Almost every fourth inhabitant of our planet suffers from osteochondrosis. This problem concerns the spine and takes the second place in the five most common diseases after cardiovascular pathologies.
As a rule, patients come to the doctor after they have constant pain in the back or neck. However, in order to avoid dangerous complications of osteochondrosis, a visit to a specialist should be made as early as possible. And for this, everyone should know what osteochondrosis is, its causes and symptoms.
Historical information
Humanity has been familiar with osteochondrosis since ancient times. This is evidenced by the treatises of Hippocrates on bone cutting. They confirm the fact that people suffered from back pain in ancient times. The great healer delivered his patients from this disease by walking on their backs. The man was laid on a flat surface and his hands and feet were tied, stretching them as much as possible. The founder of medicine was convinced that such stretching, fixation and massage restore spinal health. After that, for many centuries, healers treated osteochondrosis in a variety of ways. These were punches, and grinding by natural means, and spells, and cauterization, and acupuncture. Even bees and snakes were involved, the bites of which were supposed to remove back pain. And only from the end of the 17th century. systematization of existing methods for treating osteochondrosis began.
As for the name of the disease, it also did not come immediately. The reason for this was the unclear etiology of the disease. They called back pain in different ways. And spondylosis, and sciatica, and radiculitis, and lumbar ischialgia. Currently, doctors have already come to a consensus and have begun to call all pathomorphological changes and disorders in the spine only osteochondrosis. At the same time, some varieties of the disease are distinguished in medicine.
Spine and its pathology
All living things on our planet have some similarities in the structure of the body. This also applies to the spinal column. Both in humans and in animals, its structure is almost the same. However, only humans have the ability of upright posture.
Until recently, many experts believed that it was this fact that led to the development of pathological changes in the spine due to the occurrence of an incorrect and uneven load. However, to date, such a theory is in doubt. Indeed, according to statistics, the main factor that affects the development of diseases of the spine is the human inactivity, which provokes degeneration and degeneration of vertebral tissues. Significantly increases disk load and overweight. It also exacerbates destructive processes, provoking osteochondrosis.
It has already been proven that the most dangerous in its destructive actions is precisely the static load. In the modern world, it most affects a person.
The vertebral column has a rather complex structure. It consists of many vertebrae, which are interconnected by cartilaginous tissue, or discs. The latter are multilayer rings, in the middle of which is a liquid core. When the spine is in motion, a cushioning function is assigned to the discs.
In addition to the cartilage tissue, the vertebrae are also connected by muscles and other structures. It turns out a fairly robust system. It is designed to ensure the normal condition of the spinal column. Moreover, the more flexible the disks, the stronger and healthier the entire system.
Concept of pathology
What is osteochondrosis? This concept includes dystrophic and degenerative changes occurring in the spine. They are caused by the degeneration of the paravertebral tissues and the violation of their nutrition. Such phenomena cause deformation of the shock-absorbing discs, which become thinner and gradually become flat. This process leads to significant overload of the vertebrae. In this case, the degree of deformation increases even more. As a result, the discs begin to go beyond the boundaries of the spine. This, in turn, causes compression of the nerve roots, which become inflamed and cause pain to the person.
Types of pathology
Osteochondrosis is able to affect almost the entire back. But most often it is found in certain areas. Depending on the location of the pathology, the disease is classified in medical practice.
Most known to many patients is lumbar osteochondrosis. There is also a cervical disease, which occupies the second place in terms of its prevalence. The classification also includes thoracic, sacral and widespread osteochondrosis. In addition, cross pathologies are distinguished. For example, among them cervicothoracic or lumbosacral.
Osteochondrosis stages
The development of pathology occurs with the passage of the following stages:
- The occurrence of changes affecting the biomechanics of the disc, as a result of degenerative changes and tissue degeneration. This stage is preclinical. Its signs are manifested very weakly. At this stage, the fibrous ring surrounding the disc begins to stretch or, conversely, contract.
- In the second stage, disk instability is further increased. It is not just the stretching of the fibrous ring that occurs, but the delamination of its fibers. Because of this, they are torn. In this case, the nerve roots are infringed. Pain occurs in the spine, and degenerative changes continue to progress. All this leads to the destruction of collagen tissue and a decrease in the height of the intervertebral distance.
- In the third stage, the disc ruptures. In this regard, pathology is accompanied by prolapse of the hernia. Inflammation and infringement of the nerve endings are observed. Protrusion (i.e. prolapse) leads to the appearance of characteristic pain not only in the area of the damaged area of the spine. Uncomfortable sensations are observed in the limbs and closely located areas of the body.
- The fourth stage is considered the most difficult. At this stage, spondylosis, as well as other compensatory ailments of the spine, also join dystrophy. The body seeks to somehow compensate for the lost depreciation functions. This leads to the fact that fibrous tissue begins to gradually be replaced by cicatricial and bone formations.
Common causes of pathology
Why is spinal disease developing ? The causes of osteochondrosis are very different. In their list there are more than three dozen provoking factors. In this case, the causes of osteochondrosis, regardless of the type of disease, are approximately the same. That is, they provoke the development of pathology in both the cervical, and in the thoracic and lumbar spine.
In addition to direct factors, there are also predisposing ones. These include, for example, the age of a person. Against the background of such changes in the body, the likelihood of developing diseases, including the spine, is greatly increased. In addition, women often suffer from osteochondrosis. This is due to their physiological characteristics.
What are the causes of osteochondrosis? The fundamental factors, that is, predisposing to the development of pathology, include:
- Age. Over the years, the human spine undergoes destruction. At the same time, his tissues atrophy, causing dystrophy. This process, unfortunately, is inevitable, but it can be slowed down.
- Lack of exercise. Unfortunately, the more economic progress a state makes, the less mobile its population leads. Today, not only work, but also rest, are associated, as a rule, with a long stay in a sitting position.
- Injuries. A common cause for all types of osteochondrosis is frequent back injury. A similar factor significantly increases the chance of spinal pathology. A particularly common cause of the development of the disease is trauma to the lower back or neck.
- Unbalanced and irrational nutrition. Today, such a factor is the scourge of mankind. In megacities people are constantly in a hurry, because of which a full meal for them becomes simply impossible due to lack of time. A person has to be content with fast food, which causes the development of osteochondrosis. Many other diseases arise due to malnutrition.
What causes osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
This area of the spine is the most vulnerable to pathology, as, however, for any diseases of a degenerative-dystrophic nature. What are the causes of cervical osteochondrosis? The disease in this area is most often formed in people leading a sedentary lifestyle. Based on the statistics, office workers are most affected by it.
According to the frequency of development of pathology of the spine, the cervical region is second only to the lumbar region. Indeed, in the last of them, the development of the disease is promoted not only by inactivity, but also by excessive loads.
Among the causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical region, injuries are often found. Getting out is pretty easy. Indeed, for this, sometimes only a careless movement of the head is enough. It can be, for example, a sharp nod. Especially often, such an injury occurs in the cold season and is caused by spasm of the muscles.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis can be various diseases. For example, spondylosis and scoliosis. Sometimes pathology develops due to spondiolisthesis (prolapse of the vertebra).
Among the causes of cervical osteochondrosis is also called instability of the first vertebra C1. Due to this factor, pathology develops rather rarely, but, nevertheless, such cases also occur in medical practice.
To the list of causes of cervical osteochondrosis, you can add a weak muscle corset of the back. A similar condition also provokes pathology.
The causes of cervical osteochondrosis are sometimes concluded in the incorrect execution of exercises for the neck. It is necessary to pay attention to all those involved in physical education.
According to statistics, as a rule, people older than forty years suffer from the pathology that occurs in the lumbar region. As for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the causes of the pathology provoke its development in 20-30 years. But children from this type of disease are extremely rare.
What causes osteochondrosis of the thoracic region?
This part of the spine is most resistant to various negative factors. The fact is that this segment of the back is the most motionless and has a sufficiently large margin of safety. Nevertheless, the disease sometimes affects him. It is noted that osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is isolated in rare cases. Most often, pathology occurs in the cervicothoracic region. It can be an independent disease. But sometimes the main factor in its development is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The causes of the pathology in this case lie in the progression of the disease. The disease affects the spinal column, spreading to neighboring vertebrae.
The causes of breast osteochondrosis are sometimes severe injuries. They can be straight. This, for example, is a blow delivered directly to the chest area. In addition, indirect injuries are among the causes of thoracic osteochondrosis. In particular, these are cases of falling from a great height. Of the causes of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine , trauma resulting from an accident can be distinguished. In this case, the pathology is usually quite difficult.
Much less often, the causes of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine are transferred infectious diseases. They can become, for example, syphilis and tuberculosis. In such cases, osteochondrosis is not the most dangerous and not the only complication of the disease.
Sometimes a disease develops and treatment of osteochondrosis is required for reasons related to the patient’s nutrition. This occurs, as a rule, with a deficiency of vitamin D and calcium in the daily diet. In such patients, in addition to osteochondrosis, osteoporosis also develops.
The clinical picture of the pathology of the spine, affecting its thoracic segment, is usually mild. Pain in this case occurs not only in the back. They are observed in the thoracic segment, provoking the development of intercostal neuralgia.
What causes osteochondrosis of the lumbar?
This area of the spine is very vulnerable to the development of the disease. The causes of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine lie in exhausting physical labor. That is why this type of ailment in 90% of cases is observed in those people who have to lift weights at work. With such physical exertion, the main impact falls on the lumbar spine.
However, the reasons for lumbar osteochondrosis are not only physical activity. Pathology can occur due to inactivity. Against the backdrop of physical inactivity, the muscular corset of the back gradually atrophies. It ceases to play the role of a depreciation system. In addition, one of the functions of the muscle corset is to unload the back. Nature has envisaged that this system will take on part of the load received (30-40%).
But what if the muscles stop working properly? Then the entire load lies entirely on the spinal column. But he is not designed for such an impact. This is one of the causes of lumbar osteochondrosis. At the same time, doctors argue that lying to a person is more harmful than sitting. Of course, at first glance, this seems paradoxical. However, modern medicine is fully convinced of this. The fact is that over thousands of years of evolution, the human body has already managed to some extent adapt to prolonged sitting. But to adapt to prolonged lying - not yet. Do not recommend doctors and stand for a long time. It can also be called one of the causes of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. Confirmation is the growing percentage of morbidity among consultants and security guards in stores, as well as representatives of other similar professions. In addition, this condition carries the danger of developing varicose veins and phlebitis.
Psychological causes of osteochondrosis
Recently, scientists began to identify the causes of pathology of the spine and in the field of psychosomatics. However, it is worth noting that no major studies on this topic have yet been conducted.
Nevertheless, it was found that chronic stress depresses the immune and autonomic systems. This already serves as one of the causes of osteochondrosis. In addition, people living in constant stress often “seize” it, which is why improper nutrition is increasingly present in their lives. In this regard, degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine also occur, causing the development of osteochondrosis.
Nevertheless, such problems are considered only indirect provocateurs of pathology. Doctors recommend focusing on scientifically proven and serious reasons, the description of which is given above.
Risk group
Any person can develop the disease. However, the degree of risk for each of us is still different. So, one who adheres to a healthy lifestyle has less chance of acquiring spinal disease than, say, a gamer.
At risk for the occurrence of osteochondrosis are those people who are characterized by:
- Leading a sedentary lifestyle. It’s not so important whether they are busy reading, lying in bed, or working in one place, such as watchmen, accountants, etc.
- Maintaining an overly active lifestyle. Such a person experiences tremendous physical exertion, which negatively affects the spine. This is observed among athletes, movers, builders and stuntmen.
- Getting frequent back injuries, including the spine. This problem, as a rule, concerns athletes, especially those involved in various martial arts. Moreover, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and wrestling are considered the most traumatic.
- The presence of hypovitaminosis, iron deficiency or other anemia. The development of osteochondrosis occurs due to a lack of substances that support normal functioning. The regenerative system that prevents the destruction of the spine suffers from this.
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Cervical osteochondrosis can also be recognized by symptoms such as pain in the upper limbs, neck and shoulder. Patients are concerned about tinnitus, loss of sensation in the hands, as well as discomfort in the throat.
Very often, deformation of the intervertebral discs in the cervical segment is manifested by both typical and atypical signs, namely:
- snoring
- tachycardia;
- hoarseness or a change in voice;
- tooth decay;
- numbness of the face and neck.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is manifested by pain in the chest area, which is especially aggravated at night, as well as during physical activity, exhalation and inhalation, hypothermia and walking. If such a person raises his hands, then between his shoulder blades an unpleasant sensation immediately arises.
A characteristic symptom of this type of osteochondrosis is discomfort in the sternum. The patient has the feeling that his ribs are squeezed by an iron hoop. In case of exacerbation of the ailment, the pain does not go away within 2-3 weeks.
Signs of breast osteochondrosis may include:
- digestive system disorders;
- discomfort in the esophagus and pharynx;
- loss of sensation in the abdomen, back and chest;
- fragility of nails;
- peeling of the skin;
- sensations of cold, itching and burning in the lower extremities.
As for the lumbar region, the leading symptom of the pathological condition in this case is pain, which occurs in the lower segment of the spinal column. Uncomfortable sensations appear, as a rule, immediately after physical exertion. Often pain radiates to the leg. Moreover, their intensity sometimes increases in case of a change in body position, for example, when sneezing and coughing, as well as lifting heavy loads.
For self-identification of lumbar osteochondrosis, a person needs to pay attention to such signs of an ailment as:
- varicose veins;
- pallor of the skin on the legs;
- constant tension of the back muscles;
- increased sweating;
- tingling and goosebumps in the legs, as well as chilliness in them;
- drying out of the skin and loss of its sensitivity in the area of localization of pain;
- spasms of the feet.
Lumbar osteochondrosis is accompanied by severe pain due to pinching of the nerve endings. In addition, there is a limitation of patient mobility and numbness of the limbs.
Regardless of the causes and symptoms, osteochondrosis, the treatment of which should be started already at the first stages of the development of the disease, is detected using methods such as radiography, as well as magnetic resonance or computed tomography. They are used to clarify the diagnosis after the initial examination of the patient by a doctor.
The simplest and most affordable way is x-ray. It allows you to see the condition in which the intervertebral discs, bony canals and cartilage are located, as well as determine the pinched nerves.
Osteochondrosis is also diagnosed using computed tomography. This is a modern and fairly accurate method in which the doctor makes high-quality and clear 3D images of the spine. Their study allows you to determine the condition of ligaments, joints and cartilage, the stage of development of pathology and identify hernias. In this case, the patient receives a minimum dose of radiation.
The most modern method for diagnosing osteochondrosis is MRI. Magnetic resonance therapy allows you to get a clear picture due to the effect of a large magnet on the atoms of the cells of the body. Thanks to MRI, the presence of displaced vertebrae and disks, the state of vessels and nerve tissues, intervertebral hernias and the degree of joint damage are determined.
Troubleshooting
How to get rid of spinal pathology? Regardless of the causes of osteochondrosis, treatment should be comprehensive. It necessarily includes all the means that modern medicine has at its disposal. In addition to conservative treatment with pharmacological drugs, doctors use physiotherapeutic procedures, acupuncture, and also recommend physical therapy to their patients. In the most severe cases, surgical operations are performed. With their help, subluxations of the vertebrae and hernia are eliminated.
The patient should keep in mind that, regardless of the causes of osteochondrosis, the treatment of the pathology can be long, and sometimes continue for the rest of his life. In addition to the initial stage of therapy aimed at eliminating the pain syndrome, it is supposed to carry out constant recovery, rehabilitation and preventive procedures.
Doctors advice
Often, patients, having identified the symptoms of osteochondrosis, begin to treat it themselves. Many people try to eliminate pain in the back, lower back or neck on their own. However, doctors note that this stage of treatment is far from the most effective. To eliminate osteochondrosis, you must consult a specialist. The first thing you should visit a local therapist. He will direct the patient to an x-ray and a blood test. You can also immediately after the detection of symptoms of pathology of the spine go to a neurologist. Doctors do not recommend their patients to go to extremes and begin to search for an experienced massage therapist. The fact is that such an effect must be carried out only after an accurate determination of the state of the organism.
Regarding the treatment of osteochondrosis, you can contact a vertebrologist and vertebrologist. These specialists also deal with pathologies of the spinal column.