Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease of various parts of the spine, in which the intervertebral disc has degenerative and dystrophic changes. Men between 25 and 60 years of age suffer from this disease more often. This disease is typical among young and old people. Women rarely get sick, and their symptoms are not so obvious. In the early stage of the disease, stable relief can be achieved, free from years of pain and discomfort.
What are the types of osteochondrosis?
The classification of spinal osteochondrosis has many forms and standards. They differ in the location and severity of the affected parts. All types of osteochondrosis are pathologies full of destructive changes in cartilage and connective tissue.
The most easy-to-understand simple layman, far from medicine, is classified according to the location of the lesion:
- Cervical osteochondrosis-is characterized by pain syndrome in the occiput, cervical spine and scapula. In the past decade, this disease has been increasingly diagnosed among young people.
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is very rare because it has more intervertebral discs than the sum of the cervical and lumbar spine, and the intervertebral discs are smaller and thinner. Part of the load is borne by the ribs. Therefore, in the intervertebral discs of the thoracic spine, degenerative and dystrophic changes rarely occur.
- Lumbar osteochondrosis usually occurs in people over forty years of age who live a sedentary lifestyle. It is characterized by severe back pain, compression of nerves and arteries in abdominal organs, and accompanying diagnosis of many internal organs.
Stage of disease
According to the flow rate, the degree of degenerative changes, and the manifestation of symptoms, four stages of the disease can be distinguished:
- The initial stage is characterized by unstable symptoms. The patient has not yet experienced severe pain. Occasionally, there may be "shooting" pain in the affected area of the back.
- The second stage is characterized by the significant deterioration of the interaction between the vertebrae due to the progress of the degenerative process of the intervertebral disc. The development of the disease at this stage is caused by inappropriate physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle.
- In the third stage, the intervertebral hernia may begin to develop (some patients will survive this fate). In some cases, severe back pain can occur. The development of accompanying diagnosis affects all body systems in one way or another. Symptoms vary depending on the location of the hernia and the location of rickets.
- The fourth stage is the most difficult. Patients cannot lead a fulfilling lifestyle and enjoy freedom of movement. Almost all body positions will cause acute pain at the location of osteochondrosis. At this stage, we can talk about disability appointments for patients.
cause
Osteochondrosis causes a lot of pain, reduces the quality of life, and can cause patients to be completely or partially unable to move and become disabled. What is the cause of this disease? They are as follows:
- A sedentary lifestyle, sitting statically or lying in one position. Muscle atrophy, the vertebrae wear out the cartilage and intervertebral discs between each other. This process can last for several years, but it will inevitably lead to osteochondrosis.
- Modern young men and women go to the gym to exercise with barbells and dumbbells. Improper performance can lead to chronic spinal diseases. For example, the wrong technique of performing the "barbell squat" exercise has brought tens of thousands of young patients with osteochondrosis and scoliosis in the acute stage to surgeons and orthopedists.
- People who have to sit at the table in one position for several hours because of professional activities are also at risk. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, office workers account for the vast majority of osteochondrosis patients.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The vertebrae of the cervical spine gradually lose fluid and become weak. Due to this process, veins and arteries are compressed. The brain’s nutrients are destroyed, and its cells die. Cervical osteochondrosis has the greatest negative impact on the part of the brain responsible for myocardial activity. Usually the optic nerve or the auditory nerve is squeezed, causing vision loss and hearing loss.
Types of cervical osteochondrosis:
- Radical, or so-called "cervical radiculitis"-its main feature is severe pain in the back of the occiput, neck, and head;
- Irritation reflex-chest, back discomfort, numbness of the fingers;
- The heart is characterized by symptoms of cardiovascular disease.
Only a plastic surgeon or surgeon can make an accurate diagnosis. Regardless of the type of cervical osteochondrosis, the treatment is almost the same.
The main symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
The rarest type of disease. The symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are characteristic of many other diseases. Inexperienced doctors can usually diagnose arrhythmia, angina pectoris, cardiomyopathy (waiting for ECG results), pancreatitis, and even gastritis. Only experienced orthopedic surgeons or spine surgeons can provide accurate information about the types of thoracic osteochondrosis.
With the obvious pathological process, the work of the spinal cord is interrupted. The main symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- Dorsago-Severe chest, unbearable pain, shortness of breath, it seems to the patient that he is suffocating or arrhythmia.
- Back pain-The patient feels less discomfort than back pain. The pain is not so obvious and radiates to the hands and fingers (for this reason, doctors often confuse the symptoms with cardiovascular diseases).
Symptoms and consequences of lumbar osteochondrosis
The most common type of osteochondrosis is the lumbar spine. This is because in the process of daily life, the waist bears the greatest pressure.
In the first stage, the main symptom is a slight stretch of the waist. People pay little attention to this mild disease. As the intervertebral disc wears out, negative symptoms will increase. Especially the patient cannot lie down or sit in one position for a long time due to pain.
In the third or fourth stage of lumbar osteochondrosis, there are:
- Low back pain-severe and sudden pain, the result of which may be partial immobilization of the patient;
- Sciatica-unilateral compression of the sciatic nerve;
- Sciatica-squeezing of nerve endings in the lumbar spine;
- We often observe lower limb weakness, muscle atrophy, venous congestion, impaired sexual function, and work of abdominal and pelvic organs;
- Nerve root ischemia-blood circulation failure due to compression of blood vessels.
Systemic osteochondrosis
This type of disease affects not only the spine but also the joints. In most cases, the shoulders and hips. The symptoms of systemic osteochondrosis are neurological in nature. In rare cases, internal organs are damaged due to impaired blood circulation.
In the hip joint, the disease is manifested by changes in the cartilage tissue and the drying of the inter-articular fluid. Over time, the joints will partially and then completely lose their previous mobility.
Multisegmental osteochondrosis
The manifestation of this disease is not in one, but in several parts of the body. For example, there is often a failed combination of the third vertebra and the twelfth vertebra-in this case, osteochondrosis will be considered multisegmental.
The treatment in this case is exactly the same as the standard signs of cervical or thoracic osteochondrosis. Facts have proved that magnetic therapy and other physical therapy procedures are very suitable for alleviating the pain and discomfort caused by multi-segment rickets. Now you know what types of osteochondrosis of the spine exist.
Drugs for treating osteochondrosis
The pharmacological methods to reduce the symptoms of osteochondrosis can be divided into the following groups:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs-relieve pain and swelling in the affected area. There are two types-non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids.
- painkiller.
- Muscle relaxant used to relieve muscle cramps.
- Hondoprotectors-drugs that improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue.
- Vitamin-mineral complex-restores normal blood circulation and activates metabolism.
- A drug that improves and restores the impulse conduction of nerve cells.
In some cases, you must use diuretics to relieve the swelling of the muscles and connective tissue between the vertebrae. It is strictly forbidden to prescribe medicines on your own-not only will it not cure, but it will also aggravate the course of the disease.
Treatment of osteochondrosis, gymnastics and physical education
Any orthopedic surgeon will confirm the importance of physical exercise to alleviate chronic osteochondrosis.
What kind of exercise is safe for osteochondrosis? It is best to choose swimming, stretching, Pilates, body bending-those directions that do not have sudden movements. Traumatic martial arts and weightlifting with osteochondrosis are prohibited. The patient should not bear a weight of more than five kilograms.
Don't underestimate the benefits of exercising every morning. It should not be done on a case-by-case basis, but on a continuous basis. Only in this case will the spine benefit. Simple wave, "grind", "bicycle"-exercises that everyone has been familiar with since childhood, will help stretch the back and relieve pain. All actions must be performed as smoothly and accurately as possible to avoid injury.
Office workers must leave the computer once an hour for a five-minute warm-up. This will serve as an excellent prevention and treatment of existing osteochondrosis.
Massage and manual therapy
Of all types of osteochondrosis treatment, this is the most pleasant one. Much depends on the expert's choice-results and feelings. Types of massage for osteochondrosis-classic, acupoint massage, canned food, hardware, honey.
For manual therapy, the situation is more complicated. First of all, this process is painful: during spinal manipulation, patients of manual surgeons often cannot suppress painful calls. Second, if the chiropractor is inexperienced, this process can be dangerous. Choose experts with good patient evaluation, real diplomas and rich treatment experience.