Intervertebral osteochondrosis-Pathology, the elderly are mainly affected by this earlier. Today, this disease also occurs in young patients. This is because more and more people are living a sedentary lifestyle, spending a lot of time in front of the computer, and not paying due attention to sports activities. Osteochondrosis develops with the unnatural position of the spine and weakness of the back muscles. The pathology has been successfully treated, but it is important to consult an expert as soon as possible!
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is a spinal disease characterized by damage to the intervertebral discs and the tissues of the vertebrae themselves. Many complications make pathology dangerous, the most serious of which are disc herniation and herniation. It is very important to prevent the situation from getting worse and start the treatment of back osteochondrosis in time.
reason
The main cause of osteochondrosis,Many experts believe that the load distribution on the spine is incorrect. The result of excessive pressure is changes in cartilage structure.
The following factors also promote the development of osteochondrosis:
- Genetic predisposition
- Spinal injury
- Metabolic disease
- Lack of physical activity
- pregnant
- pressure
- Overworked
- overweight
- bad habits
The disease risk group includes office workers, drivers, cashiers and athletes.
progression stage
The development of the disease has 4 stages:
- The first stage. . . It is characterized by dehydration of the intervertebral disc nucleus between the vertebrae. Subsequently, the height of the disc is reduced. At this stage, the patient will not feel significant discomfort. Sometimes, an unpleasant sensation occurs during active exercise or in an unusual position.
- second stage. . . It is characterized by a herniated disc, in which the gap between the vertebrae is reduced. As a result, the nerve endings are squeezed, causing local pain to increase in intensity with sudden movements
- The third stage. . . It is characterized by the abrasion of the cartilage between the vertebral tissues. The symptoms at this stage are obvious. The patient complains of severe pain and can only be relieved with powerful drugs
- The fourth stage. . . It is characterized by complete or partial restriction of movement.
It is best to start treating osteochondrosis of the spine when symptoms appear! In this case, the chance of a full recovery is very high.
Types of osteochondrosis
According to the origin of the pathological process, several types of osteochondrosis can be distinguished:
- cervix. . . This kind of osteochondrosis occurs when there is a disease in the cervical spine. The most common pathological symptoms are acute pain when turning the head, sneezing and coughing, and low back pain
- pectoral. . . This type of osteochondrosis is less common than other forms. Acute pain is not a characteristic of pathology. Osteochondrosis is characterized by symptoms of many other diseases. For example, pain in the sternum makes the patient suspect angina
- Lumbar spine. . . This type of osteochondrosis occurs more often than other forms. This is because the lumbar spine is under more pressure. The patient complains not only of severe pain, but also of numbness (including legs)
In some cases, osteochondrosis of the coccyx will be diagnosed. There is also the concept of mixed pathology, in which two parts of the spine are involved in the pathological process. With diffuse osteochondrosis, all segments of the spine are affected.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis in adults
The main symptoms of spine lesions in adult patients include:
- Pain that may occur in the neck, shoulders, waist or even ribs
- Feeling of stiffness in the back and lower back
- Numbness in limbs
- Muscle cramps or feeling weak
- Chills and body aches
- Increase fatigue
- Dizziness and headache caused by compression of nerve endings
In the advanced stage, the patient complains of sensory disturbances in the back, legs and arms, pain in the heart area, and dysfunction of the genitourinary system (such as dysuria).
After hard work, strenuous exercise, and physical exposure to low temperatures, pathological symptoms usually worsen.
complication
The destructive process affects the intervertebral disc between the vertebrae, reducing its density and causing loss of shock absorption. This can cause damage to muscles, joints and ligaments. The long-term course of osteochondrosis not only squeezes a single nerve ending, but also squeezes the entire spinal cord, leading to neurological complications.
The deterioration of the systemic blood supply leads to an increase in the manifestations of chronic diseases.
Osteochondrosis may also cause the following symptoms:
- Low back pain(Acute pain in the waist)
- Spondylosis(Destroy vertebrae)
- Spinal stenosis, Where the work of the entire central nervous system is significantly impaired
diagnosis
Use a variety of instruments to diagnose osteochondrosis. The initial diagnosis is made on the basis of examination and collection of medical history.
The doctor meets with the patient and clarifies:
- Time of first symptoms
- Duration of pain
- Characteristics of pathological symptoms
During the inspection:
- Assess the patient's body posture while standing and sitting
- Determine the amount of exercise
- Assess gait and its changes
- Check the skin condition to identify areas of peeling and redness
- Explore areas where the patient is experiencing painful feelings
- Assess the general condition of the body
- Identify areas of muscle spasms
The main instrumental methods for diagnosing osteochondrosis include:
- X-ray examination. . . it allows you to determine the degree of shrinkage of the gap between individual vertebrae
- CT examination. . . In such a study, the vertebrae suffered during the pathological process were identified.
- NMR(Magnetic resonance imaging). This study is the most accurate and allows you to evaluate all destructive processes in the spine.
treatment
The treatment of osteochondrosis is always carried out in an integrated manner.
Treatment includes:
- Take medicine
- massage
- Do special exercises
- physiotherapy
- Traction (including underwater)
- Manual therapy
The treatment of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar osteochondrosis depends largely on the symptoms.
massageFor example, when the patient does not have severe pain, prescribe it. These courses allow you to reduce muscle tone, improve blood flow, and strengthen intervertebral discs.
physiotherapyAllows you to strengthen the back muscles and form a reliable corset, ensuring that the load on the spine is properly distributed. During the course, tissue nutrition improves and blood circulation increases. Even with limited mobility, physical therapy can help. To achieve the desired results, you should exercise regularly, slowly, and steadily, and monitor your breathing and heart rate. Before starting the class, be sure to consult a doctor. All exercises are supervised by experienced coaches. Only in this case, treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine or other spine can alleviate the symptoms of the disease and eliminate its cause.
physiotherapyEffectively fight pain. Usually, patients will receive ultrasound therapy, magnetic therapy, and low-frequency current irradiation. Physical therapy allows you to normalize metabolic processes, reduce inflammation, improve joint mobility and relieve swelling.
recovery treatment
Rehabilitation of osteochondrosis of the spine is also carried out under the close supervision of a doctor. It aims to restore health after pathology. Treatment is only given when the pain subsides and the patient no longer feels severe discomfort.
The most popular repair techniques include:
- Swimming often
- Manual therapy
- massage
- Electrophoresis and magnetic therapy
- Treatment by exposing the affected area to a laser beam
- Nutrition correction
- Collaborate with psychologists
- Sauna visit
- Hydro massage
- Application of therapeutic mud
It is recommended that patients undergo hydrotherapy in a professional institution. In addition, treatment can be performed in an outpatient clinic. Rehabilitation treatment of osteochondrosis of the waist and other departments is carried out in the complex as the main department. In this case, its high performance is noticed.
prevention
If the prevention of osteochondrosis is carried out in time, you do not need to undergo pathological treatment.
The experts formulated a series of preventive measures.
it includes:
- Restrict heavy lifting
- Proper nutrition
- Maintain your daily life and take regular breaks
- swim
- Taking special food supplementsContains valuable elements (mucopolysaccharides) for cartilage tissue
- Do simple exercises
If you have to spend a lot of time sitting at work or at home, you need to rest, get up, and walk regularly to relieve back tension.
All recommendations for the prevention of osteochondrosis will be given by the doctor. By contacting him, you can prevent the development of dangerous pathological processes.
Benefits of treatment in a professional clinic:
- It employs highly qualified doctors. They use modern technology and the latest achievements to comprehensively diagnose and treat osteochondrosis.
- Use a unique injection method to treat osteochondrosis. It allows you to eliminate pain permanently and quickly and reduce inflammation in the tissues.
- The doctors hired by the clinic are skilled in the blockade and other professional treatments, which can eliminate the symptoms of the disease even in the advanced stages.
- Experts have successfully implemented rehabilitation techniques to consolidate treatment results and prevent the development of pathological processes. Therefore, even in the late stage of the disease, the patient can maintain physical activity.
- Doctors can prevent many complications of osteochondrosis, including spinal curvature, hernias, and paralysis of the limbs.
- Inspection, treatment and disease prevention are always carried out in a comfortable environment for the patient. Pay attention to everyone who seeks help from professionals.
- Not only orthopedic surgeons are involved in the treatment, but other experts are also involved in the treatment.