Severe pain in the upper, middle and lower back

Back pain is an unpleasant situation that has a negative effect on human well-being. And if we are talking about severe pains, then performance also suffers. Moreover, the doctors listen to such complaints almost every day, and try to figure out what caused the pain syndrome if the types of severe back pain are as varied as their causes.

Upper back pain

Intense pain in the upper back is not considered a frequent complaint, however, people go to the doctor for that reason. Understanding the causes of malaise, doctors first of all pay attention to the localization of pain. So complaints that the upper back hurts a lot, suggest the doctor that the cause of such pain is most likely in diseases of the cervical and thoracic spine.

The most popular cause of back pain is osteochondrosis of the spine, and with this localization of pain, we most likely talk about degenerative changes in the vertebrae of the cervical and thoracic region. True, due to the low mobility of the upper thoracic region, osteochondrosis of this area is diagnosed much less frequently than of the cervical (in 1 out of 100 patients). And even if the degenerative changes in this most stable region of the spine are still present, they rarely lead to such complications as spinal hernia or protrusion of the intervertebral disc, spinal canal stenosis, spondylosis or spondylarthrosis.

But osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a fairly common disease, which is characterized by pain in the upper part of the back. In this case, most often a person has a bad back and neck pain. Some patients note that along with the neck they have pain in the right or left shoulder, pain can be given to the forearm and fingers, sometimes there is a decrease in the sensitivity of the skin in the place where the back hurts.

Degenerative processes in the cervical vertebrae and injuries to the upper part of the spine (and out of a total of 7) can cause various types of severe back pain. The cervical spine is considered the most mobile, so it is not surprising that it is more prone to injury, and poor posture, prolonged stay at the computer, an uncomfortable pillow are risk factors for muscle overload or uneven distribution of the load on the spine.

Vertebral displacement and any degenerative changes in this area of the spine can lead to compression of the spinal cord, nerve roots, blood vessels extending from it. It is not surprising that, against the background of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, neuralgia (pinching) of the occipital nerve often develops, accompanied by acute pain that radiates to the head and shoulders.

In people with osteochondrosis of the neck, dizziness and headaches are a frequent symptom. These are symptoms of cerebral hypoxia, caused by impaired blood circulation in this area, if the vertebrae or the intervertebral hernia that is formed begin to squeeze the blood vessels. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often accompanied by disorders of blood pressure.

But complaints about head and back pain can be caused by another problem. For example, scoliosis is a pathology in which the spine is curved right or left. This changes the shape of not only the spine itself, but also of individual vertebrae. Curvature of the spine leads to the fact that the spinal cord directly connected with the brain and the central nervous system begins to suffer. Through this connection, a person can experience pain both in the back and in the head.

Pain in the neck, neck and back, along with migraine-like headaches, can also occur with inflammation of the meninges (meningitis). And the cause of such common aching pains will again be the connection between the spinal cord and the brain.

As for muscle pains in the upper back, they can be triggered by an overstrain or muscle spasm, in which small painful thickening is formed in the thickness of the muscle tissue. When pressing on these points, called trigger points, severe acute pain appears.

Another cause of muscle pain in the back and shoulder can be their hypothermia. Then the person says that he has blown back and shoulders, and therefore there was severe pain. Such pains are usually aching in nature and are noticeably worse with pressure. The diagnosis of neuritis of the shoulder nerve, which is damaged by thickened due to hypothermia and inflammation of the muscles of the upper back, may also numb the tissues of the hand, deterioration of the functionality of the hand.

Severe pain in the middle of the back

Sometimes patients complain that their back and chest ache at the same time. In this case, one should not exclude the above-mentioned scoliosis, the pain in which can be of a different nature, giving both to the front and rear of the body. Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine behaves in an identical manner. Usually we are talking about dull aching pains, although with a radicular syndrome a person may experience acute pain in the back and chest.

Severe pain in the back and chest is also characteristic of intercostal neuralgia. Acute pain arising from this disease, many take for the heart and with them run to a cardiologist, who often does not detect serious heart disease and sends the patient to a neurologist. In fact, the pathology provoked in most cases by hypothermia or weight lifting is not dangerous, although the discomfort brings tangible.

Should I blame patients taking pains with neuralgia for doing heart problems? Probably not, because with cardiovascular pathologies, severe pains in the chest and back can also appear. So, with angina, the patient may feel burning pain in the chest and in the middle of the back, and sometimes they even give to the lumbar region.

With myocardial infarction, severe squeezing pain is felt in the chest, shoulders, back and even in the hands. In inflammation of the heart membranes, pain is more likely to be an obsessive, aching character, but they radiate to the region of the sternum and back, accompanied by respiratory disorders, changes in body temperature and general weakness.

Severe pain in the back and chest is a characteristic symptom of aneurysm of the thoracic aorta. In this case, patients complain of a throbbing, aching pain inside the aortic arch. The pain is also felt in the chest and back, accompanied by shortness of breath, coughing, difficulty swallowing, and snoring. When exfoliating the aneurysm, the pain becomes acute, sharp, which patients characterize as burning, tearing.

The appearance of severe back pain can cause various types of diseases of the respiratory system, because in the middle of the back are the trachea of the lungs, pleura, which can be inflamed under the influence of cold, infections and other irritating factors. Pain in the back and chest is typical for almost all diseases involving cough: cold, flu, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, etc.

But with bronchitis and severe cough, the chest and upper back along the course of the bronchi usually hurt. Pain syndrome appears in the midst of the disease. With colds, SARS and flu, back pain usually occurs after other symptoms of the disease subside. They are considered as a complication of infectious diseases of the respiratory system and are caused by intoxication of the body, exacerbation of existing osteochondrosis, the development of myositis (local muscle inflammation), when back muscles, pyelonephritis, inflammation of the appendages, etc., are severely sore. In this case, the muscles and even the skin on the back, which is suffering due to circulatory disturbances caused by the redistribution of blood flow in this area, can hurt.

For tracheitis, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis, pleurisy is characterized by severe back pain in the area of the shoulder blades, which are aching in nature, characteristic of the inflammatory process inside the body. If the disease is caused by hypothermia, the pain can spread to the upper back, shoulders, neck.

People with serious diseases of the cardiovascular system can also complain that the back between the shoulder blades hurt a lot, because it is at this level that the heart is located. In this case, occasionally severe left back pain may occur, which is characteristic of attacks of stenocardia, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and some other pathologies.

Severe pain in the back on the right often occurs in diseases of the liver and gallbladder. But the defeat of the esophagus and the upper parts of the stomach may be accompanied by pain in the upper back and sternum to the left. Although this is not a fact, most of the diseases of the internal organs manifest themselves as combined pain, for example, in the back and chest or in the back and stomach. In this case, talking about shingles.

Acute pain between the shoulder blades is a frequent symptom that occurs during intercostal neuralgia from the side where the nerve is pinched. In the area of the shoulder blades, the back can hurt with myositis caused by over-exertion or overcooling of the muscles, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, spondylarthritis and other inflammatory and degenerative pathologies of the spine. But in this case, if the spinal roots are not affected, the pain will be rather aching, dull character.

Lower back pain

The 9th vertebrae of the thoracic region are considered to be an inactive part of the spine, while the remaining 3 vertebrae and the structures of the lumbar part are already responsible for the turns and bends of the body. Well, where else, no matter how on this site, different types of severe back pain are especially often and clearly manifested.

Severe back pain above the lower back is most often associated with kidney disease, and in particular with pyelonephritis. Since the kidneys are a paired organ, parts of which are located on both sides of the back, the localization of pain may also be different. During inflammation of the right kidney, patients complain of severe pain on the right side of the back. But pain in diseases of the liver, gallbladder, duodenum and pancreas may radiate to the same area.

Severe pain from the left side of the back is characteristic of ulcerative lesions of the stomach and inflammation of the left kidney. But it must be borne in mind that on the left side of the body there are also some parts of the liver and pancreas, so it is not surprising that in case of diseases of these organs, patients may complain of severe back pain, which is characteristic of acute periods of the disease.

And again, there are difficulties with diagnosis, because shingles pain above the waist can also occur during inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), duodenal ulcer, viral disease called shingles (although in this case there are specific skin manifestations). Sometimes sheathing pains remind of myocardial infarction and aortic aneurysm. From the intensity of the symptom, one can understand how serious the situation is, with severe pains characteristic of acute forms of chronic diseases or exacerbations (intensity is somewhat lower).

Surrounding severe pain in the lower back can also occur with radicular syndrome, because the lower part of the thoracic and lumbar spine are considered mobile structures that tend to shift and change with injuries and increased exertion. Only in this case, the pain will be sharp and piercing, and their appearance is always associated with a change in body position. During pregnancy, in addition to the pathologies described above and the gastrointestinal tract malfunctions that are characteristic of this period, herpes pains in the lumbar region may indicate a threatened miscarriage.

A distinctive feature of pain in gastrointestinal diseases is the fact that pain occurs against the background of other symptoms of indigestion. So nausea, heaviness in the stomach and severe back pain are characteristic of the clinical picture of acute pancreatitis, which is aggravated some time after eating (usually in 1.5-2 hours). With the exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic diarrhea may occur with abdominal cramps characteristic of it.

In acute cholecystitis, in addition to nausea and pain, bitterness in the mouth and disorders of the stool may occur. With gastric and duodenal ulcers, the pain is clearly tied to the meal time and occurs within half an hour or a little more after eating. The patient may experience dyspeptic symptoms, disorders of the chair, vomiting, and headaches. In the presence of acute pain, perforation of the ulcer and the development of peritonitis can be suspected.

Exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases may be accompanied by fever, but it rarely rises to febrile indices. With myocardial infarction, the temperature rises by 2-3 days, and digestive disorders are usually not observed.

But with a cold, severe back pain can occur, which are characterized as aches and fever, indicating that the body has begun to fight infection. At the same time, it can hurt both the back between the shoulder blades and the back. Other symptoms will be runny nose, nasal congestion, coughing, sneezing, and headaches.

Against the background of elevated temperatures, inflammatory diseases of the lower respiratory tract can also occur. So with pneumonia, the patient's body temperature can rise to 40 degrees and higher.

But pains above the lower back can also cause various diseases of the spine. Unlike the sedentary 9 vertebrae of the upper thoracic region, the 3 lower vertebrae are already quite mobile. With instability of the spine caused by weakness of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the back, injuries of the spinal column and inflammatory-degenerative processes, the nerves of the blood vessels may be trapped in it and accompanied by severe back pain above the waist.

The lumbar spine is no less mobile than the cervical, so severe back pain in the lumbar region is considered a very common symptom. It is on this department that the maximum loads fall, it is thanks to the modern fashion on tops and low waist jeans that are most often subjected to supercooling.

Drivers and people who work at the computer, as well as those who are engaged in hard physical labor, whose activities involve prolonged stay on their feet or in a sitting position, women who are fond of high heels, most often suffer from back pain. Weightlifters are also at risk. Although sometimes the cause of back pain becomes excessive load during exercise or hypothermia of the waist.

Sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition and metabolic disorders, large loads on the spine and disorders of posture lead to the development of diseases that are considered to be the root cause of lower back pain: lumbar osteochondrosis, sciatica, intervertebral hernia and protrusion, spondyloarthrosis, osteoporosis, etc. . And already against the background of these diseases, pain associated with overstretching of the muscles of the lumbar spine caused by improper distribution of the load, and pinching of the nerve fibers and blood vessels with deformed musculoskeletal structures appear.

Sometimes a person's back hurts so much that the following complaints come from him: I can not walk, move, sit, lie down. Such a strong pain syndrome is characteristic of pain in the lumbosacral region, especially if it is affected by osteochondrosis or radiculitis, which is an inflammation of the spinal roots.

Osteochondrosis doctors themselves call punishment for a wrong way of life. And the fact that the disease is exacerbated, leading to a violation of the motor capacity of the spine, says only that the person did not draw the necessary conclusions. In punishment, he receives severe sharp or aching pains that most often occur in the neck and lower back. If during remission of osteochondrosis they are felt in the form of discomfort and fatigue of the spine, having a low intensity, then during exacerbation of pathology there are already strong stabbing or aching pains depending on which tissues were affected by the deformed vertebrae.

The cause of acute lower back pain, called lumbago, can be overcooling of this area and lifting weights, when the pressure increases both on the diseased spine and on the tissue of the surrounding tissue, including the nerve roots of the spinal cord, which pass between the bone structures of the spine.

If any soft tissue is injured, they tend to become inflamed, especially if the injury recurs regularly. When squeezing the nerve root, there is a strong penetrating pain that prevents a person from straightening or stooping, i.e. Make a movement that causes even more trauma to the affected nerve. If the injury is prolonged or recurs frequently, the nerve becomes inflamed and the pain becomes constant, aching, but severe, moving in the lower back into acute, piercing.

It turns out that sciatica is a consequence of osteochondrosis of the spine, which is confirmed by statistics. Only 5% of cases of development of radiculopathy are associated with injuries, spinal hernia and age-related changes in the bone structures of the spinal column.

It is for osteochondrosis and sciatica of the lumbosacral spine that severe back pains occur when walking and bending down. If the disease affects the thoracic region, then the entire back and thorax hurts, and with cervical radiculitis great difficulties arise with turning and tilting the head, again due to the severe pain syndrome.

Moreover, osteochondrosis, hernia and protrusion of intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine often cause the person to have a bad back and leg pain. Complaints are reduced to the fact that a person cannot be on his feet for a long time, stand, walk, his legs get tired and start to hurt, although it would seem that there are no reasons for this.

The nature of the reflected pain can be judged on the pathologies that can cause them. If the lower back and upper thighs hurt, then the cause may be protrusion and hernia of the spine, tumors in the sacral area, including metastases from other organs, spinal cord tumors, bursitis of the gluteal tendons, vasculitis. When squeezing the nerve roots of the upper lumbar vertebrae, the pain spreads to the outside of the thigh.

With the defeat of the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebra, the pain may radiate to the front of the leg, while problems with flexion-extension of the femoral and knee joints are also observed.

When a person complains of a constant dull pain in the back and lower back, extending to the back of the foot up to the foot, we are most likely talking about inflammation of the sciatic nerve.

Pain in the lower back and knee may occur with lesions of the hip joint (traumatic or inflammatory-degenerative), with oncology of the genital organs, fractures of the pelvic bones. If we are talking about the violation of the integrity of the bone, such symptoms as numbness of the limb, pain in the sacrum at the site of passage of the obturator nerve, feeling of crawling goosebumps, etc. Are possible.

Sometimes severe back pains that spread to the leg are caused by treatment with anticoagulants or diabetes mellitus complications, spinal stenosis arising on the background of various pathologies of the spinal column. The reason may be the growth of osteophytes in the vertebrae of the lumbosacral region, which put pressure on the muscles and nerves passing nearby, and the pain spreads along the nerve fibers, i.e. Can give back and leg.

Pain in the ribs

A particular case of spinal pain is severe back pain in the ribs. They can occur for various reasons. This symptom is characteristic of traumatic injuries of the ribs (severe bruises, fractures). In case of rib fractures, depending on whether displacement and nearby soft tissues and nerves are affected, the pain can be mild or acute, intense, aggravated when walking, adopting a horizontal position, rising from a bed, bending, etc. The pain may be given to the chest and be accompanied by swelling of the tissue at the site of injury. When bruised ribs pain acute, but less intense, gradually turning into aching.

Sometimes with a small fracture or a fracture of the rib, the patient may not even be aware of such an outcome, because there is no severe pain, which means that a bruise can be suspected. But if a person complains that a deep back hurts a bad back, a traumatologist may well suspect a broken rib or intercostal cartilage damage. Pain can also be aggravated by any tension caused by even slight physical exertion, coughing, sneezing.

The pain syndrome is especially pronounced when a splinter of a rib of the lung tissue is damaged - pneumothorax (identical situation with a penetrating injury). The pain in this case is very mile, piercing, stabbing. She can give not only in the back, but also in the chest, shoulder, neck and becomes stronger with any physical exertion. Young men are sometimes diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax, resulting from pleural weakness.

Intensive pains in the back in the area of the ribs may also occur in the following diseases: intercostal neuralgia, pericardial syndrome, dry form of pleurisy or pericarditis, tumor processes in the back tissues. Usually in these cases we are talking about a strong pain syndrome, which then subsides, then increases under the action of coughing, sneezing, physical exertion, as well as during inhalation or exhalation.

Such a symptom as severe pain in the ribs, similar to pain in angina, is sometimes observed in inflammation of the intercostal cartilage (Tietze syndrome), when the pain intensifies when you press on the affected rib.

During tumor processes in the back and spine, a person complains of severe back pain in the supine position. The pain is chronic, can be both permanent and occur under certain conditions. Palpation of the back can feel the seal in the form of cones.

Pain in the ribs often occur with osteoporosis. With the weakening of the bone tissue increases the risk of fracture of the ribs, which can break even with minor loads and be accompanied by acute pain. Strong compression of the vertebrae in osteoporosis can lead to the development of radicular syndrome, one of the manifestations of which are sharp back pain between or under the ribs.

Patients with osteochondrosis or spinal hernia, intercostal neuralgia, inflammatory disorders of the muscles and nerves of the back, fibromyalgia, inflammation (dry form), and pleural tumors can complain of intense back pain in the ribs. A separate item is worth noting the psychogenic pains that face suspicious people and patients with mental disabilities.

Pain in sacrum and tailbone

It is osteochondrosis that can cause severe back pain in the sacrum. The sacrum is a wedge-shaped bone in the lower part of the spine, which itself cannot hurt, because the bones do not have nerve endings. Pain usually occurs at the junction of the last vertebra and the sacrum.

In osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine with a deformity of the vertebrae in this area, the pain usually covers the lower back area and the sacrum at the same time. The person begins to experience stress in this area, and movements in the spine are limited to a strong pain syndrome. Even in a sitting position, the pain does not subside, because in this case, the load on the lower parts of the spine only increases.

With sudden movements, lifting weights or the beginning of movements after a long stay in an uncomfortable static posture, pain in the sacrum increases. If we are talking about an intervertebral hernia, pressing on the nerve endings, then there are severe pains in the back, giving way to the leg, which are characterized by reinforcement in the morning and weakening towards evening.

If the pain in the cross is localized on the right or left side, then it is possible that these are pathologies of the sacroiliac joint. Injuries and inflammatory processes in it can remind oneself of pain to the right or left of the spine. Other symptoms include limping, muscle cramps of the lower limb on the part of the diseased joint, swelling at the site of inflammation.

Types of severe back pain in the lumbosacral region also depend on which tissues are affected and what happens to them. When squeezing the nerves and muscles and their subsequent spasm of pain, they acquire a sharp, piercing, burning character, while the inflammatory process is more characteristic of aching dull pain, the intensity of which depends on the extent of the pathological process and the structures that are involved in it.

Also, aching pain in the sacrum can appear during tumor processes in this area. And it is not always about tumors that develop from the tissues of the spinal cord or lower back muscles. Often, metastases from other nearby (kidney, pancreas, prostate, intestines, ovaries) organs manifest themselves in this way. And sometimes the tumor comes from the lungs, the stomach or the thyroid gland, and the person does not even suspect that the sacrum can hurt for such an unusual reason.

If a person complains that his back is severely affected in the field of the coccyx, then traumatic pains are usually suspected. This may be a fracture, contusion, a crack in the lowermost stationary spine, a rudimentary organ left to us from the caudate ancestors. Most often, severe acute pain occurs immediately after an injury, although in some cases their appearance is possible and much later, after several months or even years. Both the tailbone itself and the tissue around it can be ill. In this case, the increase in pain is observed when a person walks or sits.

On the pain in the coccyx while sitting often complain and athletes involved in horse or cycling. The cause of such discomfort are microtraumas of the bones and nearby tissues. But, oddly enough, those people who prefer to sit on a soft surface also apply to the same symptom. It is believed that in such a situation there is a higher risk of circulatory disorders due to the incorrect position of the organ, and this in turn is fraught with stagnation and impaired metabolic processes in the tailbone tissues.

A cystic neoplasm in the coccyx (dermoid cyst) and organ damage during labor can also cause pain while sitting.

In people with adhesions in the pelvis, pain in the coccyx can also occur while standing up. But the pain when bending is characteristic of the chronic course of the inflammatory process in the pelvic organs. This may be dysbiosis or inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestine and sigmoid colon, inflammation of the bladder (cystitis), inflammation of the appendages or the inner layer of the uterus, etc. In this case, the force of pain is lower, and they are aching, dull, or pulling in nature. Severe back pain in the pelvis, not associated with diseases of the spine, more characteristic of injuries and acute inflammatory process.

The same pain is characteristic of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine, but in this case they are combined with pain in the lower back and sacrum. But with hemorrhoids and the habit of sitting for a long time on the toilet, they can arise on their own.