A therapist with 50 years of experience once said: "When I started working, there were no young patients with osteochondrosis in the country. And today, almost every second of 30-year-olds has this problem. "
Osteochondrosis - a disease caused by the deposition of salts in the spine
Wrong. The intervertebral disc consists of the nucleus pulposus, the annulus fibrosus and the hyaline cartilage that covers it from above and below.
With the destruction of these elements, the balance between the load on the spine and the ability to support it is disrupted. As a result, the vertebrae begin to compress the adjacent nerve and muscle tissue, grow along the edges, forming the so-called. osteophytes, which emit a characteristic crackle when moving (patients mistakenly explain it as "salt deposition").
If the back and neck hurt, then this is exclusively osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is not the only cause of back pain. This diagnosis is often made by the patients themselves. However, in addition to this pathology, which is part of the group of degenerative-dystrophic changes of the spine, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis can also be observed, and the differentiation can only be made after a comprehensive examination.
- Degenerative-dystrophic changes occur in 30-50% of cases at the age of 30-40 years, in 75-100% of people over 40 years old.
- These pathological processes account for 20. 4% of total disability from diseases of the osteoarticular system.
- Long walking is bad for the spine
Vice versa. Motor activity has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the spine: it maintains muscle tone, maintains intervertebral mobility, stimulates blood circulation and metabolism. In the progression of the disease, the "culprits" are hypodynamia and long standing in a particularly uncomfortable position.
Another thing is if an overweight person walks a lot, wears heavy things, then the spine experiences an increased load.
Flat feet contribute to the development of osteochondrosis
Right. The arches of the foot, as well as the physiological curves of the spine, are designed to absorb shock loads when you walk, run, jump. If the leg does not provide adequate protection when interacting with the support, then the spine receives an additional load, which significantly impairs the nutrition and functioning of its structures and accelerates the development of the disease.
Back pain is the only symptom of the disease.
Certainly not in that way. As a rule, patients complain of constant pain in the back, often accompanied by numbness and pain in the limbs. Over time, if not treated, limb muscles atrophy, spinal joints become less mobile, muscle spasms appear.
Such an acute condition occurs due to arterial spasm as a response to the effects of bone growth, as well as due to disc herniation, arthrosis of the intervertebral joint, as a reflex reaction to irritation of spinal receptors.
- If a person suffers from coronary or cardiovascular pathology, then the vertebral artery syndrome will worsen the flow.
- With osteochondrosis of the chest region, the pain in the chest is disturbing (feeling as if a pin was stuck there) - in the area of the heart and other internal organs; with lumbosacral lesions - in the lower back (radiation to the sacrum, lower limbs, sometimes to the pelvic organs).
- If complications of osteochondrosis develop (herniation of intervertebral discs, bone growth, spondylolisthesis, spondylarthrosis), then damage to the nerve roots is observed - pain becomes shooting, sensitivity worsens, weakness appears in the innervated muscles and the severity of reflexes decreases.
- Osteochondrosis can cause dysfunction of various organs and tissues.
With osteochondrosis, the risk of blood circulation disorders in the cerebellar, stem and occipital regions of the brain increases.
A constant headache appears - first in the back of the head, then spreads to the region of the crown and temples, aggravated by neck movements (more often in the morning).
Elderly people with a sharp turn of the head may lose consciousness. This is preceded by dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision and hearing, nausea, vomiting.
Sometimes there is pain in the region of the heart - long, pressing, boring. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, especially in old age and old age, the soft tissues often change - they become denser.
Degenerative processes in the spine can cause congestion in the gastrointestinal tract, disruption of the bronchopulmonary system, which is fraught with inflammatory diseases and others.
Vegetovascular dystonia, intercostal neuralgia - the consequences of osteochondrosis
Certainly not in that way. Osteochondrosis can be one of the reasons (not the only) for the development of these diseases.
When the intervertebral discs are "hidden" and osteophytes grow, the intervertebral foramina, the canal of the vertebral artery narrows and deforms, and this leads to the infringement of various structures.
In particular, when the nerve roots are compressed, signs of intercostal neuralgia appear, and when the vertebral artery is compressed, the same symptoms as with vegetative-vascular dystonia appear.
It is impossible to cure osteochondrosis
Indeed, spinal structures that have undergone degenerative changes cannot be fully restored. However, adequate complex treatment can eliminate the symptoms of the disease, stop the development of pathology and avoid complications.
In case of problems with the intervertebral discs, it is useful to heat the injured points
Wrong. Temperature fluctuations, especially extreme ones (for example, a beginner's trip to the bathroom), can cause a serious deterioration. Moderate thermal procedures are used in complex treatment, but they must be prescribed by a doctor.
If you perform circular movements of the head with osteochondrosis of the cervical region, your health will deteriorate
Right. These exercises are best done for prevention - they help maintain the range of motion in the intervertebral joints. With severe osteochondrosis, careless circular movements can aggravate vertebral artery syndrome, radiculopathy, etc.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are essential for treatment
Not really. During the remission period or when the pain is not strong, conservative therapy (physio-, reflex- and manual) is performed; physical therapy, traction techniques are used. Drug treatment is indicated during an exacerbation and is aimed at relieving pain, easing the inflammatory process and accelerating metabolic processes (intramuscular or intravenous injections).
Among the most effective agents are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are prescribed to relieve inflammation and pain; with severe pain, novocaine blocks are used; steroid drugs (epidural, intramuscular injections); NSAIDs in the form of ointments, gels and creams with analgesic and irritant effects; muscle relaxants - to relieve muscle spasms; B vitamins - to improve metabolic processes in the spine (B1, B6, B12).
Osteochondrosis can lead to serious consequences
Yes. Due to compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots, osteochondrosis can cause paralysis, and if the vertebral artery is damaged, it can cause loss of consciousness.
Exercises to "stretch" the spine help improve the condition
Traction, or traction, allows you to increase the intervertebral space, relieve pain and restore the correct anatomical shape of the spine. However, the individual load must be calculated correctly. The "hit" can lead to reflex contraction of the paravertebral muscles and worsen the condition.
Only a traumatologist-orthopedic has the right to treat osteochondrosis
Wrong. Most patients are seen by a neurologist, with a significant severity of the pathology - by a neurosurgeon or orthopedic vertebrologist.
A local therapist may also prescribe drug therapy to relieve an aggravation.
Spinal osteochondrosis: causes and treatment
Up to 76% of people experience back pain each year. This statistic affects people of all ages and occupations. The causes of pain can be different, one of them is osteochondrosis of the spine.
Due to a sedentary lifestyle, osteochondrosis of the spine is becoming more common, and it is not always possible to defeat it yourself. Let's talk about why it happens and how to treat it.
What is spinal osteochondrosis?
There are several different views on the definition. Some experts believe that it is more correct to use the general name - dorsalgia, or non-specific back pain.
Difficulties in definition are also associated with the fact that a number of specialists work with this disease - neurologists, orthopedists, neurosurgeons and general practitioners.
Sometimes a person diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the spine is referred to a cardiologist, since the manifestations of the disease are very similar to pain in the heart.
The term "osteochondrosis of the spine" was proposed by Hildebrandt in 1933 as a multifactorial degenerative disease of the spinal motion segment (as defined by Popelyansky). What is the range of motion of the spine? These are two vertebrae placed on top of each other, and between them is an intervertebral disc.
Thanks to this articulation, the human spine can bend and flex, flex and rotate. But as a result of various reasons, the intervertebral discs lose their properties, undergo degeneration, and then the changes gradually affect the vertebrae themselves.
That is, the essence of osteochondrosis of the spine is the gradual destruction of the intervertebral discs.
Osteochondrosis can develop in any part of the spine.
Due to the large load, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is more common. The symptoms are:
- back pain, which can be sharp or dull, constant, can increase with movement;
- pain can be given to the legs, pelvic organs, sacrum;
- in severe cases, there may be a violation of sensitivity or mobility, atrophy of the muscles of the lower extremities.
The second most common is cervical osteochondrosis, which is most often associated with an uncomfortable prolonged position of the head, for example, when working on a computer or with documents. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is manifested by the following symptoms:
- headache and dizziness, migraine;
- visual or auditory disturbances, flashing "flies" before the eyes;
- pain can radiate to the back of the head, shoulders, neck;
- possible violation of sensitivity in the hands.
Less often, osteochondrosis affects the thoracic spine, since the vertebrae are passively connected to each other. A lesion in this area can masquerade as heart or lung disease. Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine:
- pain in the back at the level of the shoulder blades, in the chest, which may increase with bending, turning, during inhalation or exhalation;
- skin sensitivity disorders.
Regardless of the level of damage, pain in osteochondrosis of the spine can increase with pressure on those vertebrae that are involved in the process.
With the loss of several departments, we can immediately talk about widespread osteochondrosis of the spine.
Risk factors and causes of the disease
The spine has high strength and the development of the disease requires the action of several provocative factors at once. It is important to understand that most, if not all, of these factors can be influenced by the patient and thereby reduce the likelihood of developing the disease.
- lack of movement - this worsens the blood supply, and therefore the nutrition of all elements of the spine;
- Excessive physical activity is also harmful and can damage the intervertebral discs;
- long standing in the wrong, non-physiological position - the inappropriate height of the table or chair leads to the fact that a person is forced to constantly tilt his head, bending over;
- stress - excessive tension in the muscles can lead to compression of the vessels that feed the spine;
- overweight;
- smoking damages microcirculation in all tissues of the body;
- Insufficient water and protein intake affects, among other things, the condition of the intervertebral discs.
The immediate causes of osteochondrosis of the spine are not always obvious, but the following options can be distinguished:
- hereditary predisposition - genetically programmed features of cartilage and bone tissue, in which the wear process is faster;
- spinal injuries - a number of complications can develop at the site of injury, including osteochondrosis;
- occupational hazards, such as vibration;
- exposure to infections or chemicals;
- natural aging of the body.
People of various professions are at risk for developing osteochondrosis of the spine. These are builders and athletes, surgeons and office workers.
Stages of osteochondrosis and possible complications
The description of the four stages of osteochondrosis of the spine was proposed by Osna in 1971. They are not used to formulate a diagnosis, but allow you to understand how the disease progresses.
- Intervertebral discs become less elastic. The disc may be slightly deformed, there is a displacement of the internal nucleus pulposus within the disc. This stage is either not manifested in any way, or there is little pain.
- In the second stage, cracks may appear in the disc and the surrounding ligaments may weaken. The joint of the vertebrae becomes unstable. There are attacks of acute pain with disability.
- The third stage is characterized by complete damage to the intervertebral disc. When the nucleus pulposus moves away from the disc, a disc herniation occurs. Spinal deformity or nerve root entrapment may occur.
- In the fourth stage, the surrounding tissues are affected - vertebrae, ligaments, spinal membranes. As a result, the vertebral segment can completely lose mobility.
As a result of osteochondrosis of the spine, various complications occur in some cases. Problems with intervertebral discs, herniation and protrusion can lead to narrowing of the spinal canal, compression of the spinal cord and disability.
Depending on the level of the lesion, various problems with nerve root involvement are possible. These are intercostal neuralgia, violations of sensitivity and motor function of the upper and lower extremities, disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. Inflammation of the sciatic nerve, or sciatica, not only causes severe pain, but can also lead to pelvic organ disease and infertility.
In addition to nerve roots, osteochondrosis can compress the vertebral vessels. If blood flow is disturbed in the vertebral arteries that pass through the cervical region and feed the brain, brain disorders, problems with vision or hearing, breathing or cardiac activity may develop.
Approaches to diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis: conventional and alternative methods
In the framework of official medicine, the diagnosis of osteochondrosis includes an examination by a neurologist to determine the degree of nerve root damage, checking reflexes and sensitivity.
Among the instrumental methods, the following can be used:
- Ultrasound of the vessels allows you to identify the degree of blood circulation disorders, for example, in the vertebral arteries;
- X-ray of the spine;
- CT also uses radiological methods, but allows you to build a three-dimensional image of the area under study, to identify even small displacements of the vertebrae;
- MRI specializes in the study of soft tissues, allows you to assess the condition of the spinal cord, visualize the internal structure of the intervertebral disc.
For differential diagnosis, laboratory tests, a general blood and urine test and indicators of calcium metabolism are used.
Osteochondrosis therapy is complex.
- The first and very important tool in the treatment of osteochondrosis is lifestyle. Normalization of working conditions, moderate and regular exercise, as well as healthy sleep significantly improve the condition of patients.
- For the drug treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, a neurologist or a general practitioner can prescribe medications. Most often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed - this is the standard treatment for spinal osteochondrosis. They reduce pain and reduce inflammation. Muscle relaxants help reduce muscle spasm. Vitamins and antioxidants are prescribed to protect nerve tissue from damage. However, every drug has side effects, for example, NSAIDs can negatively affect the stomach.
- In addition to medicines, physiotherapy is used, for example, massage for osteochondrosis of the spine, as well as manual therapy. In severe complications of osteochondrosis, surgery may be required, but it is prescribed only if there is no effect from long-term conservative treatment.
Treatment of osteochondrosis in classical medicine is in most cases a long process and can have negative effects on human health.
So, a number of drugs, especially analgesics and muscle relaxants (especially with a sedative effect), can cause addiction, and some drugs negatively affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Alternatively, you can consider methods that are used, for example, in traditional Chinese medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine is very popular all over the world, in many countries there are special centers and training courses. Approaches and methods of therapy in the Celestial Empire differ from the usual European approach to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
All diseases are considered a violation of the balance and movement of Qi energy in the body, and therapeutic measures are aimed at restoring this balance. In China, various medicinal herbs, animal ingredients, minerals are used, as well as various methods of external influence such as acupuncture and acupressure.
These techniques have a wide range of indications and a minimal number of side effects.
Acupuncture
Synonyms for this method are acupuncture, reflexology. The principle of acupuncture treatment is the placement of needles on bioactive points. Each point is related to the organ on which the impact was made.
Reflexology allows you to relieve tension and muscle spasms, has an anesthetic effect, helps reduce pain. The method is safe, as most doctors use disposable sterile needles.
And in the case of using needles coated with gold or silver, they must be sterilized without fail. Feelings during the procedure depend on individual sensitivity, the patient may experience tingling or numbness.
It is important that the procedure is performed by a qualified specialist with extensive experience. Improper placement of the needle will be useless or even harmful. In some cases, acupuncture is combined with exposure to weak doses of electric current.
Moxibustion
This is a specific way to influence the active points with the help of special wormwood cigars. The principle of action is similar to acupuncture and is often used in combination. A burning cigar is placed on the body in a special wooden house, while the active points are heated. Wormwood has a disinfecting, soothing and relaxing effect.
This method is safe because the lit part of the cigar does not come into contact with the skin, although in some parts of China direct methods that work on the skin are used.
Massage
Massage therapy in China is practiced by several different schools. They use rotation techniques, pressing with one finger, manual therapy methods. Traditional massage techniques allow you to train muscles and joints, as well as indirectly affect other organs and tissues and help increase the body's defenses.
qigong
Traditional Chinese gymnastics, like massage, has several schools. Qigong movements, smooth, stretched and twisted, are excellent as exercises for the spine with osteochondrosis.
Qigong techniques do not require special equipment and can be performed at home.
However, before that, it is good to choose the right exercises with your doctor, as well as work out the correct execution technique under the guidance of a qualified specialist.
The level of science and medicine in China is very high, the combination of tradition and innovation gives amazing results. An example of the achievements of Chinese science are the methods of DNA therapy and DNA vaccines - these are the methods that are currently being used to develop cancer treatments and fight HIV.
Osteochondrosis of the spine in the elderly. Features of rehabilitation
People age differently: some have a clear mind, are optimistic about life situations and are cheerful. Others, having passed retirement age, lose interest in life.
- The rate of aging of the body depends on many factors, these are:
- 1) the genetic program for the development and decay of the organism;
- 2) the impact on a person of various, unfavorable life events.
- A negative effect on a person is caused by poor housing conditions, harmful working conditions, living in an unfavorable climate, the inability to receive full medical and social assistance in time, an unhealthy lifestyle (malnutrition, habitsbad things and prolonged emotional stress. ).
- When organizing treatment and rehabilitation measures for the elderly, it is necessary to take into account age-related and functional changes in this period of life.
- With aging, the volume of muscle mass decreases, muscle contractility weakens, changes occur in all parts of the spine.
Cervical osteochondrosis. The initial stage of the disease does not require special treatment. Standard preventive measures are able to cope with the pathology at this stage.
The greatest risk is the violation of the blood circulation of the brain, leading to a general disorder of functions and the formation of numerous foci of brain tissue necrosis.
prevention
Regardless of the chosen treatment methods, the prevention of osteochondrosis plays an equally important role. What can be done for spine health:
- drink enough water;
- control the weight, do not overdo it;
- choose the right shoes, if necessary - orthopedic insoles;
- choose a good mattress for sleep, not too soft and giving enough support to the spine;
- eat foods rich in collagen (fish, turkey, aspic, various jellies);
- do regular exercise;
- adjust the height of the desktop and the chair, taking into account growth.
In terms of alternative methods of prevention, massage, qigong and acupuncture have all worked well, for reasons that are quite understandable and described above.
It is important to remember that back pain can and should be treated. To change the lifestyle, it is not necessary to wait for the first signs of the disease.
Now you can get up from the computer, stretch your neck, include walks or massages in your to-do list.
And if osteochondrosis of the spine has become a problem that prevents you from living in peace, then the joint efforts of science and traditional medicine will help restore health and the joy of movement.