Low back pain: symptoms, causes and treatment of lumbago or lumbago

There is nothing more painful than lumbar strictures themselves. And is that who has not suffered at some time in his life the annoying low back pain? The truth is that younger people (especially between 30 to 60 years) are more likely to experience back pain especially as a result of a lumbar muscle strain.

Even though in fact there are several symptoms that accompany low back pain or back pain, in a certain sense it becomes a nuisance that can become incapacitating, causing difficulty to move normally or even to simply stand up. In fact, traditionally it is usually related to lumbago pain with the Kidneys pain, and it is usually quite usual that both discomforts are considered the same, in reality on many occasions little or nothing has to do.

What is lumbago or lumbago?

As you surely know, low back pain or lumbago is a medical term used for pain that is located in the lower back, more specifically in the lower back. Its causes are very varied, although the most common and habitual ones are related to the bad postures when sitting and the over physical effort.

The reason is quite clear: the discomfort or pain is felt in the lower back, area where the kidneys are also located, so that any pain present in the area tend to relate to us, when perhaps the pain is caused by an injury or muscular contracture, and not by any infection or kidney inflammation.

That is, it refers to a pain located in the lower back, which can last from a few days to a few weeks depending on the degree of injury or contracture suffered.

Generally low back pain or lumbago affects young people, who are more prone to suffer back pain as a result of a lumbar muscle strain.

And what is acute back pain?

The acute low back pain it is precisely that low back pain that has a short duration. Usually, it is a lumbalgia, or lumbar pain that lasts only a few days or a few weeks, becoming in fact one of the most common.

As we will know in the section dedicated to which are the main onescauses of low back pain, this usually tends to occur as a consequence of the distention of a muscle or ligament of the back.

Symptoms of low back pain or lumbago

The most common symptom when there is lumbago or low back pain is to feel strong or dull pain that is located in the lower part of the back, especially when we carry out some physical activity, when we lift something heavy or just when we make some sudden movement.

However, we can also mention other symptoms equally related to low back pain:

Pain that radiates to the groin, buttocks, or upper thigh (rarely reaches below the knee). It may also not radiate through the leg.
Difficulty to move normally, may even prevent walking or standing.
The pain is usually dull.
Muscle spasms (which can be severe).
Localized area which is painful when touched.

The pain can range from mild discomfort to severe and disabling pain, as it depends to a large extent on the degree of distension and muscle spasms caused by the injury.

What are your causes?

Acute low back pain is caused most of the time by a sudden injury both in the muscles and in the different ligaments that support the back. While the pain may be caused by muscle spasms, distension or the tearing of muscles and ligaments.

The most common causes, therefore, have to do with the distension of a ligament or d a muscle of the back, whose discomfort and pain is felt especially after having lifted something heavy or after having made a sudden movement.

Their causes are in fact very varied, and we can summarize them in the following section:

Muscle spasms (tight muscles, which remain contracted).
Tears or distension of muscles or ligaments that support the back.
Herniated disc.
Broken disk.
Sciatica.
Scoliosis or kyphosis (curvatures of the spine).
Fracture of the spinal cord.
Osteoporosis (which causes compression fractures of the spine).
Cancer that compromises the spinal cord.
Kidney infection
Presence of kidney stones.
Diseases that affect the female reproductive organs.
Problems related to pregnancy.

And what are the most common causes? Undoubtedly, among the most common -proper day to day- we can mention: lift something heavy, make a sudden movement, twist ...

What treatment to follow to relieve low back pain?

As many specialists say, to quickly improve and relieve low back pain it is necessary to adopt the recommended basic measures from the first moment you feel lower back pain.

For example, it is advisable to follow the following measures:

No physical activity: during the first two days it is advisable to suspend normal physical activity, which will help you to relieve your most painful symptoms and to reduce the inflammation existing in the area. Of course, bed rest is not recommended or stop activity for a long time.
Apply ice and heat: it is advisable to use ice during the first 48 to 72 hours, and then use heat, for example with an electric blanket or a warm towel.

If you go to your doctor, you may be prescribed analgesics such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve pain.

Certain analgesics can help relieve pain. However, remember that overmedicating is not recommended, it is better to see the doctor first and prescribe the most appropriate.

On the other hand, unlike what is mistakenly thought, it is not advisable to maintain bed rest as long as it is not a serious cause of back pain. The most advisable thing, therefore, is to remain active, reducing only the activity during the first two days.

Images | iStock This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor.