Lower back pain

Back pain is a widespread medical condition, and it is remarkable that low back pain is the main reason for absence from work in many countries around the world, as the Global Burden of Disease Study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2010 showed that back pain is one of the ten diseases. The most burdensome on human life according to the Disability-adjusted life years- DALYs scale, that is, the measure of the general burden of disease, and it is expressed as the number of years lost in life due to ill health.


There are many options that can be used to treat lower back pain, including:

• Make cold water compresses during the first two days of the injury to reduce inflammation, after which hot compresses can be used; It helps reduce pain, and compresses should not be used for more than twenty minutes.
• Muscle relaxants and antispasmodics.
• Pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.
• Manual therapy, which includes massage and pressure on specific areas of the body, and is usually performed by physiotherapists, chiropractors, and orthopedists.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy, which aims to train the patient in ways to manage pain through positive thinking. This type of therapy can include a combination of group therapy, relaxation training, and exercise.
• Treatment by a procedure called "transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation" in which low-frequency electrical impulses are passed to the nerves, reducing pain, although this type of treatment is not recommended.
• Treatment with corticosteroid needles to relieve inflammation that causes back pain.
• Prescribed antidepressant medications. Antidepressants are believed to block pain signals, relieving back pain.
• In the event that the back pain is not eliminated using the previous treatments, the doctor may resort to surgery as a last option in some cases, such as removing part of the herniated disc, removing part of the vertebrae to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, or merging some vertebrae to reach a state of stability in the spine.

• Doing exercises for lower back pain recommended by your physician, along with walking, and swimming.
• Relaxation and positive thinking, to relieve muscle tension and back pain.
• Constant activity and movement to maintain the strength of the muscles that support the spine.
• Get enough sleep, and the best sleeping position for a person with back pain is to sleep on the side, with a pillow between the knees to relieve pressure on the back, but when sleeping on the back, it is preferable to put a pillow under the knees.
• Sleep on a firm, comfortable mattress.
• Sit properly, so that the back is straight on the back of the chair, keep the shoulders relaxed, and the feet flat on the ground, and it is preferable to put a pillow between the chair and the lower back.
• Wear low-heeled shoes to relieve pressure on the back.
• When lifting heavy objects, bend the knees instead of bending at the waist.
• stop smoking; Smoking causes osteoporosis, which causes pressure on the spine, and fractures.
• Keep weight within its normal range.

There are two types of lower back pain, namely:

• Acute: Pain that lasts from several days to several weeks.
• Chronic: Back pain that lasts three months or more.

The causes of lower back pain vary, including:

• Muscle and tendon rupture in the lower back, caused by overuse of the muscles.
• Nerve irritation in the spine.
• Bone and joint diseases such as: degenerative disc disease, arthritis. Bone and joint fractures in the lower back.
• Inflammation of the joints, such as: Reiter's syndrome (active arthritis), and ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that causes the vertebrae to stick together.
• Kidney disorders such as: nephritis, kidney stones.
• Pregnancy: Pain results from the pressure of the fetus on the spine, and the hormones estrogen and relaxin cause the pelvic ligaments to relax.
• Ovarian problems such as: endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and uterine fibroids.
• Tumors: such as tumors of the bones of the spine, spinal cord, and pelvic tumors.
• Vitamin D deficiency: A study conducted at the University of the Primary Care Clinic in Minneapolis showed that 93% of patients with skeletal system pain were deficient in vitamin D, and 83% of patients with low back pain who attended internal medicine clinics And the spine in Saudi Arabia for six years had a deficiency in vitamin D.

The causes of chronic lower back pain are:

• Herniated disc: It is the erosion of the cartilage disc that separates the vertebrae of the spine, causing pressure on the nerves.
• Spondylolisthesis: one of the vertebrae of the spine slips forward over the next vertebra, causing pressure on the nerves and lower back pain.
• Osteoporosis that causes vertebral fractures.
• Spinal stenosis around the spinal cord, causing pressure on the nerves.
• Scoliosis (a disease of the spine twisting toward one side of the body).

Factors that increase the likelihood of developing low back pain include:

• Age; Where individuals over the age of 30-40 years are more likely to suffer from back pain than others.
• genetic factors.
• Taking unhealthy sitting positions for a long time while working, driving, or others.
• smoking.
• pregnancy; Pregnant women carry extra weight that makes them more susceptible to back pain.
• obesity;

Symptoms that require a back pain sufferer to see a doctor include:

• If the pain is accompanied by unexplained weight loss.
• If there is swelling or redness at the site of the pain.
• If the pain is severe and persistent, especially at night, or when lying down.
• If the pain extends below the knee, in one leg or in both legs.
• If there is a feeling of tingling, weakness or numbness in the leg.

There are also cases that require emergency medical intervention, such as:

• If the pain is accompanied by urinary incontinence, or defecation incontinence.
• If the pain is the result of a severe fall, or a car accident.
• If the back pain is accompanied by a high temperature.