Osteochondrosis: What Everyone Needs to Know?

Osteochondrosis is a spinal problem that affects nearly every fourth inhabitant of the planet, at least according to experts at the World Health Organization's Statistics Center.

Among the five most common diseases in the world, osteochondrosis occupies the "glorious" third place after cardiovascular disease. In 2012, the BBC, the media giant of the British Broadcasting Corporation, published data from a medical study that was simply astounding: more than 5 million people die each year from diseases caused by physical inactivity, a sedentary lifestyle. A true physical activity reduction pandemic has already covered one-third of the planet, and the latest results of scientific work prove that the culprit of many health-threatening diseases is not genetic predispositions or viruses at all, but unhealthy lifestyles. Almost all back problems - hernias (hernias), osteoporosis, osteochondrosis and many other conditions associated with osteochondrosis - are the result of prolonged sitting, whether sitting in front of the TV, at the desk or in the car seat. About 80% of all causes of back pain and spinal disease development are related to the underlying degenerative changes in the muscular corset and lack of a full range of reasonable physical activity.

Osteochondrosis and Spine

The structure of the spine is basically the same in both animals and humans. However, only humans have the proud title of Homo erectus, Homo erectus. Until recently, upright posture was thought to be the main cause of pathological changes in the spine. As if the vertical position of the body causes the spine to be subjected to incorrect, uneven loads. Static loads are most exposed to the lower back and the sacrum, which consists of five vertebrae, and are the most dangerous in terms of damaging effects on the intervertebral tissue. Dynamic loading, in which the cervical spine is affected, characterized by movement. The structure of the spine is quite complex. It consists of many vertebrae - the intervertebral discs - connected by cartilage tissue. These discs, in turn, are multi-layered rings with a fluid core in the middle, which acts as a shock absorber when the spine moves. In addition, the vertebrae are connected by a large number of muscles and other tissues. The elasticity of this entire connection system ensures the normal state of the spine. In short, the more elastic and adaptable the disc, and the more flexible and healthy the spine, the less risk of osteochondrosis attacking it. Today, the theory that upright posture causes all degenerative diseases of the spine is challenged. Relentless statistics have led clinicians to believe that physical inactivity, a lack of physical activity, is a contributing factor to spinal disorders associated with malnutrition and degeneration of intervertebral tissue. In addition, being overweight, which really increases the load on the disc, can also exacerbate the destructive process and trigger osteochondrosis. Conclusion: Movement is life. This statement is not new, it seems old and banal, however, it requires no proof. A striking example of how physical activity and flexibility can be the foundation of spinal health is the case of people who regularly engage in gymnastics, yoga, and other types of physical training. Nature itself gives the child the opportunity to be flexible because the child's disc is very elastic, with up to 80% fluid in the disc nucleus alone. The amount of life-giving "lubrication" may decrease with age, but can be maintained by consciously engaging in simple exercise and following the basic rules of a healthy lifestyle. Osteochondrosis is a disease in which you are forced to sit or lie down for hours, years, for whatever reason - out of duty or voluntarily - out of obligation, laziness, or simply ignorance.

What is osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis is a concept that includes all degenerative and dystrophic changes of the spine. It should be noted that in the European version of the disease classification there is no word for osteochondrosis, which are classified as rheumatic and back pain. Indeed, since 1999, in the ICD-10, a group of disorders that typically present with spinal pain, unrelated to visceral causes, have been defined as back disorders. Osteochondrosis, which is recorded as a back disease, is divided into three main categories:

1. Deformity disorders, dorsal disorders - scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis, subluxation, spondylolisthesis.
2. Spondylosis - Spondylosis, ankylosing spondylitis, and other ossifying dystrophic conditions that limit the movement of the spine.
3. Other, other back diseases are degenerative changes with hernias, protrusions.

Thus, osteochondrosis or osteochondrosis (from the Greek word - bone, cartilage and pain) is an umbrella term for all spinal problems caused by degeneration and dystrophy (degenerative and dystrophic) of the paravertebral tissue. When deformed, the intervertebral shock-absorbing discs thin and flatten, causing the vertebrae to overload and deform even more so that they begin to extend beyond the normal boundaries of the spine. Nerve roots with this pathology are pinched, inflamed, and painful.

Osteochondrosis affects almost the entire back and is known in clinical practice depending on which part of the spine is more affected.

The most "popular", as many people know, is lumbar osteochondrosis, and there is another definition of cervical spondylosis, which ranks second in incidence, including sacral, thoracic and extensive osteochondrosis. There are also cross lesions - lumbosacral or eg cervicothoracic.

The symptoms of osteochondrosis can be very diverse, but sooner or later they all increase and appear clinically. Of course, it is easier and faster to treat osteochondrosis in the early stages of its development, when the following signs are evident:

• Pain, dull pain in the part of the spine affected by the degenerative process.
• Chronic muscle tension (especially characteristic of cervical osteochondrosis).
• Cracks when turning body, neck.
• Headaches, including tension headaches (cervical osteochondrosis).
• Chest pain, often reminiscent of heart pain (thoracic osteochondrosis).

Osteochondrosis in the inflammatory phase can present symptoms that make one see a doctor because they can cause more pronounced discomfort:

• Irradiated limb pain.
• Numbness in fingers or toes.
• Pain radiates to the fingertips of the extremities.
• Severe pain in the spine during simple physical activity.
• For example, slight pushing and shaking can increase pain during transport.
• Inability to perform simple tasks related to body rotation or tilt.
• General restrictions on mobility, motor activity.

The factors that can cause spinal problems, called osteochondrosis, are varied, but the lack of motivation already mentioned is the first. Other reasons include:

• Functional - Monotonous work while maintaining the same posture.
• Biomechanics - Flat feet, congenital abnormalities of spine development.
• Hormones - changes in hormone levels due to age-related changes.
• Infectious - dystrophy of the intervertebral environment caused by inflammatory processes.
• Metabolism - being overweight or underweight.

The factors that cause osteochondrosis, namely deformation and dystrophy of the intervertebral disc, usually act in combination and almost never in isolation.

The development of osteochondrosis is divided into the following stages:

1. Changes in disc biomechanics due to tissue degeneration and dystrophic changes. This is the preclinical stage, and if there are any signs, it is very faint and not manifested. During this phase, the annulus fibrosus around the disc begins to stretch, or conversely, shrink.
2. The second stage is characterized by a more unstable disc, the annulus is not only stretched, its fibers are delaminated, and the annulus begins to rupture. As the nerve roots are violated, pain in the spine occurs and degenerative changes progress. Collagen tissue continues to break down, and the normal height of the intervertebral space decreases.
3. Discs are often completely ruptured, a pathology that is accompanied by inflammation, herniation, and invasion of nerve endings. A protrusion (prolapse) can cause characteristic pain not only in the damaged area of the spine, but also in the extremities and nearby parts of the body.
4. The most difficult stage, when spondylosis and other compensatory diseases of the spine join the malnutrition. Often, the vertebrae flatten to compensate for lost function, and the elastic tissue of the annulus fibrosus is gradually replaced by scarring and bone growth.

cervical osteochondrosis

Almost everyone associated with intellectual activity, from school children to the elderly, suffers from one form or another of cervical osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis in the cervical region is considered a disease associated with increased dynamic loading, resulting in degeneration of the intervertebral disc and its subsidence. Hardening and growth of cartilage tissue leads to a violation of the depreciable properties of this part of the spine, head movements - tilting, circular movements, turning become difficult, with characteristic signs of osteochondrosis.

The symptoms that may lead to cervical osteochondrosis in the early stages of disease development are not specific and resemble other pathological symptoms unrelated to the skeletal system. In order to determine the correct diagnosis, the presentation of osteochondrosis must be differentiated and assigned the following list:

• A severe headache that resembles a migraine attack.
• The headache extends from the occiput to the neck.
• Headache worsened by coughing, turning your head, or sneezing.
• The headache radiates to the chest or shoulders.
• Dizziness, sensory disturbances - double vision, difficulty concentrating. Noise in the ear, in advanced cases, impairs motor coordination.
• Symptoms similar to heart pain, especially angina pain -- heart pain that extends to the neck area or arm below the shoulder blade. Pain may worsen and not relieve after taking cardiotonic drugs.
• The pain is similar to high blood pressure (heavy back of the head).

Consequences and Complications

However, before treating osteochondrosis, like any other disease, it is necessary to find out its cause, which is very difficult for spinal degenerative diseases. Factors that cause cervical disc deformation are related to the anatomical features of the region. The vertebrae of the neck are almost always under tension due to general motor insufficiency. The problem sometimes becomes intractable if we take into account the "sedentary" lifestyle of more than half of the working population. In addition, the cervical spine is smaller than the vertebrae in other areas of the spine, and the inner canal is much narrower. The large number of nerve endings, the abundance of blood vessels, the presence of the most important arteries supplying blood to the brain - all make the neck region extremely vulnerable. Even the slightest constriction of the intervertebral space results in damaged, swollen, inflamed nerve roots and, as a result, worsened blood supply to the brain. Often, the reduction in mental activity is due to a person developing cervical osteochondrosis. There is a historical anecdote that goes back to a not-so-distant time when Margaret Hilda Thatcher rebuked her staff for the words: "Your problem is not your headache, or your opinion on voting issues. The problem is, Your spine is not connected to your brain, John. " This famous quote by Ms. "Iron" perfectly describes the condition that causes cervical osteochondrosis, which sometimes happens - the spine does not provide the proper "nutrition" for the head. As for "nutrition", it actually involves not only the tubes of the spinal cord, but also the arterial tubes that pass through the transverse neurites. The vertebral arteries lead to the skull to supply the cerebellum, and this artery also supplies nutrients and oxygen to the vestibular organs. The slightest disturbance of blood flow through these channels can initiate or exacerbate the course of vegetative vascular syndrome. In addition to VSD, osteochondrosis of the neck causes typical symptoms of radiculopathy (sciatica), with pale skin (marbling) clearly visible when pain radiates to the fingertips or one finger. One of the most unpleasant complications from cervical osteochondrosis is palmar fibromatosis, also known as Dupuytren's contracture. The disease affects the aponeurosis (tendon plate) of the palm and interferes with the flexion function of the fingers.

Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is diagnosed by a specialist based on the patient's chief complaint and can be confirmed and specified using X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Complete cure of cervical osteochondrosis is possible only in the initial stages, however, it is possible to free a person from the painful symptoms of this disease, prevent deterioration, and eliminate some pathological changes in the spine. Therefore, we should not forget the importance of timely treatment of diseases.

How is osteochondrosis treated?

Osteochondrosis is not easy to treat, and in general, treatment should be as comprehensive as possible, including all methods available in modern medicine. In addition to conservative medication, proven phytotherapy medicines, acupuncture, a set of therapeutic exercises, and sometimes surgery to eliminate hernias and vertebral subluxations are used. It should be recognized that osteochondrosis and treatment are two concepts that a patient has to face for a considerable period of time, sometimes even a lifetime. In addition to an initial phase aimed at relieving painful symptoms, treatment includes ongoing recovery, rehabilitation, and preventive measures. Complex, multicomponent diseases always take a long time to treat. If a diagnosis is made - osteochondrosis, how to treat it - this is the first question to be decided not only by the doctor, but also by the patient himself, because of his direct involvement and responsible compliance, the fulfillment of all prescriptions often plays a decisive rolerole in recovery.

What to treat?

List of drugs most commonly used to treat osteochondrosis:

• A complex, potent homeopathic preparation that requires prolonged use, just like any other homeopathic remedy (in ampoule or tablet form).
• An effective external therapy for good muscle and joint pain relief.
• Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal agents (in the form of ointments - topical, tablets - orally).
• Ointment with complex effects from the homeopathic category.
• The drug in tablet form comes from the category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Glucocorticoids.
• Ointment from external anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs.
• The gel comes from topical NSAIDs.
• It is a topical anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drug.

If we summarize everything involved in the treatment of diseases such as osteochondrosis, treatment can be divided into the following stages and types:

1. Use of NSAIDs - NSAIDs, are considered the gold standard for the treatment of all degenerative, dystrophic lesions of the skeletal and muscular system. The first thing these drugs do is to reduce pain symptoms, and the second is to significantly reduce inflammation.
2. Drugs are called bone marrow relaxants because they are really effective at relieving muscle pinching and spasms.
3. Traction therapy is a type of traction therapy. During this rather painful but effective procedure, the tissues and muscles around the vertebrae are gradually stretched, and the intervertebral distance increases to near normal.
4. Biologics, vascular preparations that provide nutrients to areas of tissue dystrophy, B vitamins can restore the function of the deformed spine very well.
5. Sedative drugs that normalize the state of the nervous system. Perfect for muscle tension and nerve ending acupuncture.
6. Physiotherapy procedures - electrophoresis, ultrasound, UHF, massage, mud procedures, balneotherapy, magnetic therapy.
7. Spinal correction during recovery is performed using manual therapy.
8. Osteochondrosis treatment involves and is performed with the help of a comprehensive movement of physical therapy exercises.

In the most extreme cases, when the course of osteochondrosis reaches its final stage, surgical intervention is also required, which is carried out in the localized area of the inflammatory process. In most cases, surgery for the hernia and removal of deformed bone tissue adjacent to the vertebra is also possible.

Where can I treat osteochondrosis?

Self-treatment of almost all diseases is a trend observed in almost all countries, but especially in post-Soviet countries, the traditional health care structure is still changing. Many of us are confused by innovation, often just out of ignorance, trying to deal with back, neck or lower back pain on our own. You can call this time the first stage of treatment, although it is not very effective because osteochondrosis can only be treated with the help of a doctor. The second stage, when independent action does not lead to the expected, lasting results, and a person considers seeing a doctor, the problem arises, osteochondrosis - how to treat it, how to treat it, and most importantly, where to treat osteochondrosisSick? First, you can contact your local therapist, who will likely refer the patient for tests - X-rays, blood tests, and a referral to a neurologist. Second, you can make an appointment with a neurologist right away, preferably at least an X-ray of the entire spine before the consultation. Under no circumstances should you go overboard and seek out an experienced massage therapist, any massage first and foremost involves an initial scan of the state of the body, especially the state of the spine. The issue of osteochondrosis is also handled by chiropractors and chiropractors who specialize in spinal disorders.

Osteochondrosis is a complex disease, but the examples of many people who have even overcome severe spinal cord injuries prove that everything is possible and attainable. The main thing is to analyze our motor activity and take appropriate action at the first warning sign our back gives us. You can go to the doctor immediately, start treatment, or, if the disease is not progressing, start exercising, because as Aristotle, the teacher of the great Alexander the Great said, "Life needs and needs exercise, otherwise it is not life".

What does history say about osteochondrosis?

The etiology of osteochondrosis remains unclear, and despite the apparently ancient origins of the disease, spinal disorders did not begin to be taken seriously until the 18th century. Since then, the debate and discussion about the real "enemy" that causes degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc has not stopped. Meanwhile, long ago, even in the time of Hippocrates, there were treatises on broken bones, suggesting that the ancient Greeks also suffered from back pain. Hippocrates himself was so interested in the subject of the spine that he carried out medical experiments that are dubious from a modern point of view: his students endeavored to tie a patient's arms and legs in a horizontal plane, with the back facing upward, Stretch your limbs as far as possible. Then the great therapist stood on the patient's back and started walking on it. The father of medicine sincerely believed that this immobilization, stretching, and massage restores the health of the spine, which, according to ancient Greek sages, is the key to human happiness. Some systematic techniques on how to treat osteochondrosis did not begin until the end of the 17th century. At the same time, formal terms for the field of medical applications emerged, which included skeletal settings. Two centuries later, it split into chiropractic and osteopathy. The first direction is purely practical, using strength techniques, and osteopaths are more theorists and researchers. At the intersection of these sciences came the emergence of manual therapy, without which today's osteochondrosis treatment is almost unthinkable.

As for the term that defines the disease "osteochondropathy, " then osteochondrosis has a typical story that is typical of other diseases of unknown etiology. Once it's not called - and lumbar sciatica, and sciatica, and Schmore's hernia, and sciatica, and spondylosis. It took doctors nearly a century to figure out osteochondrosis and come to a consensus.