Osteochondrosis is a common degenerative lesion that affects the intervertebral discs, adjacent vertebrae, and surrounding ligaments.
The disease does not develop immediately, develops over many years, but it can appear at a fairly young age (18-20 years) and has several stages:
- Stage I - "cracks" in the annulus fibrosus and movement within the disc in the nucleus pulposus, but there are no radiological signs yet;
- Stage II - the nucleus pulposus continues to deteriorate, the disc height decreases, the annulus "withers", the affected intervertebral disc becomes unstable, and to compensate, the back muscles are in constant tension, causing pain and "overwork", signs of osteoporosis are seenon radiographs;
- Stage III - the disc ruptures, the prolapse nucleus pulposus forms a hernia, the stage is characterized by an abundance of neurological symptoms, inflammation and edema;
- Stage IV - adjacent elements of the joint are involved in the lesion.
Osteochondrosis of the spine can also occur in different parts of the spine and, accordingly, has different names:
- cervical - most often localized between the fifth and seventh cervical vertebrae (the most mobile joint);
- chest - a variant manifested by pain, which can be confused with diseases of other organs of the chest;
- lumbar spine - the most common type due to the greatest mobility of this part and the load placed on it;
- common - involving several parts (eg cervix).
Reasons for the development of osteochondrosis
There is no single universal theory that fully explains the cause of this disease. It is multifaceted, therefore a tendency is necessary as a trigger, and for its manifestation - a complex of internal and external stimuli.
External risk factors:
- excessive stress, physical exertion, work practices (heavy moving objects) are common causes of osteoporosis in men;
- spinal cord injury;
- sharp and uneven dust, body bends, bends;
- sedentary work, inactivity;
- constant repetitive movements (carrying a bag on the same shoulder, tilting your head to your ear when talking on the phone);
- climatic conditions.
Endogenous risk factors:
- male (bone disease occurs less often in women);
- overweight and tall;
- developmental abnormalities in the musculoskeletal system, weakness in the back muscles;
- poor posture;
- foot diseases (arthritis, flat feet);
- violation of intervertebral trophism;
- pathology of internal organs.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
Typical symptoms of this disease: pain in the spine and muscles at rest, restriction of movement, "fatigue" in the affected area. The patient either tries to "unload" it by leaning back in a chair, leaning on the hands, tryingnot standing for a long time, or by massaging and kneading it, reduce muscle tension. Depending on the location, the pain may vary slightly and new, more specific symptoms may be added.
With cervical osteoporosis, unpleasant sensations will appear in the occipital region or the neck itself, which will intensify when the head tilts or turns. Due to pinching of nerve roots, tingling or burning may occur in the fingers and palms, and in more severe damage, limitation of their movement.
But the main danger in the case is that near the spine in this area there are important arteries that supply blood to the brain. Gradually they become compressed, so this type of bone disease is characterized by dizziness and "spots" before the eyes due to insufficient nutrition of the body's main organ.
Among all types of osteochondrosis, damage to the thoracic region is less common than others and difficult to diagnose. Pain in this area is similar to heart, lung, esophageal or nerve pain. As a result, patients primarily consult cardiologists, gastroenterologists or pulmonologists, and long avoid doctors with the specialization they need, until all other diseases are ruled out or osteoporosis in the chest is suspected. Discomfort is localized between the shoulder blades, intensifies when you bend over, you may feel a lump in your throat or difficulty breathing and numbness in your chest.
The most common and typical type is osteoporosis in the lumbar spine. Its symptoms are most often associated with this disease: pain in the area of the same name, which worsens when bending, stooping or standing for a long time and can radiate to one or both legs.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The doctor begins by collecting complaints and anamnesis (family, life and illness), which identifies the presence of a predisposition, external and internal risk factors, the relationship between symptoms and the progression of the disease.
The inspection consists of:
- neuro-orthopedic surgery, where static and dynamic function of the spine is assessed (posture, presence of scoliosis, muscle tone and range of motion between vertebrae and limbs);
- neurological - determination of vertebral reflex and compression syndrome, motor and sensory function, quality of tissue collection.
The simplest and most accessible instrumental diagnostic method for osteoporosis of any part of the spine (neck, thoracic or lumbar) is X-ray studies without contrast and contrast (discography, venospondylography) that show the narrowing of the intervertebral discs, the amount of herniation. protrusions, and the condition of blood vessels. Slightly less often, a more informative MRI is used, as it is possible to 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 an MRI is contraindicated, it is replaced by a CT scan, which determines the condition of the vertebrae themselves, the spinal canal and the calcification of the ligaments.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
First, it is necessary to reduce as many risk factors as possible, which the doctor discovered during the survey. Eliminate axial load, limit the severity of the load-bearing parts, sometimes replace the traumatic work associated with physical work, 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 pain due to osteochondrosis and the risk of complications, although it will hardly slow down its progression.
The treatment must be comprehensive and combine not only pharmaceutical methods, but also various effects on the spinal muscles and the spinal cord itself. You can't just take osteoporosis pills on your own and hope for a cure; all procedures and medications can only be prescribed by a neurologist. 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 prescribed, which is first carried out in a special hospital room so that the doctor is convinced that the patient performs the specified exercises correctly. Different locations of the wound involve different complexes aimed at maintaining the back muscles, improving blood circulation and erosion between the vertebrae and the vertebrae themselves, and reducing their friction.
Therapeutic massage also has a beneficial effect on the course of the disease in osteoporosis; Physical therapy, manual therapy, acupuncture, osteopathy, and spinal traction are performed with caution. The course of treatment and its methods are determined by the doctor based on the stage of development of the lesion, the manifestation of pain and the individual symptoms of each specific case.
Prevention of osteochondrosis
If you take timely measures to prevent the development of the disease, its treatment may never be necessary. This should also be approached in a comprehensive way: 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 all necessary vitamins and regularly engage in supportive sports (eg 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 orthopedic doctor or a neurologist about them.
But even regular morning exercises will help maintain muscle tone, relieve cramps and improve blood circulation so that the trophism of the intervertebral discs is not disturbed. To avoid the development of sedentary physical activity, it is necessary to warm up regularly and perform exercises designed to prevent bone disease.