Symptoms
The main symptom of lumbago is pain in the lower back or lumbar region of the spine. This is usually associated with aching, muscle tension and stiffness in the lower back which may be severe enough to interrupt normal everyday activities and movement.
Other symptoms of lumbago include pain radiating down one or both legs. When this happens, it indicates that a nerve is either irritated or trapped in the back a condition known as sciatica.
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Tingling sensation or a feeling of numbness in the back, buttocks or down along one or both legs.
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Change in posture (e.g. leaning to one side) due to the severe pain and spasms in the lower back.
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Fever
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Inflammation or swelling of the leg or back
- A feeling of being depressed
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Incontinence of bladder or bowel
- Blood in urine
Causes
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In the majority of cases, it is impossible to identify the exact cause of backache. Often, this is observed in patients suffering from conditions like a slipped disc, osteoporosis (brittle bones), deformation of natural spine curvature (scoliosis) or more rarely, skeletal damage due to tumors or infection.
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Sometimes, lumbago can come about as a result of wear and tear of the joints of the lower back or some other form of degeneration of joint surfaces as a result of overwork or overuse. This is more likely to occur in older people.