Loins – anatomy, diseases, diagnostics. Treatment of low back pain

Contents

Loins – Anatomy
Loins – disease diagnosis
Loins – diseases
Loins – treatment
- Decompression of the lumbar spine
Prevention of lumbar diseases

The loin is the area of the body between the ribs and the pelvis, or the lower back. One very common ailment is associated with the loins, namely pain in the loins. The problem related to the loins may result from maintaining an incorrect body posture on a daily basis, or it may result from various types of diseases, e.g. it often comes from the kidneys. In the case of the loins, however, other sources of pain should be considered.

Loins – Anatomy

The loins are located in the center of the back, more precisely in the area between the lower ribs and hips. The lumbar spine consists of the lumbar spine and the surrounding muscles.

The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae (known as vertebrae L1 through L5). Compared to other vertebrae of the spine, the lumbar vertebrae are larger, thicker, and more block-like. They ensure the stability of the spine and allow the attachment of many muscles and ligaments. What’s more, the lumbar vertebrae hold most of your body weight. The lumbar spine and the muscles and ligaments attached to it allow you to walk, run, sit, lift and move the body in all directions. The lumbar spine is slightly curved, thereby creating a physiological curve of the spine, which is called lumbar lordosis.

The muscles that attach to the lumbar spine include the latissimus, iliopsoas, and paraspinal muscles.

Lats dorsi muscle (pour. latissimus dorsi). Large, flat, wide triangular muscle. It begins at the bottom of the sixth thoracic vertebrae and the last three or four ribs and covers the width of the middle and lower back. Part of the latissimus muscle attaches to the arms. It supports the movement of the arms, helps to breathe by lifting the chest, and helps us bend to the side.
The iliopsoas muscle (pour. iliopsoas muscle). This tri-muscle group moves the hip joint. The iliopsoas, one on each side of the body, flexes and stabilizes the hip and lower back as you walk, run, and stand up from a chair.
Paraspinal muscles. This group of three muscles along the spine, which consists of the ilio-costal muscle (iliocostal muscle), the longest muscle (Latin. the longest muscle) and the spine muscle (spinalis muscle). These muscles help you stretch, bend sideways and turn. They also help keep your body posture upright.

Loins – disease diagnosis

The medical history of the patient and the medications he currently uses are important in the diagnosis of the lumbar region. Your doctor will perform a physical examination and order tests and imaging studies.

Computed tomography (CT). This study uses X-rays and computers. Computed tomography can show the shape and size of the spinal canal, its contents, and the surrounding bone. It helps to diagnose bone spurs, osteophytes, bone fusion, bone destruction due to infections or tumors.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It is a study that uses a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to create detailed images of the body. It can reveal problems with the spinal cord and the nerves extending from the spine, degeneration of the spine, disc herniation, infections and tumors. It allows for more detailed images of the nerves than computed tomography.
X-ray examination. X-rays create images of bones and soft tissues using a small amount of radiation. X-rays can show fractures, disc problems, problems with spine alignment, and the presence of arthritis.
Electromyography (EMG) and electroneurography (ENG). EMG helps assess the health and function of nerves and muscles. ENG measures the speed at which an electrical impulse travels through the nerve. These tests help determine the ongoing nerve damage and where the nerve is pinched.
Myelogram. He studies the relationship between the vertebrae and the discs, shows the spinal cord and the nerves that come out of the spine. It shows if possible things such as a tumor, bone spurs, or a herniated disc are pressing against the spinal cord, nerves, or nerve roots and causing pain, numbness, or weakness.

See also: Let’s not forget about preventive examinations! When and how often should they be done?

Loins – diseases

In the case of the lumbar region, problems can restrict movement in the back or hips and cause pain, weakness, and numbness or tingling in the back, hips, thigh, or leg.

Lower back pain. Lower back pain is a common symptom of a wide variety of injuries and conditions. The most common causes are degenerative conditions (osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, stenosis, discopathy, pressure on a nerve), back strain, spine fractures, growths (tumors, cysts, bone spurs) and spondylolisthesis.
Stenosis. Stenosis is the narrowing of the space around the spinal cord. In the lumbar spine, this means less room for the nerves branching off the spinal cord. The tense space can cause irritation or pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. Symptoms of lumbar stenosis include pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs, groin, hips, buttocks, and lower back. Symptoms usually worsen when walking or standing, and may decrease when you lie down, sit or lean forward slightly.
Spondylolisthesis. This condition occurs when the lumbar vertebra has moved out of place relative to the vertebra below. This can put pressure on a nerve, which in turn can cause lower back pain or leg pain.
Compressive fracture of the vertebra. Broken bones in the spine can result from compression (often from a minor trauma to a person with osteoporosis) or from a fracture (a vertebra that is crushed in all directions), a displaced fracture (mostly from car accidents or falls from a height), or from a tumor on the spine.
Sciatica. Sciatica, also called lumbar radiculopathy, is nerve pain caused by injury or irritation to the sciatic nerve that runs through the hips, buttocks, and along each leg, ending in the foot. Causes include intervertebral disc hernia, spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis, spinal or nerve injury, a tumor in the spinal canal, piriformis syndrome, or cauda equina syndrome. Sciatica is also known as a type of nerve compression syndrome.
Hernia of the intervertebral disc. An intervertebral disc hernia is a damaged vertebral disc that is the cushion between each vertebra. A herniated disc can cause back pain, tingling or numbness in the legs or feet, and muscle weakness.
Hyperlordoza. Hyperlordosis is an excessive curvature of the spine in the lower back. This condition puts too much pressure on the lumbar vertebrae. It is caused by illness, poor posture, or excessive back flexion.
Muscle contraction. Large muscles support the lumbar spine, allowing the torso to move in all directions. These muscles can cramp or strain, which is a common cause of lower back pain
Degenerative disc disease. Lumbar disc osteoarthritis occurs when discs in the lumbar spine wear out. The reduced space between the vertebrae can compress the spinal nerves, causing back pain. In this area, sciatica is the most pinched nerve.
Scoliosis. Scoliosis is an abnormal curve of the spine. In adults, the lumbar spine is most at risk of scoliosis due to aging or degeneration of the spine.
Horse tail syndrome. The condition is caused by the compression of a set of nerve roots that look like a ponytail. The condition causes pain, weakness, urinary incontinence, and other symptoms.
Pain in the lumbar region and frequent urination. Pain can be continuous dull pain or intermittent pain that occurs only occasionally. Blood in the urine may be visible to the naked eye, appearing from time to time in seizures. Occasionally, blood clots may even appear. In other cases, the amount of blood is so small that it cannot be seen, but is detected by a urine test.
Kidney stones. Kidney stones occur when kidney stones develop in the urinary tract). Kidney stones usually form in the kidneys and leave the body in the urine stream. However, if the stone is too large, it can block the ureter, causing sharp and severe pain in the lower back or abdomen. The stone can also cause blood in the urine, vomiting, or painful urination.
Renal colic. Renal colic is pain, often caused by obstruction of the ureter by displaced kidney stones. Acute obstruction and the resulting urinary retention can stretch the ureter and cause reflex peristaltic smooth muscle contraction, leading to very intense visceral pain transmitted through the ureteral plexus.
Shingles. Shingles, which is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically, the rash appears as a single, wide mark on the left or right side of the body or face. Two to four days before the onset of the rash, you may experience tingling or local pain in the area. Otherwise, there are usually few symptoms, although some patients may have a fever or headache, or feel tired.
Inflammation of the roots. Radiculitis is a type of neuralgia that often affects the sciatic nerve.

Also read: Lumbar spine pain – what can it result from? Causes, treatment, treatments and exercises for the lumbar spine

Loins – treatment

Both non-surgical treatment options and surgery are available for the treatment of lumbar problems. The choice depends on the cause of the problem and its severity.

A specialist may first recommend less invasive approaches for lumbar pain that are not caused by an injury or tumor. Some common nonsurgical treatment options include:

rest.
cold and warm compresses.
avoiding strenuous or strenuous physical activity.
physical therapy.
lumbar massage.
orthopedic belts on the loins.
Medicines, including muscle relaxants, pain relievers (such as paracetamol) and anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen and naproxen).
steroid injections. For lumbar pain, specific types of steroid injections may be considered, such as an epidural, which is a procedure in which steroids are injected into the epidural space, or a blockage of the lumbar spine, in which a steroid is injected into the capsule (covering the connective tissue) of the intercostal (small joint) at the top and bottom of each vertebra that connects the vertebrae to allow movement).
medial branch blockages and percutaneous ablation. This procedure is considered in some cases of chronic lumbar pain. First, a local anesthetic is injected into the nerve that supplies the intervertebral joint. If the pain is relieved, the next step is to try to relieve the pain permanently. It does this by damaging the nerve with a technique called percutaneous ablation. Pain relief lasts for months. However, if the nerve regenerates, the pain may come back.

Decompression of the lumbar spine

Lumbar spine decompression surgery is a general term that refers to a variety of procedures used to relieve symptoms caused by pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. The nerve roots are the first section of the nerve to leave the spinal cord through the small depressions between the vertebrae. Common surgical decompression techniques include:

lumbar discectomy. In this procedure, the surgeon removes part of the disc to relieve pressure on nearby nerve roots.
lumbar laminectomy. During these procedures, the surgeon removes parts of the vertebrae, including spinous processes, vertebral arches and yellow ligaments. Removal increases the size of the spinal canal, which reduces pressure.
lumbar foraminotomy. A procedure performed to widen the nerve root openings to exit the spinal cord by removing some of the bone from this area.
lumbar corpectomy. During this operation, the surgeon removes the vertebral body (the large front part of the vertebra) as well as the disc to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. In some cases, the vertebrae (which permanently connect two or more vertebrae) fuse together to keep the lumbar spine stable.

Lumbar disc replacement surgery. It consists in removing the diseased disc of the lumbar region and replacing it with an artificial disc. The most common cause of this surgery is degeneration of the lumbar spine.

Stabilization of the lumbar spine. Lumbar spine stabilization is an operation to permanently connect one or more lumbar vertebrae. The operation eliminates movement between the vertebrae.

Prevention of lumbar diseases

Many people will visit a doctor at some point in their lives because of pain in the loins, so it is worth taking care of this part of the back to avoid painful, unnecessary wear of this sensitive section of the spine. You can minimize the risk of developing lumbar problems:

Losing kilos. Losing even 10 pounds of weight can help reduce lower back pain.

Strengthening the muscles of the torso (abdomen). The muscles in the abdomen and lower back work together to form a supportive “belt” around the waist and lower back. Stronger muscles can help stabilize the lower back and reduce the risk of injury.

Quitting smoking. Nicotine reduces blood flow to spine structures, including lumbar discs, and may accelerate age-related degenerative changes.

Taking care of the correct body posture. Make sure your spine is in a straight line and lift objects correctly. In the case of heavy things, it is worth asking for help in carrying them.

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