Any pain syndromes cannot be ignored. Pain is the body’s physiological reaction to pathological processes; it causes changes in the patient’s behavior. At the level of instincts, movements are limited, which can cause even greater harm and aggravate the course of the disease. The central nervous system is responsible for taking conscious actions—seeing a doctor, a set of self-treatment measures.
Back hurts and nausea
Why does your back hurt most often?
Even ancient doctors argued that the spine is not only a set of vertebrae, but also the main frame of the body, and human health largely depends on its condition. A large number of nerve endings of both the central and peripheral nervous systems are concentrated here. Most internal organs are connected to the spine by nerve fibers, and pathological processes in them affect its condition.
Structure of the human spine
The combination of pain with nausea is evidence of very serious problems; a decision should be made as soon as possible . The faster osteopathogenic diseases are differentiated from problems with internal organs, the lower the risk of negative consequences, and the treatment will take place faster and with less financial losses. Sometimes pain in the lower back is not associated with vertebral problems at all; pain syndromes radiate to this area from the internal organs. Let's look at two types of lower back pain with nausea - those that depend on the condition of the spine and those that are not related to its problems.
Lower back pain
If you suspect any pathologies, you should consult a doctor for pain and vomiting
As mentioned above, no pain syndromes should be ignored; these are special signals sent by the body to the nervous system for the purpose of self-preservation.
Table. What suspicions should be clarified in medical institutions?
| Suspicion of illness | Brief description and algorithm of action |
| Osteochondrosis | It is a very complex disease; currently there are no medical protocols for effective treatment; medicine can only slow down the progression of the disease and improve the patient’s standard of living. If, in addition to back pain and nausea, you feel dizzy, then this is a sure sign of the development of severe osteochondrosis. Often office workers attribute the described symptoms to a sedentary lifestyle, but the cause can be much more dangerous. Vomiting occurs after the degradation process has gone very far; deformed bone tissue compresses the blood vessels supplying the brain. Lack of oxygen in some parts of the brain causes nausea due to back pain. If symptoms intensify during movements of the spine, vomiting syndromes become extremely strong when coughing, headaches, spatial orientation are lost, then it is necessary to visit a medical facility as quickly as possible. |
| Heart problems | Nausea is accompanied by pain in the spine, radiating to the chest - a strong suspicion of heart problems. When diagnosing heart patients, doctors note that in such conditions, a lying patient may feel very strong urges to vomit, especially when lying down. If symptoms in a state of complete rest do not go away within 10–15 minutes, then you should consult a doctor. Back pain is not primary, but secondary signs of heart problems, but they play an important role during the accurate diagnosis of pathologies. |
| Meningitis | A very dangerous infectious disease that can be fatal. Only an experienced doctor can make a correct diagnosis without laboratory data, and such tests may not be performed in every hospital. Patients often complain of back pain and nausea, the problem is that such secondary symptoms are also inherent in other diseases. You need to be wary if the pain intensifies when you try to move your head, there is increased sensitivity to bright light and your body temperature rises sharply. Vomiting may occur due to swelling of the mucous membranes of the throat. |
| Consequences of injuries, including after accidents | This does not mean minor injuries to the spinal region due to heavy lifting or sudden bending. At the same time, back pain and nausea may appear after serious accidents or other emergencies. In these cases, both the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, as well as internal organs, are injured. Injured vertebrae pinch nerve fibers or endings and generate pain signals, and injuries to internal organs cause vomiting. The sooner a patient sees a doctor, the lower the risk of extremely negative health consequences. |
| Gastrointestinal diseases | An accurate diagnosis can be made by a gastroenterologist only on the basis of a complete examination of the patient. Such signs may include colitis, inflammation of the pancreas, stomach ulcer and other pathologies. The problem is that the secondary symptoms are very similar, but the diseases are different and require an individual approach in each specific case. Mistakes have negative consequences, delay treatment of the disease and increase the likelihood of dangerous complications. |
| Kidney pathology | Back pain appears after physical activity or as a result of poor diet, and intensifies during movement. Nausea is not always present; most often it occurs due to the movement of stones in the kidneys and urinary ducts. If such symptoms appear, an ultrasound scan is required. |
What is the cause of kidney disease?
This is a general table of pathologies that cause back pain and nausea; to make an informed decision, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the causes of discomfort in more detail.
Lumbar pain: main causes
Suddenly your lower back hurts. And this is understandable if yesterday you dug up a hectare of virgin land. But often the pain seems to appear out of nowhere: when you wake up, you suddenly discover that bending over and straightening up is a whole problem. Let's find out why lower back pain can occur and what it means.
Uncomfortable position
In the correct position, the lumbar back should have a slight forward bend. This is called physiological lordosis. If you sit slouched or the back of your chair does not provide support for the spine, this curve is forced to straighten. Loss of this shock-absorbing “curve” causes spinal discs to become misaligned and can cause back pain.
The pain in this case appears at the end of the working day and usually goes away by the morning, provided that you sleep on a flat and not too soft bed. The best way to get rid of back pain is to start controlling your sitting posture and get more ergonomic furniture.
Bending or lifting heavy objects
If you often have to bend forward, the main load falls on the lumbar spine. This can lead to both permanent injury to the back muscles and slipping of the spinal discs, especially if you have to lift heavy objects.
As a rule, in this case, back pain occurs suddenly, is acute and lasts for several days. This is a reason to immediately consult a doctor to make sure that your labor exploits have not led to serious consequences. But the best thing to do, before your back starts to seriously bother you, is to learn how to bend over correctly, trying to use not only your back, but also your legs in this process.
Excess weight
Extra pounds, especially if there are too many of them, are an additional burden on the long-suffering spine. And especially on the lumbar region: excess belly fat shifts the center of gravity forward and causes the lumbar curve to become larger. This can cause spinal discs to slip and cause chronic pain.
In addition, as a rule, excess weight is accompanied by weak, untrained muscles responsible for supporting the spine - in this case, even minimal load leads to pain in the lower back.
Injuries
This is perhaps the most obvious cause of low back pain. Falls or excessive fanaticism in the gym - all this can lead to pain in the lower back. With bruises and severe muscle strain, the pain can be acute and intensify with changes in body position. Or, conversely, aching - if the lumbar muscles become inflamed due to overexertion. In any case, a visit to the doctor cannot be postponed - undiagnosed and untreated injuries can have very dangerous consequences.
Back pain and nausea are not associated with spinal pathologies
These are the so-called secondary pain sensations; the problematic organs are located far from the spine, but are connected to it by the nerve endings of the peripheral system.
Gastrointestinal tract
Unpleasant sensations due to problems with these organs have their own characteristics. As a rule, pain is only on one side of the spine, spreads to the lower back, can rise to the cervical region, and radiate to the collarbone or scapula. Another sign is not only the urge to vomit, but also quite severe vomiting with bile, and the temperature may rise.
Vomiting bile
Such signs are common to several diseases.
Symptoms of GERD
Acid from the stomach can enter the respiratory tract (this usually happens when lying down) and cause a sore throat, hoarseness, dry mouth, and cough. GERD can stimulate the development of bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive bronchitis, and aspiration pneumonia.
The constant presence of acidic contents in the esophagus leads to scarring of the mucous membrane of the lower part of the esophagus, as a result of which the lumen of the esophagus narrows (this complication of GERD is called peptic stricture of the esophagus). In this case, pain when swallowing and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) may occur.
But first of all, GERD is characterized by symptoms that usually appear an hour and a half after eating. This:
Heartburn
Heartburn is the main symptom of GERD. The presence of heartburn that regularly occurs after eating is the basis for diagnosing the disease.
More about the symptom
Belching
With GERD, belching after eating is typical.
More about the symptom
Sour or bitter taste in the mouth
A sour taste in the mouth means that acid from the stomach has traveled up the esophagus and irritated the taste buds. The taste in the mouth may be bitter if bile enters the esophagus, which normally should not rise above the duodenum.
Chest pain
A burning sensation may be felt behind the sternum (along the esophagus). Often the complaint is formulated as chest pain, so it is important to make sure that the pain is caused by irritation of the esophageal mucosa, and not by heart problems. In the case of GERD, the pain is usually associated with food intake, begins in the epigastric region and only then rises higher. Pain can radiate to the neck, shoulders, interscapular area, and lower jaw.
Pain in the back and pelvis, accompanied by nausea
Such symptoms indicate inflammatory processes in the pelvic area. It is recommended to monitor pregnant women especially carefully; the described clinic may indicate pathologies during pregnancy. In men, discomfort in the pelvic area indicates problems with the prostate. If the pain is accompanied by fever, vomiting, and unusual discharge, then this indicates the seriousness of the pathological processes and requires immediate attention to medical institutions. Cystitis, ovarian cysts, gonorrhea, prostatitis, mycoplasmosis and other diseases of the pelvic organs have the same secondary symptoms.
In most cases, cystitis affects women, the reason is the anatomical features of the structure of the urinary system
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
The list of spinal problems that cause pain along with nausea is not very wide, but all of them can have very negative consequences and require qualified and timely treatment.
Lumbar osteochondrosis
An incurable disease, the cause is metabolic disorders, heredity plays a major role. Provocation of painful sensations is the destruction of bone tissue and cartilage, deformation of the vertebrae, an increase in their size and a change in geometry. Nausea appears only during exacerbation of the disease and is accompanied by very severe pain. There is no relief after vomiting.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region
Only a doctor can diagnose it after conducting MRI, CT and other modern examinations. The treatment is long-term and aimed at improving the standard of living; a complete cure is currently impossible; the pathological processes are irreversible.
Intervertebral hernia
The disease occurs as a result of rupture of the fibrinous ring. The intervertebral rings change their size, cease to function normally, the discs rub against each other and irritate the nerve endings. There are options when the liquid contents of the rings enter the spinal cavity, which provokes very severe pain, accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Intervertebral hernia
The patient is prescribed maximum rest, and special medications are prescribed to accelerate and stimulate the processes of bone tissue regeneration. In the most difficult cases, after thorough examinations and with a sharp deterioration in health, surgical interventions may be prescribed.
Scoliosis
This refers to lumbar scoliosis, which is what provokes pain in this area of the spine. The cause of the disease is poor posture in childhood or genetic problems. The severity of the pain depends on the degree of the disease; if the curvature has a mechanical effect on the digestive organs, then nausea may appear simultaneously with the pain. Most often, this condition occurs immediately after eating.
Deformation of the spinal column increases without treatment and leads to disruption of the functioning of internal organs
Treatment of scoliosis is very difficult and lengthy. In the initial stages, physical therapy, corsets and special exercises are used. The last stages often require surgery.
If you want to learn in more detail how to treat scoliosis of the back, and also consider the types, diagnosis and basic rules of treatment, you can read an article about this on our portal.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The disease affects the discs in the lumbar area, the tissues degrade and become inflamed, the process can have various stages of development. Severe pain, aggravated by nausea, is observed in the final stages.
Arthritis of the cervical spine
Modern medicine does not have an accurate definition of the causes of the disease; treatment is long-term and mostly symptomatic. Complete recovery can occur in the first stage; in all other cases, negative trends only slow down.