Solutions for low back pain (or lumbago)

If you have had or have low back pain, or lumbago, you are not alone. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days from work. In the United States alone 65 millions of people report this pain at any given time. Even school-age children can have back pain. Some 16 million adults live with this pain chronically.

Back pain can vary in intensity from a constant dull ache to a sudden, sharp or stabbing pain, explains the Institute National Department of Neurological Disorders. It can start suddenly as a result of an accident or lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time as we age. Getting too little exercise followed by a strenuous fitness routine can also cause back pain. Here we tell you the causes and how to control it.

There are two types of back pain:

• Acute back pain or short duration, which can last from a few days to a few weeks. Most low back pain is acute. It tends to resolve on its own in a few days with self-care and there is no loss of function. In some cases it takes a few months for symptoms to disappear.
• Chronic low back pain is defined as a pain that continues for 12 weeks or more, even after an initial injury or the underlying cause of acute low back pain. Approximately 20% of people affected by acute low back pain develop chronic low back pain with persistent symptoms at one year .

The funny thing is that even if the pain persists, it does not always mean that there is a medically serious underlying cause or one that can be easily identified and treated. In some cases, treatment successfully relieves chronic low back pain, but in other cases pain continues despite medical and surgical treatment.

It is often difficult to find the cause of low back pain, but the most common are:

• Weight overload due to work or sports
• Injuries or fractures
• Surgeries
• Herniated disc , which compressed nearby nerves
• Curvatures of the spine such as scoliosis or kyphosis
• Health conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia

People who have a higher risk of low back pain are:

• pregnant women
• older than 30 years
• which s on sedentary
• those who are stressed or depressed
• those who smoke
• those who perform heavy tasks or drive trucks or heavy machinery

Symptoms

Among the symptoms that may reveal lumbago are:

• Sharp or dull pain
• Burning sensation or tingling
• Shooting pain
• Weakness in legs and feet
• Heaviness in the shoulders

Tests and exams

During the physical examination, the doctor will try to accurately locate the pain location and understand how it affects your movement.

Other tests that can be performed depend on your s medical history and symptoms.

Tests may include:

• Blood tests, such as complete blood count
• Computed tomography
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Myelography (an X-ray or CT scan of the spine after a dye has been injected)
• Bone scan

Treatment

So that back pain does not affect daily life, it must not only be treated: it must be prevented, changing from an office chair to habits regular life.

Among the common measures that can be taken to manage low back pain are:

• A corset to support the back
• Cold compresses and t ermotherapy
• Physiotherapy involving stretching and strengthening exercises
• Counseling to learn ways to understand and manage pain

Depending on the intensity For pain relief, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers such as asethylsalicylic acid, naproxen, or ibuprofen. If the pain is difficult to tolerate, the doctor may prescribe narcotic pain relievers or opioids, but they are at high risk of addiction.

Another option is a epidural injection for back pain , which may accompany physical therapy.

If the back pain does not improve, consult a doctor, it can become a medical situation of care if there is numbness, loss of movement, weakness or changes in the intestines or bladder.

Surgery is really the last option if nerve damage occurs or pain does not go away.