Forestier disease, or ankylosing hyperostosis, is a disease caused not by parasites, viruses or bacteria, but by a malfunction of the body. The disease occurs with excessive formation of bone tissue in the ligaments and tendons. The deposition of calcium salts between the vertebral discs reduces the mobility of the spine, starting from the cervical and thoracic and gradually spreading to other areas.
Forestier disease: what is it?
First, where the ligaments and tendons adjoin the vertebral discs, cartilage tissue forms , which gradually transforms into bone. As a result, with the advanced stage of the disease, calcium salts create a shell up to 1.5 cm thick around the spine. Until recently, it was believed that Forestier disease affects only the spine, but after careful research it was found that other parts of the musculoskeletal system are also affected.
For the first time, a disease such as ankylosing hyperostosis was discovered by the French Forestier, who is engaged in research in the field of neurology, at the end of the 20th century. There are few cases of such a disease, and most of the cases are men over the age of 40 years. Although among the diseased, women and young men still occur.
Origin of the name of the disease
Hyperostosis (translated from Greek as "enlargement" and "bone") is characterized by excessive formation of bone substance. Ankylosis (translated from Greek as "numbness") means the immobility and solidification of any part of the musculoskeletal system. Ankylosing hyperostosis - stiffness of the musculoskeletal system at the junction of tendons and ligaments.
Symptoms of the disease
Forestier disease, the symptoms of which are easily confused with the symptoms of other diseases of the musculoskeletal system, begins to manifest itself from the cervical or other spine. It is in these places that the first signs of hyperostosis are noticed, which are manifested in stiffness of movements and a sharp decrease in the flexibility of the affected areas. Less often, patients complain of mild pain, but short-term pain can also appear in the elbow, heel, pelvic and other bones.
Most often, symptoms occur in the morning or evening hours. Such time intervals are explained by the fact that in the morning the spine is inactive due to prolonged stay in the same position during sleep, and in the evening the musculoskeletal system loses its flexibility due to overwork during the working day. In what other cases does Forestier disease manifest itself? Symptoms appear after excessive load on sore joints or prolonged stay in one position.
Sometimes this disease to the last stages proceeds without any visible manifestations. But it happens the opposite: signs appear ten years before changes can be seen on x-rays.
Forestier disease of the cervical region is characterized by the appearance of neoarthrosis with spike-like outgrowths of bone tissue. Because of this, a person who has a pathology in this part of the spine is faced with discomfort when swallowing food. If the disease affects the thoracic region, then a deformation of the wall of the stomach occurs, which interferes with the passage of food, causes sore throat and bad breath. When bone formations compress the back with the brain, neurological disorders occur, although such manifestations of the disease are extremely rare.
In places of formation of excess bone tissue, inflammation may appear.
Symptoms in which you should consult a doctor with suspected Forestier disease
- The inactivity of the affected areas.
- A sharp decrease in the flexibility of the spine at the beginning and end of the day.
- Rare pains in the elbow and heel joints and in the hip bones.
- Noticeable bulge of the spine inward.
- Discomfort when swallowing food.
- Stomach problems in the absence of ulcers or gastritis.
- Pain in joints of ligaments and tendons with bones.
Causes of the disease
Due to the fact that ankylosing hyperostosis is a rather rare disease, the causes of its occurrence are poorly understood. It is known that most often this disease affects people over the age of 40 years. Some doctors believe that this defect occurs due to the natural aging of tissues and bones, which over time begin to function incorrectly.
Others consider the disease to be the result of a prolonged presence in the body of an inflamed focus of infection. It is believed that diseases that can give impetus to hyperostosis are tuberculosis, purulent otitis media, sinusitis and other infectious ailments.
This trend is known: people who are obese or have a well-developed muscular system often acquire Forestier disease. Death directly from this disease cannot occur.
Diagnosis of the disease using x-rays
In order to detect Forestier disease, X-rays are used most often. Doctors who treat abnormalities of this type are orthopedists and traumatologists. After examining the spine with x-rays and identifying ossified areas, the doctor draws conclusions about the presence of the disease. Despite the fact that Forestier’s disease, whose MRI examination significantly increases the chances of detecting it in the early stages, usually significantly alters the structure of the spine, still sometimes this deviation cannot be detected by the most modern methods for decades.
In the first stages, ankylosing hyperostosis on x-rays is practically no different from spondylosis. You can confidently talk about Forestier disease only if you find ossified areas in several sections of the musculoskeletal system. But in this case, it is easy to confuse it with ankylosing spondylitis.
The main differences between ankylosing spondylitis and forestier
Forestier disease is characterized by:
- The formation of bone tissue in the region of the vertebral discs.
- And in the first and in the last stages, neither osteoporosis, nor a change in blood analysis, nor joint damage in the sacral region are observed.
- All patients are in advanced age.
Ankylosing spondylitis is characterized by:
- Vertebrae change their shape, becoming a rectangle with sharp corners.
- Narrow bridges of bone tissue are laid through the vertebrae.
- Osteoporosis is present.
- Pathology of the joints in the sacrum.
- Blood tests are getting worse.
- Most patients first experience this problem at a young age.
Side radiography
If you suspect Forestier disease, a lateral radiography is mandatory. It allows you to identify excessive deposition of calcium salts not only in the intervertebral discs (as, for example, with osteochondrosis), but also directly in the vertebral bodies themselves. It is important to study the disease using x-ray in the dynamics, since with spondylosis, excessive formation of bone substance occurs once and soon ceases. At Forestier, on the contrary, calcification is progressively increasing for a long time. In the late stages of the disease, x-rays show bedding up to 1.5 cm thick.
Laboratory research
To accurately identify the pathology, some tests are also taken, the results of which make it possible to verify the correctness of the diagnosis. With Forestier disease, blood tests do not show any inflammatory processes. A slight increase in glucose may be observed. C-reactive proteins and rheumatoid factors are absent.
Drug treatment
So far, the reason for the occurrence of Forestier disease has not been identified. Treatment for this reason is symptomatic. With the help of medications, they try to eliminate unpleasant sensations when moving. With severe pain, patients are prescribed glucocorticoid drugs and analgesics. Also use anti-inflammatory ointments (Indomethacin, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Voltaren, etc.).
Non-drug treatment
The disease occurs due to improper metabolism, therefore, in the foci of infection, the calcium content is excessive, and in other bones of the body there is a lack of it. Doctors recommend food to patients where calcium-rich foods predominate.
If you are struck by Forestier disease, disability is a very real outcome with untimely treatment.
Of the methods associated with physical exposure, the following are considered the most effective:
- Therapeutic gymnastics, which must be given at least half an hour daily, is recommended for all patients with a diagnosis of "Forestier disease" (photos of some exercises and the order of execution are presented in the next section).
- Therapeutic massage by a professional masseur.
- Reflexology.
- Magnetotherapy.
- Laser Therapy
- Ultraphonophoresis.
There are alternative methods of dealing with ankylosing hyperostosis. Here is some of them:
- For severe pain, it is recommended to rub the tincture on alcohol and birch buds. To prepare it, take 1 liter of vodka or alcohol and 1 glass of birch buds, mix and place for a week in a dark place.
- To improve your condition, you should drink a glass of natural birch juice a day.
- It is also useful to use means that increase immunity, so that the body has the strength to fight the disease. Mix 20 grams of kvass powder with a glass of birch sap, 5 grams of grated horseradish and three grams of yeast, leave the mixture until a rich foam appears, add a tablespoon of honey. Drink three times a day before meals, 1 tablespoon.
- In places where foci of infection have been identified, before bedtime, rub a mixture of fox fat with vegetable oil in a ratio of 1: 1.
- Every day, take 2 grams of propolis by mouth.
Approximate complex of medical gymnastics
- Sitting on the rug, take 3 breaths and 3 exhalations, while inhaling gradually raising your hands, while exhaling - lowering.
- Sit on your knees with your hands on your body and resting them on the floor. Make ten bends, trying to touch the forehead of the knees.
- Remaining in the same position, bend as far back as possible, and then lean forward as low as possible, as if making a torso wave. Repeat the exercise 10 times, at the end linger, bending backward for 30 seconds.
- Kneel down and place your palms behind your toes so that your fingers touch your toes. Without lifting your legs, begin to arch your back. Try to reach the navel as high as possible, and with your shoulders as far as possible, lingering in this position for 10 seconds. Repeat exercise 10 times. Last time, stay in this position for as long as possible.
- Get on all fours. Bending your back, slowly sit on your knees, without lifting your palms from the floor. Slowly return to starting position, also without lifting your palms. Round your back and begin to bend it slowly until you completely lie down on the floor. Remember that palms should not be torn off the floor. Repeat exercise 10 times.
- Lie on the floor on your stomach, put your hands bent at the elbows, perpendicular to the floor. Without lifting your palms from the floor, straighten your arms until only one palms remain on the floor. In this position, bend your back as much as possible. Hold this position for a minute.
- Lie on your stomach, while raising your arms, legs and chest. Ideally, only the stomach should remain on the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Lie on your stomach, arms and legs extended. Rest in this position for 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise. Alternating exercise and rest, repeat this step 5 times.
- Stand on all fours and straighten your legs and arms at the same time, your body should look like a triangle. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Sit on the floor, stretch out your arms and bend down, trying to touch your forehead with your legs. Hold the position as long as possible.
These exercises for the treatment of Forestier disease are enough to do three times a week.