Osteochondrosis is a disease in which degenerative processes occur in the tissues of the spine.Damage to the intervertebral discs, articular surfaces adjacent to them, vertebral bodies, and ligaments develops.As a rule, initially with osteochondrosis, pathological changes occur in the bones and ligaments.Moreover, a person realizes the onset of the disease only when he begins to suffer from 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 of age.Today, lumbar osteochondrosis is most often detected (in about half of the cases).
Stages of osteochondrosis
The disease develops in humans in stages.At the first stage of disease progression, the process of dehydration of the nucleus pulposus begins.As a result, the height of the disc decline decreases, and cracks form in the fibrous ring.However, pathological changes do not occur outside the intervertebral disc.
At the second stage, a convergence of two adjacent vertebrae is observed as a result of a decrease in the height of the disc, the point of attachment of muscles and ligaments.Due to sagging ligaments and muscles, excessive mobility of the vertebrae appears, which provokes the development of instability of the vertebral motion segment.During this period, the vertebrae may slip or shift, resulting in spondylolisthesis.
The third stage of development of osteochondrosis is characterized by pronounced morphological changes in the intervertebral discs.The formation of prolapses and protrusion of discs occurs, subluxations develop in the intervertebral joints and unco-vertebral joints.
When the fourth stage occurs, adaptive changes are observed in the affected vertebrae.In this case, the human body adapts to too much mobility of the vertebrae, overcoming it.As a result of immobilization of the spine, osteophytes appear - marginal bone growths on adjacent surfaces of the vertebral bodies.Osteophyte can injure the nerve root.Fibrous changes gradually occur in the intervertebral discs and joints.As a result, a kind of armor forms on the vertebral-motor segment, and the manifestations gradually disappear.
Causes of osteochondrosis
Experts make different assumptions regarding the reasons that contribute to the development of osteochondrosis.Such reasons include mechanical injuries to the spine, disturbances in the body's metabolic processes, and a predisposition to a disease that is hereditary in nature.But it is difficult to determine a clear cause for the development of the disease due to the prevalence of the disease.It often occurs in young and old people;in the physically strong and in the less trained.
Sometimes you can hear the opinion that the symptoms of osteochondrosis arise due to the deposition of salts in the human spine.Patients often talk about salt deposits if they hear creaking and crunching in the joints.In fact, the disease develops as a result of tissue malnutrition.As a result, their structure is gradually degenerating.The tissues of bone and cartilage 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 may be excess weight, poor posture, negative environmental conditions, peculiarities of body position during work, unevenly developed musculoskeletal system, pregnancy, stress, hypothermia, infections.
Thus, the range of factors that provoke 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 neighboring tissues.Therefore, for 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 varied and directly depend on what stage of development the disease is at.The most pronounced symptoms of the disease appear 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 compression neurological syndromes.
Osteochondrosis can manifest itself in various parts of the body, so the symptoms of the disease are very wide.A patient with osteochondrosis may experience pain in the limbs or numbness, sometimes pain in the chest area, dysfunction of the genital organs, and headache.At the same time, the person does not even realize that the cause of such manifestations is osteochondrosis.
If a patient develops osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the symptoms may resemble manifestations of heart disease: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction.That is why erroneous 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, pain occurs periodically, not constantly.It may disappear for a while.But for every person, the occurrence of pain should be a very alarming symptom and a cause for concern.It is important to think and determine what exactly caused the pain.For example, it could be intense physical activity, lifting weights.
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 medications for the heart or other diseases, but you should listen carefully and evaluate the nature of the pain, its changes depending on what exactly the person is doing at the moment.All your observations should be recounted in detail to the doctor, after which the patient is prescribed massage, gymnastics, and other treatment methods are practiced.Contacting a specialist in the early stages of the disease will ensure more effective treatment.
So, most often, patients diagnosed with osteochondrosis complain of a feeling of discomfort in the spine in different places, pain of varying intensity and nature.They have a higher level of fatigue, which manifests itself during both physical and mental work.Sensation may be impaired in different areas of the body, most often in the limbs.Patients may also notice coldness in their arms and legs.Dizziness and headache are often manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.Visual acuity may also noticeably decrease.
If a patient has osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, then in this case a variety of disorders of the human reproductive system may appear.After treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region, men often note an improvement in potency.At the same time, if osteochondrosis of the sacral spine develops in a woman, this 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 collecting an 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 also many signs that are important to differentiate from the manifestations of other diseases.Dysfunctions of many organs that manifest themselves in osteochondrosis are often similar to the symptoms of gastritis, angina pectoris, and gastric ulcers.That is why each symptom of osteochondrosis is subjected to detailed study and analysis.
During diagnosis, the doctor takes into account the patient’s age and the development of symptoms.To clarify the diagnosis, additional methods are used for research.Most often in this case, X-ray examination is practiced.To determine the patient's condition, a survey radiography of the spine is performed.If there are more specific complaints, targeted radiography is practiced, aimed at the site of the lesion.
Myelography is considered a relatively complex diagnostic method.This examination involves injecting a 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 differential diagnosis, as well as determine the presence of a spinal tumor.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
For treatment of spinal osteochondrosis to have an effect, it is necessary to provide not only an accurate diagnosis, but also an integrated approach to the problem.The doctor, as a rule, prescribes treatment methods depending on which part of the spine is affected.The main methods of therapy for the cervical spine, as well as the thoracic and lumbar spine are massage, manual therapy, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, therapeutic exercises, vacuum therapy, traction, and other methods.Parallel treatment with folk remedies can also be practiced.
The doctor prescribes treatment in such a way as to ensure the elimination of the symptoms that bother the patient, as well as the cause that causes the pathology of the spine.Relieve pain through the use of physiotherapy methods and medications.Special exercises are also practiced for spinal osteochondrosis.
One of the main methods of treating spinal osteochondrosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system is the use of physical therapy.For this purpose, special rehabilitation equipment is used.By regularly performing exercises individually selected by a specialist, you can improve blood circulation and activate metabolism.As a result, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs improves, and the load on the spine decreases.
The method of physiotherapy involves the impact on the body of various physical factors.With the help of low frequency current, magnetic field, laser, pain is effectively relieved, 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 makes it possible to relieve acute and persistent chronic pain in the joints and spine, increase range of motion, and also 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 the process, the intervertebral space increases and the shape of the spine is restored.Drug treatment is practiced mainly during the period of exacerbation.
But in most cases, even effective treatment can only slow down the progression of the disease and prevent exacerbation.It is possible to be completely cured only at 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 doctor’s prescriptions and recommendations.Typically, the period of active treatment lasts from one to three months.After the operation, a person recovers for about one 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 manifestations of osteochondrosis should try not to overload the spine and minimize the pressure in the intervertebral discs.It is advisable to always try to keep your back straight and avoid spinal injuries.A comfortable bed for a night's sleep is important: you need to choose an individual orthopedic mattress.You should not lift weights weighing more than 10 kg, and in order to lift an object, you must first sit down, take 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 every day to strengthen their core muscles.It is recommended to go swimming whenever possible.