What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it? It is to these questions that we will devote today's article. In addition, you will be presented with information on why such a disease occurs, what are its symptoms and severity.
What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it?
The word "osteochondrosis" comes from two Greek - osteo and chondros, which literally translates as "bone" and "cartilage", respectively. Thus, dystrophic disorders in the articular cartilage are characteristic of this disease. Such a deviation can develop in any part of the body. However, most often it affects the intervertebral discs.
Types of diseases
Depending on where the dystrophic disorders are located, in medical practice it is customary to distinguish lumbar, thoracic or cervical osteochondrosis. It should also be noted that in the English literature on medicine, the term osteochondrosis means completely different orthopedic diseases, which in our country are called osteochondropathies.
Pathogenesis
What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it? As you know, experts attribute the sedentary lifestyle to the root cause of this disease, due to which dystrophic and degenerative processes in articular cartilages develop.
In the process of growing up in the intervertebral discs in humans, the vascular bed is physiologically reduced. In this regard, their nutrition occurs diffusely, as a result of which the patient’s recovery after exertion and injuries is significantly complicated. It should also be noted that the inferiority of the diet affects the osteochondrotic processes even worse. At the same time, cartilage begins to lose its strength and elasticity, their consistency and shape change.
The asymmetric and irrational muscle work negatively affects the intervertebral discs . This usually occurs when there is insufficient warm-up, improper habitual postures, carrying heavy bags on the shoulder, or using too soft mattresses and pillows. In addition, flatfoot can serve as a stimulator of such a pathology. After all, if the foot is unable to provide adequate depreciation during interaction with the support, then this function has to be carried out by the spinal column.
Being overweight also contributes to osteochondrosis. This is due to the fact that large fat mass, deposited in various parts of the body, begins to greatly complicate the maintenance of balance, which subsequently leads to overload of the intervertebral joints.
The main causes of osteochondrosis
The causes that cause pathological changes in the intervertebral discs are currently not fully understood. Most often, people begin to observe the first malaise after the age of 35.
Exacerbation of osteochondrosis and its development occur against the background of various back injuries, dynamic and static overloads, as well as vibrations. The older a person becomes, the more he has such manifestations. However, it should be noted that in recent decades, more and more young people (18-30 years old) have turned to doctors complaining of severe back pain. There are many reasons for such an early manifestation of this disease. This may be weak physical fitness, and curvature of the spine, and impaired posture, and overweight, and flat feet, etc. In addition to everything else, osteochondrosis of the lumbar, cervical or thoracic can occur due to:
- hereditary predisposition;
- smoking;
- metabolic disorders, infections or intoxications;
- nervous strain, stressful situations;
- overweight;
- abrupt cessation of regular training by professional athletes;
- improper nutrition (lack of trace elements and fluids);
- age-related changes;
- spinal injuries (fractures or bruises);
- disorders of posture, curvature of the spine, hypermobility (or instability) of the segments of the spinal column, flat feet;
- pregnancy
- unevenly developed musculoskeletal system;
- adverse environmental conditions;
- spinal congestion associated with foot diseases, as well as after wearing uncomfortable shoes (for example, in high heels);
- sedentary lifestyle;
- excessive physical exertion;
- lifting and carrying weights, as well as due to the performance of other work, which significantly increases the load on the spine and pressure in the disks;
- prolonged exposure to uncomfortable postures while sitting, standing, or lying down;
- work related to lifting weights, frequent changes in the position of the body (jerking movements, turns, bending and unbending).
Osteochondrosis of the spine: the severity of the disease
To know what degrees of osteochondrosis exist is very important. After all, thanks to this, you can recognize the disease in time and immediately begin to treat it.
In medical practice, 4 degrees of this pathological condition are distinguished
- The first degree - the intervertebral disc is slightly, but compacted. In this case, the patient has a slight increase in the hooked processes, as well as the presence of small exostoses. The lumbar lordosis itself can be corrected.
- The second degree - the condition of the spine is unstable. The patient has a narrowing of the holes between the vertebrae and the spinal canal itself. All these factors lead to a decrease in disk height.
- The third degree is the most difficult. More serious changes are observed: a strong narrowing of the intervertebral foramen and spinal canal. As a result of such pathologies, a hernia can form.
- The fourth degree is a consequence of treatment of the 3rd degree, that is, recovery. The patient only has spondylolisthesis.
Symptoms of the disease
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar, cervical or thoracic has quite pronounced symptoms, namely such as:
- constant pain in the back, shoulders, chest, lower back and arms, which are aching in nature;
- feeling of aches and numbness in the limbs;
- decreased reflexes;
- malnutrition;
- noise in the head;
- hypotension;
- increased soreness when lifting weights, physical activity, sudden movements, sneezing and coughing;
- muscle cramps and so on.
Diagnosis of the disease
As a rule, a preliminary diagnosis of such a disease is made at the first examination of the patient. It should be performed only by an experienced neurologist. Typically, the patient’s spine is examined in sitting, standing and lying positions, both in motion and at rest. When examining the back of a patient, special attention is paid to his posture and structural features of the body. In addition, note the tension of the muscles that are located next to the spine.
To make the correct diagnosis, specialists use not only an external examination, but also radiography, as well as computed or magnetic resonance imaging. With the help of them, one can determine the level of damage and hidden pathologies.
Disease treatment
What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it? As a rule, therapy of this disease is carried out at home. For example, massage is very useful for a patient. In addition, osteochondrosis of any
part of the spine is treated using conservative methods that are aimed at eliminating soreness, impaired spinal roots, as well as to prevent the progress of dystrophic changes. If conservative therapy is ineffective, then an operation is performed.
It should be especially noted that the duration of treatment of this disease depends on its degree, the patient’s age, the methods used and the patient’s faithful implementation of the recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor.
The main methods of therapy
The conservative complex for osteochondrosis includes physiotherapy exercises, massage, physiotherapy, spine traction, reflexology, as well as manual and drug therapy. To understand what actions each method implies, consider them in more detail.
Physiotherapy
Physical education for osteochondrosis is the main method of conservative treatment of this disease. It consists in creating dosed loads that are aimed at strengthening and correcting the muscle corset, decompressing the nerve roots, developing a certain stereotype of movements and increasing their volume.
Physiotherapy
With this treatment method, low-frequency currents, ultrasound, magnetic fields, a laser, etc. are used. As a rule, they are used to relieve pain and inflammatory processes.
Massage
This method effectively relieves muscle pain, tension, improves blood circulation, and also has a general strengthening effect. Massage should be done only by an experienced specialist.
Manual therapy
The manual effect on the musculoskeletal system is aimed at relieving chronic and acute pain in the joints and spine, as well as correcting posture and increasing range of motion.
Spine traction
This is a fairly effective method of treating and eliminating pain in the joints and spine. It is carried out by means of individually selected loads using special equipment. This procedure is aimed at relieving pain, increasing intervertebral space and restoring the correct shape of the spine.
Reflexology
This method of treatment includes various techniques and methods, due to which there is an effect on reflexogenic zones and acupuncture points. Reflexotherapy in combination with other methods of therapy significantly increases their effectiveness.
Drug treatment
This method is indicated during an exacerbation of the disease and is aimed at stopping unpleasant symptoms, relieving inflammation and enhancing metabolic processes through the introduction or administration of drugs.