A therapist with 50 years of experience once remarked: "When I started working, there was not a single young patient with osteochondrosis in the place. And today, almost every second of the 30-year-olds has this problem. "
Osteochondrosis - a disease caused by the deposition of salts in the spine
FalseThe intervertebral disc consists of the nucleus pulposus, annulus fibrosus, and hyaline cartilage that covers it above and below.
With the destruction of these elements, the balance between the load on the spine and the ability to carry it is disturbed. As a result, the vertebrae begin to press the neighboring nerve and muscle tissues, grow along the edges, forming the so-called osteophytes, which emit a characteristic crisis when moving (patients mistakenly explain it as "salt deposition").
If the back and neck hurt, then this is exclusively osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is not the only cause of back pain. This diagnosis is often made by the patients themselves. However, in addition to this pathology, which is part of the group of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine, there is also osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and it is possible to distinguish them only after a comprehensive examination.
- Degenerative-dystrophic changes occur in 30-50% of cases in 30-40-year-olds, in 75-100% of people over 40 years old.
- These pathological processes account for 20. 4% of total disability from diseases of the bone-joint system.
- Long walking is harmful to the spine
On the contrary. Motor activity has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the spine: it maintains muscle tone, preserves intervertebral mobility, stimulates blood circulation and metabolism. In the progression of the disease, hypodynamia and a long stay in a particularly uncomfortable position are "to blame".
Another thing is that if an overweight person walks a lot, carries heavy things, then the spine experiences an increased load.
Flat feet contribute to the development of osteochondrosis
trueThe arches of the foot, as well as the physiological curves of the spine, are designed to absorb impact loads when walking, running, jumping. If the leg does not provide adequate protection when interacting with the support, then the spine receives an additional load, which significantly worsens the nutrition and functioning of its structures and accelerates the development of the disease.
Back pain is the only symptom of the disease.
Certainly not this way. As a rule, patients complain of constant back pain, often accompanied by numbness and pain in the limbs. Over time, if it is not treated, the muscles of the limbs atrophy, the joints of the spine become less mobile, muscle spasms appear.
Such an acute condition occurs due to arterial spasm as a response to the effects of bone growths, as well as due to disc herniation, arthrosis of intervertebral joints, as a reflex reaction to irritation of spinal receptors.
- If a person suffers from coronary or cardiovascular pathology, then the vertebral artery syndrome will worsen the course.
- In case of osteochondrosis of the chest, there is disturbing pain in the chest (feeling as if a stake has been driven there) - in the area of the heart and other internal organs; with lumbosacral lesions - in the lower back (irradiation to the sacrum, lower limbs, sometimes to the pelvic organs).
- If complications of osteochondrosis develop (herniation of the intervertebral discs, bone growths, spondylolisthesis, spondylarthrosis), then damage to the nerve roots is noticed - the pain becomes shooting, sensitivity worsens, weakness appears in the innervated muscles and the severity of reflexes decreases.
- Osteochondrosis can cause dysfunction of various organs and tissues.
With osteochondrosis, the risk of blood circulation disorders in the cerebellar, stem and occipital regions of the brain increases.
A constant headache appears - first in the back of the head, then spreads to the crown and temples, aggravated by neck movements (more often in the morning).
Elderly people with a sharp turn of the head can lose consciousness. This is preceded by vertigo, tinnitus, blurred vision and hearing, nausea, vomiting.
Sometimes there is pain in the region of the heart - long, pressing, dull. With osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, especially in advanced and old age, the soft tissues often change - they become denser.
Degenerative processes in the spine can cause congestion in the gastrointestinal tract, disruption of the bronchopulmonary system, which is fraught with inflammatory and other diseases.
Vegeto-vascular dystonia, intercostal neuralgia - consequences of osteochondrosis
Certainly not this way. Osteochondrosis can be one of the reasons (far from the only one) for the development of these diseases.
When the intervertebral discs are "erased" and the osteophytes grow, the intervertebral openings, the vertebral artery channel are narrowed and deformed, which leads to the disruption of various structures.
In particular, when the nerve roots are compressed, signs of intercostal neuralgia appear, and when the vertebral artery is compressed, the same symptoms as in vegetative-vascular dystonia appear.
It is impossible to cure osteochondrosis
Indeed, the structures of the spine that have undergone degenerative changes cannot be completely restored. Nevertheless, adequate complex treatment can eliminate the symptoms of the disease, stop the development of the pathology and avoid complications.
For problems with the intervertebral discs, it is useful to warm the inflamed areas
wrongTemperature fluctuations, especially extreme ones (for example, a trip to the bathroom for beginners), can cause a serious exacerbation. In the complex treatment, moderate thermal procedures are used, but they must be prescribed by a doctor.
If you make circular movements of the head with osteochondrosis of the cervical region, your health will deteriorate
trueThese exercises are best done for prevention - they help maintain the range of motion in the intervertebral joints. In severe osteochondrosis, careless circular movements can worsen vertebral artery syndrome, radiculopathy, etc.
NSAIDs are essential for treatment
Not exactly. In the period of remission or when the pain is not strong, conservative therapy (physio-, reflexo- and manual) is carried out; physical therapy, traction techniques are used. Drug treatment is indicated during an exacerbation and is aimed at relieving pain, relieving the inflammatory process and accelerating metabolic processes (intramuscular or intravenous injections).
Among the most effective agents are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are prescribed to relieve inflammation and pain; in severe pain, novocaine blockades are used; steroid drugs (epidural, intramuscular injections); NSAIDs in the form of ointments, gels and creams with an analgesic and irritating effect; muscle relaxants - to relieve muscle spasms; Vitamins of group B - to improve metabolic processes in the spine (B1, B6, B12).
Osteochondrosis can lead to serious consequences
Yes, due to compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots, osteochondrosis can cause paralysis, and if the spinal artery is damaged, it can lead to loss of consciousness.
Exercises to "stretch" the spine help to improve the condition
Traction or traction allows you to increase the intervertebral space, relieve pain and restore the anatomically correct shape of the spine. However, the individual load must be correctly calculated. The "boost" can cause a reflex contraction of the paravertebral muscles and worsen the condition.
Only a traumatologist-orthopedic has the right to treat osteochondrosis
wrongMost patients are monitored by a neurologist, with a significant severity of the pathology - by a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic vertebrologist.
The local therapist may also prescribe drug therapy to relieve flare-ups.
Osteochondrosis of the spine: causes and treatment
Up to 76% of people experience back pain each year. This statistic affects people of all ages and occupations. The causes of the pain can be different, one of them is osteochondrosis of the spine.
Due to a sedentary lifestyle, osteochondrosis of the spine is becoming more and more common, and it is not always possible to defeat it on your own. Let's talk about why it occurs and how to deal with it.
What is spinal osteochondrosis
There are several different points of view regarding the definition. Some experts believe that it is more correct to use the general name - dorsalgia, or non-specific back pain.
The difficulties in definition are also related to the fact that different specialists work with this disease - neurologists, orthopedists, neurosurgeons and general practitioners.
Sometimes a person with a diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the spine turns to a cardiologist, since the manifestations of the disease are very similar to pain in the heart.
The term "osteochondrosis of the spine" was proposed by Hildebrandt in 1933 as a multifactorial degenerative disease of the spinal motor segment (as defined by Popelyansky). What is the motion segment of the spine? These are two vertebrae located one above the other, and there is an intervertebral disc between them.
Thanks to this articulation, the human spine can bend and extend, bend and twist. But as a result of various reasons, the intervertebral discs lose their properties, undergo degeneration, and then gradually the changes affect the vertebrae themselves.
That is, the essence of osteochondrosis of the spine is the gradual destruction of the intervertebral discs.
Osteochondrosis can develop in any part of the spine.
Due to the heavy load, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine occurs most often. The symptoms are:
- pain in the lower back, which can be sharp or dull, constant, can increase with movement;
- pain can be given to the legs, pelvic organs, sacrum;
- in severe cases, there may be a disturbance of sensitivity or mobility, atrophy of the muscles of the lower limbs.
The second most common is cervical osteochondrosis, which is more often associated with a prolonged uncomfortable position of the head, for example, when working with a computer or with documents. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is manifested by the following symptoms:
- headache and dizziness, migraine;
- visual or auditory disturbances, flashing "flies" before the eyes;
- pain can radiate to the back of the head, shoulders, collarbones;
- possible impairment of sensitivity in the hands.
Less often, osteochondrosis affects the chest, since the vertebrae are inactively connected to each other. A lesion in this area can masquerade as heart or lung disease. Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine:
- pain in the back at the level of the shoulder blades, in the chest, which may increase when bending, turning, during inhalation or exhalation;
- skin sensitivity disorders.
Regardless of the level of damage, pain in osteochondrosis of the spine can increase with pressure on those vertebrae that are involved in the process.
With the defeat of several departments, we can immediately talk about widespread osteochondrosis of the spine.
Risk factors and causes of the disease
The spine has high strength, and the development of the disease requires the action of several provoking factors at once. It is important to understand that most, if not all, of these factors can be influenced by the patient and thereby reduce the likelihood of developing the disease.
- lack of movement - this worsens the blood supply, and hence the nutrition of all elements of the spine;
- excessive physical activity is also harmful and can damage the intervertebral discs;
- long stay in the wrong, non-physiological position - the inappropriate height of the desktop or chair leads to the fact that a person is forced to constantly tilt his head, hunch over;
- stress - excessive tension in the muscles can lead to compression of the vessels that feed the spine;
- Overweight;
- smoking disrupts microcirculation in all tissues of the body;
- insufficient water and protein intake affects, among other things, the condition of the intervertebral discs.
The immediate causes of osteochondrosis of the spine are not always obvious, but the following options can be distinguished:
- hereditary predisposition - genetically programmed characteristics of cartilage and bone tissue, in which the wear process is faster;
- injuries to the spine - various complications can develop at the site of injury, including osteochondrosis;
- occupational hazards such as vibration;
- exposure to infections or chemicals;
- natural aging of the body.
People from various professions are at risk of developing osteochondrosis of the spine. These are builders and athletes, surgeons and office workers.
Stages of osteochondrosis and possible complications
The description of the four stages of osteochondrosis of the spine was proposed by Osna in 1971. They are not used to formulate a diagnosis, but they allow you to understand how the disease progresses.
- Intervertebral discs become less elastic. The disc may be slightly deformed, there is displacement of the internal nucleus pulposus in the disc. This stage either does not manifest itself in any way, or there are mild pains.
- In the second stage, cracks may appear in the disc and the surrounding ligaments may weaken. The connection of the vertebrae becomes unstable. There are attacks of acute pain with disability.
- The third stage is characterized by complete damage to the intervertebral disc. When the nucleus pulposus leaves the disc, a herniated disc occurs. Deformation of the spine or entrapment of nerve roots may occur.
- At the fourth stage, the surrounding tissues are affected - vertebrae, ligaments, spinal membranes. As a result, the spinal segment can completely lose mobility.
As a result of spinal osteochondrosis, various complications arise in some cases. Problems with the intervertebral discs, herniation and protrusion can lead to narrowing of the spinal canal, compression of the spinal cord and disability.
Depending on the level of the lesion, different problems with nerve root involvement are possible. These are intercostal neuralgia, disorders of sensitivity and motor function of the upper and lower limbs, disorders in the functioning of internal organs. Inflammation of the sciatic nerve, or sciatica, not only causes severe pain, but can also lead to pelvic organ disease and infertility.
In addition to nerve roots, osteochondrosis can compress spinal vessels. If blood circulation in the spinal arteries that pass into the cervical region and supply the brain is disturbed, brain disorders, vision or hearing problems, breathing or heart activity can develop.
Approaches to diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis: conventional and alternative methods
In the framework of official medicine, the diagnosis of osteochondrosis includes an examination by a neurologist to determine the degree of damage to the nerve roots, checking reflexes and sensitivity.
Of the instrumental methods, the following can be used:
- Ultrasound of the vessels allows you to identify the degree of circulatory disorders, for example, in the spinal arteries;
- X-ray of the spine;
- CT also uses radiological methods, but allows you to build a three-dimensional image of the examined area to identify even small displacements of the vertebrae;
- MRI specializes in the study of soft tissues, allows you to assess the condition of the spinal cord, visualize the internal structure of the intervertebral disc.
For differential diagnosis, laboratory tests, a general blood and urine test, indicators of calcium metabolism are used.
The treatment of osteochondrosis is complex.
- The first and very important tool in the treatment of osteochondrosis is lifestyle. Normalization of working conditions, moderate and regular exercise, as well as sound sleep significantly improve the condition of patients.
- For medical treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, a neurologist or general practitioner can prescribe drugs. Most often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed - this is the standard treatment for osteochondrosis of the spine. They reduce pain and reduce inflammation. Muscle relaxants help reduce muscle spasm. Vitamins and antioxidants are prescribed to protect nerve tissue from damage. However, all drugs have side effects, for example NSAIDs can adversely affect the stomach.
- In addition to drugs, physiotherapy is used, for example, massage for osteochondrosis of the spine, as well as manual therapy. In severe complications of osteochondrosis, surgery may be necessary, but it is prescribed only if there is no effect of long-term conservative treatment.
Treatment of osteochondrosis in classical medicine is in most cases a long process and can have negative consequences for human health.
So a number of drugs, in particular analgesics and muscle relaxants (especially with a sedative effect), can cause addiction, and some drugs adversely affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Alternatively, you can look at methods that are used, for example, in traditional Chinese medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine is very popular all over the world, there are special centers and training courses in many countries. The approaches and methods of treatment in the Celestial Empire differed from the usual, European view of diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
All diseases are seen as a disturbance of the balance and movement of Qi energy in the body, and therapeutic measures are aimed at restoring this balance. In China, various medicinal herbs, animal components, minerals are used, as well as various methods of external influence such as acupuncture and acupressure.
These techniques have a wide range of indications and a minimal number of side effects.
Acupuncture
Synonyms of this method are acupuncture, reflexology. The principle of acupuncture treatment is the placement of needles on bioactive points. Each point is associated with the organ on which the impact is made.
Reflexology allows you to relieve tension and muscle spasms, has an anesthetic effect, helps reduce pain. The method is safe because most doctors use sterile disposable needles.
And in the case of using needles covered with gold or silver, they must be sterilized without fail. Sensations during the procedure depend on individual sensitivity, the patient may feel tingling or numbness.
It is important that the procedure is performed by a highly qualified specialist with extensive experience. Inserting the needle incorrectly will be useless or even harmful. In some cases, acupuncture is combined with exposure to low doses of electric current.
Moxibus
This is a specific way of influencing active points using special wormwood cigars. The principle of action is similar to acupuncture and is often used in combination. A smoldering cigar is mounted on the body in a special wooden house while the active points are heated. Wormwood has a disinfecting, soothing and relaxing effect.
This method is safe because the glowing part of the cigar does not come into contact with the skin, although direct methods that work on the skin are used in some parts of China.
Massage
Massage therapy in China is practiced by several different schools. They use rotational techniques, pressing with one finger, manual therapy methods. Traditional massage techniques allow you to train muscles and joints, as well as indirectly affect other organs and tissues and help increase the body's defenses.
qigong
Traditional Chinese gymnastics, like massage, has several schools. Qigong movements, smooth, stretching and twisting, are great as exercises for the spine with osteochondrosis.
Qigong techniques do not require special equipment and can be performed at home.
Before that, however, it is best to choose the right exercises with your doctor, as well as to work out the correct execution technique under the guidance of a qualified specialist.
The level of science and medicine in China is very high, the combination of tradition and innovation gives amazing results. An example of the achievements of Chinese science are the methods of DNA therapy and DNA vaccines - these are the methods currently used to develop cancer treatments and combat HIV.
Osteochondrosis of the spine in the elderly. Characteristics of rehabilitation
People age differently: some retain a clear mind, are optimistic about life situations and are cheerful. Others, passing retirement age, lose interest in life.
- The rate of aging of the body depends on many factors, namely:
- 1) the genetic program for the development and decay of the organism;
- 2) the impact on a person of various, unfavorable life events.
- Poor housing conditions, harmful working conditions, living in an unfavorable climate, inability to receive full medical and social assistance in time, unhealthy lifestyle (malnutrition, bad habits and prolonged emotional stress) have an adverse effect on a person. ).
- When organizing measures for the treatment and rehabilitation of the elderly, it is necessary to take into account age-related and functional changes in this period of life.
- With advancing age, the volume of muscle mass decreases, muscle contractility weakens, changes occur in all parts of the spine.
Cervical osteochondrosis. The primary stage of the disease does not require special treatment. Standard preventive measures are able to deal with the pathology at this stage.
The greatest danger is the violation of blood circulation of the brain, which leads to a general disorder of functions and the formation of multiple foci of necrosis of brain tissues.
Prevention
Regardless of the chosen treatment methods, the prevention of osteochondrosis plays an equally important role. What can be done for spine health:
- drink enough water;
- control weight, do not overeat;
- choose the right shoes, if necessary - orthopedic insoles;
- choose a good mattress for sleeping, not too soft and giving sufficient support to the spine;
- eat foods rich in collagen (fish, turkey, giblets, various jellies);
- do regular exercise;
- adjust the height of the desktop and the chair, taking into account growth.
As for alternative methods of prevention, massage, qigong and acupuncture have worked well for reasons that are quite understandable and described above.
It is important to remember that back pain can and should be managed. You don't have to wait for the first signs of illness to change your lifestyle.
You can now get up from the computer, stretch your neck, add walks or massages to your to-do list.
And if osteochondrosis of the spine has become a problem that prevents you from living in peace, then the joint efforts of science and traditional medicine will help restore health and the joy of movement.