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Osteochondrosis

Symptoms of osteochondrosis

Back pain is a problem that all adults can experience.Often this is not a one-time event, but a symptom of a dangerous disease.Osteochondrosis often occurs in people aged 30-35 (about 40% of the population), up to 90% of cases occur in the elderly.

Timely diagnosis and correct treatment approaches can eliminate the development of pathology and prevent complications.That is why it is important to understand exactly what lower back pain can indicate, which doctor you should consult when it appears, and how to treat osteochondrosis.

What is osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis is a group of chronic diseases, the cause of which is the destruction of the spine and intervertebral discs, as well as cartilage tissue damage.

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

Osteochondrosis is an outdated term;In world medicine, it is called dorsopathy.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

Types of osteochondrosis

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

Localization of painful sensations

Considering the location of pain caused by spinal diseases, there are:

  • Lumbodynia.Chronic pain that occurs in the lower back often leads to lameness.In particularly severe cases, it can cause numbness in the legs.Most often, this symptom appears when a person has an intervertebral hernia.When the roots of the spinal cord are compressed, paralysis of the limbs is possible.
  • Lumboschialgia.Pain that radiates to the lower back or lower limbs, the back of the legs - from the buttock to the knee.Clinical manifestations appear during pressure on the sciatic and spinal nerves.
  • Lumbago.Shooting or sharp intense pain in a certain point of the back.Often confused with sciatica.In most cases, the attack occurs when a person tries to bend sharply or straighten his back, as well as when suddenly lifting heavy objects.
  • Thoracalgia.Pain in the chest.It is considered a very dangerous symptom, sometimes even a doctor cannot immediately determine its cause.Unpleasant sensations are not always related to body movements.The pain is especially strong in the area from the chest to the armpit.
  • Cervicalgia.Painful sensations appear in the neck 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.

Pathology requires urgent treatment, because blood circulation in the brain may be disturbed, nerve roots may be compressed, and venous blood flow may be disturbed.Cervicalgia often causes inflammatory processes and herniation of intervertebral discs.

The location of the most painful sensations indicates the area of damage to the spine and intervertebral discs.Often the pain is reflected, that is, it is not fixed in the place where the source of the disease actually is.

Classification by location

Depending on which part of the spine the intervertebral discs and tissues were damaged, osteoporosis is divided into several types.

cervix

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

The formation of protrusions causes a hernia.And operations performed in the cervical region can lead to immobilization of the body.

chest

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

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

Important!

Only a doctor should be involved in the differential diagnosis.

Lumbosacral

There are five vertebrae in the lumbar region.If nutrition and metabolic processes are disturbed in the intervertebral disc, it loses its elasticity, decreases in size and can no longer function under the received load.Lack of treatment of lumbosacral osteochondrosis can cause the following complications: hernia, rash, sciatica.

Important!

Compression of the spinal cord is a very dangerous phenomenon, as it can cause paralysis of the lower limbs.

Another type of osteochondrosis is polysegmental.During its development, the segments in different parts of the spine are degraded simultaneously.The disease is characterized by a decrease in sensitivity in the back of the head and impaired functioning of the speech apparatus.

Features of disease development

Depending on the degree of change in the intervertebral discs, experts distinguish 4 stages of the pathology, which are diagnosed using radiographic studies:

  1. There are no noticeable changes in the spine.
  2. Internal ruptures occur in the discs, but without external changes.
  3. Disc changes are observed without external damage.
  4. Severe damage to the intervertebral disc.Cracks spread to the inner surface, the disc seems to be pulled out of the vertebrae.  

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

  1. The spine works normally.A person feels pain at the location of the disease.Patients complain of general weakness, chronic fatigue and less often loss of appetite and sleep disturbances.
  2. Disc cracks appear and the spinal segment loses stability.Painful sensations intensify, initially single, later - chronic, which is associated with stretching of nerves, subluxation of vertebrae and formation of rash.
  3. The pain gets even stronger, the spine is deformed and an intervertebral hernia is formed.Lordosis, curvature of the spine develops at the same stage.
  4. The spinal column loses its normal mobility.Cartilage tissue thickens and osteophytes (cartilaginous formations on the joints) appear.In particularly 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 that explain the occurrence of pathology.Among the reasons are hormonal changes, heredity, cardiovascular system problems, mechanical damage and others.Researchers agree that the most common cause is overloading of individual segments of the spinal column.

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 this structure is ensured by funds and financial processes.

Intervertebral discs consist of a jelly-like core and a dense fibrous ring surrounding it, covered by a layer of cartilage tissue.They perform the function of shock absorption, preventing damage to the spine during jumping, running and walking.The design is highly 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 liquid in their core decreases, the cartilage tissue becomes thinner and less elastic.

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

Most often, this disorder appears due to a sedentary lifestyle, irregular exercise, excessive physical activity and constant pressure on the back.

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

Other reasons for the development of pathology include:

  •  fractures, curvatures and injuries of the spine;
  • hormonal imbalance;
  • pregnancy;
  • Hypothermia and sudden changes in temperature.

Important!

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

Risk factors for the development of osteochondrosis

There is a long list of diseases that can cause osteochondrosis.This includes:

  • flat feet
  • scoliosis;
  • Arthritis
  • osteoporosis;
  • arthrosis;
  • neuro-emotional exhaustion;
  • diabetes mellitus;
  • Obesity.

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

Regular consumption of tobacco (smoking) and alcohol significantly weakens the tissue of the intervertebral discs.Lack of calcium can be a factor in the development of the disease.

Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis

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

  • Acute, intense, worsens with movement (usually the patient tries to stay still);
  • Dull, smooth (movements are slow).

In addition to local pain exactly where the destruction of the spine and intervertebral discs began, patients often experience pain of projection - away from the problem site.Due to the pain, the strength of the muscles in the lower and upper limbs decreases, movement disorders and general weakness in the body appear.

Patients often complain of such general symptoms of osteochondrosis as:

  • stiffness and discomfort during movement;
  • muscle spasm;
  • Migraine and headache;
  • frequent dizziness, visual disturbances;
  • pain in the joints of the limbs;
  • feeling of coldness in the limbs;
  • reduced sensitivity;
  • blood circulation disorder;
  • loss of consciousness.

In some cases, patients experience numbness in the extremities and a tingling sensation in the cervical, lumbar, and chest areas.

Several characteristic syndromes are often found during osteochondrosis:

  • Vertebrate.Acute or chronic back pain accompanied by poor circulation.
  • of the heart.A form of angina pectoris.
  • Vertebral artery syndrome.Pain caused by impaired blood circulation in the spinal arteries.
  • Koreshkov.Pain is provoked by compression of the spinal roots in the places where they branch off from the spinal cord.

Depending on the location of the type of osteochondrosis, the symptoms of the disease may vary.

During cervical osteochondrosisIt is characterized by migraine, numbness of the fingers, difficulty in moving the head and neck, pain in the back of the head.In addition, patients with cervical osteochondrosis complain of facial numbness, sleep problems, frequent dizziness and ringing in the ears.

Lumbar osteochondrosisIt causes pain in the buttocks and perineum, which causes movement problems.Patients 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.The disease often causes pain in the kidney area, erectile dysfunction and frequent urination.Scoliosis often develops during lumbar osteochondrosis.

Chest osteochondrosisIt is accompanied by shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, pain between the shoulder blades and ribs.Often, patients suffer from problems with the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and pancreas.Specific manifestations of thoracic spine pathologies include dry skin, peeling skin on the extremities and brittle nails.

Osteochondrosis: diagnosis

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

No additional preparation is required for a visit to a neurologist or vertebrologist.It is important to give your doctor a list of pain medications you have recently taken.It is also necessary to report on all the measures taken during self-treatment before the appointment of the consultation.

During your appointment, the doctor will conduct a comprehensive examination that 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 (calcium level in blood and erythrocyte sedimentation rate indicators are important);
  • ECG and heart ultrasound (to exclude or confirm the connection of pain syndromes 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 studies may be prescribed, which include:

  • X-ray of the spine.A complete picture in two projections, if necessary, photographing each individual segment of the spine.Functional radiography can also be prescribed - a study in which a specialist takes pictures of different positions of the body.
  • Computed tomography of an individual disc.The study shows the state of the vertebral body, blood vessels, nerve endings, ligaments and soft tissues, rupture of the contours of the intervertebral disc, disc height, dura mater changes, marginal growth and instability of the spine.
  • Myelography.Contrast X-ray of the spinal cord.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging.It 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 it is osteochondrosis if the images show:

  • pathological mobility of the spine, deviated from the norm;
  • movement of vertebrae relative to each other;
  • deposition of salts in the intervertebral discs;
  • uniform narrowing of the intervertebral space in the lumbar and cervical regions, wedge-shaped narrowing in the chest area;
  • formation of osteophytes (marginal formations);
  • Marginal sclerosis is the formation of compaction in the damaged disc.

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

Important!

The main task of the diagnostician is to determine the causes of osteochondrosis.Based on the results obtained during the examination, the doctor determines the type of pathology and prescribes appropriate therapy in a specific case.

Complications of osteochondrosis

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

  • Protrusion (bulging of intervertebral discs);
  • intervertebral hernia;
  • salt deposits between vertebrae;
  • kyphosis (curvature of the spine);
  • muscle atrophy;
  • Spinal stroke (disruption of circulation in the spinal cord);
  • sciatica;
  • dysfunction of the urogenital system (urinary problems, erectile dysfunction in men, inflammatory processes in the uterus, ovaries and appendages in women);
  • Paralysis of limbs.

At the first painful sensation, timely consultation with a doctor and regular prevention of osteochondrosis will help prevent the development of complications.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

Doctors at the Naran Clinic implement an integrated approach to the treatment of osteochondrosis.

Doctors of Tibetan medicine use four methods of treatment:

  • Nutrition correction according to dosha
  • lifestyle correction
  • Herbal medicine

A set of external procedures:

  • Nutrition correction.A balanced diet according to the constitution of the human body (dosha) promotes energy growth and cell renewal in all body organs and organ systems.
  • Phytotherapy.The use of medicinal Tibetan herbs and mixtures based on the recipes of ancient healers.Restores the natural balance in the body, contributes to its rejuvenation and elimination of many diseases.

External effects on the body:

  • Energy acupressure - normalizes and restores adequate functioning of internal organs, helps improve blood circulation throughout the body, restores immunity;
  • Acupuncture - eliminates pain and inflammation, relieves discomfort as a result of external manifestations, improves the circulation of fluids in the body;
  • Vacuum therapy (cup) - improves innervation, removes waste and toxins, normalizes regulatory and metabolic processes;
  • Stone therapy - useful for the cardiovascular system, blood pressure, relieves muscle spasms, restores sleep;
  • Moxibustion of biologically active points, moxibustion or eutherapy has been used in Tibetan medicine for more than 5,000 years.Cigars made of wormwood, edelweiss, juniper, poplar leaves, as well as pressed coal, etc., are used for burning or heating.

Prevention of osteochondrosis

The main prevention method is to evenly distribute the load on the spine.In practice this includes:

  • active lifestyle;
  • moderate exercise (morning exercises, yoga, swimming, walking, running, cycling, muscle corset strengthening exercises);
  • sleeping on an orthopedic mattress and pillow;
  • wearing comfortable, or better, orthopedic shoes;
  • A balanced diet, including a large amount of minerals and vitamins;
  • regular preventive examinations by a neurologist and a vertebrologist;
  • Quitting smoking and alcohol.

During long sitting and stationary work, it is important to periodically take a break, change the position and warm up, this will help you relax and reduce the load on the spine.

When lifting weights, it is not necessary to do it quickly, roughly, just smoothly and in a semi-squat.For carrying heavy objects, it is better to choose backpacks with an orthopedic wall than bags with a shoulder strap.

Avoid spending long periods of time in a static, uncomfortable position, especially standing with your arms raised - this position damages the ligaments and increases the load on the intervertebral discs.

Important!

Doctors recommend sitting in a physiologically correct posture: relaxed shoulders, tight abdominal muscles, equal distribution of weight on both buttocks and the correct position of the spine with equal emphasis on the back of the chair.

Manual therapy, various methods of physical therapy and acupuncture also give positive results as a preventive measure for osteochondrosis of the spine.

Treatment of osteochondrosis consists of three stages:

  1. Alleviate or reduce pain.
  2. Elimination of disorders of the condition and functioning of intervertebral discs and vertebrae.
  3. Prevention of complications.

If you consult a specialist immediately at the first signs of the disease, you can avoid complications and the need for surgical treatment.That is why it is very important to undergo annual preventive examinations with a neurologist and a vertebrologist, even if you do not suffer from spinal pain.

Important!

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