Imagine that in the 21st century, osteochondrosis is diagnosed in 50-80% of the world's population. The numbers are not small and, more importantly, the disease is "getting younger". If earlier the first symptoms appeared at the earliest at the age of 35, the first signs are now diagnosed already in adolescents. Most often, a predisposition to osteochondrosis is observed in people with an uneven load on the spine. It can be poor posture, the habit of carrying a bag over one shoulder, prolonged sitting in one position, injury, excessive sports load and, of course, age-related changes.
"Most people have certainly heard of osteochondrosis, but not everyone knows what it is"
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is a pathology of the spine, expressed by degenerative lesions of the intervertebral discs and adjacent bone tissue, which results in the effacement of the vertebral bodies and joint surfaces.
Unfortunately, when the first back pain appears, almost no one goes to the doctor, this leads to the fact that the disease is already detected in severe stages. The disease at an early stage is treated quite effectively, since changes in the spine are not critical, but over time the process becomes irreversible.
The main sign that you may already be developing osteochondrosis is pain in your neck, back, or lower back. In a more advanced form, the pain "radiates" to the chest, arms, shoulders, legs and other parts of the body.
Depending on the location, osteochondrosis is divided into several types:
- Cervical osteochondrosis.
- Thoracic osteochondrosis.
- Lumbar osteochondrosis.
Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis
Clinical manifestations result from damage to nervous tissue and blood vessels located near the affected area.
- Back ache.
- Sensation of "lumbago" after physical exertion.
- Poor posture and, as a result, scoliosis.
- Violation of the sensitivity of the skin in certain areas of the body.
- Numbness.
- Dizziness and nausea due to impaired blood supply.
- Headache.
Osteochondrosis can have various symptoms and signs, which is why it is not always easy to spot it at the first signs. Go through periodic checks and do not delay in going to the doctor at the first suspicion of osteochondrosis.
Causes of osteochondrosis
There can be a lot of reasons for the development of osteochondrosis. As a rule, disrespect for the spine leads to this disease, if not at a young age, then at the age of 50 for sure.
Think about how you sit everyday, how you sleep, if you have a comfortable pillow and if you always carry weights in one hand, if you give the right load when you play sports, because everythingthis can have irreversible consequences on your spine. . .
The reasons for the development of osteochondrosis can be:
- Genetic predisposition.
- Nervous exhaustion of the body.
- Poor posture during active growth.
- Wear uncomfortable shoes.
- Wear heels from an early age.
- Physical overwork of the body.
- Overweight.
- Sedentary and sedentary lifestyle.
- Bad weight bearing.
- Frequent lifting of loads.
- Vibratory loads on the body.
- Dehydration of the body.
- Hypothermia of the body.
"Note that being overweight and sedentary will lead to back problems over time! "
At risk :
- Drivers.
- Office staff.
- Movers.
- Pregnant women.
- Obese.
- Professional athletes.
Take care of your health and lead a healthy life.
Developmental stages of osteochondrosis
None of the illnesses start suddenly and immediately. Osteochondrosis is no exception. There are 4 main stages in the development of osteochondrosis.
- Primary dystrophic changes in the intervertebral cartilage. Dehydration of the disc, microcracks, loss of elasticity - all of these are already happening in your spine when you hardly feel any changes, but they are still there and you can notice them. If you start to experience back discomfort from prolonged sitting or minor pain after physical exertion, do not waste time, make an appointment with a doctor.
- Contraction of the intervertebral space and pinching of the nerve endings and the appearance of pain in certain areas of the back. Pain syndrome will appear every time with sharp turns and inclines. This step is hard to miss and certainly not to be skipped.
- Abrasion of intervertebral cartilage tissue. Pain symptoms are pronounced and can lead to numbness in the limbs. Pain cannot be relieved without medication. At this stage, serious treatment is required with adherence to the diet and taking medication.
- The last and most serious step. Osteochondrosis is already irreversible, because the intervertebral cartilage is completely destroyed. Surgery is usually needed in such cases.
Advanced cases of osteochondrosis can lead to partial or complete paralysis. In order not to make the situation critical, it is necessary to start treatment in time at the early stages of the development of osteochondrosis.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
For the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, an individual approach for each patient is required. There is no such thing as a standard, uniform processing method. The patient's age, physical condition, causes of osteochondrosis and many other factors are taken into account. But of course, each of the treatments has common characteristics:
Medication for osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis cannot be cured by taking medication alone, but they play a key role in reducing the severity of symptoms of the disease, improving blood supply and tissue regeneration processes. For the complete elimination of the disease, an integrated approach is necessary and the maintenance of the condition of the body in good condition throughout your life. Medication for osteochondrosis involves taking several groups of drugs.
- First of all, it is necessary to relieve pain that interferes with a normal lifestyle. For these purposes, NSAIDs are used - nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. (Ketoprofen, Ibuprofen, Ketorolac).
- After the painful symptoms are eliminated, chondroprotectors and vitamins are prescribed to restore cartilage tissue. Such drugs prevent further destruction of the intervertebral discs and reduce inflammation. These drugs include glucosamine, which, unlike analogues, does not need to be injected. Just dissolve a sachet of powder in a glass of water and take it orally. This mode of administration promotes better absorption of the drug and relieves the discomfort that occurs during injections.
- Medicines that stimulate the blood microcirculation.
- Local analgesics.
Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis
Treatment of osteochondrosis with physiotherapy is quite effective and, most importantly, it is painless and has practically no contraindications. Such procedures help relieve inflammation, remove spasms, and remove pinching of nerve endings. Physiotherapy includes procedures such as:
- Electrophoresis.
- Magnetotherapy.
- Phototherapy.
- Shock wave therapy.
- Mud therapy.
It should be noted that some physiotherapy procedures cannot be used during periods of exacerbation. Treatment of osteochondrosis with physiotherapy is prescribed exclusively by a doctor and in combination with drug therapy.
Physiotherapy and massage for osteochondrosis
Physiotherapy exercises for osteochondrosis help form a muscle corset which will help support the diseased spine. The set of exercises is selected individually for each patient individually. For stage 3, exercises are performed only while lying down, gently and preferably under supervision.
It is also common practice to treat osteochondrosis with massage. The main thing is that the massage is performed by a professional who will not harm your spine. After the session, you should feel muscle relaxation, clamp loosening, and general relief. Manual massage improves blood circulation. In acute periods of the disease, it is better to refuse this method of treatment.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the patient experiences severe pain in the head, neck, arms and shoulder girdle. There may be a flicker of "flies", tinnitus and spots in front of the eyes. As a rule, at first the patient will examine the head and does not suspect that the matter is completely different. With cervical osteochondrosis are prescribed.
- Agnioprotectors for vertigo, which appears most often in the morning (Pentoxifylline).
- Chondroprotectors that prevent the subsequent destruction of cartilage tissue, reduce inflammation, relieve pain and restore joint mobility (glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate).
- Antidepressants, which patients sometimes need to resort to due to the fact that constant pain has a negative effect on the psyche and contributes to the development of insomnia, depression (Doxylamin).
- Vitamins that will improve the general condition of the body.
- Anti-colvusants for headaches that interfere with the full life of patients.
- NSAIDs are prescribed in the acute period for pain relief.
Treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis
With osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, there is sharp pain in the front of the chest, and breathing can become frequent and heavy. There may be sharp pain when rotating and flexing in the shoulder blades. It is difficult to diagnose chest osteochondrosis because the pain is not felt directly in the spine and the symptoms are more like disease of the heart, lungs or kidneys. Fortunately, this type of osteochondrosis is very rare and the cause of its occurrence is in most cases scoliosis.
Lumbar osteochondrosis treatment
Lumbar osteochondrosis is the most common form today. This is due to the fact that this particular part of the spine is under the greatest strain. First, a dull ache appears in the lumbar region, then the pain begins to radiate to the leg and can lead to numbness in the lower extremities. Flexion and extension problems arise. In such cases, the main thing is to start timely treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis and apply complex measures. Several rules must be observed:
- Limit physical activity.
- Take all prescribed medications.
- Follow prescribed physiotherapy.
- Take a special massage course.
- Get rid of excess weight if necessary.
In case of inappropriate treatment and non-compliance with the recommendations, surgery may be necessary on the last lumbar osteochondrosis.
Which doctor treats osteochondrosis?
If you experience pain in the spine and suspect osteochondrosis, you should first make an appointment with a therapist who, depending on your complaints, will send you for examination to a neurologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist and surgeon. .
How long is osteochondrosis treated?
Many patients are interested in the duration of treatment for osteochondrosis? No one will give you an exact answer, but the main signs of the disease go away, as a rule, within 1-3 months, additional maintenance of the disease is required.
Is it possible to get rid of osteochondrosis permanently?
It all depends on the stage at which it was discovered. If the patient turns 1-2 stages, then with proper treatment and observance of all the rules, you can get rid of osteochondrosis forever. At later stages, unfortunately, it will not be possible to get rid of the disease completely.
Orthopedic pillow
You may need an orthopedic pillow if you have been diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis. This pillow will improve the quality of your sleep and will not continue to distort your spine. You can contact a special store, where advisers will show you all the pillow options and advise on prices.