Osteochondrosis disease: what is it and how does it manifest itself?This is a fairly common pathology that occurs most often in older people, however, today the incidence is often observed in young people.In order to choose the right treatment for osteochondrosis, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence and the stage of damage to the body.Well, in order to recognize this disease, you need to have an idea of what kind of disease it is and everything about osteochondrosis in general.And how to get rid of osteochondrosis and alleviate the patient's condition?
What is Osteochondrosis?
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis is a degenerative-destructive disease of the spine.The basis of this disease is a change in the trophism of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, which leads to a disruption of the normal tissue structure.The cartilage disc becomes inelastic and changes its shape and consistency.The width of the intervertebral spaces becomes smaller and the damaged section of the spine loses stability.Damage to the correct relationship between the vertebrae is associated with compression of the nerve endings emanating from the spinal cord and tension in the back muscles.As a result, neurological symptoms such as osteochondrosis and pain appear.
Dystrophic disorders of the intervertebral disc lead to a decrease in the fibrous ring.In this regard, the patient often develops dangerous complications (vertebral hernia, protrusion).
Subsequently, osteochondrosis spreads as a degenerative disease to the small joints of the spine, resulting in the formation of bone growths in the vertebrae.The patient can hardly bend or stand up;This means that flexibility is lost and vertebral subluxations and spinal curvatures (scoliosis, kyphosis) occur.
Depending on the location, the pathology affects:
- neck region;
- Breast;
- Lumbar spine.
The first signs of osteochondrosis do not appear immediately, but gradually.This degenerative damage to bone and cartilage tissue quickly leads to physiological aging of the body.What osteochondrosis is and how to treat it, we will tell you below.
What is dorsalgia?
Dorsalgia is a fairly complex syndrome that occurs in various diseases.It can be associated with both back diseases and other diseases of the internal organs.
Most often it occurs as a result of osteochondrosis, spondylosis, herniated disc and severe scoliosis.This syndrome is manifested by mild pain in the damaged area of the back.
Causes of the disease
What causes osteochondrosis?The exact causes of osteochondrosis have not yet been clarified.There are many predisposing circumstances that cause osteochondrosis, some of them are:
- genetic predisposition;
- Changes in metabolic flow in the body;
- poisoning, infectious pathologies;
- Smoking and stress cause blood vessels to constrict and spasm.
- Foot diseases that lead to overloading of the spine (flat feet);
- overweight, obesity;
- Microtraumas of the spine (blows, falls, strong impacts) and macrotraumas (bruises, fractures);
- age-related changes;
- Hypothermia, lack of exercise, poor nutrition lead to fluid and vitamin deficiency;
- metabolic disorders;
- unique climate (high humidity, low air temperatures).
Osteochondrosis has other causes, and each of them can be due to an incorrect lifestyle.
It is generally believed that many diseases arise from nerves.Suspicious and temperamental people often suffer from diseases of the joints and spine.
Psychological causes of osteochondrosis can also be identified:
- insomnia, depression;
- stress, nervous breakdowns;
- feeling of loneliness, feeling of fear;
- sad mood;
- psychological pathologies;
- Problems in sex life.
The psychology of this disease is not fully understood.
Symptoms
With osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment depend on the location of the lesion and the stage of damage.
Symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis affecting the cervical spine are as follows:
- Pain in the parietal, occipital and temporal areas, which increases with rotation and neck movements;
- tinnitus, hearing loss;
- dizziness, flickering in the eyes, fainting;
- visual impairment;
- changes in blood pressure;
- hoarse voice, snoring;
- Deafness.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the back affecting the chest area:
- Numbness of the skin in the chest, back, abdomen;
- Pain when lifting arms, inhaling and exhaling;
- aching, pressing, often stabbing, stabbing pain in the region of the heart;
- discomfort and difficulty turning the body in one direction or another;
- severe pain in the spine.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis in women and men with damage to the lumbar region:
- Numbness, tingling, goosebumps in the legs, buttocks;
- profuse sweating;
- Pain in the lumbar region referred to one or two legs;
- Varicose veins on the lower extremities;
- Feet freeze even in warm temperatures;
- Women have irregular menstruation, men have erectile dysfunction.
If the treatment and symptoms of osteochondrosis are already long and advanced, the damaged vertebrae merge with each other, the patient suffers from the impossibility of moving in one or another area of the spine, and the pain usually subsides or disappears altogether.How to treat osteochondrosis of the spine?
diagnosis
What should you do if you suffer from osteochondrosis and how to overcome it?Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis of the back, the attending physician must correctly make the diagnosis through an initial examination and questioning of the patient.And yet, how to recognize osteochondrosis?
To confirm the pathology, you must undergo the following examination methods:
- Computed tomography, which detects the condition of the intervertebral discs, their structure, their shape, compression of nerve endings and deformations;
- MRI reveals the smallest injuries in the spine area and is used when CT could not provide an accurate result;
- The x-ray determines the degree of vertebral damage, its location and the appearance of the bones.
- Doppler ultrasound detects the degree of change in blood flow through the capillaries that saturate the spinal cord and other organs.
Sometimes a thorough examination can reveal concomitant pathologies that arise in the event of a complication of this disease (hernia, radiculitis, protrusion, kyphosis).
The diagnostic feature is of utmost importance, since many symptoms and signs are very similar to the symptoms of other diseases, and the foci of pain can be both the spinal process and a damaged intervertebral disc.
How to cure osteochondrosis of the spine?
Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis is a rather lengthy process that requires the complex use of medications;You also need a specific treatment regimen for osteochondrosis and an individual attitude to each patient.The selection of the necessary treatment regimen for each patient is determined by the type of pathological disorders, the person's condition and the presence of complications of the disease.
An important condition for dealing with osteochondrosis is also step-by-step treatment.During an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, treatment is initially aimed at eliminating pain.The patient is recommended to rest and use special collars and corsets designed to relieve the load on the spine itself.External and internal treatment with medication and physical interventions is required.
Then procedures are required that can prevent the development of new exacerbations (therapeutic exercises, reflexology, manual therapy, massages).
Medication
Is it possible to cure osteochondrosis with medication?Medication should be used at the time of exacerbation of the disease.They help to alleviate symptoms and influence individual etiological factors in the development of the disease.
The most commonly used drugs to treat osteochondrosis are:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They have a pain-relieving effect, quickly relieve inflammation and can reduce the elevated temperature of damaged spinal tissues.These products are used in the form of injections, ointments, gels and tablets.
- Muscle relaxants.They fight against increased muscle tone, which can often occur with this pathology.
- Chondroprotectors.They reduce the processes of cartilage destruction and lead to its restoration.
- Painkillersfor local effects (pepper plasters, compresses).
- Vitamins E, B1, B2, B6.Increase metabolism and restore damaged tissue.It is better to use them in the form of injections.
- Vasodilator drugs.Designed to eliminate vascular spasms.
- Glucocorticosteroids.Relieves swelling and inflammation and enhances the effects of muscle relaxants and NSAIDs.
- Angioprotectors.Restore capillary blood circulation, metabolism and muscle tone.
Therapeutic exercise
With a spinal disease, the symptoms can be pronounced, so only a specialist can advise what to do with osteochondrosis.
Exercise therapy or physiotherapy is an effective treatment for osteochondrosis, as gymnastics to strengthen the back muscles leads to the development of a muscle corset and thus enables an even distribution of the load on the spine.Thanks to constant procedures, blood circulation is restored, tissue nutrition is restored, and movements become easier.
For example, special breathing exercises reduce muscle spasms and relieve pain.But swimming can significantly relax and relieve the strain on the spine.
However, for reasons of effectiveness and safety of physiotherapy, exercises should only be carried out after acute symptoms of the disease have been eliminated.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
In addition to medication, the treatment of back osteochondrosis also includes physiotherapeutic measures.They help speed up the recovery process and continue to be used throughout the remission period, except for exacerbations.There are many methods of physiotherapy and many of them are used specifically to treat back osteochondrosis, for example:
- Magnetic field therapy– restores metabolic processes, reduces inflammation, tissue swelling and pain.
- Electrophoresis.The drugs used in this procedure promote the analgesic effect, improve blood circulation in damaged tissues and normalize metabolism.
- Manual therapy– relieves pain, mobility of the joints may occur.
- Laser therapy– normalizes blood circulation, relieves inflammation, pain and stimulates tissue regeneration.
- Acupuncture.Special needles can relieve pain, reduce inflammation and stimulate metabolic processes.
- Massage.Osteochondrosis of the spine can be cured with the help of therapeutic massage, which eliminates pain, restores muscle tone, as well as nerve conduction.
- Tractionfor the disease osteochondrosis of the spine in adults.Helps normalize mobility, blocks the progression of the disease and the manifestation of complications.
It happens that a doctor prescribes a whole series of such procedures to a patient at once.As a rule, this depends on how the osteochondrosis manifests itself and what concomitant diseases are present.The course duration is 10 to 15 days.It is recommended to repeat it 3-4 times throughout the year.In this regard, it is possible to reduce the rate of progression and the frequency of complications several times.
Surgical treatment
Is osteochondrosis treated surgically?In the case of osteochondrosis of the spine, treatment is possible in this way.The reason for this procedure may be a late visit to the doctor by the patient, the presence of complications or the failure of conservative treatment.
Any type of surgical procedure will help relieve pressure on the spinal cord and roots.When a person has a herniated disc, the damaged disc and the hernia itself are completely removed.
The surgical method carries some risk and is performed in emergency situations.
Of course, it is unlikely that you will be able to get rid of osteochondrosis forever, but with the help of medications, physiotherapeutic measures and massage, you can forget about the unpleasant symptoms of the disease for a while.