Lumbago Symptoms and Treatment

Lumbago, which is defined as "pain in the lower back region," can be acute (spontaneous, lasting less than six weeks), sub-acute (lasting between six and three months), or chronic (if persistent for more than three months). There may be mild to moderate discomfort in the lower back region, which may lead to pain and stiffness in the subsequent days. It gets resolved with proper care and management, but sometimes it's persistent and affects the quality of life very badly.

It's evident in individuals of every age group and race but particularly affects young adults as they are more physically active, and later, in the elderly population. About 80% of the world's population experiences this problem.

SYMPTOMS:

Individuals suffering from lower back pain may have the following symptoms:

• Pain: in the lower part of the back, which may radiate to the gluteal (buttock) region, back of the thigh, or to the lower leg. In most cases, pain gets worse with movement.
• Movement restrictions: especially bending forward and backward
• Stiffness: in para-spinal (adjacent to the spine) muscles, causing discomfort and movement restrictions.
• Numbness in the back, buttocks, or legs
• Tingling sensations: in the back region, buttocks, or leg
• Postural changes: with irregular spinal curves This postural anomaly occurs due to the body's instinctive response to pain.

Extra Notes:

1. If the pain is accompanied by numbness and/or tingling sensations that radiate into the leg and/or foot, it is called "Sciatica". This happens due to sciatic nerve irritation, which is passing all the way from the lower back to the foot.
2. These conditions are rare but may accompany severe lumbago: weakness in the legs, weight loss, swelling in the above-mentioned areas, urine problems, and/or fever.

TREATMENT:

Lower back pain can be treated in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, the commonly used traditional methods treat only symptoms for temporary relief; they don't really work on the actual cause of the pain. Here are:

• Pharmaceutical prescriptions (painkillers like paracetamol, NSAIDs, steroids, etc., and/or muscle relaxants) to alleviate pain
• Osteopathic or chiropractic treatments like spinal manipulations
• Heat painful areas through hot packs, swimming in warm-water pools, etc.
• Using a firm and flat surface for lying or sleeping
• Avoidance of movements that may elevate the pain level, especially bending and lifting heavy loads
• Acupuncture and acupressure techniques are also helpful.
• Posture adjustment and ergonomic modifications to avoid extra stress on the spine
• Massage is also useful in some cases.

The most effective way to treat spondylosis, trapped nerve (sciatica), muscle and/or joint pain, a slipped disc, and back or neck pain is the "McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT)". Recently, in October 2014, a research study conducted on 271 patients in Kosovo found MDT to be more useful and effective than other electro-physical agents (EPAs). The method has fast-acting and long-lasting effects on patients' health. Moreover, it has NO side effects, which may occur with other treatment strategies. This is because this method helps your physician find out what the exact cause of your problem is and allows you to apply the 1-2 exercise patterns that are most suitable for your specific condition.

At first, a detailed history of the person is taken, and the patient is tested functionally and mechanically by recording the body's response to different movements and positions. The treatment strategy is then planned on the basis of the findings recorded, and the person is advised to maintain certain postures and perform specific exercises at home and in the office. Every person is also advised to follow some interventional guidelines to avoid future problems. This prevention plan is based on your body's symptomatic behavior that was recorded previously on your first assessment. This is very important because back pain tends to recur after a long period of time, so it's important for the patient to be educated on how to avoid future pain episodes.

The accurate and precise diagnosis allows the physician to treat the person perfectly according to his or her particular condition. Therefore, every person using the McKenzie Method is treated exclusively according to his or her specific underlying problem, as every person has a different underlying pathology for lumbago. The McKenzie Method allows the therapist to identify the underlying cause and its nature on the spot and uses different techniques to fix the root of the problem. This results in the fastest and longest-lasting treatment results.This approach is unique in that it does away with additional costly diagnostic procedures, and the diagnosis and therapy are handled by the same therapist.Unlike other methods, MDT allows you to manage and control your pain on a permanent basis.