Back pain, which overtakes at the most inopportune moment, is familiar to many. At this moment, the person faces only one task - to quickly get rid of the unbearable pain syndrome. Next, we consider one of the common diseases - sciatica, symptoms, causes, types, and treatment of pathology.
What is a disease?
Radiculitis is a pathology of the musculoskeletal system, in which compression of the nerve endings occurs, which provokes severe bouts of pain. Usually this is not an independent disease, but a consequence of degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system.
Radiculitis most often manifests its symptoms in the lumbar spine, which is associated with a large load on this part of the spinal column during any movements.
Types of disease
Radiculitis is classified taking into account the reasons that provoked it:
- The primary form is distinguished in which the disease develops against the background of inflammation of the spinal roots.
- Secondary sciatica is a pinched nerve ending.
There is another approach to the classification of radiculitis, considering pain, distinguish:
- Lumbar ischialgia. It manifests itself as severe pain, which gradually grows and gives to the leg and buttocks.
- Sciatica. One of the symptoms of radiculitis is pain, reminiscent of an electric shock. The patient feels a burning sensation, a tingling sensation that radiates to the lower leg and back of the thigh.
- Lumbago. It is observed against the background of displacement of the vertebrae as a result of the development of hernias or muscle strain.
Given the symptoms of radiculitis and the causes, the doctor prescribes treatment.
Causes of the disease
They can be divided into several groups, taking into account the origin:
- Diseases that provoke inflammatory processes in the nerve roots.
- Pathologies of the spinal column, as a result of which symptoms of lumbar radiculitis are observed, and treatment will be aimed at eliminating them.
- Violations in the internal systems of the body, which leads to the development of radiculitis.
The first group of causes can be attributed to various infections, the provocateurs of which are viruses or pathogenic bacteria.
The second group of causes of radiculitis includes:
- Pathological changes in the bone tissue of the spine and its deformation as a result of infectious diseases (spondylitis).
- Osteochondrosis. It develops as a result of metabolic disorders of calcium in the bones and the formation of growths on the vertebrae.
- Herniated discs.
- Ankylosing spondylitis, in which there is a systemic lesion not only of the spine, but also of the joints.
- Musculoskeletal injuries.
- Spinal curvature.
The third group of causes, signs of radiculitis, will certainly provoke, includes pathologies that are not directly related to the spine:
- Long stressful situations.
- Exhausting physical exertion, especially with heavy lifting.
- Disorders in the endocrine system: diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, bazedova disease.
- Excess weight, increasing several times the load on the spine.
- Lack of motor activity.
- Hypothermia of the body, provoking inflammatory processes.
Most often, signs of radiculitis are provoked by causes from different groups.
The first manifestations of radiculitis
The main symptom of the pathology is acute pain that occurs during movements. After contacting a doctor, a patient is examined, during which the following symptoms of lumbar radiculitis are detected, treatment is then selected by a specialist taking into account all the nuances:
- The spinal muscles are tense.
- When pressing on the spinous processes, pain is felt, extending to the buttocks.
- The skin becomes pale in color and becomes cold along the location of the affected nerve.
- There is increased sweating.
- Sensitivity is disturbed.
At the first stage of the development of the disease, the symptoms of lumbar radiculitis in women and men are specific:
- Symptom Legas. The pain increases sharply when standing on the back and when raising the leg, in which soreness was felt.
- Symptom of ankylosing spondylitis. When changing a lying position to a sitting position, reflex bending of the leg from the affected side occurs.
- Symptom Nerl. When the head is tilted, the pain in the thigh sharply increases.
- Symptom Dejerine. Pain sensations intensify with sneezing, coughing.
- Symptom Bonn. On the part of the lesion, smoothing of the gluteal fold is observed.
With the development of symptoms of radiculitis, patients complain of unbearable pain, so they try to take a forced position, bending to the sick side.
Manifestations of pathology in subsequent stages of development
If untreated, the symptoms of lumbosacral radiculitis are aggravated and the following symptoms join:
- When the head is tilted, the pain in the back, lower leg and thigh sharply increases.
- Progresses mobility restriction.
- With the abduction of the sore leg to the side, a sharp pain appears in the back of the thigh.
- When trying to sit upright with straight legs, sharp pain appears.
- If you press on the midline of the abdomen below the navel, then pain appears.
Symptoms of radiculitis of the thoracic and lumbosacral regions are not much different, but the pathology quickly turns into a chronic form, which periodically worsens. Acute symptoms worry for 2-3 weeks, then the disease subsides again.
Pathology diagnostics
Symptoms of radiculitis cause various causes, but the doctor must conduct a complete diagnosis to prescribe treatment. Many methods are used for this:
- Collection and analysis of the patient's history.
- It turns out in the patient how long the disease worries.
- The doctor performs an external examination by palpation to determine the affected vertebra and the site of inflammation.
- A blood test will show the presence of inflammation in the body. With an increased content of leukocytes and an increase in ESR, this can be confirmed with certainty.
- Urinalysis eliminates renal failure, which can give back pain in the lower back.
- X-ray gives information about the location of the pinched nerve.
- CT determines the site of inflammation.
- Electromyography allows you to diagnose spinal nerves.
After the symptoms of radiculitis are identified and the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor prescribes therapy.
First aid for an attack of radiculitis
In the event of a sharp pain in the form of lumbago, it is important to provide first aid and reduce pain. Before the doctor arrives, you must:
- Give the patient an NSAID tablet or give an injection of the drug. You can use: "Diclofenac", "Ortofen."
- Lay the patient on a hard surface and place a roller or pillow under bent legs.
After stopping the pain, further therapy is required.
Radiculitis treatment
Symptoms and signs of the disease after first aid are sure to return if you do not undergo therapy. A vertebrologist is involved in the treatment of the disease, but you can contact an orthopedic traumatologist or neurologist. The course is selected taking into account the age of the patient, the severity of symptoms and the condition of the musculoskeletal system.
Therapy has the following goals:
- Remove pain.
- Drown out the inflammatory process.
- Establish nutrition of spinal discs and nerve endings.
- Eliminate spasm of muscle fibers.
Therapy includes the following areas:
- Drug treatment.
- Physiotherapy.
- Massage.
- Physiotherapy exercises.
- Surgical intervention.
Drug therapy
During exacerbation of radiculitis, it is important to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, so the doctor prescribes the following groups of drugs:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In the early days, you can recommend injections: "Meloxicam", "Arthrosan." After 3-5 days, you need to switch to tablets: Nimesulide, Piroxicam. They should be taken only after a meal, as they have a negative effect on the gastric mucosa.
- Muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasm. This group includes: "Midokalm", "Sirdalud."
- It is necessary to take vitamins: “Combilipen”, “Pentovit”.
- In acute pain, blockades with glucocorticosteroids, Lidocaine, are effective.
- To improve blood circulation, injections are prescribed: Cinnarizine, Trental.
In addition to medicines for internal use, treatment can be supplemented with external ointments and gels:
- Capsicum.
- "Fastum gel."
- Ortofen.
- Ointment "Viprosal."
- Menavazin.
External funds must be applied to the skin, rubbing with light massaging movements in the morning and evening.
After removing the attacks of acute pain, other methods can be added to the treatment.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
If the causes are known, the symptoms of radiculitis and its treatment have already been started with drugs, then physiotherapy will only help. The main procedures include:
- Electrophoresis During the procedure, drugs are delivered to the site of pathological processes.
- Ultrasound treatment
- Magnetotherapy.
- Laser treatment.
The course of procedures allows you to reduce pain, improve blood flow, tissue nutrition and accelerate recovery.
Manual therapy
To restore spinal mobility, it is recommended to visit a chiropractor. Several sessions will relieve pain, improve mobility. The doctor uses several methods in his work:
- Push mobilization. The procedure is accompanied by a crunch or clicks, but for the patient it is completely painless.
- Spinal traction. Displacements of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs can be eliminated; small hernias are also removed.
To conduct such procedures, it is important to find a good specialist, otherwise you can only worsen the condition.
Acupuncture
This is another effective method of eliminating symptoms and treating radiculitis, while the causes of the disease do not play a special role. According to some data that were obtained during the research, the effect of acupuncture is many times greater than drug treatment.
This method is based on the introduction of special needles in biologically active points. As a result, the body starts the production of endorphins by the brain. As a result of the procedure:
- Metabolism improves.
- Blood circulation is normalized.
- The body's defenses are activated.
An acupuncture specialist twists the needles to different depths, using from 1 to 5 needles per point. The procedure takes up to 20 minutes. The duration of treatment is at least two weeks.
Physiotherapy
With diseases of the spine, no treatment can do without a complex of physiotherapy exercises. For each patient, the doctor selects a set of exercises, taking into account the severity of the pathology, concomitant diseases. Exercise therapy has the following therapeutic effects:
- The microcirculation of blood improves, which contributes to the normalization of nutrition and oxygen supply to tissues.
- Muscle corset is strengthened.
- Compression is reduced as a result of load redistribution.
- Metabolic processes are activated.
- Degenerative-dystrophic destruction in the spinal canal is slowed down.
- Fabrics become more elastic.
When performing the complex, it is important that the movements do not hurt. It is necessary to perform slowly, smoothly, without jerking and regularly. Only in this way will classes have a positive effect.
Surgical intervention
If the measures taken do not help, treatment does not give results, then you have to resort to surgery. Most often, surgeons use:
- Microdisectomy. The method is used if an attack of radiculitis is provoked by a hernia of the intervertebral disc. During the operation, the surgeon removes part of the protruded disc. The positive outcome of such operations is up to 95%.
- Lumbar Laminectomy Used for spinal stenosis, when the patient is unable to tolerate physical activity. During surgery, part of the bone or disc is removed, which compresses the nerve endings.
As a rule, the decision on the operation is made by the patient, but doctors can urgently send the patient to the operating table, if the patient has weakness in the legs, there is a loss of control over urination or bowel movement.
Folk recipes
After conservative methods, the symptoms of radiculitis subsided, and his treatment at home can be continued with the use of folk remedies.
For rubbing or compresses, folk healers recommend using:
- Squeeze the juice from the black radish and rub into sore spots until a burning sensation appears.
- Mix horseradish juice and water in equal proportions and use for grinding.
- Apply chopped garlic in a gauze bag to the lower back.
- Mix wine vinegar with blue clay and apply it on your back once a day for a couple of hours.
- Prepare a nettle infusion on vodka and use it to prepare compresses daily 1-2 times for two hours.
- Apply honey in a thick layer to the sore spot, put a napkin and mustard on top and leave for 1.5 hours or until a strong burning sensation appears.
- Heat the salt with propolis tincture and attach to the lower back, keep until cool.
After any of the listed procedures, the place should be greased with cream or oil and wrapped well with a warm scarf or scarf.
There are also tools that are recommended to be used internally to accelerate the healing process by removing excess salt from the body:
- In 500 ml of water, pour 3 tablespoons of aspen bark and cook. Until the volume is reduced by half. Add honey to taste and take 50 ml three times a day.
- Fill the third part of a half liter jar with fresh leaves of lingonberry and pour vodka. Insist a few days in the sun and take 30 ml three times a day.
- Take two parsley roots, cut into circles, pour 400 ml of water and put on fire. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. For half an hour, insist, strain and take before meals for 30 minutes.
Folk healers are also advised to use the capabilities of the Russian bath. It is necessary to steam up well and rub the laundry soap in the lower back. After the procedure, you need to go to bed, wrapping your lower back well.
The consequences of sciatica
If you do not undergo a comprehensive treatment of the disease, which has become a provoking factor in radiculitis, then the situation will worsen and everything can end badly:
- Compression fractures.
- Chronic inflammatory processes with acute pain.
- Limitation of mobility.
- Violation of the genitourinary system.
- Disability.
Only a timely visit to a specialist will prevent such consequences.
Radiculitis Prevention
If it is impossible to completely exclude the pathology of the spine, then there is every chance to significantly reduce the likelihood of their development. If there are congenital abnormalities in the musculoskeletal system, then preventive measures will prevent the development of complications. Recommendations of specialists are as follows:
- If you have a heavy physical load on the spine and especially on the lumbar, then use a belt, orthopedic corset or bandage.
- Do not lift weights, do not move furniture alone. When wearing heavy items, distribute the load evenly in both hands.
- Exercise regularly for your back. They help strengthen the muscle corset, which reduces the load on the spine.
- Necessarily proper and rational nutrition. Less fast foods, fatty and smoked foods, and more fresh vegetables, fruits, low-fat meats and fish. Necessarily lactic acid products, nuts, honey.
- Constant weight control. Extra pounds put a heavy burden on the spine.
- If work is associated with prolonged sitting at a computer monitor or at a table with papers, then get up and do warm-up periodically.
- After 40 years, it is recommended to visit a neurologist, vertebrologist annually to monitor the condition of the spine. Protrusion, osteochondrosis, spondylosis are much easier to cure in the early stages of development.
- Timely treat violations in the work of the organs of the endocrine system, if there is diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, then visit a doctor and follow all his recommendations.
- To treat any infectious diseases, to prevent their transition to chronic forms.
All these recommendations are not so complicated, but we often neglect them. When the disease makes itself felt, most often we do not rush to see a specialist, but try to alleviate our condition with alternative methods, analgesics. But we must always remember that jokes with the spine are bad, its pathologies, without timely treatment, end in tears, often in a wheelchair.
Take your health more carefully, then until the most advanced years you can feel the joy of life.