Lumbago Part 1: Definition

What is lumbago?

Have you been bending over and had a sharp pain in your lower back? Everyone tells you that you have lumbago. But is it really lumbago? But first of all, what is a lumbago?

In 70% of all mechanical lower back pain there is a lumbago (

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4857557/ ; W Börm H Stieger L Papavero Leitlinie: Lumbaler Bandscheibenvorfall. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie 2005 )

Lumbago is also called acute lumbago (lumbago = "lumbar": the vertebrae in the lower back and "algie": pain).

Between two vertebrae you have an intervertebral disc, which is a kind of cushion filled with fibrous liquid and a nucleus in its centre.

It happens that during a false movement, a part of its fibers tears. It is at this moment that we will feel a strong pain with or without immediate blocking. By defence effect, the muscles will contract to maintain the back and protect it. However, after a certain time, this will create a muscular contracture which will also be painful. All this creates a back pain that is also called lumbago.

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