Lumbago (lumbar rheumatism): causes and symptoms, treatment methods
Symptoms of lumbago (in the lumbar spine), methods of treatment
Lumbago is a syndrome related to pathologies in the dorsal spine characterized by the acute abrupt pain in the lower back. The symptoms of lumbago are very pronounced: it is impossible to sit, stand, and, even more so, walk. You will get qualified aid in a medical institution, but the measures to alleviate the condition may be effectively applied at home.
Symptoms and causes of lumbago
The development of a lumbago in the lower back always follows the same pattern: if there is a displacement or a deformation of vertebrae and intervertebral discs, with excessive loads, the nerve terminals begin to be strongly activated. It results in severe pain and muscle spasm.
The following symptoms and causes of lumbago are distinguished:
- intervertebral disk injuries in case of excessive physical load;
- displacement of vertebrae as a result of progressive and advanced osteochondrosis;
- congenital anomalies in the development of the vertebrae;
- benign and malignant tumors with the localization in the tissues surrounding the dorsal spine;
- rheumatism of various types;
- an inflammatory process that occurs directly in the spine.
Lumbago pain in the lumbar spine is so intense that it is recognized as the main symptom. Often a patient complains that the discomfort does not have precise localization and is irradiates to buttock or thigh. In this case, we are talking about sciatica, the condition in which the sciatic nerve spasms. Your doctor will tell you how to treat lumbago with sciatica during your consultation.
There are other symptoms of lumbago:
- a very strong spasm of muscle tissue, reflexively arising against the background of the pain, most often buttocks and hips are exposed to it;
- there is no mobility in the lumbar region, a person freezes in one position at the moment of the lumbago and has no ability to move from severe pain.
It is notable that a patient during the lumbago cannot bend or straighten the lower back, either himself or with the help of other people. If at the moment of lumbago a person is in a lying position, he/she reflexively pulls his legs to his stomach.
Diagnostics and treatment of lumbago
Intense symptoms force the patient to immediately seek qualified medical assistance. In a medical institution, the patient will first be sent for diagnostics, which includes:
- check-up and palpation of the lumbar region by a neurologist;
- X-ray examination of the dorsal spine;
- tomography of bone and soft tissues of the back.
Laboratory tests of blood and urine will help to identify an inflammatory process in the body.
Diagnostics at Dobrobut in more detail
In case of a lumbago in the lower back, it is necessary to take a supine position with slightly raised legs, as this will make it possible to relax the muscles and relieve the spasm. In some cases, a patient is placed on his/her stomach, with 2–3 high pillows placed under it. A patient will have to remain in bed rest for 2–3 days and not allowed even to go to the bathroom.
Doctors obligatorily prescribe a pharmacological therapy for lumbago. The following medications are the most commonly used:
- such anti-inflammatory medications as Aspirin, Ibuprofen;
- strong pain medication, Diclofenac;
- Dimexidum that has local action and quickly penetrates the skin.
When lumbago is diagnosed, it is better to avoid injections, since this external irritation can result in an increase in spasm intensity. That is why pills, ointments, gels and solutions for compresses are used. Tranquilizers and sleeping pills are included in the treatment scheme in order to ensure a restful sleep for a patient, and therefore relaxation.
As a rule, lumbago is often recurrent, so the attending physician has to answer the patient’s question: how to treat an acute lumbago in the lower back, in the leg? To alleviate this condition at home, you need to do the following:
- to lay the patient in a horizontal position with legs raised and bent at the knee joints;
- to take any pain medication;
- to apply a warm compress directly to the area of the lower limb where the pain is localized.
Recovery period
After the main treatment of the lumbago, when acute pain and muscle spasm no longer bother a patient, it is possible to begin his/her efficiency restoration. Exercises and massage for lumbago, physiotherapy will provide quick rehabilitation and long-term remission. Doctors can prescribe mud therapy, wearing a corset, and sanatorium-and-spa treatment as part of post-therapeutic manipulations.
Article author - Dzhumik Valentina
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