As we spend more time sitting in a poor posture, eventually it will lead us to lumbago or low back pain. Lumbago is also known as low back pain, mechanical low back pain, nonspecific low back pain, or lumbar sprain.
Lumbago or low back pain is one of the common problems circulating in our society.
What is lumbago?
lumbago definition:- Lumbago is a term used to describe pain in the lower back that ranges from minor to severe. The discomfort is usually felt closest to the spine, but it can also spread outward and feel like cramps in the buttocks, groin, and thighs.
It occurs in up to 80% of the population.
In this case, the patient can feel pain in the lumbar or sacral area that can be mechanically reproduced.
lumbago icd 10
- M54.5 Low back pain
- S33.5 Sprain of ligaments of the lumbar spine
Sign and symptoms
- There can be unilateral or bilateral referred or radiating pain in the lower extremities.
- When you do repeating movements, You may feel peripheralization or centralization of the pain.
- Lumbar hypomobility may be present and indicates instability.
- In this case, there may be a postural deviation.
- There may be poor core-muscle strength.
- In this case, there is Nerve root compression.
Functional implication
- When you do your occupational activities, you may find them very difficult to do.
- You will find difficulty in doing your day-to-day activities.
- It may impede your participation in sports and other social activities.
Possible contributing causes
- One of the major causes is your occupation.
- It may be congenital anomalies
- Physical condition
- It may be your smoking habit.
- In this case, it may be Obesity.
- It may be the deviation in your posture
- You may have weak core muscles.
- There can be herniation of the disc.
- Tightness of hip flexors, external rotators, and hamstrings.
A common description of your pain and its origin
| description | origin |
| Deep ache and boring | Bony tissues |
| Dull, achy, sore, burning, and cramping | Muscle/fascia |
| Sharp, lifelike, shooting, lancinating, tingling, burning, numbness, and weakness | nerve |
| Burning, stabbing, throbbing, tingling, and cold | Vascular |
| Deep pain, cramping, and stabbing | visceral |
Impairments
- In this case, there may be Postural changes
- Inability to walk, stand, or sit for a prolonged time
- Shortened hamstrings and hip flexors
- Hypomobile lumbar spine
- Decreased lumbar stability
- In this case, you may find Weakness of the abdominals
Test for assessment of lumbago
- Postural examination
- We need to check the length of the muscle
- Quadrant test
- Straight leg raise test
- In this case, we do the Slump test
- Lower limb nerve tension test
- Repeated movement testing
- Lower extremity neurologic screen (dermatome, myotome, reflexes)
- Fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ)
Physiotherapy intervention for lumbago
Joint manipulation indicated when
- Duration of the current episode of low back pain < 16 days.
- when you manipulate the joint, No radicular symptoms
- FABQ scores less than 19
- Hip internal rotation of greater than 35 degrees for at least one hip.
Lumbar stabilization exercises
Traction when
- Radiculopathy finding present
- Positive crossed SLR
- The pain becomes peripheralized with repeated extension
Stretching exercises, myofascial mobilization for shortened musculature
You need to walk on a treadmill without weights
Modalities for short term pain relief
Physical therapy for lower back pain exercises
‘splinting’ THE LUMBAR SPINE
Exercise 1 – the pelvic tilt
- In this case, Lie with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent and arms at your sides.
- Firstly draw in your stomach (abdomen) firmly, and press your lumbar region against the floor by tightening and slightly raising your buttocks.
- This will tilt the pelvic upward.
- Hold count to seven – relax
- Repeat 5 – 10 times
Exercise 2 – body flattener
- Adopt the same starting position as in exercise 1.
- Then stretch (extend) your legs by extending your heels forwards while keeping your lumbar spine flat on the floor.
- Your abdominal and back muscles should be tightened.
- Hold – count to seven – relax
- Repeat 5 – 10 times
Go to this link for a complete guide on physical therapy for lower back pain exercises
conclusion
In conclusion, lumbago is an old term used for low back pain and doctors use more specific terms for low back pain nowadays.
In the above content, I try to explain to you everything from the lumbago definition to its treatment.
When you experience any kind of low back pain then you can consult this blog post.
But keep one thing in your mind a proper consultation with a doctor is a must.
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