Osteochondrosis

Back pain is a problem that every adult can face.Often this is not a one-off event, but a symptom of a dangerous disease.Osteochondrosis often occurs in people aged 30-35 years (about 40% of the population), up to 90% of cases occur in old age.

Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment approach can eliminate the progression of pathology and prevent complications.That is why it is important to understand what back pain actually indicates, which doctor you should contact if it appears, and how osteochondrosis is treated.

What is osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a group of chronic diseases whose causes are damage to the spine and intervertebral discs, as well as destruction of cartilage tissue.

With age and under the influence of uneven loads, the bone tissue of the spine is deformed and destroyed, and muscle tissue develops unevenly.This causes various manifestations of osteochondrosis: hernia, curvature of the spine, etc.

Osteochondrosis is an outdated term;In medicine it is called dorsopathy. There are various types of diseases of the connective tissue and musculoskeletal system, for which different treatment methods are used.

Types of osteochondrosis

When classifying the disease, the following are taken into account: the location of the pain, the area of damage to the intervertebral disc and the degree of development of the disease.

Localization of painful sensations

Taking into account the location of pain due to spinal diseases, there are:

• lumbodynia.Chronic pain that occurs in the lumbar area often causes lameness.In very severe cases, this can cause numbness in the feet.Most often, this symptom occurs when a person suffers from an intervertebral hernia.With compression of the roots of the spinal cord, paralysis of the limbs is possible.
• Lumboischialgia.Pain that radiates to the lower back or lower extremities, along the back of the leg - from the buttocks to the knee.Clinical manifestations occur when there is pressure on the sciatic nerve and spine.
• Back pain.Shooting or severe acute pain at a specific point in the lower back.Often confused with sciatica.Attacks in most cases occur when a person tries to bend or straighten his back sharply, as well as when suddenly lifting a heavy object.
• thoracalgia.Pain in the chest area.This symptom is classified as very dangerous, sometimes even doctors cannot immediately determine the cause.Unpleasant sensations are not always related to body movements.The pain is very severe in the chest area to the armpits.
• cervicalgia.Pain sensations occur in the neck area and can spread to the upper limbs.Pathological manifestations may be accompanied by dizziness, a feeling of numbness in the back of the head, redness and swelling of the skin.

The pathology requires immediate treatment, as there may be impaired blood circulation in the brain, compression of the nerve roots, and impaired venous blood flow.Cervicalgia often provokes inflammatory processes and herniation of intervertebral discs.

The location of the most painful sensations indicates areas of damage to the spine and intervertebral discs.Often the pain is reflected, that is, it is not registered where the source of the disease is actually located.

Classification by location

Depending on which part of the spine has damage to the discs and intervertebral tissue, osteoporosis is divided into several types.

Cervix

It consists of seven small vertebrae that are under constant pressure.This pathology is accompanied by thinning of the cervical vertebrae and compression of the arterial canal.Cervical type osteochondrosis is very dangerous, because it causes disruption of the blood saturation process in the brain.

The formation of a bulge causes a hernia.And operations performed in the cervical area can result in immobilization of the body.

Chest

Disorders of this part of the spine are rare, which are associated with low spinal mobility.The appearance of pain is observed in people who make a lot of movements, or in those who remain in one position for a long time.

Thoracic osteochondrosis is often confused with pneumonia, heart attack, and angina.

Important!

Only a physician should be involved in the differential diagnosis.

Lumbosacral

The lumbar region has five vertebrae.If there is a disturbance in nutrition and metabolic processes in the intervertebral disc, it loses its elasticity, decreases in size and is no longer able to function taking into account the load received.Lack of treatment for lumbosacral osteochondrosis can lead to the following complications: hernia, protrusion, sciatica.

Important!

A very dangerous phenomenon is compression of the spinal cord, as it can cause paralysis of the lower extremities.

Another type of osteochondrosis is polysegmental.During development, degradation of segments in various parts of the spine occurs simultaneously.This disease is characterized by loss of sensation in the back of the head and impaired function of the speech apparatus.

Features of the development of the disease

According to the degree of changes in the intervertebral discs, experts distinguish 4 stages of pathology, diagnosed using radiographic examination:

1. There are no visible changes in the spine.
2. Internal rupture occurs in the disc, but without external changes.
3. Changes to the disk without external damage are recorded.
4. Severe damage to the intervertebral discs.The crack spreads to the inner surface, the disc appears to be squeezed out of the spine.  

Taking into account clinical manifestations, there are four stages of development of osteochondrosis:

1. The spine functions as usual.A person feels pain at the site of the disease.Patients complain of general weakness, chronic fatigue, and less commonly, loss of appetite and sleep disturbances.
2. Cracks form in the discs, and the spinal segments lose stability.Pain sensations increase, initially one-time, then - chronic, which is associated with pinched nerves, subluxation of the spine and the formation of protrusions.
3. The pain worsens, deformation of the spine occurs, and an intervertebral hernia forms.At the same stage, lordosis, a curvature of the spine, develops.
4. The spine loses its normal mobility.The cartilage tissue thickens and osteophytes (cartilage growths in the joints) appear.In especially difficult cases, patients lose the ability to move.

Important!

A person diagnosed with the fourth stage of osteochondrosis receives disability.

Causes of osteochondrosis

There are many theories explaining the occurrence of pathology.The causes include hormonal changes, hereditary factors, problems with the cardiovascular system, mechanical damage and many more.Researchers agree that most often the reason lies in the overload of individual segments of the spine.

The human spine has 32-34 vertebrae (7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, 3-5 coccygeal).Each segment consists of two vertebrae and an intervertebral disc between them.The integrity of these structures is guaranteed by the joints and articular processes.

Intervertebral discs consist of a jelly-like core and a dense fibrous ring surrounding it, the top of which is covered with a layer of cartilage tissue.They perform a shock-absorbing function, preventing damage to the spine when jumping, running and walking.The design is very mobile and provides flexibility and stability to the spine.

Already at the first stage of osteochondrosis, degradation and destruction of the intervertebral discs begins, the amount of fluid in their cores decreases, the cartilage tissue thins and becomes less elastic.

Osteochondrosis in most cases is diagnosed in older people, as well as in those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.Doctors believe that the main cause of this disease is the uneven distribution of load on the spine and vertebrae.This leads to its destruction, as well as destruction of cartilage tissue.

Most often, this disorder occurs due to a sedentary lifestyle, irregular exercise, excessive physical activity, and work associated with constant stress on the back.

Incorrect body position when walking, sitting, when carrying and lifting heavy objects, tight and uncomfortable clothes and shoes can cause damage/displacement of the intervertebral discs and as a result lead to the development of osteochondrosis.

Other reasons for the development of pathology include:

•  fractures, curvature and damage to the spine;
• hormonal imbalance;
• pregnancy;
• hypothermia and sudden changes in temperature.

Important!

Strain of the cervical spine while working at the computer can also lead to the development of osteochondrosis.

Risk factors for the development of osteochondrosis

There are many diseases that can cause osteochondrosis.These include:

• flat feet;
• scoliosis;
• arthritis;
• osteoporosis;
• arthritis;
• neuro-emotional exhaustion;
• diabetes mellitus;
• obesity.

Other risk factors include metabolic disorders, intense physical activity (especially related to heavy lifting), nutritional deficiencies, natural age-related changes in the body, and genetic predisposition.

Regular use of tobacco (smoking) and alcohol significantly weakens the tissue of the intervertebral discs.Calcium deficiency can be a factor in the development of this disease.

Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis

Pain sensations are the main symptom of pathology.The nature of the pain can vary, it can be:

• acute, intense, worsens with movement (as a rule, the patient tries to remain still);
• dull, smooth (slow movements).

In addition to local pain right where the destruction of the spine and intervertebral discs begins, patients often experience projection pain - far from the location of the problem.As a result of pain, muscle strength in the lower and upper extremities decreases, movement disorders and general weakness of the body occur.

Patients often complain of common symptoms of osteochondrosis such as:

• stiffness and discomfort when moving;
• muscle spasms;
• migraines and headaches;
• frequent dizziness, visual disturbances;
• the occurrence of pain in the joints of the limbs;
• feeling of coldness in the extremities;
• decreased sensitivity;
• circulatory disorders;
• loss of consciousness.

In some cases, patients experience numbness of the extremities and a tingling sensation in the cervical region, lumbar region, and sternum.

With osteochondrosis, several characteristic syndromes often appear:

• spine.Acute or chronic back pain, which is accompanied by poor circulation.
• Heart.A form of angina.
• Vertebral artery syndrome.Pain due to circulatory disorders in the vertebral arteries.
• Koreshkovy.The pain is triggered by compression of the spinal roots at the place of their branching from the spinal cord.

Depending on the type of osteochondrosis at its location, the symptoms of the disease may differ.

For cervical osteochondrosischaracterized by migraines, numb fingers, difficulty moving the head and neck, pain in the back of the head.In addition, with cervical osteochondrosis, patients complain of facial numbness, sleep disturbances, frequent dizziness and ringing in the ears.

Lumbar osteochondrosiscauses pain in the buttocks and perineum, causing movement disorders.Sufferers experience acute pain when bending, in the lower back (after sleeping or sitting in one place for a long time).Numbness, dizziness and general weakness appear.This disease often causes pain in the kidney area, erectile dysfunction, and frequent urination.With lumbar osteochondrosis, scoliosis often develops.

Thoracic osteochondrosisaccompanied by shortness of breath, stiffness in the chest area, pain between the shoulder blades and ribs.Often patients are worried about problems with the digestive tract, kidneys and pancreas.Specific manifestations of thoracic spine pathology include dry skin, peeling of the skin on the extremities, and brittle nails.

Osteochondrosis: diagnosis

You should consult a doctor (spine specialist or neurologist) if you experience back pain (of any kind), muscle spasms, and sensory disturbances in the back and limbs.

No additional preparation is required for visiting a neurologist or vertebrologist.It is important to give your doctor a list of pain medications you have taken recently.It is also important to report all actions taken during self-treatment before scheduling a consultation.

During your examination, the doctor will perform a thorough examination, which includes:

• collecting anamnesis, studying the patient's medical history and complaints;
• physiological examination, palpation, assessment of skin condition and localization of pain;
• determination of the nature of pain (acute, dull, reflected, local, etc.);
• blood test (indicators of calcium levels in the blood and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are important);
• ECG and ultrasound of the heart (to exclude or confirm the connection of pain syndrome with diseases of the cardiovascular system);
• duplex scanning of the arteries of the head and neck (assessment of the quality of blood flow, determination of vasoconstriction).

To confirm the diagnosis, additional radiographic examinations may be performed, which include:

• Spinal x-ray.Complete image in two projections, if necessary, filming each spinal segment.Functional radiography may also be prescribed - a study in which a specialist takes pictures in various body positions.
• Computed tomography of individual discs.Studies show the condition of the vertebral bodies, blood vessels, nerve endings, ligaments and soft tissues, rupture of the intervertebral disc contour, disc height, changes in the dura mater, marginal growths, and spinal instability.
• Myelography.Spinal cord X-ray contrast.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.This is an alternative to a CT scan of the intervertebral disc.Allows you to assess the condition of blood vessels and cartilage tissue.

X-ray studies confirm that this is osteochondrosis if the images show:

• pathological mobility of the spine deviating from the norm;
• displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other;
• salt deposition in intervertebral discs;
• uniform narrowing of the intervertebral spaces in the lumbar and cervical regions, wedge-shaped narrowing in the thoracic region;
• osteophyte formation (marginal growth);
• Marginal sclerosis is the formation of compaction in the affected disc.

As part of the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe consultation with other specialist doctors (ENT specialist, cardiologist, urologist, etc.).

Important!

The main task of the diagnostic doctor is to determine the cause of osteochondrosis.Depending on the results obtained during the examination, the doctor will determine the type of pathology and prescribe appropriate therapy for a particular case.

Complications of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the spine is an unpleasant disease, which in the late stages can lead to the development of other diseases and pathologies.The most common are:

• protrusion (protrusion of intervertebral discs);
• intervertebral hernia;
• salt deposits between the vertebrae;
• kyphosis (curvature of the spine);
• muscle atrophy;
• spinal stroke (circulatory disturbance in the spinal cord);
• sciatica;
• dysfunction of the genitourinary system (urination problems, erectile dysfunction in men, inflammatory processes in the uterus, ovaries and appendages in women);
• paralysis of limbs.

Timely consultation with a doctor at the first painful sensations and regular prevention of osteochondrosis will help to avoid the development of complications.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

At the Naran clinic, doctors practice an integrated approach in the treatment of osteochondrosis.

Tibetan medicine doctors use four treatment methods:

• Correction of nutrition according to dosha
• Lifestyle correction
• Herbal medicine

A set of external procedures:

• Nutrition correction.A balanced diet according to the human body's constitution (dosha) encourages energy surges and cell renewal throughout the body's organs and organ systems.
• phytotherapy.The use of Tibetan medicinal herbs and mixtures based on the recipes of ancient healers.Restores natural balance in the body, promoting rejuvenation and eradicating many diseases.

External effects on the body:

• energy acupressure - normalizes and restores adequate functioning of internal organs, helps to improve blood circulation throughout the body, restores immunity;
• acupuncture - eliminates pain and inflammation, eliminates discomfort resulting from external manifestations, improves fluid circulation in the body;
• vacuum therapy (cupping) – improves innervation, removes waste and toxins, normalizes regulatory and metabolic processes;
• stone therapy – beneficial for the cardiovascular system, blood pressure, relieves muscle spasms, restores sleep;
• Moxibustion, moxibustion or biologically active point jutherapy has been used in Tibetan medicine for more than 5 thousand years.For burning or heating, cigars made from wormwood, edelweiss, juniper, poplar leaves, as well as pressed coal, etc. are used.

Prevention of osteochondrosis

The main way to prevent this is to distribute the load on the spine evenly.In practice, this includes:

• active lifestyle;
• moderate exercise (morning exercise, yoga, swimming, walking, running, cycling, gymnastics to strengthen the muscle corset);
• sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow;
• wear comfortable orthopedic shoes, or better yet;
• balanced diet, including large amounts of minerals and vitamins;
• regular preventive examinations by a neurologist and vertebrologist;
• stop smoking and alcohol.

During long periods of sedentary and sedentary work, it is important to periodically take breaks, change position and warm up, this will help you relax and reduce the load on the spine.

When lifting weights, there is no need to do it quickly, jerkily, just smoothly and in a half squat.To carry heavy objects, it is better to choose a backpack with orthopedic walls rather than a bag with shoulder straps.

Avoid spending a long time in static and uncomfortable positions, especially standing and raising your arms - these positions injure the ligaments and increase the load on the intervertebral discs.

Important!

Doctors recommend sitting in a physiologically correct position: shoulders relaxed, abdominal muscles tight, even load on both buttocks, and a straight spine with even emphasis on the back of the chair.

Manual therapy, various physiotherapy methods and acupuncture also give positive results as preventive measures for spinal osteochondrosis.

Treatment of osteochondrosis consists of three stages:

1. Eliminate or reduce pain.
2. Elimination of disorders in the condition and function of intervertebral discs and vertebrae.
3. Prevention of complications.

If you immediately consult a specialist when the first signs of the disease appear, you can avoid complications and the need for surgical treatment.This is why it is very important to undergo annual preventive examinations by a neurologist and vertebrologist, even if you are not bothered by pain in the spine.

Important!

Only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, determine the disease and its causes, and prescribe effective treatment.