Osteochondrosis is a lesion of interarticular and intervertebral cartilage.Osteochondrosis is diagnosed in all joints without exception, however, according to medical statistics, such lesions are more common in intervertebral discs.
Functions of intervertebral discs
The main function of intervertebral discs is to absorb shock when walking and running.Few people think about the load placed on the spine during movement.Every step gives a push to the vertebrae.If there were no discs between them, the bones would very quickly wear out, and the nerve endings of the spinal column would continuously be pinched between the vertebrae.
Its shock-absorbing abilities depend on the quality of the intervertebral disc.The younger the person, the more elastic the discs.In newborns, articular cartilage and intervertebral discs consist of almost 80% water, which gives them the ability to be as elastic as possible, like a sponge.With age, tissues deteriorate, dry out, become less flexible and lose their shock-absorbing properties.The older a person is, the higher the risk of developing complications of osteochondrosis, manifested by:
- hernias;
- radiculitis;
- protruises.
Symptoms of intervertebral disc disease
There are osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions.At the same time, problems in the cervical region may not be accompanied by any characteristic pain at all, while problems in the thoracic region may be reflected by pain not in the spine, but in the chest, which is why patients often confuse them with pain in the heart or bronchi.
Sometimes osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself as pain in the arm.If there were no obvious injuries that could cause pain in the arm, such a symptom should be a reason to examine the cervical spine.
If pain, concentrated in the sacral area, flows into the leg and buttock (usually only on one side), this indicates damage to the intervertebral disc in the lumbar region.After putting pressure on the damaged area, you may experience numbness in the leg, arm, or tingling in one of the limbs.The main striking symptoms of osteochondrosis of the intervertebral space are:
- Pain in the sacral area, preventing one from sitting.
- Back pain that prevents you from bending over.
- Pain that subsides while walking.
At the first signs of damage to the intervertebral discs, you must avoid heavy physical activity on your back, that is, do not lift anything heavy.
Why does osteochondrosis occur?
There are several reasons affecting the condition of disks.These include smoking and excessive exercise, especially when daily activities involve lifting heavy objects.On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition are a surefire path to disc destruction.In addition, specific work that forces you to hold your torso in an uncomfortable position, constant load on only one shoulder, as well as sleeping on an incorrectly selected mattress are a risk of developing osteochondrosis.
Sleep correctly on mattresses of moderate hardness so that the spine is in a natural, even position during rest.Soft feather beds only seem comfortable.Lying on a soft bed for a long time causes morning back pain.This happens because the back muscles are stretched when the back bends under its own weight.Stretching the back muscles, which continues throughout the night, leads to pain not only in the lower back, but along the entire length of the spine.
Flat feet are a risk of developing osteochondrosis, because such a foot cannot fully perform the functions of a shock absorber.The spine, due to this, bears increased loads, and the discs wear out faster.
In addition, people who are overweight put more strain on their spine than those whose body mass index is close to ideal.You need to monitor your shape so that the ratio of weight and height does not put additional stress on the skeleton.
However, completely healthy people who lead a sports lifestyle can have osteochondrosis.The main reason for this is injury.An unfortunate fall or blow to the spine often leads to hernias, protrusion and osteochondrosis.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
A surgeon, an orthopedist or a neurologist can make a diagnosis.Due to the fact that pain in the lumbar region often becomes a reason for contacting a neurologist, such patients are first examined by a doctor of this particular specialty.First, the patient is examined.To diagnose, he needs to assess the patient’s ability to twist the body, bend, sit, walk, and bend the legs.After which the spinal column is palpated.Thanks to manual examination, the doctor will be able to identify pain points and feel compactions and even hernias between the vertebrae.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an x-ray of the spine.This is the simplest test that can be carried out even in a rural clinic.X-rays have long been available in medical practice and are an integral element of every trauma department.If the x-ray does not confirm the diagnosis, or when a more detailed study is required, a CT scan or MRI of the spine is prescribed.With the help of such an examination, it will be possible to find out the quality of the discs, assess their elasticity and integrity, and also identify hidden pathologies.
How to treat osteochondrosis
As a conservative treatment, a course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.If there are no serious lesions of the discs, and the doctor noticed in the pictures that the cause of the pain lies in the pinching of the nerve by the inflamed muscle, then treatment will be reduced to relieving the inflammatory process.Additionally, warming therapy may be prescribed, which will reduce swelling, relax the muscle and release the pinched nerve.
In the case of protrusion or herniated intervertebral discs, the issue of back pain can be resolved through surgery.Severely worn vertebrae can be replaced with prosthetics.