Degenerative destructive disease of the spine, in addition to:osteochondrosis- A disease that includes damage to a person's ligaments and joint organs, intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies.
Osteochondrosis primarily affects older adults, regardless of gender, but it should be noted that there has been a recent trend towards rejuvenating the disease. This rejuvenation of osteochondrosis is directly related to poor physical growth in children and many adolescents to be overweight. In addition, modern young people prefer to spend a lot of time sitting near the TV or computer and avoid exercise. The combination of these factors leads to weakened back muscles, postural disturbances, and other negative effects on the spine.
Osteochondrosis and its causes
At the heart of osteochondrosis is a nutritional disorder of the vertebrae and discs, which alters the normal structure of the tissue. As a result, the cartilaginous disc loses its normal elasticity and shape, reducing the width of the space between the vertebrae. Violation of the intervertebral ratio results in compression of spinal nerve endings, as well as significant overstrain of the spinal muscles, which explains the presentation of osteochondrosis pain. In addition, osteochondrosis often has quite serious complications, such as partial intervertebral disc herniation and intervertebral disc herniation.
In the future, the degenerative and destructive changes that occur in osteochondrosis can lead to the formation of bone growths in the vertebrae, which can also spread to the intervertebral ligaments and facet joints of the spine. People with osteochondrosis have difficulty performing flexion and extension exercises, and over time, they may develop a pathological condition -- scoliosis or kyphosis.
All these degenerative and destructive lesions of the spine are often the result of the unavoidable physiological aging of the human body, but the progression of osteochondrosis can be significantly accelerated for many reasons discussed later in this publication.
It needs to be pointed out immediately that there is no single cause for the occurrence of osteochondrosis, but a large number of predisposing factors, mainly including:
- Spinal bruises, fractures, dislocations and other injuries;
- genetic predisposition;
- Various foot diseases that cause vertebral overload, such as clubfoot, flat feet, etc. , as well as wearing uncomfortable and tight shoes for a long time;
- obese or overweight;
- Natural age-related changes in the body;
- Violation of metabolic processes in the body;
- maintain a sedentary lifestyle;
- a sudden cessation of professional sports;
- Specific details of occupational activities, such as frequent body twitching and turning, weight lifting, uncomfortable body positions during work;
- prolonged and frequent hypothermia, exacerbated by high humidity;
- The presence of frequent and chronic stressful conditions.
The presence of several or even one of the above factors can lead to the development of osteochondrosis, which is usually divided into four stages:
- The first stage- As the intervertebral distance decreases, the water content in the intervertebral disc decreases. In this case, slight cracks appear in the cartilage.
- second stage- Prolapse of ligaments and muscle organs due to the reduction of the intervertebral space, which leads to unnatural movement, displacement and sliding of the vertebral bodies.
- The third phase- Due to progressive degenerative and destructive lesions of the spine, disc herniation, and vertebral subluxation.
- fourth stage- To prevent subluxation and unnatural vertebral movement, osteophytes grow between the vertebrae, in popular treatments they are called "salt deposits" that become so numerous over time that the vertebraelost activity. As such bone grows, damage to the nerves and blood vessels located near these vertebrae inevitably occurs.
It should be noted that in the first and fourth stages of osteoarthritis, patients do not experience pain.
Osteochondrosis and its classification
Although there are many different classifications of osteochondrosis, the most common is the classification of osteochondrosis, which takes into account the localization of spinal lesions:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine;
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine;
- sacrospinous osteochondrosis;
- Common osteochondrosis, involving the disease of two or more parts of the vertebrae.
Osteochondrosis and its symptoms
Osteochondrosis is a disease that is chronic in nature and characterized by alternating periods of remission and exacerbation, in which the symptoms of osteochondrosis are particularly characteristic, depending on the location of the disease in the spine and the presence of possible complications.
Therefore, with osteochondrosis of the neck area, directly in the neck, pain in the hands, certain stiffness in movement, headache and numbness of the fingers are characteristic. Well, in the case of vertebral artery compression, patients will experience pulsatile headaches, hearing aid function decline, and dizziness and fainting are also possible.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region vary. Patients worry about a sore back, which can also be acute, difficulty breathing when the chest is full, heart pain, and the so-called "cola in the chest" feeling in folk remedies.
In the case of damage to the lumbar spine, osteochondrosis symptoms manifest as pain in the lower back, legs, and sacrum, which is exacerbated by movement. In addition, numbness of the legs and various dysfunctions of the urogenital organs occur.
During the remission phase, the patient may also experience indistinct pain, which occurs only in the presence of a stimulus, such as an uncomfortable position on the patient's body.
Osteochondrosis and its diagnosis
First, patients should be considered for a neuropathologist engaged in the treatment of osteochondrosis. The diagnosis of osteochondrosis usually involves the following steps:
- question the patient;
- External examination and palpation of the patient's spine at various locations on the body, as well as establishing the possible range of motion;
- Special studies to diagnose osteochondrosis by MRI, computed tomography, and X-rays of patients;
- Special studies of peripheral nerves and blood vessels, but only if necessary for the correct diagnosis of osteochondrosis.
If you do not treat osteochondrosis promptly and correctly, preferably without resorting to folk remedies, there are various complications in the form of sciatica, disc herniation, migraine, vegetative vascular dystonia, etc. The real danger, and osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine - is also a spinal stroke. Therefore, due attention should be paid to the diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis, and independent replacement therapy should be avoided to avoid the development of this disease.
Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis
In the treatment of osteochondrosis in a medical setting, a classical method of treatment is used compared to conventional medicine. At the same time, the attending physician takes a strictly individualized approach to the patient. The treatment of osteochondrosis is performed in a complex manner to achieve results. The methods of self-conservative treatment of osteochondrosis are divided into the following groups:
- Osteochondrosis is treated with medication.
- Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis by using special medical equipment, especially magnetic therapy.
- Nursing homes treat osteochondrosis.
- Organize proper nutrition with the help of a special diet.
Surgical intervention for osteochondrosis
Surgical treatment of osteochondrosis is only necessary if the above-mentioned conservative methods fail to produce the desired results. The most common is excision of an intervertebral hernia, with an incision of no more than one centimeter, and the patient can stand up the day after the procedure. The patient's full recovery process, then, is completed within six months of surgery.
There is also a surgical treatment of osteochondrosis in which the affected disc is removed and a silicone implant or prosthesis is installed in its place, restoring the necessary distance between the vertebrae and, as a result, eliminating the osteochondrosissymptom.
prevent osteochondrosis
First, to prevent osteochondrosis, you should:
- Wear comfortable shoes to avoid putting pressure on the spine;
- Try not to stay in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time;
- Regular weight control to avoid excessive restraint;
- maintain correct posture at all times;
- When lifting weights, use both hands evenly;
- Do a general strengthening exercise every day and pay attention to regular yoga classes or swimming pools;
- Follow a diet that includes foods in your diet, such as fish, leafy greens and vegetables, dairy products, jellies and jellies, broth, eggs, butter, and olive oil;
- Avoid alcohol, carbonated drinks, strong coffee, salty foods and fatty meats.