More than 80 percent of patients found in the hospital are complaining of pain as the major symptom of coming to the hospital.Most people believe that if they are not in pain, why should they go to the hospital? Pain is discomfort that can interfere with day to day activities of most people. Lower back pain is a type of pain that interferes with locomotion and movement or reduces the productivity output of individuals. It could be caused by a different medical condition or excessive physical activity during work, or exercise.

It occurs in different age groups but more common in people within the age range of 30-50 .it is often treated with varying medications of pain such as NSAID, physical therapy or surgery in severe cases. It can be Caused by varieties of medical conditions that affect the vertebra, lower back, or surrounding structures.

Causes of Lower Back Pain

There are numerous medical conditions that can cause lower back pain, depending on the age, profession, and level of physical activity of the individual. It could be inflammatory, sports or job-related diseases.  The most common diseases that cause lower back pain includes:

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

This is a common infectious disease that affects the reproductive system of women. It primarily affects the pelvic organs of the body .it can be caused by bacteria similar to the causative agents of chlamydia and gonnorhea. People suffering from pelvic inflammatory diseases often experience lower back pain, painful coitus and urination.it can be treated with Pain relievers and surgery in severe cases.

Herniated Disk

Lower back pain can also be caused by herniated or slipped disk, especially when the spine or vertebral column is affected. The body consists of several bones that support the body and helps in locomotion. The vertebral column comprises of different vertebral such as 7 cervical vertebral. 12 thoracic vertebrae, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 4 caudal vertebral. Sudden damage to any of this vertebras could lead to lower back pain or difficulty in movement. There is the presence of other symptoms such as numbness and painful movement involving the lower backbone. It is often diagnosed with x-ray, MRI, or CT scan.  It can be treated with muscle relaxants. Narcotics, nerve pain medications and surgeries such as microdiscectomy. Most people make the common mistake of refraining from all physical activities during herniated disk injury. However, it is advisable to engage in minor exercises such as walking to avoid muscle loss and atrophy.

Kidney Stones

The kidney it one of the most vital organs of the urinary system .it helps in the formation of urine, production of essential vitamins, temperature regulation, red blood cell formation, and excretion of water product. There are numerous medical conditions that can alter the normal physiological function of the kidney. Nephritis and formation of kidney stones are the most common nephrological pathology in humans.  There are numerous types of kidney stones depending on the shape and composition and the stone. The kidney stones could be struvite, calcium, oxalates uric acids and cysteine.

Kidney stones can lead to different signs and symptoms such as lower back pain, colored urine (red, pink, or brown) fever, nausea, vomiting, paradoxical urination, and  .fever. It can be diagnosed with various examinations such as x-ray, CT scan, and MRI.

The severity of the kidney stones determines the treatment; it can be treated conservatively or surgically.  There are numerous medications used for treating kidney stones such as allopurinols, sodium carbonates. Sodium citrates, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. The surgical treatment of kidney stones includes lithotripsy, tunnel surgery, and ureteroscopy.

Spinal Stenosis

The spine is a bony structure containing a lot of vertebrae that help in supporting during locomotion, standing or sitting. There are conditions when the spine could be inflamed, traumatized or stenosed. There are many neurovascular structures that run through the spine, this nerves and blood vessels are protected by surrounding bony structures.

Spinal stenosis is a medical condition described n narrowing of the spinal column which leads to compression of the spinal cord and its neurovascular structures. These could interfere with normal body movement and affects surrounding muscles. The symptoms of spinal stenosis include Lower back pain, when standing or walking, weakness and numbness in the limbs, ataxia, and numbness in the buttocks.

Spinal stenosis is also called central spinal, foramina spinal stenosis, or pseudoclaudication.  It is often diagnosed with X-rays, CT scan, and MRI. Electromyelogram, and bone scan. Pharmacological treatment is the first line of treatment for spinal stenosis; it can be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID).  There are some severe cases, when surgical procedures such a laminectomy, foraminotomy, and spinal fusion can be performed.

It has been discovered that some home and natural remedy such as massage, acupuncture and applying hot or cold ice packs on the back can help in alleviating the signs and symptoms of spinal stenosis.

Treatment of Lower Back Pain

The best way to treat lower back pain to treat the etiology and underlying medical condition, however, the primary goal of treatment is to reduce pain. Most medical practitioners try to minimize the pain while trying to find the underlying etiology. The most common medications for treating lower back pain include:

  • Muscle Relaxant: This is used to eliminate lower back pain especially due to muscle stiffness and rigidity. It is a temporary treatment option and not often used in the chronic management of lower back
  • Opioids: This is often used in eliminating lower back pain; it should be prescribed with caution because of its addictive tendency in It is not used for long-term treatment because of its prospective side effects and addictive effects.
  • Back Brace: this is often used to improve posture, eliminate back pain, and improve movement. It often helps in making the patient comfortable and recovering from back
  • Epidural Steroid Injections
  • Acupuncture
  • Physical massage
  • Meditation

Pain is the most common complaint of most hospitalized patients, lower back pain is common in middle-aged people and geriatrics, especially athletes or individuals with physically tasking jobs. There are numerous causes of lower back pain, it is treated based on its etiology, with the primary goal of reducing pain.

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References

Back pain – Symptoms and causes. (2018). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 23 April 2018, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20369906

Causes of lower back pain. (2018). WebMD Boots. Retrieved 23 April 2018, from https://www.webmd.boots.com/back-pain/guide/lower-back-pain-causes

John Peloza, M. (2018). Non-Surgical Treatments for Lower Back PainSpine-health. Retrieved 23 April 2018, from https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/non-surgical-treatments-lower-back-pain

 

 

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