osteochondrosis -Degenerative-dystrophic damage to the tissues of the spine, characterized by damage to the intervertebral discs, articular surfaces and adjacent vertebral bodies and the ligamentous apparatus of the spine.
Most often, pathological processes in osteochondrosis first affect the bones and ligaments.We usually learn that the disease has already begun when complications appear - pain, sensory disturbances, muscle atrophy, dysfunction of internal organs.
Who suffers from osteochondrosis?
Today, osteochondrosis affects 40 to 90% of the world's population.Most often, the disease affects people over 30 years old.However, the first symptoms of osteochondrosis can appear in adolescence.
Stages of development of spinal osteochondrosis
- The first stage of the development of osteochondrosis.
Dehydration of the nucleus pulposus begins.This leads to a decrease in the height of the disk.Cracks appear in the fibrous ring, but the pathological process does not extend beyond the intervertebral disc.
- The second stage of the development of osteochondrosis.
As a result of the decrease in the height of the disc, the attachment points of the muscles and ligaments belonging to the two adjacent vertebrae are brought closer together.Therefore, muscles and ligaments decrease.This can lead to excessive mobility of the two vertebrae in relation to each other, i.e., instability of the vertebral movement segment is formed.At this stage, the sliding or displacement of the vertebrae in relation to each other with the formation of spondylolisthesis is characteristic.
- The third stage of the development of osteochondrosis.
During this period, the most pronounced morphological changes occur, which mainly affect the intervertebral discs themselves: prolapses and protrusions of the disc are formed.The articular apparatus of the vertebral movement segment also suffers.Subluxations occur in intervertebral joints and non-vertebral joints and forms of arthrosis.
- The fourth stage of the development of osteochondrosis.
At this stage, adaptive changes occur in the affected segments of the spine.The body tries to overcome excessive mobility of the vertebrae and immobilize the spine to maintain its supporting and protective functions.In this regard, marginal bone growths appear on the adjacent surfaces of the vertebral bodies, in other words, osteophytes.An osteophyte that grows "in the wrong place" causes microtrauma to the nerve root.In the fourth stage, processes of fibrous ankylosis usually begin in the discs and intervertebral joints.After all, the vertebral motor segment seems to be stained in a shell - the clinical manifestations decrease.
Causes of osteochondrosis
In each of the many existing theories of the development of osteochondrosis, different reasons are accepted that are responsible for the appearance of the disease, for example, mechanical trauma, hereditary predisposition or metabolic disorders.A particular difficulty in determining the cause of osteochondrosis is due to the fact that this disease can appear both in the elderly and in the young, both in well-built people and in less trained people.It is a common belief that the cause of osteochondrosis is the deposition of salts in the spine: allegedly, on X-rays, salts can be seen in the form of "growths" or "hooks" on the vertebrae.If during movement there is a crackle and crackle in the joints, as if sand had been poured between them, for many patients the only reason for this condition is the notorious "salt deposit".Such misconceptions are by no means harmless: the correct idea of how to treat a disease can be determined based on an analysis of the causes that caused it.
The term "osteochondrosis" comes from the Greek roots osteon - "bone" and chondr - "cartilage".The ending "-oz" means that the bone and cartilage disease is not associated with inflammatory processes, but is degenerative-dystrophic in nature, that is, the basis of the disease is a violation of tissue nutrition and, as a result, degeneration of its structure.Like all living tissues, the bone tissue of the vertebrae and the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs are constantly rebuilt and self-renewed.Under the influence of regularly exercised physical activity, they gain strength and elasticity, and in the absence of loads, the strength of the tissues decreases.
This is due to the peculiarities of nutrition and blood supply of bones and cartilage tissue.Adult discs do not have their own vessels;they receive nutrients and oxygen from neighboring tissues.Therefore, for the proper nutrition of the discs, it is necessary to activate the blood circulation in the tissues surrounding the discs.And this can only be achieved through intense muscle work.
Based on its composition, the intervertebral disc can be divided into two parts: it is the nucleus pulposus, which gives elasticity to the disc, located in the center and a strong fibrous ring that surrounds it.Due to the deterioration of the nutrition of the intervertebral discs, the complex structure of the biopolymer compounds that make up the nucleus pulposus is destroyed.The moisture content of the nucleus pulposus decreases and becomes more fragile.When exposed to even minor overloads, the nucleus pulposus can break into fragments.This leads to a decrease in its elasticity to an even greater extent.There is also a decrease in the strength of the fibrous rings of the discs.All these factors create the basis and form the cause for the development of osteochondrosis.
To restore the function of the spine, it is necessary to kill the damage to the intervertebral disc, to mobilize the compensatory abilities of the spine, as well as the musculoskeletal system as a whole, and not to resolve "salt deposits" or eliminate "grey" in the vertebrae.When you perform an X-ray examination after the end of the treatment, you can see that the vertebrae have not changed their shape.And the notorious "spikes" are not the cause of osteochondrosis, but a consequence of adaptive processes.Marginal growths increase the surface area of the supporting surface of the vertebral body.Due to the increase in area, the specific pressure decreases, which makes it possible to compensate for the decrease in strength and elasticity of the intervertebral disc.
Degenerative-dystrophic changes occurring in the spine are accompanied by calcification (calcification) of damaged discs, individual sections of articular ligaments, cartilage and capsules.This process can only be called conditionally salt deposition.Thus, this is not the cause of osteochondrosis, but only a consequence and final stage of the process described above.
Reversal of structural changes in the spine is almost impossible.But minimizing them is a very real task.If no effort is made to keep the spine in the same condition that was achieved as a result of the treatment, the pain may recur.
Clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis
Clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis are very different.They depend on the stage of development of osteochondrosis.The main clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis occur when the pathological process spreads to the back of the fibrous ring and the posterior longitudinal ligament.Depending on the stage of degeneration of the intervertebral discs, there is irritation, compression or disruption of the conduction of the roots of the spinal cord, compression of blood vessels or the spinal cord.Various neurological syndromes develop - reflex and compression.
The main cause of pain in osteochondrosis is the so-called irritation of the nerve root.In this case, blood circulation is disturbed, swelling appears, and then fibrosis of the surrounding structures can develop, which is accompanied by an increase in the sensitivity of the roots to various influences (movement in the affected segment of the spine, etc.).
Vascular disorders in osteochondrosis are often associated with impaired vasomotor innervation.Mechanical compression of blood vessels by osteophytes is also possible, for example in the cervical spine.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
One of the features of spinal osteochondrosis that worsens the process is that its symptoms are very extensive.The disease can appear in completely different parts of the body.This can be pain or numbness in the limbs or discomfort and pain in the internal organs.At the same time, often a person does not in any way connect pain in the heart, dysfunction of the genital organs, headaches, pain and numbness in the legs with osteochondrosis and in general with the spine, directly "treating" the symptoms of osteochondrosis with the help of various types of sedatives, all kinds of advertised diet drugs and other advertised drugs.But this path only worsens the situation.Osteochondrosis continues to develop, and the treatment methods used, at best, simply do not lead to significant improvement, except for temporary pain relief, and in the worst case, they can harm the body even more.
Therefore, it is important to carefully analyze your condition and the changes that occur in it.It is necessary to start moving in the right direction: consult a doctor at the right time, undergo the necessary diagnostics and only after determining the correct diagnosis start treatment under the supervision of the attending physician.
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis include, first of all, pain and discomfort in the back.At the same time, pain can be periodic, inconsistent, appear and disappear.But the first feeling of discomfort or pain in the spine should make you think.The appearance of the first pains is a signal to at least pay attention to this and try to remember the reason why they appeared.Such a reason can be lifting a heavy object, sudden movement, falling, etc.
Another symptom of osteochondrosis is accompanying discomfort or pain in the back with pain and numbness of the extremities (arms or legs).The pain most often radiates to the left limb, that is, to the left arm or leg.In addition, pain can appear in the area of the heart, in the back and not only in the area of the spine, but, for example, in the ribs, etc.It is especially important in this case to pay attention to the nature of the change of pain depending on the patient's actions, comparing the sensations of pain in the back with pain, for example, in the legs.If the patient has been sitting for a long time and has experienced pain or numbness in the legs, discomfort in the lower back, and after a warm-up or a short walk, the pain has disappeared, then this will be an indirect sign that determines lumbar osteochondrosis of the spine.The same photo can be of the neck and the arm.To summarize, we can say that the main symptoms of osteochondrosis include pain and discomfort in the back.In cases where these symptoms coincide with pain in other parts of the body, osteochondrosis can be complicated by protrusion, disc herniation, or a pinched nerve.
In addition, I would like to draw attention to the fact that even when the first pain in the spine appears, it is necessary to pay special attention to this disease.After all, osteochondrosis can appear weakly or not at all for a long time.At the same time, it will continue to develop successfully in the spine, leading to the degradation of an increasing number of discs.Therefore, a timely visit to the doctor will allow osteochondrosis to be diagnosed at an early stage, which will facilitate its treatment.
Osteochondrosis and salt deposition
Osteophytes or hook-like growths of the vertebrae appear to reduce the load on the intervertebral discs.In this case, the appearance of osteophytes impairs the mobility of the intervertebral joints.
The widespread belief in everyday life that salt deposition is the main cause of osteochondrosis is wrong.Therefore, treating osteochondrosis using a salt-free diet is pointless.
The most common complaints with spinal osteochondrosis
The most common complaints with osteochondrosis are as follows:
- Discomfort in various parts of the spine.The pain can vary from small, dull, annoying pains to strong, sometimes very intense and unbearable - with shooting.
- Increased fatigue during work, physical and mental.
- Loss of sensation in the limbs and different parts of the body, coldness of the hands or feet.
- Pain radiating down the leg, along the nerve trunks.
- Pain that radiates to the shoulder blade, shoulder, as well as pain in the neck and back of the head.
- A frequent companion of cervical osteochondrosis is headache and dizziness.Increased visual fatigue or decreased visual acuity is often observed.
- When the lumbosacral region is affected, disorders of the reproductive system - various sexual dysfunctions - are common.Therefore, most men experience an increase in sexual potency after treatment.In women, the normal functioning of the lumbosacral area increases the likelihood of conception and contributes to a comfortable pregnancy.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
To diagnose osteochondrosis, it is necessary to collect an anamnesis.Determining patient complaints is of crucial importance.Some symptoms of osteochondrosis are quite characteristic.Others, on the contrary, must be differentiated from the signs of other diseases.It is important that the nervous, vascular and trophic disorders that occur in osteochondrosis can imitate various diseases, such as angina pectoris, gastritis, gastric ulcers and acute surgical diseases of the abdominal organs.Therefore, in order to avoid the wrong diagnosis and the subsequent prescription of the wrong treatment, each symptom should be subjected to a detailed analysis.
When collecting an anamnesis, including the patient's complaints, the history of the current disease and the patient's life, the doctor pays attention to his age, since osteochondrosis develops more often in the elderly, and the evolution of symptoms from the moment of their appearance until the patient consults the doctor.Osteochondrosis is characterized by slow development, in which periods of aggravation are periodically replaced by periods of remission.To clarify the diagnosis, additional research methods are described.
X-ray studies for osteochondrosis
The most accessible method for diagnosing osteochondrosis, and at the same time quite informative, is x-ray examination.There are several types of x-ray methods for diagnosing this disease:
Survey radiography of the spine is the simplest radiological method for diagnosing osteochondrosis.Its essence is to take an x-ray of the spine as a whole or of its individual segments.Most often, targeted radiography is performed - based on the symptoms of the disease and the patient's complaints, the location of the spinal lesion is determined.In an x-ray image of a segment of the spine affected by osteochondrosis, a decrease in the thickness (atrophy) of the intervertebral discs can be seen, manifested in the form of a decrease in the space between the vertebrae, the appearance of bone growths of the vertebral bodies - osteophytes, partial disintegration in the form of the body - resorption of the body tissue.spinal segment, for example, softening the lumbar lordosis.
Myelography is a more complex and dangerous diagnostic method.During such an examination, a certain amount of contrast liquid is injected into the spinal canal.The risk of this examination method is the possibility of allergic reactions to the contrast or the risk of damage to the spinal cord during the puncture of the spinal canal.Myelography can determine the internal structure of the spinal canal.This method is particularly informative for the determination of spinal hernias.
Computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance are the most modern, but also the most expensive and difficult to access methods for diagnosing osteochondrosis.These diagnostic methods are usually used when it is necessary to distinguish between osteochondrosis and other spine diseases that have similar symptoms, for example, spinal canal tumors.
For a comprehensive assessment of the patient's condition, it is mandatory to perform a neurological examination of the patient with osteochondrosis.Thanks to a neurological consultation, it is possible to clarify the location and degree of motor and sensory disorders.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
The clinic offers effective treatment for all forms of osteochondrosis.Treatment is performed on an outpatient basis.Treatment is based on a comprehensive program aimed at the rapid elimination of the underlying syndrome and the cause of suffering.The following methods can be used as part of complex therapy:
- acupuncture;
- vacuum therapy;
- gentle manual therapy techniques (post-isometric relaxation);
- laser therapy;
- pharmacopuncture;
- dry traction;
- magnetopuncture;
- electrical stimulation and other treatment methods.
On average, the course of treatment is 10-15 sessions, and the elimination of acute pain syndrome is from 1 to 3 sessions.
The sooner the treatment is started, the better the result!
Is complete relief from osteochondrosis real?
It depends on the form of the disease, severity, correctness and duration of treatment.Complete recovery is possible only in the initial stages.
But you can prevent exacerbations of osteochondrosis and not feel pain for years.If a person had osteochondrosis, but now he does not experience discomfort, this does not mean that it has passed without leaving a trace.There may be changes in the spine.
The main task is to stop the development of the disease and do everything possible to ensure that some of the pathological changes in the spine disappear, the symptoms disappear or decrease (back pain, coldness and numbness of the arms, legs, headaches, etc.).