to drafts;
• there is also a likelihood of lumbago (so-called lumbago), which affects patients involved in heavy physical labor. At the same time, pain in the lower back can go away in a few days, but it also happens that it drags on and accompanies a person for two or more weeks;
• Displacements of intervertebral discs that occur in the lumbar region often appear in connection with a fracture of the spine, osteochondrosis, interaction with heavy objects (in particular, lifting them), during heavy physical activities, or as a result of surgery aimed at the spine.

The aching nature of the pain: what does it mean?

Aching pain (the patient can describe it as “aching in the lower back” or “pulling the lower back”) - very often manifests itself during the inflammatory process of the lumbar muscles.

This disease appears as a result of hypothermia, or sudden muscle tension/strain. In this case, the patient defines pain as one that constrains the lumbar spine and is accompanied by sharp pain during movement.

Chronic, constant pain in the lower back

If the lower back hurts and even the patient himself can characterize it as chronic, then most likely the diagnosis will be:

• spondylosis deformans - an increase in the amount of bone tissue of the spine due to the appearance of spine-like growths along the edge of the vertebrae (manifests in severe back pain, especially in the lumbar region, which can combine numbness and/or weakness in the legs);
• disease of the vertebral joints - most often it is chronic and systemic;
• diseases from a number of oncological diseases;
• metabolic disease.

Pain without constant localization, moving

One of the most difficult cases of identifying causative diseases is pain that moves from time to time. In this case, a person can be sure that he has lower back pain, although in fact the body is “deceiving” him, and the disease has crept into other organs.

Such pain often appears due to diseases of the pelvic organs. An inflammatory process in the kidneys, diseases of the pancreas, and colon can contribute to the appearance of pain in the lumbar region, and it can also occur due to painful changes in bone tissue and tumors of various types.

Sometimes the painful condition of the lower back is confused with pain that occurs in the shoulder blades. However, these are still different types of pain, and they are mostly associated with different diseases. Thus, pain in the shoulder blades, for example, indicates a gastric ulcer, myocardial infarction, intercostal neuralgia, and even psychological problems of a person.

If it is difficult for you to independently determine the area in which pain occurs, and at the same time it is regular or acute, then you should immediately consult a doctor!

Can your kidneys hurt?

Due to various diseases and abnormalities, the kidneys really hurt. The sensations associated with kidney disease may resemble those experienced by a person suffering from osteochondrosis or radiculitis. Discomfort in the back spreads to the lower half, is felt in the area of ​​the kidneys, extends to the thigh, groin area.

Abnormal mobility of the kidney, in which it descends, is called nephroptosis. Stress is blamed for surges in blood pressure during nephroptosis, dull nagging pain is often attributed to osteochondrosis, and recurring inflammation is attributed to colds.

The lower back may hurt due to the kidneys on one or both sides. In most cases, the cause of pain is inflammation - pyelo-, glomerulonephritis, displacement of stones due to impaired salt metabolism.

Drawing and dull pain

According to neurologists and vertebrologists (specialists in back diseases), permanent discomfort in the back is not typical for osteochondrosis. It is typical for other diseases of the spinal column, as well as for damage to other internal organs, such as the kidneys.

Nagging pain in the lower back is considered a sign of chronic pyelonephritis. The reason for the pain and discomfort is that the kidney tissue becomes inflamed and increases in volume due to swelling. In this case, the capsule stretches, causing nagging pain in the lower back. Patients simultaneously report dysuric disorders. These include:

• Discomfort when urinating;
• Increased urge to urinate;
• Edema;
• Increase in blood pressure.

It’s clear why the lower back tightens during an exacerbation. The chronic course of pyelonephritis is accompanied by the replacement of functioning nephrons with connective tissue. This is a causative factor for pain in the back and lower back.

With glomerulonephritis, patients often experience lower back pain. The equivalent of this sensation may be pain in the lumbar region. But the peculiarity of the symptoms is that the kidney damage is bilateral. With pyelonephritis, the lower back hurts more on one side. Glomerulonephritis is a bilateral and symmetrical pathology.

Therefore, when your back hurts, it is not necessary to “attribute” everything to the spine and intervertebral discs (osteochondrosis). It is important to exclude other diseases. Therapeutic tactics are determined by the attending physician depending on the identified changes.

How to determine if your kidneys are hurting

In addition to painful sensations, there are other signs that accompany pathological processes in the kidneys. Knowing them, you can correctly determine, even at home without the help of doctors, that the pain is caused precisely by problems with the kidneys.

The way pain of renal origin manifests itself depends on the pathology that caused it. Inflammation of the kidney can be recognized by dull pain and heaviness in the lower back. It occurs due to swelling and stretching of the kidney capsule. The membrane is equipped with many nerve endings, which are irritated and cause pain during pyelonephritis.

Cutting pain in the kidney area in women and men due to renal colic is simply explained. It is due to the fact that the calculus blocks the lumen of the ureter. As a result, the outflow of urine worsens or becomes completely impossible.

The sharp edges of the stones damage the tissue and nerve endings inside the ureter. This is another cause of stabbing pain.

You can distinguish pain of renal origin from sore back muscles by intensity. Muscle pain from dull, aching can change to acute (if you act on the muscles at the source of excitation) or fade away against the background of absolute rest. With kidney pathology, the pain is constant and intensifies during rest.

By where the pain is felt with the greatest intensity, you can also understand whether it is associated with kidney problems or is it a manifestation of radiculitis. In the first case, lower back pain in men and women is more often one-sided and comes from the depths of the lower part of the body. When only the surface of the back hurts, the discomfort is not related to the kidneys.

You can conclude whether your back or kidneys hurt based on the distribution of discomfort on:

• inner thigh;
• groin area;
• lower abdomen.

These symptoms, as well as pain along the ureter, indicate a kidney failure.

Problems of the musculoskeletal system cause muscle pain, which radiates to the lower back, sacrum, and buttocks.

Pain in the lower back or kidneys during movement is different. If the cause is muscle tension or inflammation, then discomfort occurs when a person tries to change body position. Often with osteochondrosis or rheumatism, it is not possible to straighten up or bend over.

Kidney pain forces you to look for a comfortable position. While standing, a person experiences severe pain, and lying on his back, turning on his side or getting on all fours, he feels relief.

You can find out whether your kidneys or lower back hurt by tapping:

1. An open palm is applied to the place where the kidneys are projected (the paravertebral region under the lower ribs).
2. The second palm is clenched into a fist and lightly tapped on the hand attached to the body.
3. Tapping can be done with the edge of the palm or fingertips.
4. Kidney pathology is indicated by pain that occurs when shaking.

A person with back pain cannot perform tapping on their own. For this he needs an assistant.

Before determining whether the lower back or kidneys hurt, it is necessary to find out the circumstances that led to the illness. Unusual physical activity - housework, intensive training or exercise without prior warm-up - can cause muscle spasms.

Pinched nerve roots, disc displacement, and spinal hernia can occur due to heavy lifting after an unsuccessful fall. You can find out that it is the kidneys that are hurting if a person is very cold, has bathed in a pond with cold water, or has recently had an acute respiratory viral infection or a sore throat.

Symptoms

Symptoms of acute low back pain vary greatly depending on the cause. You may experience numbness, tingling, and the nature of the pain may vary, as will the severity of the pain, from mild discomfort to pain that you can barely bear. In addition, lower back pain is often combined with pain in the leg, hip, and foot. In some cases, weakness in the leg may occur.

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Here are some examples of symptoms characteristic of various diseases and conditions:

• with intervertebral hernia: pain in the lower back, often in the leg, and the pain in the leg is stronger than the pain in the back and worsens when sitting or after sleep. Lower back pain can radiate to the buttock, thigh and down the leg all the way to the foot. There may be a tingling sensation, numbness in the leg and toes, and in rare cases, weakness of the leg muscles;
• when stretching the lower back muscles: diffuse pain in the lower back that does not radiate to the leg or buttock; intensifies with movement and weakens at rest;
• with spinal canal stenosis: pain in the lower back and leg, and pain in the leg is stronger than pain in the lower back, since spinal stenosis is often accompanied by the development of intervertebral hernias; aggravated by standing and walking, weakened by rest and with a bent back. The pain can be either unilateral or bilateral;
• with diffuse connective tissue disease: pain in several joints at once, fever, weight loss, weakness;
• with discitis/osteomyelitis: constant pain, often normal temperature; CBC is normal, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and/or C-reactive protein level is elevated.

Additional signs that your kidneys are hurting, not your back

If the kidneys hurt, then other symptoms appear. The temperature rises sharply (with inflammation up to 39.5-40°C). In the morning, swelling is noticeable, especially on the face, but serious pathologies provoke fluid retention throughout the body. Towards the end of the day, renal edema disappears.

Taking a closer look at the urine, you can notice impurities - blood, pus. In the first case, the cause is tissue trauma during the movement of stones, dysfunction of the renal structures, in the second - an extensive inflammatory process.

Urination becomes more frequent than usual. It is accompanied by burning pain. This is one of the signs of sand movement in urolithiasis.

Kidney pathologies are often associated with pressure surges - special attention should be paid to this. Fluid stagnation due to kidney pathologies provokes self-poisoning. Against this background, sleep disturbances, attacks of nausea, and vomiting occur. These symptoms never accompany back pain caused by spinal or muscular problems.

What to do if your back hurts

It should be remembered that in most cases, back pain is a signal warning of some illness.

Thanks to this, we can learn about our illness and begin to treat it.

Quite a lot of people do not pay due attention to such signals. Instead of turning to doctors for help, they prefer to take some painkillers or get injections.

Some, out of fear of going to the hospital, begin to self-medicate, which is not always good. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that the pain will go away on its own and life will get better again.

The sooner you seek help from a doctor, the faster and cheaper the recovery process will be.

If you doubt the correctness of the diagnosis or treatment method, then it is reasonable to contact several specialists in order to make an informed, objective decision.

Characteristic symptoms of back pain

With pain of non-renal origin, the muscles seem to go numb, a slight tingling or goosebumps are felt. Relief occurs if you rub the sensitive surface with a warming gel (Apizartron, Capsicam), ointment with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory component (Voltaren Emulgel, Diclofenac, Naproxen, Ibuprofen), take a medicine based on NSAIDs (Diclofenac, Diclak) orally or use a rectal suppository (Dicloberl).

Kidney back pain is not relieved by ointments and rubbing. To slightly alleviate the sharp pain during stone movement, it is recommended to take a warm bath or apply a heating pad to the lower back. The heat will relax the muscles and eliminate spasms.

Medicines containing diclofenac do not help with kidney pain. The unpleasant sensations subside a little after taking antispasmodics - Baralgin, Spazgan, No-shpa, Papaverine.

Symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis

When your back hurts in the sacral region and lower back for a long time, you can suspect ankylosing spondylitis.

This is a chronic, systemic disease that most often affects the joints of the spine. The exact reasons for the development of this disease have not been established. The following possible etiological factors are identified:

• inflammation of the genitourinary system;
• hypothermia;
• bone injuries;
• hereditary predisposition;
• infections.

Ankylosing spondylitis occurs predominantly in young people aged 15 to 40 years. This pathology is manifested by articular and extra-articular symptoms. Back pain and spinal stiffness are considered the earliest symptom. Pain is felt in the lumbosacral region. In the early stages it is weakly expressed. Its appearance is caused by inflammation.

The pain is bilateral. Many people note that pain is most pronounced on one side. It lasts more than 3 months and does not go away. The disease develops very slowly. Pain bothers such people mainly in the morning. It may appear after prolonged static load.

By mid-day it decreases. The pain syndrome intensifies at rest and disappears during work. During the peak stage, pain occurs at night and during work. In later stages, radiculitis develops. Pain syndrome in ankylosing spondylitis is combined with a deterioration in a person’s general well-being, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, drooping of the head, pain in the muscles and chest. The eyes are often affected.

What tests are needed for kidney and lumbar pain?

To cure back pain, self-diagnosis is not enough. The cause can only be eliminated by undergoing a full examination:

• General clinical analysis of blood and urine. In case of renal pathologies, the result of a urine test will show an excess of leukocytes (due to inflammation), red blood cells, excessive amounts of salts (due to urolithiasis), purulent and mucous impurities. High ESR, leukocytosis, and often low hemoglobin levels are detected in the blood.
• Urine samples using the Nechiporenko and Zimnitsky method help confirm pyelo- and glomerulonephritis.
• To identify the causative agent of inflammation, urine culture is prescribed, and the reaction of the cultured microorganism to antibacterial agents is immediately checked.
• An abdominal ultrasound is performed to assess the condition of the kidneys, their size, the presence of foci of inflammation, purulent accumulations, stones, and sand. The peculiarities of the location of the paired organ are also revealed. The kidneys are scanned first while lying down, and then when the patient is standing (to detect nephroptosis).
• Additionally, a tomography is prescribed (if the doctor suspects a tumor in the kidney).
• To diagnose the location of stones, an X-ray examination is performed with intravenous contrast (excretory urography).
• Additionally, tomography may be prescribed (detects vertebral hernias and other formations).

The cause of lower back pain is determined based on an X-ray examination, examination by an orthopedist or neurologist.

Diagnostics

During the consultation, the doctor will talk with the patient, asking questions about the nature and severity of pain and other symptoms, collect medical history and conduct a physical examination. Based on the data from the conversation and examination, the doctor can make a diagnosis or a preliminary diagnosis, which will need to be confirmed and/or clarified using medical tests. Medical tests can range from blood tests to nerve conduction studies. The most popular examinations include:

X-ray

X-rays are performed to assess the condition of the patient's bone tissue. Diagnoses that can be made using radiography include osteoporosis, compression fracture, and bone growths (osteophytes);

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

The advantage of MRI over other radiographic studies is that MRI can provide high-quality detailed images of not only bone, but also soft tissues: muscles, ligaments, vessels, nerves, intervertebral discs, spinal cord, etc.

The most common diagnoses based on MRI findings are:

• intervertebral hernia;
• narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal;
• spondylitis

Other diagnoses that can be made using MRI:

• ankylosing spondylitis (a type of arthritis);
• bone infection;
• cauda equina syndrome;
• compression fractures;
• discitis (inflammation of the intervertebral disc);
• spinal cord abscess;
• spinal cord injury;
• tumor in the spine.

Computed tomography (CT)

Computed tomography also allows you to obtain images of not only bone, but also soft tissues, however, the quality of the images is much inferior to the quality of images obtained during MRI, so CT is recommended if MRI is for some reason impossible or difficult, for example, if there is a pacemaker or metal structures in the body.