Osteochondrosis is a medical term which describes violations of the integrity of surfaces of bone cartilage.Most often, the disease is associated with damage to the intervertebral discs.
The intervertebral discs are a kind of shock absorbers that soften the pressure on the spine at the load.Osteochondrosis aggravates quality of life, causing pain in the back, neck, head, noise in the ears.
There are two points of view concerning the diagnosis.Specialists abroad include a disorder in children and adolescence.We think it is more common in children because their bones are in the development stage.Doctors diagnose osteochondrosis mainly in patients with an age of 25 to 55.The signs, the causes and the types of diseases in two cases are the same.
How to determine osteochondrosis?
- Are there constant or periodic back pain or muscle tension?
- Is there a "Gooseb exterior" in the lower back or the neck?
- Do you feel "pulling" in the back?
- Does pain appear when you raise your hands or swing your head towards the sides?
- Is there a periodic stunning?
- Are there any noise episodes, nausea?
If at least one answer is affirmative, you must contact a specialist to conduct a study.If the diagnosis reveals violations, the doctor will prescribe treatment for you and help protect himself from more serious and more painful symptoms.
What causes osteochondrosis
The massive incidence of osteochondrosis is due to the fact that people are in a vertical position most of the time.In this case, the spine and the discs experience an increased load.If it is difficult to sit, lie and stand, the discs lose their damping capacities.
Over time, the disc shell cracks and the hernial protrusion appears.They begin to transmit blood vessels, roots of the spinal cord or the brain itself.Consequently, the pain and reflex tension in the muscles appear.
The risk group includes middle -aged people and the elderly.Office employees, professional engines, strong growth people are most often faced with this disease.The risk factors for the appearance of symptoms pronounced with violations can become:
- flat feet;
- heredity;
- excess body weight;
- Hypodynamia.
Causes of violations in joint cartilage:
- Work with a heavy cargo
- Incorrect installation in a sitting, standing or lie position.
- Injuries, over no constraints.
- Excessive charges during the practice of sport.
- Increased air humidity and low temperature.
- Activities related to a frequent change in body position
Types of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis can develop in any spine.Depending on the location, the disease is divided into: cervical, thoracic and lumbar.In 50% of cases, the last type is found.
Lumbar osteochondrosis
A similar diagnosis is established for men and women.The reason is an increased load which appears during the walk, the race, the physical effort, the prolonged seat.The lumbar column consists of 5 vertebrae, between which there are discs which give elasticity.If the exchange process does not occur, the intervertebral discs lose their properties and the pain occurs.
Symptoms:
- Dumb or supposition of the low -in -law, which intensifies during the trip.
- Pain in the legs, body of the pelvis, the sacrum.
- Violation of mobility or sensitivity.
- Atrophy of the leg muscles in the acute course of the disease.
Lumbar osteochondosis must be treated.In the absence of therapy, dangerous complications can occur: Ishias, hernia, protrusion.Consequently, the natural blood supply of the spinal cord is disturbed, which causes paralysis of the lower limbs.
Cervical osteochondrosis
"Make sure you turn your head," calls doctors.Thus, you can avoid a dangerous diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical column.The neck is the most mobile part of the spine.The department consists of 7 vertebrae.The disease appears following a violation of metabolic processes in the body, in the presence of salts in the neck or because of the frequent uncomfortable position of the head.
Symptoms:
- Headache
- Pain in the heart
- Sparkling "flies" under my eyes
- Suffering
- Cryst in the neck
- Hand or shoulder pain
- Numbness
Experts note that this type of disease is one of the most dangerous, because for its reason, there can be a violation of blood circulation in the brain, migraine, dystonia and more serious illnesses.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
The violations of the thoracic spine occur less often, because the vertebrae are inactive.The pains that appear in this area are experienced by many people who are engaged in heavy physical work or who have a sedentary profession.The cause of osteochondrosis can be a disturbed exchange process, an increased load on the intervertebral discs.
Symptoms:
- Pain or feeling of compression in the chest.
- Pain between the shoulder blades while raising the hands.
- Skin sensitivity disorders.
In acute violation, two symptoms can occur: dorsago and dorsalgia.Dorsago is accompanied by acute chest pain, shortness of breath.With the dorsalgia, the pain in the vertebrae of the department is not too strong, but is developing gradually.The disease is often confused with other thoracic pathologies: heart attack, pneumonia, angina, etc.The diagnosis is only made by a specialist based on inspection and research.
Osteochondrosis steps
In the first stage, obvious symptoms are absent.With the frequency, discomfort in the spine appears, which is associated with excessive fatigue or physical effort.The disease can be detected during a preventive examination, X -rays or computed tomography.
The second step is accompanied by pain, because the process of destruction of the cartilage fabric begins and the gap between the discs decreases.Pain at this stage is eliminated with drugs as prescribed by a doctor.
At the third stage, vertebral deformations begin: a fibrous ring is disturbed, an intervertebral hernia appears.Using properly prescribed treatment, you can always improve the state of the spine.
The fourth step is irreversible changes in the spine in which it is difficult to move to a person.Between the vertebrae, the bone tissue connecting the vertebrae develops.Most often, a similar form of osteochondrosis leads to disability.
Diagnostic methods
To determine the degree of disease, check sensitivity and reflexes, the doctor performs a physical exam.In addition, blood and urine tests are given, calcium metabolism indicators are studied.
To establish a precise diagnosis, diagnostic methods are used:
- Ultrasound of ships.Determination of the degree of altered blood circulation in the vertebral arteries.
- X-ray of the spine.
- Ct. The construction of a three -dimensional image of the area studied to identify small vertebral trips.
- MRI.Study the state of the soft tissues to assess the state of the spinal cord and view the internal structure of the discs.
Treatment
Osteochondrosis is treated in depth.The main objective of therapy is to remove pain, elimination of tension in the muscles and the constraint of the movements that have appeared due to the pain.It is important not to self-manner, but to take advice with a specialist and follow the recommendations.
- Pharmacotherapy
- Physiotherapy
- Surgical treatment
For the treatment of the spine, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which help relieve inflammation and swelling.Musodorelaxants are responsible for reducing cramps in the muscles.Onguants are used to reduce pain.To protect nervous tissues, antioxidants and vitamins can be prescribed: they slow down the destruction of bone tissue and reduce the loss of calcium.
The effectiveness of the treatment is possible with a combination of drugs with physiotherapeutic procedures: electrophoresis, laser, magnetotherapy, treatment with mud and current.In addition, a massage, manual therapy can be prescribed.All procedures are determined taking into account the patient's condition, as there are contraindications.
Osteochondrosis surgery is necessary in extremely rare cases.There are many nerve endings in the spine that are responsible for the work of the body as a whole.The risk is significant, therefore surgical treatment may be prescribed when conservative methods do not provide appropriate efficiency.
Prevention
It is possible to maintain the health of the spine and prevent the appearance of symptoms or complications of osteochondrosis by adhering to prevention methods:
- sufficient consumption of water;
- body weight control;
- food consumption rich in collagen;
- the choice of an orthopedic mattress supporting the body;
- Regular sports.
You can try alternative methods: acupuncture, qigong or massage.Before starting any procedure, you must consult a doctor to guarantee the health of the musculoskeletal system.