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What is osteochondrosis?

As people age, many people suffer from musculoskeletal disorders.The most common disease in this area of medicine is spinal osteochondrosis.Unfortunately, today this affects not only representatives of the older generation, but also young and energetic people.There are many reasons for this: sedentary work, lack of sports or any other physical activity, etc.

What is it?

Doctors define vertebral osteochondrosis as a whole set of disorders in the joints and cartilage connecting tissues and organs, which develop in any of the joints, but most often affect the intervertebral discs.

Depending on the location, cervical, thoracic and lumbar-crucial osteochondrosis is distinguished.Despite the fact that vertebral osteochondrosis appears after the age of 40, the first signs of osteochondrosis are already noticeable at the age of 20.

back pain due to osteochondrosis

Reasons

There can be many factors that provoke the development of the disease.This includes hypothermia, vertebral displacements as a result of injuries, and intense physical exertion.

However, the main causes of spinal osteochondrosis are as follows:

  • The habit of hunching your back;
  • Lack of a solid muscle corset;
  • Scoliosis of various types;
  • Stress, nervous shock, depression, chronic fatigue;
  • Sedentary lifestyle;
  • Frequent weight lifting;
  • Metabolic disorders (the body may lack blood calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and many other useful substances);
  • Inheritance;
  • Untreated viral infections;
  • Changes in hormonal levels, in both women and men;
  • Various back injuries.

Most often, athletes, loaders, builders and all those whose occupation is associated with active physical work are susceptible to osteochondrosis.For those who, on the contrary, lead a sedentary lifestyle, doctors recommend moving more, practicing some type of preventive sports, as well as proper nutrition so that the body receives all the vitamins, minerals and microelements it needs.

Symptoms

The symptoms of osteochondrosis depend directly on the affected vertebral region.

  • Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.The spine is accompanied by frequent neck pains that go to the back and chest, tension of the neck muscles, which can cause pain when touched, swelling and numbness of the tongue, a feeling of goosebumps and tingling in the neck and palms, a feeling of general weakness in the neck and shoulders.
  • Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.The spine presents the following symptoms: sharp pain in the sternum, a feeling of compression in the chest, and intercostal pain may appear during physical activity.
  • Osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region.The spine is often accompanied by lower back pain, which can radiate to the legs, sacrum and groin, lack of sensitivity in the legs, cold hands and feet, tingling sensations in the lower extremities.

If one or more symptoms of this disease occur, you should immediately consult a specialist, since osteochondrosis can cause disturbances in the functioning of many organs and systems, pinched nerves, as well as migraines, dizziness and insomnia.Lumbosacral osteochondrosis is especially dangerous, since subsequently there is a risk of developing heart and vascular diseases, diseases of the genitourinary system, scoliosis and displacement of intervertebral discs.

Stages

Osteochondrosis develops gradually and has several stages of development:

  • In the first stageIt is still difficult to understand that the disease has arisen.The symptoms are not pronounced, the patient experiences only mild discomfort.Mild pain in the back and lower back occurs from time to time, but very often it is attributed to overwork and increased physical activity.Very often, osteochondrosis of the first degree is diagnosed accidentally during a routine examination of the patient.
  • In the second stageThe pain occurs more frequently and becomes more intense, and the processes of deformation of the cartilage tissue begin.The easiest way to treat osteochondrosis is in the second stage, since the doctor can already see all the changes that occur in the body.Analgesics can be added to complex general therapy.
  • To the third stageDeformation of the spine occurs, scoliosis, kyphosis and other back diseases begin to develop.The treatment is aimed at modifying the defects of the spine and minimizing the defects that have occurred.
  • In the fourth stageIn osteochondrosis, the patient finds it difficult to move, the cartilage tissue thickens, and some vertebrae shift.Pain accompanies a person constantly.Most often, at the fourth stage of the disease, the patient is recognized as disabled.
Spinal injuries due to osteochondrosis.

Diagnosis

The doctor can give a preliminary diagnosis based on the above symptoms.First of all, the doctor will check the condition of the patient's spine in different positions, as well as in movement.After which hardware diagnostics will be carried out to clarify the diagnosis and clarify possible complications.

The main types of diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the musculoskeletal system include:

  • MRI;
  • CT (computed tomography);
  • x-ray examination;
  • Ultrasound (ultrasound examination);
  • study of the arterial vessels of the brain.

After analyzing the patient's condition, the doctor will identify possible concomitant diseases, such as hernias, radiculitis and displaced intervertebral discs.

The patient, in turn, must remember that the symptoms of osteochondrosis can be signs of any other disease, so the quality of the diagnosis must be the highest, since treatment will be prescribed based on its final result.

Consequences

One of the most dangerous consequences of osteochondrosis is total or partial muscle atrophy.For many patients, pain is relieved only with pain relievers.

If you do not contact a specialist in a timely manner, there is a risk of developing a hernia, cholesterol plaques, as a result of which blood pressure and oxygen supply to cells are disturbed.

In patients with the fourth stage of osteochondrosis, heart rhythm disturbances and abnormal functioning of the respiratory system may occur;The organs of vision and hearing may also be affected, and coordination of movements may be impaired.

Due to the fact that osteochondrosis mainly affects the blood supply system, the entire human body is at risk.It is worth noting that people with impaired metabolism more often suffer from this disease.Osteochondrosis is usually accompanied by vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis can be of two types:

  • conservative;
  • surgical.

The choice of treatment method depends on the severity of the disease, the identified complications and the internal strength of the body to recover after surgery.

With a conservative treatment method, the patient will be prescribed a wide range of medications and other techniques, such as massage, therapeutic exercises, and physical therapy.This therapy method includes taking medications and hardware treatment.

The most used conservative treatment methods are the following:

  • Therapeutic physical education, the exercises of which will be individually adapted to the state of the patient's body.
  • Acupuncture.
  • Massage and hydromassage.
  • Magnetic therapy and vibration stimulation.
  • Ultrasound and laser therapy.
  • Medications.
  • Adequate nutrition, which will also be individually adapted to the patient.
  • Psychotherapy.

It should be noted that if conservative treatment is selected incorrectly, the patient's condition may worsen.Self-medication for osteochondrosis is excluded.

The surgical method of treating osteochondrosis is aimed at stabilizing the motor activity of the damaged segments of the spine.In case of a hernia in the spine, surgery can be performed in two ways: standardly with a scalpel or with a laser.The choice is made by the doctor together with the patient, taking into account not only his wishes, but also the state of the body.According to statistics, surgical intervention is resorted to in 15% of cases.However, the success rate is only 3%.

Prevention

It should be remembered that no one is insured against osteochondrosis, so it is better to carry out timely prevention of this disease:

  • First of all, you should always control your posture, keeping your back and neck straight even while working in front of the computer.
  • It is also necessary to devote a sufficient amount of time to sports or any other physical activity, thus strengthening your muscle corset.Exercises in the pool are very suitable for these purposes.
  • Special orthopedic mattresses and pillows can also be a good prevention of osteochondrosis.
  • Particular attention should be paid to the method of lifting weights: to relieve the spine from excessive tension, you must first squat, and then lift something heavy.It should be noted that no more than 17 kg can be lifted at a time.
  • The basic principles of diet are also important elements in the treatment of osteochondrosis.Food should provide all beneficial vitamins and minerals to the body, especially during the period of vitamin deficiency.Avoid consuming too much caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, fast food and carbonated drinks.The diet should include vegetables and fruits as sources of fiber, as well as meat, fish and legumes as sources of protein.

Everyone should remember that undetected osteochondrosis can be extremely dangerous for the entire body;All organs and systems of the body are at risk.It is necessary to closely monitor the general state of your health and undergo check-ups with a specialist once every six months.