Pain in the spine is known to many firsthand. Especially often, discomfort occurs when bending, extension of the body. Pathologies of the vertebral section are more prone to people engaged in heavy physical labor, as well as performing uniform movements for a long time (at a factory, a sewing factory). A disease that is common among men and women is dorsal disc herniation. What it is? In most cases, a middle-aged and elderly people are faced with a similar diagnosis. Nevertheless, when performing heavy physical work, a dorsal hernia of the intervertebral disc can develop in young people. The treatment of this disease is very important to start as soon as the first signs appear. In some cases, surgical intervention is necessary.
Dorsal disc hernia - what is it?
The vertebral column is a skeleton frame, consisting of 33 (sometimes 34) articulated structures. The ribs, bones of the pelvis and shoulder girdle are attached to them. All vertebrae are interconnected by means of disks consisting of fibrous tissue and the pulpous nucleus. The main function of these joints is depreciation. The fact is that during the performance of any movements (walking, bending) and weight lifting, the vertebrae come closer together. If the discs are damaged, bone tissue may also be affected. Joint displacement causes pain due to compression of the nerve structures. One of the most common diseases is dorsal disc herniation. "What it is?" - ask the patients who are given this diagnosis. This pathology develops with a rupture of fibrous tissue, due to which a disk is formed. As a result, the articulation changes its shape, that is, it bulges forward (moves). As a result, disc tissue enters the region of the intervertebral canal. For this reason, compression of the nerve structures occurs. With a pronounced displacement of the joints, the bone tissue may touch and be damaged.
Causes of herniated disc
To understand what a dorsal hernia of the intervertebral disc is, you need to know the causes of its occurrence. Osteochondrosis is a disease on the background of which rupture of the fibrous ring of the joint often develops. The following causes of intervertebral hernia are distinguished:
- Excessive back strain.
- Spinal injuries.
- Overweight.
- Pathologies of muscle tissue, in which there is a decrease in the tone of skeletal muscle.
- Endocrine diseases.
- Bad habits. To a greater extent, this applies to smoking.
- Degenerative diseases in which bone destruction occurs. These include pathologies such as tuberculosis and syphilis.
- Systemic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, SLE).
Most often, a hernia develops as a result of a combination of damaging factors and a violation of the bone structure. Almost all patients with this disease have osteochondrosis for a long time.
Classification of dorsal disc herniation
Most often, it is the dorsal hernia of the disk that occurs. What is it and what is its difference? The term "dorsal" means that the hernial protrusion is directed behind, that is, towards the spinal canal. In this place is the spinal cord. The following types of dorsal hernias are distinguished depending on the location:
- Diffuse damage. It is characterized by the fact that the exact localization of the deformation cannot be established. Damage covers the entire intervertebral disc.
- Medial hernia. In this type of damage, the protrusion of the fibrous tissue is directed to the middle of the spinal canal.
- Paramedial hernia. It differs in that the protrusion is directed to one side of the spinal canal.
- Foraminal hernia. A protrusion of fibrous tissue fills the canal in which the nerve root is located. In this case, its compression and development of severe pain occurs.
- Dorsal medial-paramedial disc herniation - characterized in that the damage is directed from the center (spinal cord) to one side of the spinal canal. That is, the hernia is located at an angle. In this case, pain and curvature of the spine are observed .
Symptoms of a dorsal hernia in the cervical spine
In the cervical spine, dorsal hernia of the C5-C6 disk is most often found. Moreover, the clinical picture may resemble chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency (dyscirculatory encephalopathy). Symptoms such as headache, high blood pressure, tinnitus are observed. Sometimes it is possible to develop paresis and even paralysis of the limbs. Unpleasant sensations are observed in the neck, spread to the shoulder, under the shoulder blade. Often there is dizziness and general weakness. In addition, the symptoms of a hernia of the cervical spine include a decrease in memory, working capacity, visual acuity, and sleep disturbance. Pain occurs after bending the head, a long stay in one position.
Clinic of a hernia in the lumbar
In addition to the cervical spine, protrusion of fibrous tissue often occurs in the lumbar region. In this case, a dorsal diffuse disc herniation L4-L5 develops. This pathology is dangerous in that damage to the spinal cord can occur. In this case, paresis or paralysis of the entire pelvic girdle occurs. The patient is not able to move around. The ability to control the bladder and rectal sphincter is also impaired . The listed symptoms occur when the disk is destroyed in the medial section. If the damage is slightly deviated from the center of the spinal cord, a spinal curvature occurs. With diffuse lesions, the intervertebral disc can completely collapse. Therefore, in this case, surgical treatment is often necessary.
Diagnosis of intervertebral hernias
So that the disease does not lead to disability, the doctor must conduct timely diagnosis and treatment of the dorsal disc herniation. This pathology can be suspected by symptoms such as increased pain during walking, tilting and turning the body. To confirm the diagnosis, instrumental examination methods are performed. First of all, it is necessary to perform a radiography of that part of the spine in which pain is observed. In some cases, this is not enough. Therefore, with suspected dorsal hernia, a CT scan of the spine is often performed. Thanks to CT, you can set the size of the protrusion and its exact location. In addition to instrumental diagnostics, a neurological examination is performed. Thus, zones of compression of the nerve roots, the presence of complications (paresis, vascular compression) are determined.
Treatment of dorsal disc herniation
Treatment of dorsal hernia of the intervertebral disc begins with drug therapy and compliance with the regimen. It is required to completely eliminate physical activity, to move as little as possible. Prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs "Diclofenac", "Midokalm", "Prednisolone." You should also take the medicines necessary to strengthen bone tissue. These include drugs "Chondroitin sulfate", "Glucosamine", "Calcium-D3 Nycomed." In most cases, wearing a special rigid corset is required to strengthen the back in one position. Also shown gymnastics (carried out in a lying position), physiotherapeutic procedures.
With the progression of the pathology and the lack of effectiveness of drug therapy, surgical treatment is necessary. Surgery for large hernial protrusion is a laminectomy. Doctors resort to it only in case of urgent need, since this intervention is accompanied by a risk of relapse and complications. With small hernias of the cervical spine, microdisectomy is performed. It can be done with a laser.
Intervertebral hernia prophylaxis
In order to prevent the occurrence of a hernia, it is necessary to perform special exercises to strengthen the muscles, eliminate smoking, periodically take vitamins containing calcium. In the presence of osteochondrosis, it is necessary to visit a neurologist at least 1-2 times a year and follow the doctor's recommendations.