Osteochondrosis is a disease in which degenerative-distribution processes occur in spinal tissues.The defeat of intervertebral discs, the joint surfaces that fit them are developing, the bodies of the vertebrae, the ligament apparatus.As a rule, initially, with osteochondrosis, pathological changes occur in bones and ligaments.In addition, a person is guessed over the beginning of the disease only when it begins to suffer from the complications of such a state - back pain, impaired sensitivity, muscle atrophy, impaired functions of the internal organs.
This disease is widespread among modern people: according to various sources, up to 90% of the world's population suffers from osteochondrosis.Basically, the disease affects people who are already 30 years old.So far, lumbar osteochondrosis (approximately half of the cases) is most often revealed.
Osteochondrosis stages
The disease develops in a person in internships.In the first stage of disease progression, the process of dehydration of the pulse core begins.As a result, the height of disk decrease is reduced and the cracks form in the fibrous ring.However, pathological changes do not occur outside the intervertebral disc.
In the second stage, there is an approximation of two neighboring vertebrae as a result of a decrease in disc height, the fixing point of muscles and ligaments.Due to the sagging ligaments and muscles, the excessive mobility of the vertebrae manifests itself, which causes the development of the instability of the vertebral and motor segment.During this period, vertebrae can slip or change, while Spondylolistz is formed.
The third stage in the development of osteochondrosis is characterized by morphological changes pronounced on intervertebral discs.Prolapses formation and disc protrusion occurs, subluxation develops in intervertebral joints and unko-vertebral joints.
When the fourth stage occurs, adaptive changes are observed in the affected vertebrae.In this case, the human body adapts to the strong mobility of the vertebrae, surpassing it.Due to the immobilization of the spine, osteophytes appear - regional bone growths on adjacent surfaces of vertebral bodies.Osteophytes can harm a nerve spine.Gradually, fibrous changes occur in intervertebral discs and joints.As a result, a type of shell is formed in the vertebral engines segment and the manifestations gradually disappear.
The causes of osteochondrosis
Experts express various assumptions about the reasons that contribute to the development of osteochondrosis.Such reasons are called mechanical trauma from the spine, disorders in the body's metabolic processes, the arrangement of the disease, which is hereditary.But it is difficult to determine a clear cause of disease development due to the prevalence of the disease.It is often found in young and elderly people;Physically strong and few trained.
Sometimes you can hear the opinion that the symptoms of osteochondrosis occur due to the deposit of salts in the human spine.Patients often talk about salts if they hear a creak and joint crushing.In fact, the disease develops due to the nutrition of impaired tissue.As a result, its structure is gradually reborn.In bone and cartilage tissues, the renewal process is occurring constantly.If a person has proper regular physical activity, the tissue will become more elastic.But in people who lead mainly a sedentary lifestyle, this fabric is less durable.
In addition, the cause of the development of osteochondrosis can be an excessive weight, posture violation, negative environmental conditions, characteristics of body position during work, an unequally developed bone-muscular system, pregnancy, stress, hypothermia, infection.
Thus, the range of factors that cause the development of the disease is very wide.The characteristics of blood flow and nutrition of cartilage and bone tissue play a non -last role in this process.In adult vertebrates, there are no vessels, so oxygen and all the necessary nutrients are obtained from neighboring tissues.Therefore, for the normal nutrition of the spine, blood circulation is constantly activated in surrounding tissues.You can accelerate this process by ensuring active functioning of the muscles.
Osteochondrosis symptoms
The manifestations of the disease can be diverse and depend directly on the stage of development that the disease remains.The most pronounced symptoms of the disease manifest when the pathological process spreads to the back of the fibrous ring and the posterior longitudinal ligament.In the process of activation of the pathological process, the patient develops neurological syndromes of reflex and compression.
Osteochondrosis can appear in a variety of areas of the body;Therefore, the symptoms of the disease are very large.In the patient, osteochondrosis can occur in limbs or numbness, sometimes pain of chest pain, disorders of the functions of the genitals and headache.At the same time, a person does not even realize that the cause of such manifestations is osteochondrosis.
If the patient develops thoracic spine osteochondrosis, symptoms may resemble manifestations of heart disease: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction.This is why an erroneous treatment is sometimes practiced, which leads to the additional progression of osteochondrosis.Therefore, if a person suspected of developing this disease, a person should immediately consult a doctor and go through the necessary studies.
Osteochondrosis is mainly manifested by pain and a strong sense of discomfort in the back.In some cases, pain occurs periodically, unstable.For a while it may disappear.But for each person, the occurrence of pain should be a very disturbing symptom and cause concern.It is important to think and determine what exactly caused pain.For example, it can be a strong physical activity, raising gravity.
The next indicative symptom to which cervical spine osteochondrosis manifests is the numbness of the arms and legs, as well as the pain in them.Similar symptoms are also characteristic of other types of osteochondrosis.Most of the time, the pain develops in the leg or left hand, sometimes gives the heart under the ribs.In case of such symptoms, you do not need to rush immediately in drinking medicines from the heart or other diseases, but should listen and carefully to assess the nature of pain, their changes, depending on what the person is doing at the moment.All your observations should be retrained in detail the doctor, after which the patient receives massage, gymnastics, other treatment methods are practiced.An appeal to an expert in the early stages of the disease will ensure its most effective treatment.
Thus, most of the time, patients diagnosed with osteochondrosis complain of the feeling of spine discomfort in different places, in the pain of different intensity and character.They have a higher level of fatigue, which manifests itself in physical and mental work.Sensitivity in different areas of the body can be disturbed, most of the time in the limbs.Patients can also mark the cold in the hands and legs.A manifestation of osteochondrosis in the cervical region is often dizziness and headache.Visual acuity can also decrease significantly.
If the patient has lumbar spine osteochondrosis, in this case a variety of human reproductive system disorders may appear.After treatment of lumbossacro department osteochondrosis, men usually observe an improvement in power.At the same time, if sacral spinal osteochondrosis develops in a woman, it can complicate the conception process as well as pregnancy.In addition to these symptoms, other manifestations are possible with osteochondrosis: muscle cramps, difficulties in movement, shooting pain, etc.
Osteochondrosis diagnosis
The most important point in the process of diagnosing osteochondrosis is the collection of anamnesis and the most important moment in this process is the patient's research, which should declare the doctor all complaints in detail.If some symptoms of the disease determine the characteristic manifestations of osteochondrosis, there are also many signs that it is important to differentiate themselves from the manifestations of other diseases.The disorders of the functions of many organs, manifested in osteochondrosis, are often similar to symptoms of gastritis, pectoral angina, stomach ulcers.This is why each symptom in osteochondrosis is subjected to detailed studies and analyzes.
During the diagnosis, the doctor takes into account the age of the patient, the development of symptoms.To clarify the diagnosis, additional methods are used for research.Most of the time, in this case, radiological examination is practiced.To determine the patient's condition, a column visualization radiography is performed.If there are more specific complaints, the radiography pointed out is practiced, intended for the lesion scene.
A relatively complex diagnostic method is considered myelography.This examination foresees the introduction of a contrast fluid into the cephalorean channel.In this case, there is a risk of damage to the spinal cord as well as the occurrence of an allergic reaction.But at the same time, this method is considered informative, if necessary, to determine the presence of a dorsal hernia.
In addition, the use of computed tomography, the magnetic nuclear resonance.However, they are relatively expensive, so they are practiced mainly, if necessary, to make differential diagnosis, as well as determine the presence of a spine.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
For the treatment of spinal osteochondrosis to be close, it is necessary to provide not only precise diagnosis, but also an integrated approach to the problem.The doctor, as a rule, prescribes treatment methods, depending on the part of the spine.The main methods of therapy for the cervical region, as well as the thoracic region and the lumbar spine are massage, manual therapy, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, therapeutic gymnastics, vacuum therapy, traction and other methods.Parallel treatment with popular remedies can also be practiced.
The doctor prescribes treatment to ensure the elimination of disturbing sick symptoms as well as causes that cause spinal pathology.Stop pain applying physiotherapy methods, medicines.Special exercises for spine osteochondrosis are also practiced.
One of the main methods of treatment of spine osteochondrosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system is the use of physiotherapy exercises.For this, special equipment is used for rehabilitation.With the help of regular exercises selected individually by a specialist, you can improve blood circulation, activate metabolism.As a result, the power of intervertebral discs improves and column load decreases.
The physiotherapy method involves the impact on the body of various physical factors.Using a low frequency chain, magnetic field, laser, pain is effectively relieved, inflammation is reduced and drug treatment is more effective.With the help of massage, you can relieve muscle tension and pain, activate blood circulation.Manual therapy allows to relieve acute and constant chronic pain in the joints and spine, increase the volume of movements and also has a general positive effect on the body.The spine extension procedure is used to relieve intense pain.It is performed on special equipment.In the process, the intervertebral space increases, the shape of the spine is restored.Drug treatment is mainly practiced during exacerbation.
But in most cases, even effective treatment allows only to reduce disease progression to prevent exacerbation.You can recover completely only at the early stage of osteochondrosis.It is important to consider that the duration of treatment depends on how the launch of the disease, the therapy methods, as well as with the patient's care all consultations and recommendations of the doctor.As a rule, the active treatment period lasts from one to three months.After the operation, a person is restored for about a year.If conservative therapy does not bring expected results and there are also special indications, the doctor prescribes surgical treatment.
Prevention of osteochondrosis
People who are already suffering from osteochondrosis manifestations need to try not to overload the spine and minimize pressure on intervertebral discs.It is always advisable to try to keep your back evenly to avoid trauma of the spine.A comfortable night sleeping bed is important: you need to choose an individually orthopedic mattress.You should not lift weights weighing more than 10 kg and, to increase the item, you need to sit initially, take an object and then get up.Women should not wear shoes with very high heels.In addition, people who complain of back pain should exercise every day that strengthens muscle corset.It is recommended to get involved in swimming if possible.