Osteochondrosis is a disease caused by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the vertebrae, intervertebral discs and ligaments. People after 30 years are most susceptible to the disease, but the initial manifestations of the disease can occur in adolescence.
80-90% of the population faces this disease.
Symptoms of the disease
Depending on the location of the pathological focus, 3 forms of the disease are distinguished:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical region
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic area
- Lumbar osteochondrosis
With damage to the cervical spine, the patient's complaints are associated with insufficient brain nutrition due to the drainage of blood vessels. The most common complaint is a severe headache and dizziness. In addition, patients are worried:
- Blood pressure advice
- Disorders of movement coordination and shaking gait
- Reduction of visual acuity;
- Auditory worsening, ringing in the ears
- Hoarseness or hoarseness
- Snoring in sleep is a sign of constant tension of the neck muscles.
When compressing the nerves, numbness and cooling of the fingers, weakness in the limbs occurs.
If the nerves are impaired, severe neck pain, scalp pain, sore throat, teeth. The pain extends to the shoulders and limbs.
The symptom of osteochondrosis of the chest area is also pain - intercostal neuralgia. The pain is due to the compression of the nerve roots. Chest pain is acute, increased with cough, inspiration, laughter when moving.
Chest osteochondrosis pain can simulate other diseases, such as heart pain, abdominal pain.
Lumbar osteochondrosis most often affects people who have stuck work. It is characterized by pain in the lower back, which are given to the ass and legs. With nerve disturbance, numbness and cooling of the legs, loss of sensitivity, incontinence of stool and urine are possible.
The causes of the disease
The disease is considered polyetiological, that is, many factors contribute to the disease. The most common:
- A strong daily load on the spine
- Spine injuries
- Metabolic disorders
- Overweight
- Spine curvature
- Hereditary factor
- The process of natural aging of the body.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis consists of several stages.
A collection of a history of illness and life
The doctor asks questions to the patient to understand:
- Complaints
- Localization of pain and discomfort
- When the first symptoms appeared
- Which provokes appearance and increased pain.
- Which helps to relieve the condition.
It is important to understand the patient's working conditions, bad habits than he has been ill throughout his life, whether there have been bruises and spinal injuries, whether there is one of the closest relatives of osteochondrosis.
Inspection and palpation
When examined, the doctor draws attention to the position of the body and posture, to the symmetry of the back and neck, determines the volume of movements in the back, detects painful areas, evaluates muscle tone, determines the presence of irradiation of pain, checks sensitivity.
X -Rev review
The radiography of the spine is performed in two inclined projections, in a direct and lateral for more information. An X -ray with functional samples, tilting, flexion, extension position is sometimes required.
Computed tomography
CT is a study that allows you to clearly look at the bodies of the vertebrae, bonds, blood vessels and soft tissues. A picture of one or more segments of the spine is performed. CT allows you to determine the compression of the nerves, tears and hernias of the intervertebral discs, their height, changes in the hard brain membrane, the instability of the vertebrae.
Magnetic resonance therapy
MRI is used to diagnose osteochondrosis with clear visualization of blood vessels, nerve processes, intervertebral discs.
Complications
Osteochondrosis is not only a disease on the back, as is usually thought. It affects the blood vessels, nerves, muscles. Osteochondrosis provokes the development of a number of related diseases, including:
- Migraine
- Vision and hearing deterioration
- Intervertebral hernia
- Shorel nodes
- Radiculitis
- Lumbago
- Sciatica
- Spondylasis, spondylarthrosis and others.
The treatment of the disease
Treat osteochondrosis conservatively, in severe cases - immediately.
Conservative treatment includes a whole complex of therapeutic procedures: massage, physiotherapy exercises, physiotherapy, manual therapy, reflexology, spinal adhesion and medication treatment.
Medicines are prescribed during exacerbation, helping to relieve pain, inflammation and normalize metabolic processes.
Risk group
The osteochondrosis risk group includes:
- People leading a sedentary lifestyle with stuck work or spend a lot of time driving or on a computer
- People whose work or hobby is associated with lifting weights
- People with excess weight
- Pregnant
- Women who wear high heels.
Prevention
To prevent osteochondrosis, it is important to follow the rules:
- Do not overload spine, limit the vertical loads
- Do charging, strengthen the spinal muscles, knead them
- No
- Avoid injuries and bruises on the spine
- Do not carry weights
- Change the position of the body with a long -seated load and driving.
Diet and lifestyle
The osteochondrosis diet has no strict restrictions, it can be due to proper nutrition. It is necessary to limit salt and sugar. The main thing is that food corresponds to energy costs. If overweight, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of sweets and easily absorb carbohydrates. Replace coffee with tea, sweets - dried fruits.
Every day you should do exercises that include: drinking, squatting, tilting on the side, bends of the body, running, walking, swinging legs forward, side and back.
Osteochondrosis sleeping is preferable to a solid surface.
During a long sitting, you have to stretch and rotate the body every 20-30 minutes. With a long -term position, it is important to change the point of support from one foot to another.
If you need to carry weight, you can distribute the weight of each hand, you can use a backpack with wide straps.
Symptoms
- Headache
- Hoarse voice
- Urine incontinence
- Blurry
- Wearing weight loss
- Shark gait
- Snoring