Osteochondrosis is a disease in which degenerative processes occur in the tissues of the spine.Damage to intervertebral discs, articular surfaces adjacent to them, vertebral bodies and ligaments develops.As a rule, initially with osteochondrosis, there are pathological changes in the bones and ligaments.Moreover, a person realizes the onset of the disease only when they begin to suffer from the complications of this condition - back pain, impaired sensitivity, muscle atrophy, dysfunction of internal organs.
This disease is widespread among modern people: according to various sources, up to 90% of the world's population suffers from osteochondrosis.The disease mainly affects people over 30 years old.Today, lumbar osteochondrosis is most often detected (in about half of the cases).
Stages of osteochondrosis
The disease in humans develops in stages.In the first stage of disease progression, the process of dehydration of the nucleus pulposus begins.As a result, the height of the disc prolapse decreases, and cracks appear in the annulus fibrosus.However, pathological changes do not occur outside the intervertebral disc.
In the second stage, the convergence of two adjacent vertebrae is observed as a result of the reduction of disc height, the point of attachment of muscles and ligaments.Due to relaxed ligaments and muscles, excessive mobility of the vertebrae occurs, which causes the development of instability of the vertebral movement segment.During this period, the vertebrae can slip or shift, resulting in spondylolisthesis.
The third stage of the development of osteochondrosis is characterized by pronounced morphological changes in the intervertebral discs.Disc prolapse and protrusion occur, subluxations develop in intervertebral joints and non-vertebral joints.
When the fourth stage occurs, adaptive changes are observed in the affected vertebrae.In this case, the human body adapts to excessive mobility of the vertebrae, overcoming it.As a result of immobilization of the spine, osteophytes appear - marginal bony growths on the adjacent surfaces of the vertebral bodies.An osteophyte can injure a nerve root.Fibrous changes gradually appear on the intervertebral discs and joints.As a result, a kind of armor is formed on the vertebral-motor segment, and the manifestations gradually disappear.
Causes of osteochondrosis
Experts make different assumptions about the reasons that contribute to the development of osteochondrosis.Such reasons include mechanical injuries of the spine, disturbances in metabolic processes in the body, and a tendency to disease that is hereditary.But it is difficult to determine a clear cause of the development of the disease due to the prevalence of the disease.It often occurs in young and elderly people;in the physically strong and in the less trained.
Sometimes you can hear the opinion that the symptoms of osteochondrosis are caused by the deposition of salt in the human spine.Patients often talk about salt deposits if they hear creaking and grinding in the joints.In fact, the disease develops as a result of tissue malnutrition.As a result, their structure gradually degenerates.Bone and cartilage tissues are constantly undergoing a renewal process.If a person has regular adequate physical activity, the tissue becomes more elastic.But for people who lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle, this fabric is less durable.
In addition, the cause of the development of osteochondrosis can be excess weight, bad posture, negative environmental conditions, peculiarities of body position during work, unevenly developed musculoskeletal system, pregnancy, stress, hypothermia, infections.
Therefore, the range of factors that cause the development of the disease is very wide.An important role in this process is played by the characteristics of blood flow and nutrition of cartilage and bone tissue.There are no blood vessels in the spinal discs of adults, so the discs receive oxygen and all the necessary nutrients from the neighboring tissues.Therefore, for the normal nutrition of the spinal discs, blood circulation in the surrounding tissues must be constantly activated.This process can be accelerated by ensuring active muscle work.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
Manifestations of the disease can be different and directly depend on the stage of development of the disease.The most pronounced symptoms of the disease occur when the pathological process spreads to the posterior part of the fibrous ring and the posterior longitudinal ligament.In the process of activation of the pathological process, the patient develops reflex and compressive neurological syndromes.
Osteochondrosis can manifest itself in different parts of the body, so the symptoms of the disease are very broad.A patient with osteochondrosis may feel pain in the limbs or numbness, sometimes pain in the chest area, dysfunction of the genital organs and headache.At the same time, a person does not even realize that the cause of such manifestations is osteochondrosis.
If the patient develops osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the symptoms may resemble manifestations of heart disease: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction.Because of this, the wrong treatment is sometimes practiced, which leads to further progression of osteochondrosis.Therefore, if you suspect the development of this disease, a person should immediately consult a doctor and undergo the necessary tests.
Osteochondrosis is primarily manifested by pain and a strong feeling of discomfort in the back.In some cases, the pain occurs periodically, rather than constantly.It may disappear for a while.But for any person, the appearance of pain should be a very alarming symptom and cause for concern.It is important to think and determine what exactly caused the pain.For example, it can be intense physical activity, weight lifting.
The next indicative symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is numbness in the arms and legs, as well as pain in them.Similar symptoms are characteristic of other types of osteochondrosis.Most often, the pain develops in the left leg or arm, sometimes radiating to the heart, under the ribs.If such symptoms appear, you should not immediately rush to take medicines for heart or other diseases, but listen carefully and assess the nature of the pain, its changes depending on what the person is currently doing.All your observations should be conveyed in detail to the doctor, after which the patient is prescribed massage, gymnastics and other methods of treatment.Contacting a specialist at an early stage of the disease will ensure more effective treatment.
Therefore, most often patients diagnosed with osteochondrosis complain of a feeling of discomfort in the spine in different places, pain of different intensity and nature.They have a higher degree of fatigue, which manifests itself during physical and mental work.Sensation can be disturbed in different parts of the body, most often in the limbs.Patients may also notice coldness in their hands and feet.Dizziness and headache are often manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.Visual acuity can also be significantly reduced.
If the patient has osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, then in this case various disorders of the human reproductive system may appear.After treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region, men often notice an improvement in potency.At the same time, if osteochondrosis of the sacral spine develops in a woman, it can complicate the process of conception, as well as pregnancy.In addition to these symptoms, other manifestations are possible with osteochondrosis: muscle spasms, difficulty moving, shooting pains, etc.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The most important point in the process of diagnosing osteochondrosis is the collection of anamnesis, and the most important point in this process is interviewing the patient, who must describe all complaints to the doctor in detail.If some symptoms of the disease are characteristic manifestations of osteochondrosis, then there are many signs that are important to distinguish from the manifestations of other diseases.Dysfunctions of many organs manifested in osteochondrosis are often similar to the symptoms of gastritis, angina pectoris and stomach ulcers.That is why every symptom of osteochondrosis is subjected to detailed study and analysis.
When making a diagnosis, the doctor takes into account the age of the patient and the development of symptoms.To clarify the diagnosis, additional research methods are used.X-ray examination is most often practiced in this case.In order to determine the patient's condition, a comprehensive X-ray of the spine is taken.If there are more specific complaints, targeted radiography is performed, aimed at the site of the lesion.
Myelography is considered a relatively complex diagnostic method.This examination involves injecting contrast fluid into the spinal canal.In this case, there is a risk of damage to the spinal cord, as well as an allergic reaction.But at the same time, this method is considered informative if it is necessary to determine the presence of a spinal hernia.
In addition, the use of computed tomography and magnetic nuclear resonance is practiced.However, they are relatively expensive, so they are practiced mainly when it is necessary to carry out a differential diagnosis, as well as to determine the presence of a spinal tumor.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
In order for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine to be effective, it is necessary to ensure not only an accurate diagnosis, but also an integrated approach to the problem.As a rule, the doctor prescribes treatment methods depending on which part of the spine is affected.The main methods of therapy of the cervical spine, as well as the thoracic and lumbar spine are massage, manual therapy, acupuncture, electrostimulation, therapeutic exercises, vacuum therapy, traction and other methods.Parallel treatment with folk remedies can also be practiced.
The doctor prescribes the treatment in such a way as to ensure the elimination of the symptoms that are bothering the patient, as well as the cause that causes the pathology of the spine.Relieve pain using physiotherapy methods and medicines.Special exercises are also practiced for osteochondrosis of the spine.
One of the main methods of treating osteochondrosis of the spine and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system is the use of physical therapy.Special rehabilitation equipment is used for this purpose.By regularly performing exercises individually selected by an expert, you can improve blood circulation and activate metabolism.As a result, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs is improved, and the load on the spine is reduced.
The physiotherapy method implies the effect on the body of various physical factors.With the help of low-frequency current, magnetic field, laser, pain is effectively alleviated, inflammation is reduced, and parallel drug treatment is more effective.With the help of massage, you can relieve tension and muscle pain and activate blood circulation.Manual therapy allows alleviating acute and persistent chronic pain in the joints and spine, increasing the range of motion, and at the same time has an overall positive effect on the body.The spinal traction procedure is used to relieve severe pain.It is performed on special equipment.In this process, the intervertebral space increases and the shape of the spine is restored.Drug treatment is carried out mainly during the period of exacerbation.
But in most cases, even effective treatment can only slow down the progression of the disease and prevent it from getting worse.It is possible to completely cure only in the initial stage of osteochondrosis.It is important to take into account that the duration of treatment depends on how advanced the disease is, the methods of therapy, as well as how carefully the patient follows all the prescriptions and recommendations of the doctor.Typically, the period of active treatment lasts from one to three months.After the operation, the person recovers for about a year.If conservative therapy does not bring the expected results, and there are special indications, the doctor prescribes surgical treatment.
Prevention of osteochondrosis
People who already suffer from the manifestations of osteochondrosis should try not to overload the spine and reduce the pressure in the intervertebral discs.It is recommended that you always try to keep your back straight and avoid spinal injuries.A comfortable bed for a night's sleep is important: you must choose an individual orthopedic mattress.You should not lift weights greater than 10 kg, and to lift an object you must first sit down, pick up the object, and then stand up with it.Women should not wear shoes with too high heels.In addition, people who complain of back pain should do exercises daily to strengthen their muscles.Bathing is recommended whenever possible.