Osteochondrosis is the most severe form of degenerative lesions of the spine, which is based on the defeat of the structure of the intervertebral disc located between the vertebrae. If you do not recognize the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar as early as possible, then this condition leads to deformation of the bodies of neighboring vertebrae, intervertebral joints. The vessels and nervous system are involved in the pathological process.
One of the most common forms of this disease is osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms in women and men are very similar. Many adults have often felt discomfort in the lower back, sacrum, legs, which is caused by osteochondrosis and its complications. Among all the reasons for the loss of the ability to move normally, this ailment is one of the first places.
Causes
One of the causes of the disease is poor posture, but there are others:
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine, the symptoms and treatment of which bring the patient many inconveniences, occurs most often due to the increased load on the spine. That is why the disease is more often manifested in those whose labor activity is associated with physical labor and weight lifting.
- Another factor that provokes the disease is overweight, which increases pressure on the spinal column.
- The absence of any loads and lack of exercise worsen the nutrition of disc tissues and slow down blood flow, metabolic processes in the spine. The muscle corset is significantly weakened and creates a favorable background for the development of pathological changes.
- Improper body position, if the patient likes to sit with a hunched spine, lead to the fact that the load on the disks and vertebrae is uneven, the disks are deformed and quickly wear out.
- Often the cause of osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, the symptoms of which bring a lot of inconvenience to the patient's life, can be injuries. They happen during playing sports, performing exercises without proper preparation, improper lifting of a lot of weight, injury when falling.
- Some experts believe that osteochondrosis is predetermined at the level of genetics, regardless of which section degenerative changes are observed in.
- The patient’s age also has a special effect: over the years, segments of the spinal column lose their mobility, elasticity, and therefore are subject to destruction and deformation. Earlier, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms of which are rather unpleasant, was considered a disease of the elderly, but today it occurs in young people from 25 to 30 years old.
- A predisposing factor may be some pathologies that are accompanied by inflammation in the joints of the spine or changes in its structure and shape: Ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis, scoliosis, disk instability.
In rare cases, the cause of osteochondrosis may be:
- hypothermia;
- stress
- malnutrition;
- violation of work and rest;
- poor environmental conditions.
At the first appearance of discomfort in the lumbar region, it is better to consult a doctor.
Classification by degrees of osteochondrosis
Classification of osteochondrosis by degrees is used in order to systematically characterize the clinical manifestations of the disease. The classification allows you to describe the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine and determine exactly at what point the patient began to worry about pain:
- The first degree occurs when the disc ruptures, which is provoked by sudden movements. It manifests itself in the form of severe sudden pain, in the spine there is a feeling that the person was shocked, the muscles are reflexively tense.
- The second degree in symptoms resembles intervertebral protrusion and instability of the spine trunk. The pain intensifies during physical exertion. Exacerbations and remissions are constantly alternating. If osteochondrosis has occurred in the cervical spine, then the pain intensifies when a person stays in one position for a long time, frequent headaches, discomfort in the arm and shoulder, and fatigue in the lower extremities.
- The third degree is manifested in the form of symptoms of a hernia of the intervertebral disc: numbness of the limbs, change in posture and gait, headaches and discomfort along the affected nerve. Symptoms may resemble kidney disease, gastrointestinal tract, and disorders in the reproductive system.
- The fourth degree begins with the fact that the hernia does not make itself felt, the manifestations may weaken, but the symptoms of instability of the trunk of the spine, twisting of the vertebrae are still preserved. In addition, growths of the vertebral bodies can occur, which often pinch the spinal nerves or block the channel, compress the back of the brain. The consequences of surgical intervention can be attributed to this degree if the hernia is removed surgically.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms of which bring a lot of inconvenience, is a rather unpleasant disease. It requires urgent comprehensive treatment and constant monitoring by a specialist.
Symptoms of pathology
Depending on the symptoms, treatment for osteochondrosis of the lumbar can be different. This is due to the fact that the disease affects the nervous system, which is why there are often problems that arise in different parts of the body that are in no way connected with the back.
In the early stages of the disease, pain can appear after heavy physical exertion or a long stay in one position, for example, a person often spends time sitting at a computer. As the disease develops, the pain becomes chronic. If pain does not occur, then discomfort may occur in its place, which interferes with a normal life. The set of symptoms may be as follows:
- pain in the lumbar region, often extending to the buttock or leg;
- muscle cramps with a long stay in a statistical position;
- constant tension of the back muscles;
- backache, which most often occur after a person has been in the cold for a long time;
- violation of sensitivity in the lower body of the patient;
- numbness of the legs, frequent tingling in the fingers;
- chilliness of the legs;
- sweating dysfunction;
- dry skin in the area of the appearance of pain.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine may worsen if no measures are taken to cure the patient or some of the provoking factors becomes more intense. In this case, the pain syndrome passes to the lower extremities. A person tries to find the most optimal pose in order to alleviate his condition and not feel unpleasant discomfort caused by the disease.
Diagnostic methods
Initially, before starting the diagnosis, the doctor needs to collect anamnesis of his patient, carefully examine him, assess his health condition. Additionally, instrumental examination techniques may be required.
A complete medical history will allow the doctor to suggest what caused the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine, as well as assess the risks of its occurrence. Examination of the patient consists of palpation of painful areas, percussion, external examination of the skin. In some patients, a doctor may test sensitivity using acupuncture.
Based on the data collected by the doctor, the patient is advised to undergo additional instrumental studies to confirm the diagnosis and to reveal how much the spine and other organs are affected. The patient is recommended to undergo:
All these diagnostic methods help to determine some features of the development of the disease. MRI is considered the most informative of them, and all because other methods take pictures of the human body in only a few projections and do not allow a closer look at the whole problem.
Treatment for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms of which begin to bother the person, is selected by the doctor. It is not possible to diagnose and determine the course of therapy only by external examination, it is important to conduct a comprehensive examination and prevent complications.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the lower back
It is impossible to cure osteochondrosis completely. Good results can be achieved if the patient has a 1 and 2 degree of disease. But in any case, a long-term treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region will be required, because the symptoms cannot be tolerated, they are so strong and unpleasant. Therapy is directed in order to:
- reduce the intensity of pain in the lumbosacral region;
- eliminate muscle tension, which does not allow a person to relax;
- strengthen the muscles of the back, buttocks and lower extremities;
- normalize blood flow and metabolic processes in the affected area;
- eliminate the inflammatory process;
- restore normal range of motion in the lumbar region and increase leg sensitivity;
- improve the functioning of the organs of the reproductive and excretory systems.
Among the drugs, the doctor prefers the following:
- Be sure to recommend painkillers: "Renalgin", "Analgin" or "Dexalgin". To increase efficiency, they can be additionally administered with Diphenhydramine with them. Analgesics help relieve pain, but they can’t remove the causes of the disease.
- To remove edema and radicular pain, NSAIDs are used, and in severe cases, steroids are used to relieve symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine in women and men. Their action is aimed at reducing and eliminating inflammation.
- To anesthetize locally, paravertebral blockades are used. "Novocaine" is administered along the lumbar. More often they are recommended for patients with a 3-4 degree of the disease.
- Muscle relaxants are recommended in order to eliminate spastic muscle contraction.
- Chondroprotectors, such as "Rumalon", "Chondroitin sulfate" improve metabolic processes in the cartilage tissue, stimulate recovery processes and significantly slow down their deformation.
- Vitamins belonging to group B help improve cellular metabolism, reduce inflammation, and help remove excess fluid from the body.
- Diuretics help eliminate puffiness.
- Immunostimulants "Timogen", "Pentoxyl", "T-activin" increase the activity of the immune system and improve the body's defenses.
- Means for improving blood flow in the area of the disease, which are administered drip intravenously: Trental, Pentoxifylline.
Additional treatments
The doctor may additionally recommend physiotherapeutic methods. Medications alone to treat osteochondrosis of the lumbar sacral region, the symptoms of which cause pain to the patient, will not be enough. In order to eliminate pain and relieve muscle spasm, the following physiotherapeutic procedures are recommended to improve metabolic processes:
- amplipulse;
- electrophoresis;
- diadynamic currents;
- magnetic resonance therapy;
- magnetotherapy;
- laser treatment.
Therapeutic gymnastics will also not be superfluous, because with its help you can not only remove the pain syndrome, but also strengthen and relax the back muscles. Exercise can be done not only during an exacerbation of pathology, but also during recovery. Excellent results are given by massage and reflexology.
Surgical intervention
Surgery may be recommended for some patients with stage 4 disease. This measure is used in cases where drug treatment does not give the desired results, with the appearance of serious neurological and motor disorders and the appearance of hernias. During the operation, hernias on the discs are removed, after which plastic is performed, and the displaced vertebrae are reliably strengthened.
Alternative methods of treatment
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine in men are not much different from those observed in women. Therapeutic measures are selected individually for each patient, depending on the stage of the disease. In addition to traditional methods of treatment, traditional medicine may be recommended. The patient should coordinate all his actions with the doctor. Good results in complex treatment have given such products of plant materials:
- To prepare an ointment that improves blood circulation in the affected area, you need to take five fruits of red pepper and 1/2 cup of kerosene and vegetable oil. After receiving a medical infusion, they need to lubricate painful places at night. Put a dry wool compress on top of the treated area.
- Mix equal amounts of butter and hop cones, this composition is applied to the lumbar region, when there is already no strength to endure pain and discomfort.
Folk remedies show good results in the early stages of treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms of this pathology gradually disappear. It is better to use such recipes immediately after the first signs of the disease appear.
Consequences of the disease
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar in men and women cause serious inconvenience, a person cannot sit normally, sleep well and is constantly uncomfortable. If no measures are taken in time for the first manifestations of the disease, then osteochondrosis can lead to serious complications in the form of inflammation of the sciatic nerve. This disease is characterized by severe pain in the lumbar and leg, possibly even numbness of the limbs. To try to alleviate the pain, many patients walk leaning in a healthy direction, but this situation only exacerbates the disease: the degree of curvature of the trunk of the spine increases, and the process of disk destruction is accelerated.
The most dangerous complication is vertebral instability. The intervertebral discs do not cope with the function of fixing the vertebrae, and the lumbar under heavy load begins to crawl from the sacrum. This condition may result in disruption of the internal systems of organs. In women, inflammation of the uterus, appendages can be observed, and in men, problems with potency.
Preventative measures
You can prevent the disease if you use such methods:
- eliminate strong loads on the lower back;
- strengthen back muscles;
- maintain correct posture;
- strengthen the spine with regular physical activity;
- adhere to proper nutrition;
- regulate the rest mode;
- timely treat back diseases.
Only a timely visit to the doctor and comprehensive treatment will give a chance to prevent complications and return to the previous lifestyle.