The secret of low back pain in lung cancer: causes and ways to relieve

Collection: Diseases and the way of treatment

Low back pain can be one of the symptoms of lung cancer

Low back pain and lung cancer; Communication that should not be ignored

When you experience low back pain, lung cancer is usually not the first thing to come to mind. However, evidence suggests that waist is one of the most common parts of the body in which people with lung cancer feel pain. Lung cancer can cause back pain, especially when the tumor has spread to other parts of the body.

When the lung cancer spreads to the spine (about 1 % of the spine metastasis), you may feel pain in the back. If the nerve is involved, you may experience a sharp and burning pain that spreads in certain areas of the spine nerve. The severity of low back pain in people with lung cancer can vary from mild to disabling. However, cancer treatments and pain management strategies can help improve the symptoms and overall quality of life.

Lung cancer sometimes metastasis to the spine and causes low back pain

Symptoms and Features Lung cancer

Until you see a doctor, it is difficult to determine if your back pain is related to lung cancer. Note that not all low back pain is due to cancer. Many factors, such as muscle stretching or inaccuracies, are common causes of low back pain. However, some warning features or symptoms may indicate the relationship between low back pain and lung cancer, including:

• Low back pain that worsens at night and disrupts sleep.

• Discomfort that feel deeply painful.

• Pain that spreads from waist to one or both legs.

• Necklace that occurs with low back pain.

• Pain that leads to reducing motor function and may cause weakness in the legs or difficulty in walking

Also, low back pain may refer to lung cancer if it is accompanied by other symptoms such as the following:

• Chronic cough

• chest pain

• shortness of breath

• Chest whey

• Blood cough

• Fatigue

• Weight loss without reason

Lung cancer can cause pain in any area of ​​the back, but many people with lung cancer experience lower back pain. The severity of the pain will also vary depending on the cancer stage and the rate of progression of the disease.

Continuous low back pain may be a sign of progress of lung cancer

Possible causes

People may experience low back pain for a variety of reasons, including injuries, skeletal problems, and poor body condition. However, there are several reasons that you may have low back pain if you have lung cancer.

Spine metastasis

Occasionally, lung cancer spreads to the spine (known as the spine metastasis). This condition is often diagnosed as bone metastasis (cancer expanded to the spine bones). This problem usually occurs in the middle of the spine (thoracic) and then in the lumbar (lower back) area. When cancer cells spread to the spine, you may experience severe low back pain that requires painkillers.

The spine compression

The growth and spread of lung cancer can put pressure on the spinal cord, spine bones or outbound nerves from the spinal cord. This pressure can stimulate the nerves and cause pain in the waist or neck.

Leptomennegial metastasis

Leptomennegial metastasnezing occurs when lung cancer spreads to fluid around the brain and spinal cord (cerebral fluid) and thin layers of tissue (called meningois) that surround and protect the central nervous system.

This type of metastasis occurs in 1-5 % of people with solid tumors and is often diagnosed in people with lung cancer. When the tumor spreads to the lumbar spine, it can cause low back pain and foot pain.

Soft tissue metastasis

In rare cases, lung cancer may spread to soft body tissues, including skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. For example, a cancer that spreads to the post -muscle (a long, strip muscle on both sides of the spine) may cause low back pain.

Soft tissue metastasis is often a sign of lung cancer in the advanced stage.

Other causes

Other possible causes of low back pain in people with lung cancer include:

• The pain that spreads from the lungs to the waist.

Symptoms of infections, which are common due to the weakness of the immune system in people with cancer.

Chronic inflammation

Spine fractures due to the weakness of the bones that occur as a result of the spread of cancer to the spine bones.

Lung cancer can push spine nerves

How to treat low back pain caused by lung cancer

The treatment of low back pain due to lung cancer depends on the particular structure affected and the direct cause of pain. Your medical team usually begins with a physical examination, inquiring about symptoms, and recommendation to perform tests to understand the cause of the pain.

After learning more about your symptoms and overall status, they may recommend the following treatments to eliminate cancer cells and improve symptoms:

• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy: It helps to reduce the size of the tumor and the number of cancer cells in the body

• Steroids: With drugs such as decades (dexamethasone), pain reduces pain and improves symptoms.

• Spine surgery: Improves low back pain and reduces the risk of complications such as paralysis

• Bisphosphonate drugs: Tremful lumbar and weak bones by injecting drugs such as Ardia (Pamidronate) or Zoomaa (Zoomronic acid) to the veins.

• Non -prescription painkillers: With drugs such as Adil (ibuprofen) and tylenol (acetaminophen) relieves mild pain

Practical painkillers: Use drugs such as drugs or muscle relaxants to reduce symptoms of chronic or severe pain.

How to manage pain

Chronic low back pain management, whether due to lung cancer or other reasons, can be challenging. In fact, this is one of the most common reasons for referring to emergency. Some changes in lifestyle and home remedies may help manage it. Consider the following tips:

• Avoid activities that make your pain worse.

• Improve your body condition with exercises.

• Have enough sleep.

• Use ice and heat treatment to relieve pain.

• Maintain your proper weight.

• Try techniques like yoga and deep breathing exercises to relax.

• Ask your doctor about supplements such as acupuncture, massage and chiropractic.

• Get help from a physiotherapist that may recommend brace or exercises to relieve pain.

Time to see a doctor

If you have a sharp, burning or chronic back pain that gets worsening suddenly, it is important to see your doctor to understand the cause of the pain. If your pain is associated with symptoms such as weakness or numbness, fatigue and chest pain, you should contact your doctor immediately.

Low back pain can be a sign of several diseases, including lung cancer. Your doctor will do complete tests to determine if your back pain is due to lung cancer or other disease. This will help you and your doctor identify treatments that can effectively relieve your pain.

Radiation therapy for lung cancer may relieve low back pain

Frequently asked questions about lung and low back pain

1. Is low back pain always signs of lung cancer?

No, low back pain can have a variety of causes such as muscle stretching, skeletal problems, or the body's improper condition. But if low back pain is associated with symptoms such as chronic cough, unnecessary weight loss or shortness of breath, you should see a doctor.

2. How to detect low back pain is caused by lung cancer?

Your doctor can determine whether low back pain is associated with lung cancer by physical examination, inquiring symptoms and tests such as CT scan or MRI.

3. What are the characteristics of lung cancer low back pain?

This low back pain may worsen at night, is deeply and continuous, spread to the legs, or with other symptoms such as fatigue and blood cough.

4. Is it possible to treat low back pain caused by lung cancer?

Yes, by methods such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, painkillers, steroids, and in severe surgical cases, pain can be reduced and improved quality of life.

5. When should you see a doctor for low back pain?

If you are severe, persistent, or associated with symptoms such as muscle weakness, anesthesia, or symptoms of lung cancer, you should see your doctor immediately.

6. Why does lung cancer spread to the spine?

Cancer cells can be transmitted to the spine bones through the blood or lymph, which is called bone metastasis. This is more common in the middle or lower back.

Conclusion

Low back pain can be one of the unexpected symptoms of lung cancer, especially when cancer spreads to the spine, spinal cord or soft tissues. This pain may be deep, night or with symptoms such as chronic cough, shortness of breath and weight loss. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, painkillers and surgery, along with lifestyle changes such as improved body condition and sedative exercises, can help relieve pain and improve quality of life. In the event of severe or persistent low back pain, especially with warning symptoms, urgent referral to your doctor is necessary for accurate diagnosis.

Collected:Bitote Health