Osteochondrosis is a common degenerative-dystrophic lesion affecting intervertebral discs, adjacent vertebrae and adjacent ligaments.
The disease does not develop immediately, progressing for many years, and the onset can occur at a very young age (18-20 years), and has several stages:
- Stage I – "cracks" in the fibrous ring and in the interstitial movement of the nucleus pulposus, but there are still no radiological signs;
- Stage II - the nucleus pulposus continues to deteriorate, the height of the disc decreases, "the fibrous ring dries up", the affected intervertebral joint becomes unstable, and to compensate for this, there is constant tension on the back muscles, which causes pain and"overwork", signs of osteochondrosis are visible on x-rays;
- Stage III - the disc ruptures, the nucleus pulposus forms a prolapsed hernia, the stage is characterized by an abundance of neurological symptoms, inflammation and edema;
- Stage IV – proximal aspects of the component are involved in the lesion.
Osteochondrosis of the spine can also occur in different parts of the spine and, depending on this, there are different names:
- cervical - most often localized between the fifth and seventh cervical vertebrae (the most mobile joint);
- chest - version expressed by pain, which can be mixed with diseases of other organs of the chest;
- lumbar - the most common type due to the greater mobility of this joint and the load placed on it;
- common - affecting several departments (for example, cervical).
Reasons for the development of osteochondrosis
There is no single comprehensive theory that fully explains the cause of this disease. It is multifactorial, therefore, a predisposition is needed as a trigger, and for its manifestation - a complex of internal and external stimuli.
Exogenous risk factors:
- a common cause of osteochondrosis in men is excessive stress, physical labor, occupational hazards (moving heavy objects);
- spinal injuries;
- sharp and uneven jerks, bends of the body, turns;
- sedentary work, physical inactivity;
- continuous repetitive movements (carrying a bag on the same shoulder, tilting your head to your ear while talking on the phone);
- climatic conditions.
Endogenous risk factors:
- male gender (osteochondrosis occurs less often in women);
- overweight and tall;
- developmental abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system, weakness of the back muscles;
- poor posture;
- foot diseases (arthrosis, flat feet);
- violation of the trophism of the intervertebral joints;
- pathologies of internal organs.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
Typical symptoms of this disease: pain in the spine and muscles at rest, limitation of movements, "fatigue" of the affected area. The patient tries to "unload" it by leaning back in a chair, leaning on his hands, trying not to stand on his feet for a long time, or by rubbing and kneading it, reducing muscle tension. Depending on the location, the pain may change slightly, and new, more specific symptoms are added.
With cervical osteochondrosis, unpleasant sensations will occur in the occipital region or in the neck itself, worsening when the head is tilted or turned. Due to the pinching of the nerve roots, tingling or burning may appear on the fingers and palms, and with more serious damage, restriction of their movement.
But the main danger of the case is that there are important arteries near the spine in this area that supply blood to the brain. Gradually they become pinched, so this type of osteochondrosis is characterized by dizziness and "spots" before the eyes due to insufficient nutrition of the largest organ in the body.
Among all types of osteochondrosis, damage to the thoracic region is less common and difficult to diagnose. Pain in this area is similar to cardiac, pulmonary, esophageal or neuralgia pain. Therefore, patients first go to cardiologists, gastroenterologists or pulmonologists, avoiding doctors of the specialty they need for a long time, until all other pathologies are excluded, or thoracic osteochondrosis is suspected. Discomfort is localized between the shoulder blades, it intensifies when you bend over it, you may feel a lump in the throat or difficulty breathing, and numbness in the chest.
The most common and typical type is lumbar osteochondrosis. Its symptoms are often related to this disease: sharp pain in the area of the same name, which intensifies when turning, bending or standing for a long time, and it can radiate to one or thehis feet
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The doctor begins by collecting complaints and anamnesis (family, life and illness), which analyzes the presence of predispositions, external and internal risk factors, the relationship of symptoms and the progression of the lesion.
The inspection consists of:
- neuro-orthopedic, in which the static and dynamic functions of the spine are assessed (posture, presence of scoliosis, muscle tone and range of motion of the intervertebral joints and limbs);
- neurological – determining vertebral reflex and compression syndromes, motor and sensory functions, tissue trophic quality.
The simplest and most accessible instrumental diagnostic method for osteochondrosis of any part of the spine (cervical, thoracic or lumbar) is contrast X-ray and contrast studies (discography, venospondylography) that reveal the narrowing of the intervertebral discs, the hernial level. protrusion, and the condition of blood vessels. A little less often, more informative magnetic resonance imaging is used, with which you can accurately assess the extent of damage to the intervertebral disc, the size of the hernia, the presence of compression of the spinal cord, roots and surrounding tissues. If MRI is contraindicated, it is replaced by computed tomography, which determines the condition of the vertebrae themselves, the spinal canal, and ligament calcification.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
First of all, it is necessary to reduce as many risk factors as possible, which the doctor found during the survey. Eliminate axial loads, limit the intensity of the objects carried, sometimes change traumatic jobs related to physical labor, lose weight if you are overweight, include minimal sports in your daily schedule if you are physically inactive. This will only help to slightly reduce the amount of pain caused by osteochondrosis and the risk of complications, although it will hardly slow down its progression.
The treatment must be comprehensive and not only combine drug methods, but also different types of effects on the vertebral muscles and the spinal column itself. You can't take pills for osteochondrosis on your own and hope you get better; only a neurologist can prescribe any procedures and medications. The specialist bases his recommendations on each specific case and the individual characteristics of the patient, so that the treatment does not cause more suffering than the disease itself.
For osteochondrosis, exercise therapy is indicated, which is first performed in a special hospital room so that the doctor is sure that the patient is performing the exercises correctly. The different localization of the lesion suggests that different complexes are aimed at maintaining the back muscles, improving blood circulation and trophism of the intervertebral discs and the vertebrae themselves, and reducing their friction.
Therapeutic massage also has a beneficial effect on the course of the disease in osteochondrosis; physiotherapy, manual therapy, acupuncture, osteoporosis, and hardware traction of the spine are done carefully. The doctor determines the course of treatment and its methods based on the degree of development of the lesion, the expression of pain and the individual characteristics of each particular case.
Prevention of osteochondrosis
If you take timely measures to prevent the development of the disease, then its treatment may never be necessary. This should also be tackled comprehensively: reduce the listed risk factors in advance (even before discomfort appears), try to distribute the load evenly, monitor posture from childhood, get adequate nutrition with theall essential vitamins, and engage in supportive sports regularly (for example, swimming).
To prevent the development of osteochondrosis, gymnastics plays an important role: there are special exercises that reduce the load on the spine. You can consult an orthopedist or a neurologist about them.
But even regular morning exercises will help maintain muscle tone, relieve spasms and improve blood circulation so as not to affect the trophism of the interarticular discs. To avoid the development of physical inactivity in sedentary work, it is necessary to periodically warm up and exercises that have been shown to prevent osteochondrosis.