There are 3 physiological bends in the human body: one kyphosis and two lordoses. The formation of each of them occurs at different stages of life. Under the influence of various adverse factors, a pathological process can develop, characterized by straightening of the bends of the spine. In some cases, they do not begin to form at all.
The most serious variant of the disease is a smooth lordosis of the lumbar spine. The back in this zone looks absolutely straight. In this case, the patient himself is slightly bent back. As a result, a person cannot walk straight. Currently, there are several conservative treatments for smoothed lumbar lordosis. With their ineffectiveness, surgical intervention is indicated.
Development mechanism
Normally, cervical lordosis begins to form first. This happens when the baby is trying to hold his head on his own. Then in the thoracic region kyphosis begins to form. At this stage, the child makes the first attempts to sit down. The last bend is formed in the lumbar when the baby begins to walk.
The presence of these physiological curvatures allows a person to move directly. In this case, the load on the musculoskeletal system is distributed evenly.
Under the influence of any provoking factors, the bend straightens or does not form at all. In such cases, it is customary to say that lordosis is smoothed. In this case, an ailment localized in the lumbar region gives a person the most problems.
Causes
The disease can be both congenital and acquired in nature. In the first case, the physiological lumbar lordosis is smoothed out for the following reasons:
- Deviations during fetal development. As a rule, they are due to the presence of bad habits in the expectant mother or infectious pathologies.
- Birth injury. If the algorithm of actions is not followed or in difficult cases, during the birth of the child, the spine of the baby may be damaged. In the future, abnormal development of bone structures occurs. As a result, the child has smoothed lumbar lordosis.
- A sharp increase in body weight. Rapid weight gain is most often observed in babies born prematurely. Initially, they are born with a lack of weight, and then very quickly gain the missing kilograms.
- Rickets. The development of bone structures is impaired with a deficiency of vitamin D. If you do not start to take the beneficial component shortly after birth, this can lead to disruption in the formation of natural bends.
If an adult has smoothed lumbar lordosis, it means that he suffered a back injury or surgery in the spine in the past. The risk group also includes people exposing the body to frequent and high-intensity physical activity, and people with neoplasms and hernias. Pathology can develop during pregnancy.
Clinical manifestations
At the initial stage of the development of the disease, a person does not feel any warning signs. The first symptoms appear even when the lumbar lordosis is smoothed out strongly, that is, the pathology is at an advanced stage.
The following manifestations are characteristic of the disease:
- Pain in the lumbar region. They can be cutting, aching or burning in nature. The pain is constant, its intensity intensifies after long walks and physical activity.
- Muscle tissue tension in the lumbar region. Hypertonicity is a consequence of an irregular spine. Muscle tension can also be felt in the thoracic region.
- Gait change. The course of the disease is accompanied by a violation of posture. As a result, a person's gait also changes.
- Decreased sensitivity of the lower extremities. Against the background of a smoothed lumbar lordosis, pinching of the nerve fibers of the spinal cord often occurs. As a result, the patient feels weakness in the legs, muscle tissue becomes flabby.
- Increased fatigue. The patient’s lifestyle becomes inactive. Even after a little physical exertion, he needs more time to relax.
If any of the above symptoms appears, consult a doctor. He will conduct diagnostic measures and, based on their results, draw up a treatment regimen. The latter may include both conservative and operational methods.
Diagnostics
The pathologist is treated by an orthopedic surgeon. In most cases, the diagnosis of the disease does not cause complications. Already at the stage of the initial examination, the doctor determines that the lumbar lordosis is smoothed. To confirm the diagnosis, the orthopedist directs the patient to an X-ray examination.
Based on the data of the anamnesis, urine and blood tests (general, biochemical, for rheumatoid factor) can be additionally prescribed.
Conservative treatment
Persons who have smoothed lumbar lordosis should be responsible to comply with the recommendations of the doctor. This is due to the fact that ignoring the disease can lead to disability.
Drug treatment of pathology includes the following items:
- Taking anti-inflammatory drugs. If they are ineffective, analgesics are prescribed.
- Intravenous administration of drugs that relieve pain.
- Topical use of creams and ointments.
- Acceptance or administration of chondroprotectors. These are drugs whose active components contribute to the restoration of cartilage. Injections are carried out directly into the lesion.
It is important to understand that medications are prescribed for symptomatic treatment. No drug is able to give the spine a physiological position.
If the disease was detected in a timely manner, that is, at the very early stage of development, you can correct the situation with the help of massage, exercise therapy, swimming and acupuncture.
Physiotherapy
With smoothed lumbar lordosis, exercises help normalize muscle tone, restore spinal mobility, and relieve pain.
The treatment complex looks like this:
- Get up straight. As you exhale, tilt your torso forward. Hands should be lowered down. Do not bend your knees. Get the floor with your fingers and return to the starting position.
- On the exhale, turn the body to the left. Bend over and reach with your hands to your toes. Repeat the exercise by turning to the right.
- On the exhale, raise the leg bent at the knees and press it to the chest. The second limb should remain straight. On inspiration, return to starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
- Take a position lying on the floor or any other flat surface. Place your hands along the body, palms up. On exhalation, bend the lower limbs and press the hips to the stomach. On inspiration, return to starting position.
It is necessary to engage in physiotherapy exercises daily. Each exercise must be performed 8-10 times. At the same time, the first positive results appear on average after a year.
Surgical intervention
If conservative methods are ineffective, the doctor evaluates the feasibility of the operation. In addition, surgery is indicated for severe pinching of nerve fibers, cessation of kidney function, erectile dysfunction, infertility and paralysis of the lower extremities.
During the operation, the doctor practically restores the physiological bending of the spine. However, surgical intervention is resorted to only in isolated cases.
Finally
In rare cases, doctors note that patients have smoothed lumbar lordosis. What it is? In the human body there are several physiological bends. Under the influence of various reasons, they do not form or are straightened in the process of life. If the disease is detected at an early stage, it is enough to perform therapeutic exercises daily. When a smoothed lumbar lordosis is visible with the naked eye, it is customary to talk about the advanced stage of the disease. Initially, the doctor prescribes conservative methods of treatment. In isolated cases, surgical intervention is indicated.