This disease usually refers to systemic dystrophic disorders of the articular cartilage, which appear in the area between the vertebrae.Depending on the local location of this problem, cervical, thoracic and lumbar types of the disease are distinguished.
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is a complex problem, it cannot be cured quickly.The cause of the problem is considered to be a sedentary lifestyle, which contributes to the initiation of negative processes in the cartilage of the joints.Remember that as the human body grows, a strong vascular bed with diffuse nutrition is formed in the intervertebral discs.Any negative condition and process worsens the nutrition of the vascular bed and creates a number of factors that aggravate the development of pathology.
Physiological factors contributing to the formation of osteochondrosis include poor nutrition, back and back injuries, constant unusual postures, flat feet and obesity.
symptoms
Symptoms of osteochondrosis look like this:
- Aches and numbness in legs/arms, severe back pain.
- Significant increase in pain during physical activity and even during coughing.
- Antispasmodic state of speech muscles, decreased motor activity.
- Other systemic manifestations are characteristic of damage to a certain area of the spine.
The main reasons
- Age-related degenerative changes.
- Genetic and hereditary predispositions.
- heavy weight
- bad nutrition
- Infectious and intoxicating injuries.
- Metabolic imbalance.
- A lifeless lifestyle.
- Traumatic spine syndromes.
- Overloading of the spinal system due to active training, weight lifting, incorrect posture, pregnancy, wearing uncomfortable shoes.
- Strong stress, neural overload, smoking.
- Poor environmental conditions for permanent housing.
- Skeletal instability, flat feet.
main types
The main types of osteochondrosis are:
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Pathological changes in the discs between the vertebrae in the cervical spine, more precisely in its upper third.It is most often caused by incorrect posture, metabolic disorders, weak muscle skeleton and generally bad lifestyle.The patient feels pain in the shoulders and arms and periodically suffers from migraines.Almost always he has the so-called "vertebral artery syndrome", which is caused by his spasmodic reactions to compression - throbbing headache, dizziness, flashes of optical defects in front of the eyes, numbness of the hands.
Chest osteochondrosis
The pathological condition is localized in the second third of the spine.Practical is always accompanied by accompanying syndromes - dull pain and discomfort in the chest area of the spine, aggravated by bending the body or deep breathing, as well as sudden attacks in the damaged part of the spine, severe deterioration of the quality of breathing due to pain, as well as its transmission to the back, neck and lower part.Often this problem causes pathologies in other organs - heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas.Read more about thoracic osteochondrosis.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis
In this case, there is a pain syndrome in the indicated area in the sections accompanied by "lumbago", numbness of the legs, negative manifestations in the vascular system and calves.Symptoms are aggravated by vertical position, bending over and strong coughing.This type of osteochondrosis causes muscle weakness, pain and pathologies of the pelvic organs, severe inflammation of the pelvis and waist.
Prevention
It is advisable to prevent osteochondrosis from an early age, especially if a person has a hereditary predisposition to this disease.
Main points:
- therapeutic exercise.
- swimming
- Self-massage of a potentially problematic area.
- Adherence to postural normalization recommendations.
- Relieve tension in the specified area.
- morning exercises.
- Normalization of weight and proper nutrition.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
Treatment of osteochondrosis, regardless of its stage, is complex.
drug treatment
The main direction of drug therapy is to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the problem and enhance the positive effect of other procedures.Local and systemic drugs not only relieve pain, but also improve blood circulation, relieve inflammation, partially restore problematic cartilage and relax muscle complexes.
- pills.Painkillers in the form of analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.Medicines are also prescribed that restore the cartilage tissue.
- Local outdoor facilities.Most often these are ointments and creams.The most popular steroid hormonal drugs for osteochondrosis are complex gels based on prednisolone or hydrocortisone.
- injections.Osteochondrosis injections are usually used in the acute stage of the disease, when classic tablets and local forms of medication do not have the desired effect on the body.The vast majority of injections are aimed at eliminating very strong pain syndromes.The classic scheme of use is a special blockade of the anesthetic agent subcutaneously and then intramuscularly in the region of the spinal nerves.Such injections can only be done in a hospital.
exercises (physical therapy)
Therapeutic gymnastics is an important stage in the fight against osteochondrosis.Exercise therapy is prescribed only by the attending physician, taking into account the specifics of the disease and the current condition of the patient, usually at the stage of remission of the problem.
The main purpose of such exercises is to strengthen the back muscles and develop the damaged cartilage components of the joints.Exercise therapy uses various techniques, but one of the most popular is considered to be two dozen exercise schemes according to the best therapist known in the past.The complex usually includes general strengthening exercises, targeted treatment measures for problem areas, as well as "lighthouse" exercises that allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.The exact list of actions, their sequence, number and other initial data is provided to the patient personally by the attending physician!
Massage during osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis massage procedures significantly alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease and at the same time help to overcome the problem along with other measures.
Individual elements of massage and approaches to its implementation may differ depending on the localization of osteochondrosis, its course, the presence of chronic diseases in the patient, etc.according to, that is, it is prescribed individually depending on the current clinical picture.
Classical therapeutic, acupressure, connective, apparatus and strap massages are most often used.The above-mentioned measures are aimed at improving lymph/blood circulation, normalizing nutrition of spinal discs, removing pain syndromes, releasing special fibers, relaxing muscle mass, restoring nutrition in soft tissues, etc.
The use of osteochondrosis massage should be abandoned if the patient has an aneurysm, tumor, thrombosis, osteomyelitis, blood diseases, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, problems related to pelvic organs with lumbar osteochondrosis, various skin manifestations in the form of warts, herpetic lesions.
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine has effectively treated osteochondrosis for centuries, usually with compresses and mouthwashes.
The most popular recipes:
- Mix grated raw potatoes and honey in a ratio of 1 to 1.Apply to the problem area for two hours as a compress.
- Boil one tablespoon of crushed strawberry leaves in a glass of boiling water, let it stand for twenty minutes and then eat it on an empty stomach.Take it for three months.
- Dissolve 300 grams of watermelon pulp and 200 grams of soda in a warm bath and take for half an hour.The course consists of 20 procedures.
- Pour ten grams of onion in boiling water and take half a glass twice a day.