What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it? Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region. Causes of osteochondrosis

What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it? It is these issues that we will devote to today's article. In addition, your attention will be provided with information on why this disease occurs, what are its symptoms and severity.

What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it?

The word "osteochondrosis" comes from two Greek words - osteo and chondros, which literally translates as "bone" and "cartilage", respectively. Thus, this disease is characterized by dystrophic disorders in articular cartilage. 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 disturbances are located, in medical practice it is customary to allocate lumbar, thoracic or cervical osteochondrosis. It should also be noted that in the English-language literature on medicine the term osteochondrosis refers to completely different orthopedic diseases, which in our country are called osteochondropathies.

Pathogenesis

What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it? As is known, experts attribute a sedentary lifestyle to the root cause of this disease, because of which dystrophic and degenerative processes develop in the articular cartilages.

In the process of growing up in the intervertebral discs, the vascular bed is physiologically reduced in humans. In this regard, their diet is diffusely, as a result of which the recovery of the patient after loads and injuries is greatly complicated. It should also be noted that the inadequacy of the diet is even more affecting osteochondrotic processes. In this case, cartilage begins to lose its strength and elasticity, changing their consistency and shape.

Negatively, intervertebral discs are affected by unsymmetrical and irrational muscle work. Usually this happens with insufficient warm-up, incorrect habitual poses, wearing heavy bags on the shoulder, using too soft mattresses and pillows. In addition, a platypodia can be a stimulant of such a pathology. After all, if the foot is unable to provide proper damping during the interaction with the support, then this function has to be carried out by the spinal column.

Excess weight also contributes to the occurrence of osteochondrosis. This is due to the fact that a large fat mass, deposited in various parts of the body, begins to greatly complicate the support of equilibrium, which subsequently leads to an 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 years of age.

The aggravation of osteochondrosis and its development occur against a background of various back injuries, dynamic and static overloads, and also vibrations. The older the person becomes, the more such manifestations he has. However, it should be noted that in recent decades more and more young people (18-30 years old) are turning to doctors complaining of severe back pain. The reasons for this early manifestation of this disease are many. This may be a weak physical preparation, and the curvature of the spine, and the violation of posture, and excessive weight, and flat feet, etc. In addition, osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, cervical or thoracic may occur due to:

• Hereditary predisposition;
• Smoking;
• Metabolic, infection or intoxication;
• Nervous overstrain, stressful situations;
• Excess weight;
• Abrupt termination of regular training by professional athletes;
• Malnutrition (lack of trace elements and liquid);
• Age changes;
• Spinal injuries (fractures or bruises);
• Disorders of posture, curvature of the spine, hypermobility (or instability) of segments of the spine, flat feet;
• Pregnancy;
• Unevenly developed musculoskeletal system;
• Adverse environmental conditions;
• Overload of the spine, associated with foot diseases, and also after wearing uncomfortable shoes (for example, on high heels);
• Sedentary lifestyle;
• Excessive physical exertion;
• Lifting and carrying of weights, as well as due to the performance of other work, which significantly increases the load on the spine and the pressure in the discs;
• Prolonged exposure to uncomfortable poses in the sitting, standing or lying position;
• Work associated with lifting weights, frequent changes in the positions of the trunk (jerky movements, twists, bends and extensions).

Osteochondrosis of the spine: severity of the disease

Know what degrees of osteochondrosis exist, it is very important. Because of this, you can recognize the disease in time and immediately begin to treat it.

In medical practice, 4 degrees of this pathological condition

1. The first degree - intervertebral disc a little, but thickens. In this case, the patient has a slight increase in hook-shaped processes, as well as the presence of small exostoses. The lumbar lordosis itself can straighten.
2. The second degree - the state of the spine is unstable. The patient is observed narrowing of the holes between the vertebrae and the vertebral canal itself. All these factors lead to a decrease in the height of the disks.
3. The third degree is the most difficult. There are more serious changes: a strong narrowing of the intervertebral openings and the spinal canal. As a result of such pathologies, a hernia can form.
4. The fourth degree is a consequence of treatment of the third degree, that is, a rehabilitative one. The patient only has spondylolisthesis.

Symptoms of the disease

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, cervical or thoracic has a fairly pronounced symptoms, namely such as:

• Permanent pain in the back, shoulders, chest, waist and arms that are noisy;
• Feeling of aches and numbness in the limbs;
• Decreased reflexes;
• Hypotrophy;
• Noises in the head;
• hypotension;
• Increased pain when lifting weights, physical activity, sudden movements, sneezing and coughing;
• Muscle spasms and so on.

Diagnosis of the disease

As a rule, a preliminary diagnosis of this disease is made at the first examination of the patient. It should be conducted only by an experienced neurologist. Usually, the patient's spine is examined in sitting, standing and lying positions, both in motion and at rest. When examining the patient's back, special attention is paid to his posture and features of the structure of the trunk. In addition, note the muscle tension, which are located next to the spine.

To establish the correct diagnosis, specialists use not only external examination, but also radiography, as well as computer or magnetic resonance imaging. With the help of them, you can determine the level of damage and hidden pathologies.

Treatment of the disease

What is osteochondrosis and how to treat it? As a rule, therapy of this disease is carried out at home. For example, a patient is very useful massage. In addition, the osteochondrosis of any part of the spine is treated with conservative methods, which are aimed at eliminating soreness, disturbing the functioning of the spinal roots, and also to prevent the progress of dystrophic changes. If conservative therapy is ineffective, then surgery is performed.

It should be specially noted that the duration of treatment of this disease depends on its degree, the age of the patient, the methods used and the patient's conscientious implementation of the recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor.

The main methods of therapy

Conservative complex for osteochondrosis includes therapeutic physical training, massage, physiotherapy, stretching of the spine, reflexology, as well as manual and medicamental therapy. To understand what actions each method implies, consider them in more detail.

Physiotherapy

Physical training in osteochondrosis is the main method of conservative therapy of this disease. It consists in creating dosage loads that are aimed at strengthening and correcting the muscular corset, decompressing the nerve roots, developing a certain stereotype of movements and increasing their volume.

Physiotherapy

With this method of treatment, low-frequency currents, ultrasound, magnetic fields, laser, etc. are used. As a rule, they are used to relieve pain syndrome and inflammatory processes.

Massage

This method effectively removes muscle pain, tension, improves blood circulation, and also has a tonic effect. Perform massage should only an experienced specialist.

Manual therapy

The manual effect on the musculoskeletal system is directed to the removal of chronic and acute pains in the joints and spine, as well as to correct posture and increase the volume of movements.

Spine Extraction

This is a fairly effective method of treating and eliminating pain in the joints and spine. It is carried out by means of an individually selected load with the use of special equipment. This procedure is aimed at relieving pain, increasing the intervertebral space and restoring the correct form of the spine.

Reflexology

To this method of treatment include various techniques and methods, due to which there is an impact on the reflexogenic zones and acupuncture points. Reflexotherapy in combination with other methods of therapy significantly increases their effectiveness.

Medication

This method is shown in the period of exacerbation of the disease and aims to stop unpleasant symptoms, relieve inflammation and enhance metabolic processes through the introduction or taking of medications.