Lumbago

Causes Of Lumbago

Since the term lumbago refers merely to pain in the lower back region, it can have many different underlying causes.

In addition, because of the complexity of the lower back, it is usually very difficult to diagnose the underlying cause of lumbago based on the type of low back pain it produces.

It is also not easy to gauge the seriousness of the underlying condition based on the severity of the pain. An acute injury such as a pulled back muscle can often produce more severe pain than a herniated disc or scoliosis, for example. This despite the fact that the former is a temporary condition that will usually respond to simple home based care while the latter is much more serious and can require surgery.

Having said this, the following are some of the more common causes of lumbago:

• Lower back muscle strains, when the pain of lumbago may be accompanied by muscle spasms. This is an example of acute pain that goes away with proper care in a few weeks;
• Poor posture, or a tendency to hunch the shoulders forward when standing or sitting;
• A herniated disc, when one or more discs of the spine become damaged and may start to press on the nerves exiting the spinal cord. When this happens, the pain can radiate away from the lower back into the legs, for example. This would be an example of chronic low back pain that does not do away with home based care;
• Spinal arthritis, of which the most common types are osteoarthritis and spondylosis
• An autoimmune form of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis;
• Spinal curvature, also known as scoliosis;
• Osteoporosis;
• Spinal stenosis, in which the spinal cord or nerves (or both) are compressed by narrowing of the spinal canal;
• Bone fractures such as compression fractures of the vertebrae of the spine;
• Tumours;
• Infections;
• Kidney stones.

Symptoms Of Lumbago

As mentioned above, lumbago symptoms can vary widely from one case to another. Speaking generally, the symptoms may include:

• Pain in the lower back, i.e. the region below the rib cage;
• In some case, pain may also be felt in the surrounding areas such as the buttocks, groin or the hamstring muscles (at the back of the thighs);
• The pain may intensify when bending, twisting, walking or even just standing;
• The patient may also experience muscle spasms;
• Tingling sensations may also be felt in the surrounding areas (especially if the underlying condition involves nerve damage).

It is important to note again that the underlying causes of lumbago can include potentially serious or even life threatening medical conditions. The following symptoms are possible warning signs of serious problems. It is advisable to see a doctor right away if any of these “red flags” is present:

• Fever or chills (possible indications of an infection);
• Weakness or numbness in the legs or other areas close to the lower back;
• Loss of bowel or bladder control;
• Severe back or abdominal pain that does not go away after a few days.

Diagnosis

As we have mentioned above, diagnosing the underlying cause of lumbago can be difficult. To do this, doctors will generally try to get a complete patient medical history.

The doctor will also need to perform a physical examination of the lower back area. This will help him or her to find out the location of the pain (including whether it radiates away from the lower back) and what makes it worse.

If the pain does not go away after a short period of conservative care, the doctor may request a scan such as an X Ray, MRI or CT scan.

Treatment Of Lumbago

Generally speaking, soft tissue injuries such as a lower back strain or sprain will heal themselves after a period of self care. The patient will be advised to reduce his or her activity level and avoid any activities that could cause further stress to the lower back (e.g. heavy lifting).

Patients may be advised to wear a lower back brace to reduce pressure on the lower back and allow it to heal.

Bed rest will usually be advised against as it could cause a loss of lower back muscle strength. That in turn could cause a recurrence of the soft tissue injury at some point in the future.

Applying ice or a cold compress to the lower back (for 2-3 days or until any swelling has receded) may also be suggested. That could be followed by heat treatments to improve blood flow through the lower back. These treatments could be applied for periods of 20 minutes at a time and at intervals of 2-3 hours.

Over the counter pain relievers such as Advil may be prescribed.

Patients with lumbago due to a soft tissue injury should start to feel better in a few days. Complete recovery should take approximately 6 weeks at the most. However, patients will likely be advised not to return to regular physical activities until they have regained complete freedom of movement with no pain.

If the underlying cause of the lumbago is more chronic in nature, there are various treatment options up to and including surgery that doctors can discuss.