What Can Low Back Pain Be A Precursor?

Low back pain is a pain that approximately 90% of people will experience at least once in their lives. The cause of 90% of low back pain is usually mechanical reasons such as wrong posture, heavy lifting, muscle weakness.

What is Low Back Pain?

Sudden strain on the back muscles causes pain and simple painkillers, Muscle relaxants and rest heal spontaneously within 1-4 weeks. Low back pain that lasts longer than 3 months is called chronic low back pain. When low back pain becomes chronic, it should be kept in mind that there may be a spinal pathology such as an underlying herniated disc, and a doctor's help should be sought.
The cause of 85 - 90% of low back pain is mechanical low back pain. Mechanical low back pain is the name given to pain originating from the low back muscles without any problem in the spine. With modern technology, mistakes made by individuals while maintaining their lives have increased the incidence of low back pain today.

• Working at a desk for a long time,
• Working at a computer for a long time,
• Watching television in a sitting position for a long time,
• Using a bed that is not suitable for health,
• Exposing to wind, cold or air conditioning with a sweaty body,
• Lifting in an inappropriate position,
• Smoking and being overweight,
• Constipation for a long time,
• Carrying a backpack or other bags in an inappropriate position,
• Sedentary and non-sports life.

Wrong Situations such as sitting and working at a computer deteriorate the posture of individuals, weaken the back muscles and cause low back pain in the long term. Smoking increases the possibility of hernia development by disrupting the blood supply and structure of the connective tissue that acts as a shock absorber between the vertebrae in the waist. Excess weight and long-term constipation can also cause structural disorders by putting pressure on the spine. Inactive and non-sports life, which is one of the biggest problems of our age, weakens the waist muscles, which is one of the most important components of low back health, and causes chronic low back pain in the long term.

When to See a Physician in Low Back Pain?

When low back pain is accompanied by some conditions, a doctor should be consulted urgently without waiting for the natural process. These signs and symptoms are red� It is called a flag.

• History of falling or trauma,
• Severe pain that continues at night,
• Pain that does not go away with rest,
• Extreme limitation of low back movements,
• Pain radiating to the leg,
• Numbness, tingling in the leg,
• Weakness or paralysis in the leg or foot,
• Inability to urinate or defecate ,
• Weakness and sudden weight loss in the last 1 month,
• Any history of previously diagnosed cancer.

If there are these findings accompanying low back pain, it would be beneficial to consult a physician without wasting time, considering that there may be serious underlying diseases.

What are the Causes of Low Back Pain?

Apart from mechanical reasons, low back pain can be caused by many different reasons.

• Lumbar disc herniation,
• Degenerative disc disease (disruption of the connective tissue layer that acts as a shock absorber between the vertebrae),
• Spinal stenosis ( canal narrowing),
• Facet disease (calcification of the joints formed by the vertebrae),
• Failed back surgery disease,
• Sacroiliac joint disease,
• Spinal cord injuries,
• Discitis (disc inflammation),
• Tumors (bone and metastatic) and metabolic diseases.

Herniation in the intervertebral discs, where low back pain is frequently seen are situations. Most often in the posterior region, 4-5. It occurs at the level of the lumbar vertebrae and causes pain as a result of nerve compression in that area. In this condition, also known as sciatic pain, it is typical to experience a stabbing pain that increases with coughing, sneezing, leaning forward.

Enlargement of the facet joints can sometimes compress the spinal nerves in the spinal canal. This condition, called facet joint degeneration, causes pain. Contrary to the pain that can spread to the feet in herniated disc, severe low back pain that does not spread below the knees is seen in this condition.

General degeneration of the spine and disc is called spondylosis. This may cause stenosis and nerve compression at the exit points of the spinal nerves. In the case of vertebral slippage called spondylolisthesis, low back pain is seen in the loads and traumas on the vertebrae called spondylolysis.

Walk in case of spinal stenosis (spinal spinal canal). Pain during climbing is seen after long walking and limping is seen due to weakness in the leg. Sacroiliitis (inflammation of the pelvis) is one of the causes of low back pain. This situation can be seen in 10-30% of patients who have had low back surgery. ?

Bed rest is primarily applied to the treatment of low back pain. Rest should not exceed 3 days, and daily life and exercises should be started in the early period. Certain movements that will strain the waist should be avoided. Drugs and muscle relaxants called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and popularly known as pain relievers are used to relieve pain under the supervision of a doctor. Traction, waist exercises, and applications for heating the tissues with ultrasound called TENS, which are among the physical therapy applications, can provide short-term relief.
Exercise is very important in order to return to active life in the early period. Inactivity negatively affects the treatment of low back pain. Epidural steroid injections and other interventional pain treatment methods are also used in the treatment of low back pain in patients who do not respond adequately with painkillers and physical therapy applications.
Radiofrequency: Radiofrequency is a device that sends heat waves at certain intervals. High or low temperatures are sent to the tissues with a needle-like tip. Low back pain can be relieved by sending heat to the fast joints or degenerative disc tissue with the radiofrequency method.
Epidural steroid injection: In the case of nerve compression due to herniated disc, the inflammation causing pain in the area by reaching the pinched nerve is relieved by injection of steroids and local anesthetics.
Selective nerve blocks: Injection of steroids and long-acting painkillers to the exit point of the nerves leaving the spinal cord, reducing nerve root edema and inflammation, reducing the nerve root edema and inflammation in the lower back and lower back, if any. It makes the pain go away.
Nucleoplasty: It is a method used instead of surgery for low back and leg pains caused by nerve compression due to intervertebral disc herniation. The water-rich core of the intervertebral disc is evaporated by applying low-current electricity with a thin needle. Nerve compression pain is eliminated.
Ozone Discectomy: Intra-disc ozone injection is applied as a permanent treatment option by reducing the hernia in suitable patients.
Epidural lysis: It eliminates the adhesions that occur around the nerve in the epidural region due to surgery and therefore the pain.
Acupuncture: Acupuncture acts by stimulating the secretion of painkillers, antispasmodics, and hormones that reduce mental tension in the body itself.
Surgical treatment: Along with low back pain; Any leg or foot drop, severe loss of strength, inability to walk, numbness, sudden onset of urination, incontinence or urination, defecation, sudden erectile dysfunction in men are conditions that require emergency surgical treatment. Except for emergencies, if spinal diseases such as herniated disc, lumbar slip, canal occlusion are detected in the examinations of patients with chronic low back and leg pain, and if other methods do not provide benefit, surgical treatment comes to the fore.

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