Most lower back and spinal discomfort pain is related to conditions such as osteochondrosis.It affects about 40% of men and women aged 30-40 years and about 90% of older adults.Therefore, the earlier the disease is diagnosed and the more thoroughly the patient is examined, the higher the possibility of halting the progression of osteochondrosis and maintaining mobility in old age.
Definition and causes of disease
So, what is osteochondrosis, where does it occur, which structures it affects, and what is the treatment?The disease affects the spine and the tissue between the vertebrae, showing damage to its shape, density, elasticity, and sometimes even integrity.As a result, the distance between vertebrae shortens, the spine gradually loses stability, nerves are compressed, and hernias form, accompanied by back pain and discomfort during exercise.
To briefly describe the essence of osteochondrosis, it is the gradual wear and tear of the intervertebral disc tissue (cartilage), resulting in spinal instability.If left untreated, ligaments and joints will degenerate, causing osteophytes, postural disturbances, and pain during movement.
Causes of spinal osteochondrosis:
- Inactive lifestyle and lack of muscle loading;
- spinal injuries;
- Systemic high loads on the spine;
- genetics;
- overweight;
- low temperature;
- hormonal and autoimmune diseases;
- Poisoning by toxic substances;
- congenital connective tissue defects;
- Psychosomatic causes (stress, depression, etc.).
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
The disease is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation that vary in symptom severity.Main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the spine, characteristics of the main types of disease, lumbar, cervical and thoracic:
- The pain is concentrated in one area of the spine;
- Referred pain syndrome associated with damage to nearby musculoskeletal tissue;
- Myelopathy and radiculopathy, caused by compression of nerve endings in the spinal cord and blood vessels.
The list of symptoms of osteochondrosis may vary depending on which part of the spine is affected by the disease.Namely: patients experience symptoms such as muscle tingling, numbness in the limbs, other sensory disorders, decreased strength of the limbs, headache, heartache, and low back pain.
The pathogenesis of osteochondrosis
Before the elastic fiber core of an intervertebral disc begins to lose elasticity and deform, a number of processes that suggest osteochondrosis occur in the body:
- Spasticity, dystonia, inflammation;
- reduced blood circulation;
- Damage to nerve cell processes.
Next, cracks appear in the deformed annulus fibrosus, the disc herniates, and a hernia forms.Typically, such predisposing factors for spinal disease appear during childhood or adolescence and are often the result of poor posture, scoliosis, sports injuries, infectious diseases, or congenital vascular lesions.
stages of osteochondrosis
The development of spinal osteochondrosis is divided into three stages:
- In the first stage, the intervertebral disc begins to decrease in height, becomes flat, loses moisture and elasticity, and may bulge;
- The second type occurs without treatment and is characterized by damage to the annulus fibrosus structure of the intervertebral disc, the occurrence of cracks, and instability in a certain area of the spine;
- It is characterized by breakdown of the intervertebral cartilage, formation of hernias, and formation of osteophytic apophyses.
Symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis become more intense from stage one to stage three.
Classification of osteochondrosis
Classification of osteochondrosis is based on several signs, the main one of which is the localized zone.have:
- Lumbar osteochondrosis;
- Cervical osteochondrosis;
- Thoracic osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine manifests as pain in the lower back, which worsens when turning the body or lifting heavy objects.The pain can radiate into the legs or legs and is characterized by aches and pains.If symptoms are severe, a hernia is suspected.With lumbar osteochondrosis, leg muscle spasms and skin peeling often occur.
As cervical osteochondrosis progresses, vertebrae 1-7 are affected.The disease is accompanied by headaches in the back of the head, neck, collarbone and shoulder pain.There may be a crunching sound when turning the head, numbness in the upper limbs, and a choking sensation in the throat.
People with spinal osteochondrosis in the thoracic region suffer from pain in the chest, shoulders, armpits, and heart.There may be a feeling of difficulty breathing and attacks of intercostal neuralgia.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is the most common and osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is the rarest.
Complications of osteochondrosis
If a patient considers treatment for osteochondrosis too late, when symptoms of the disease are apparent, the following complications may develop:
- intervertebral hernia;
- spinal cord stroke;
- Kyphosis;
- protrude;
- Radiculitis;
- Paralysis of lower limbs.
Without treatment, the patient's condition begins to worsen regularly, characterized by increased pain, impediment of activities and a sharp deterioration of overall health.The most feared complication of spinal osteochondrosis is disability.Therefore, high-quality and timely treatment of osteochondrosis is required in order to prevent such severe changes in the function of the musculoskeletal system.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
Conditions such as osteochondrosis are primarily spinal pain.But it's important to distinguish it from pain caused by problems unrelated to disc degeneration.To do this, the doctor will conduct a step-by-step diagnosis, which includes:
- Medical history collection, which involves a conversation between the expert and the patient to determine the exact area where the pain is localized and the factors that make the condition worse.It is important to know the patient's occupation, when the spinal problem began, when it worsened, the type of pain occurring in the lumbar spine and elsewhere, and the treatments used by the patient.
- Physiological examinationAllows you to determine the proportions of the body, the quality of movement and movement, the condition of the skin, and sensitivity to pain.Doctors use palpation to determine the condition of muscle tissue, the presence of compaction, swelling, etc.
- Spine X-ray in two planesPerform a visual assessment of the condition.Allows you to determine the displacement of the vertebrae, the presence of osteophytes and salt deposits.
If insufficient treatment data are collected, or if severe pathology is suspected in the spine, the patient can be subjected to CT and magnetic resonance imaging, which allows a detailed examination of the vertebrae, blood vessels, soft tissue, neural processes, and a comprehensive understanding of the condition of the spine affected by osteochondrosis to determine treatment strategies.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
As with any disease, osteochondrosis requires determination of what triggered its development.Reducing the severity of symptoms is not a major phase of treatment, but it is an important one, and the results depend on many factors.In some cases, this is a complete cure, while in others, it is the prevention of complications and disability.
In the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, a set of measures is used:
- Make changes to patients’ daily lives;
- Prescribe medication to relieve symptoms;
- Physical therapy procedures (massage, acupuncture, electrophoresis, exercise therapy, etc.).
Changes in daily life for spinal osteochondrosis treatment include reducing the intensity of physical activity, resting in bed when pain is severe, and avoiding sudden turns and bending.
Drugs to Treat Spinal Osteochondrosis
They can be divided into several groups:
- Muscle relaxants used to relieve pain, including tablets, injectable narcotics, and anti-inflammatory injections to treat osteochondrosis.Homeopathic medicines can normalize thyroid function, improve lymphatic drainage, and have anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, and immunomodulatory effects.
- NSAIDs.When used in patients with osteoarthritis, it can reduce the progression of inflammation and destructive changes in the joint, improve the integrity, thickness and other properties of cartilage, and stimulate bone tissue repair.
- Topically applied anti-inflammatory ointments and alternative transdermal patches.These drugs have analgesic, antirheumatic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory effects.The mechanism of action is to reduce the production of inflammatory mediators, lower body temperature and pain.
- chondroprotectant;
- Devices for therapeutic analgesic blockade;
- B vitamins.
supportive care
Among other methods available to treat, relieve systemic conditions, and improve spine and disc function, the most effective are:
- acupuncture;
- magnet therapy;
- Professional massage and self-massage;
- physical education classes;
- Manual therapy.
prediction, prevention
If the spinal disease does not progress and there are no serious complications, effective treatment for 1.5-2 months can significantly improve the condition and prevent the disease from becoming chronic.In difficult cases, doctors recommend surgical treatment.
Prevention of spinal osteochondrosis includes:
- Maintain correct daily habits, change body posture and moderate physical activity;
- Go to the swimming pool regularly;
- weight control;
- Wear comfortable shoes;
- a balanced diet;
- sleeping on orthopedic pillows and mattresses;
- Take missing nutrients or preventive homeopathic medicines to boost immunity, improve overall health and eliminate dystonia.
It is important to have an annual physical exam and seek immediate medical attention if you experience any pain in your spine.
No matter which type of osteochondrosis we are talking about - lumbar, cervical or thoracic spine, taking care of your health should be a good habit, especially when it comes to the foundation of the entire musculoskeletal system - the spine.