Osteochondrosis is a medical term that describes violations of the integrity of the cartilage surfaces of the bones.Most often, the disease is associated with damage to the intervertebral discs.
Intervertebral discs are a kind of shock absorbers that soften the pressure on the spine at load.Osteochondrosis worsens the quality of life, causing pain in the back, neck, head, noise in the ears.
There are two points of view regarding the diagnosis.Specialists abroad include a disorder in child and adolescence.It is believed that it is more common in children, since their bones are at the stage of development.Doctors diagnose osteochondrosis mainly in patients with an age of 25-55 years.Signs, causes and types of disease in two cases are the same.
How to determine osteochondrosis?
- Are there constant or periodic back pain or muscle tension?
- Is there “gooseb outdoor” in the lower back or neck?
- Do you feel "shooting" in the back?
- Does the pain appear when raising your hands or swaying your head to the sides?
- Is there a periodic dizziness?
- There are bouts of noise, nausea?
If at least one answer is affirmative, you should contact a specialist to conduct a study.If the diagnosis reveals violations, the doctor will prescribe treatment and help protect himself from more serious and painful symptoms.
What causes osteochondrosis
The mass incidence of osteochondrosis is due to the fact that people are in an upright position most of the time.In this case, the spine and discs experience increased load.If it is wrong to sit, lie and stand, the discs lose their abilities for depreciation.
Over time, the shell of the disk cracks, and hernial protrusion appears.They begin to transmit blood vessels, spinal cord roots or brain itself.As a result, pain, reflex tension in the muscles appear.
The risk group includes middle -aged and older people.Office workers, professional drivers, people of high growth most often face this disease.Risk factors for the appearance of pronounced symptoms of violations can become:
- flat feet;
- heredity;
- excess body weight;
- Hypodynamia.
Causes of violations in joint cartilage:
- Working with heavy cargo
- Incorrect pose in a sitting, standing or lying position.
- Injuries, overstrain.
- Excessive loads when playing sports.
- Increased air humidity and low temperature.
- Activities related to a frequent change in body position
Types of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis can develop in any spine.According to localization, the disease is divided into: cervical, chest and lumbar.In 50% of cases, the last type is found.
Lumbar osteochondrosis
A similar diagnosis is established for both men and women.The reason for this is an increased load that appears when walking, running, physical exertion, prolonged seat.The lumbar spine consists of 5 vertebrae, between which there are discs that give elasticity.If the exchange process does not occur, the intervertebral discs lose their properties and pain occurs.
Symptoms:
- Dumb or sharp pain in the lower back, which intensify when moving.
- Pain in the legs, body of the pelvis, the sacrum.
- Violation of mobility or sensitivity.
- Atrophy of the muscles of the legs in the acute course of the disease.
Lumbar osteochondrosis must be treated.In the absence of therapy, dangerous complications may occur: Ishias, hernia, protrusion.As a result, natural blood supply to the spinal cord is disturbed, which leads to paralysis of the lower extremities.
Cervical osteochondrosis
“Be sure to turn your head,” the doctors call.So you can avoid a dangerous diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.The neck is the most mobile part of the spinal column.The department consists of 7 vertebrae.The disease appears as a result of a violation of metabolic processes in the body, in the presence of salts in the neck or due to the frequent uncomfortable position of the head.
Symptoms:
- Headaches
- Pain in the heart
- Flickering "flies" before my eyes
- Hearing impairment
- Cryst in the neck
- Pain in hand or shoulder joint
- Numbness of the limbs
Experts note that this type of disease is one of the most dangerous, since for its reason there may be a violation of blood circulation in the brain, migraine, dystonia and more serious diseases.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
Violations in the thoracic spine occur less often, since the vertebrae are inactive.The pains that appear in this area are experienced by many people who are engaged in heavy physical labor or have a sedentary profession.The cause of osteochondrosis may be a disturbed exchange process, an increased load on the intervertebral discs.
Symptoms:
- Pain or feeling of compression in the chest area.
- Pain between the shoulder blades when raising the hands.
- Skin sensitivity disorders.
In acute violation, two symptoms can occur: Dorsago and Dorsalgia.Dorsago is accompanied by acute chest pain, shortness of breath.With Dorsalgia, pain in the vertebrae of the department is not too strong, but gradually grow.The disease is often confused with other chest pathologies: heart attack, pneumonia, angina pectoris, etc.The diagnosis is made only by a specialist based on the inspection and research.
Stages of osteochondrosis
At the first stage, obvious symptoms are absent.With frequency, discomfort in the spine appears, which is associated with fatigue or excessive physical exertion.The disease can be detected during a preventive examination, x -ray or CT.
The second stage is accompanied by pain, since the process of destruction of cartilage tissue begins and the gap between the discs decreases.The pain at this stage is removed with drugs as prescribed by a doctor.
At the third stage, the spinal deformations begin: a fibrous ring is disturbed, an intervertebral hernia appears.With the help of correctly prescribed treatment, you can still improve the condition of the spine.
The fourth stage is irreversible changes in the spine in which it is difficult to move to a person.Between the vertebrae, bone tissue connecting the vertebrae grows.Most often, a similar form of osteochondrosis leads to disability.
Diagnostic methods
To determine the degree of disease, checking sensitivity and reflexes, the doctor conducts a physical examination.Additionally, blood and urine tests are given, calcium metabolism indicators are studied.
To make an accurate diagnosis, diagnostic methods are used:
- Ultrasound of the vessels.Determination of the degree of impaired blood flow in the vertebral arteries.
- X -ray of the spine.
- Ct.The construction of a three -dimensional image of the studied area to identify small vertebral displacements.
- MRI.Studying the state of soft tissues to assess the state of the spinal cord and visualize the internal structure of the disks.
Treatment
Osteochondrosis is treated comprehensively.The main goal of therapy is to suppress pain, elimination of tension in the muscles and constraint of movements that appeared due to pain.It is important not to self -medicate, but to take advice with a specialist and follow the recommendations.
- Drug therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Surgical treatment
For the treatment of the spine, the doctor prescribes non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs that help relieve inflammation and swelling.Musodorelaxants are responsible for reducing cramps in the muscles.Ointments are used to reduce pain.To protect nerve tissues, antioxidants and vitamins can be prescribed: they slow down the destruction of bone tissue and reduces calcium loss.
The effectiveness of treatment is possible with a combination of medicines with physiotherapeutic procedures: electrophoresis, laser, magnetotherapy, treatment with mud and current.Additionally, massage, manual therapy can be prescribed.The set of procedures is determined taking into account the condition of the patient, since there are contraindications.
Surgical intervention for osteochondrosis is necessary in extremely rare cases.There are many nerve endings in the spine that are responsible for the work of the body as a whole.The risk is great, so surgical treatment can be prescribed when conservative methods do not bring proper effectiveness.
Prevention
It is possible to maintain the health of the spine and prevent the appearance of symptoms or complications of osteochondrosis by adhering to the prevention methods:
- consumption of enough water;
- body weight control;
- consumption of food rich in collagen;
- the choice of an orthopedic mattress supporting the body;
- Regular sports.
You can try alternative methods: acupuncture, qigong or massage.Before starting any procedures, you should consult a doctor in order to guarantee to maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system.