Osteochondrosis

Back pain is a problem that every adult can face.Often this is not a one-time occurrence, but a symptom of a dangerous disease.Osteochondrosis often occurs in people 30-35 years old (about 40% of the population), up to 90% of cases occur in old age.

Timely diagnosis and correct approaches to treatment can eliminate the development of pathology and prevent complications.That is why it is important to understand what exactly back pain may indicate, which doctor you should contact when it appears, and how osteochondrosis should be treated.

What is osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a group of chronic diseases, the cause of which is the destruction of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, as well as damage to cartilage tissue.

With age and under the influence of uneven loads, the bone tissue of the vertebrae is deformed and destroyed, and the muscle tissue develops unevenly.This leads to various manifestations of osteochondrosis: hernias, curvature of the spine, etc.

Osteochondrosis is an outdated term; in world medicine it is referred to as dorsopathy. There are different types of diseases of the connective tissue and musculoskeletal system, for which different treatment methods are used.

Types of osteochondrosis

When classifying the disease, the following are taken into account: the location of pain, the area of damage to the intervertebral discs, and the degree of development of the disease.

Localization of painful sensations

Taking into account the location of pain caused by diseases of the spine, there are:

• Lumbodynia.Chronic pain that occurs in the lumbar back often causes lameness.In especially severe cases, it can cause numbness in the legs.Most often, this symptom occurs when a person has an intervertebral hernia.When the roots of the spinal cord are compressed, paralysis of the limbs is possible.
• Lumboischialgia.Pain that radiates painful sensations to the lower back or lower limbs, along the back of the legs - from the buttock to the knee.Clinical manifestations occur when there is pressure on the sciatic and spinal nerves.
• Lumbago.Shooting or acute intense pain at a certain point in the lower back.Often confused with radiculitis.An attack in most cases occurs when a person tries to sharply bend over or straighten his back, as well as when suddenly lifting heavy objects.
• Thoracalgia.Pain in the chest area.It is considered a very dangerous symptom, sometimes even a doctor cannot immediately determine its cause.Unpleasant sensations are not always associated with body movements.The pain is especially severe in the area from the chest to the armpit.
• Cervicalgia.Painful sensations occur in the neck area and can spread to the upper limbs.Pathological manifestations may be accompanied by dizziness, a feeling of numbness in the back of the head, redness and swelling of the skin.

The pathology requires urgent treatment, as there may be a disruption of blood circulation in the brain, compression of the nerve roots, and disruption of the outflow of venous blood.Cervicalgia often provokes inflammatory processes and herniated intervertebral discs.

The location of the most painful sensations indicates the area of damage to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.Often the pain is reflected, that is, it is not recorded in the place where the source of the disease is actually located.

Classification based on location

Depending on which part of the spine the damage to the intervertebral discs and tissues occurred, osteoporosis is divided into several types.

Cervical

Consists of seven small vertebrae that experience constant stress.The pathology is accompanied by thinning of the cervical vertebrae and compression of the arterial canals.The cervical type of osteochondrosis is very dangerous, because it causes a disruption in the process of saturation of blood in the brain.

The formation of protrusions leads to a hernia.And operations performed in the cervical region can lead to immobilization of the body.

Chest

Disorders in this part of the spinal column are rare, which is associated with low mobility of the vertebrae.The appearance of pain is observed in people moving loads, or in those who remain in one position for a long time.

Thoracic osteochondrosis is often confused with pneumonia, heart attack, and angina.

Important!

Only a doctor should be involved in differential diagnosis.

Lumbosacral

The lumbar region has five vertebrae.If a disruption of nutrition and metabolic processes occurs in the intervertebral disc, it loses elasticity, decreases in size and is no longer able to function taking into account the load received.Lack of treatment for lumbosacral osteochondrosis can cause the following complications: hernias, protrusions, sciatica.

Important!

A very dangerous phenomenon is compression of the spinal cord, as it can cause paralysis of the lower extremities.

Another type of osteochondrosis is polysegmental.During its development, degradation of segments in different parts of the spine occurs simultaneously.The disease is characterized by loss of sensitivity in the back of the head and disturbances in the functioning of the speech apparatus.

Features of the development of the disease

According to the degree of change in the intervertebral discs, experts distinguish 4 stages of pathology, diagnosed using radiographic studies:

1. There are no visible changes in the spinal column.
2. Internal ruptures occur in the discs, but without external changes.
3. Changes in the disc without external damage are noted.
4. Severe damage to the intervertebral disc.The cracks spread to the inner surface, the disc seems to be squeezed out of the vertebrae.  

Taking into account clinical manifestations, four stages of development of osteochondrosis are distinguished:

1. The spine functions as usual.A person feels pain at the location of the disease.Patients complain of general weakness, chronic fatigue, and less commonly, loss of appetite and sleep disturbances.
2. Cracks form in the disc, and the spinal segment loses stability.Painful sensations intensify, initially one-time, later - chronic, which is associated with pinched nerves, subluxation of the vertebrae, and the formation of protrusions.
3. The pain intensifies even more, deformation of the spine occurs, and an intervertebral hernia forms.At the same stage, lordosis, a curvature of the spine, develops.
4. The spinal column loses its normal mobility.The cartilage tissue thickens and osteophytes (cartilaginous growths on the joints) appear.In particularly difficult cases, patients lose the ability to move.

Important!

A person diagnosed with the fourth stage of osteochondrosis receives disability.

Causes of osteochondrosis

There are a large number of theories that explain the occurrence of pathology.Among the reasons are hormonal changes, heredity, problems in the cardiovascular system, mechanical damage and more.Researchers agree that most often the reason lies in the overload of individual segments of the spinal column.

The human spine has 32-34 vertebrae (7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, 3-5 coccygeal).Each segment consists of two vertebrae and an intervertebral disc between them.The integrity of this structure is ensured by the joints and articular processes.

Intervertebral discs consist of a jelly-like core and a dense fibrous ring surrounding it, which are covered on top with a layer of cartilage tissue.They perform a shock-absorbing function, preventing damage to the vertebrae during jumping, running and walking.The design is very mobile and provides flexibility and stability to the spine.

Already at the first stage of osteochondrosis, degradation and destruction of intervertebral discs begins, the amount of fluid in their core decreases, cartilage tissue thins and becomes less elastic.

Osteochondrosis is in most cases diagnosed in older people, as well as in those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.Doctors believe that the main cause of the disease is the uneven distribution of load on the spine and vertebrae.This causes their damage, as well as the destruction of cartilage tissue.

Most often, this disorder occurs due to a sedentary lifestyle, irregular exercise, excessive physical activity and work associated with constant pressure on the back.

Incorrect body position when walking, sitting, when carrying and lifting heavy objects, tight and uncomfortable clothes and shoes can cause damage/displacement of intervertebral discs and, as a result, lead to the development of osteochondrosis.

Other reasons for the development of pathology include:

•  fractures, curvatures and damage to the spine;
• hormonal imbalances;
• pregnancy;
• hypothermia and sudden temperature changes.

Important!

Straining the cervical spine while working at a computer can also cause the development of osteochondrosis.

Risk factors for the development of osteochondrosis

There is a large list of diseases that can lead to osteochondrosis.These include:

• flat feet;
• scoliosis;
• arthritis;
• osteoporosis;
• arthrosis;
• neuro-emotional exhaustion;
• diabetes mellitus;
• obesity.

Other risk factors include metabolic disorders, intense physical activity (especially associated with heavy lifting), lack of nutrients, natural age-related changes in the body and genetic predisposition.

Regular use of tobacco (smoking) and alcohol significantly weakens the tissue of the intervertebral discs.Lack of calcium can be a factor in the development of the disease.

Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis

Painful sensations are the main symptom of pathology.The nature of the pain can vary, it can be:

• acute, intense, worsens with movement (as a rule, the patient tries to remain still);
• dull, smooth (movements are slow).

In addition to local pain exactly in the place where the destruction of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs began, patients often experience projection pain - away from the site of the problem.Due to pain, muscle strength in the lower and upper extremities decreases, movement disorders and general weakness in the body occur.

Patients often complain of such general symptoms of osteochondrosis as:

• stiffness and discomfort when moving;
• muscle spasms;
• migraines and headaches;
• frequent dizziness, visual disturbances;
• the occurrence of aches in the joints of the limbs;
• feeling of coldness in the extremities;
• decreased sensitivity;
• circulatory disorders;
• loss of consciousness.

In some cases, patients experience numbness in the extremities and tingling sensations in the cervical region, lumbar region and sternum.

With osteochondrosis, several characteristic syndromes are often present:

• Vertebral.Acute or chronic back pain, which is accompanied by poor circulation.
• Cardiac.A form of angina.
• Vertebral artery syndrome.Pain resulting from circulatory disorders in the vertebral arteries.
• Koreshkovy.The pain is provoked by compression of the spinal roots at the places where they branch from the spinal cord.

Depending on the type of osteochondrosis at the location, the symptoms of the disease may differ.

For cervical osteochondrosischaracterized by migraines, numbness of the fingers, difficulty moving the head and neck, pain in the back of the head.In addition, with cervical osteochondrosis, patients complain of facial numbness, sleep problems, frequent dizziness and ringing in the ears.

Lumbar osteochondrosiscauses pain in the buttocks and perineum, which causes problems with movement.Patients experience acute pain when bending over, in the lower back (after sleeping or sitting in one place for a long time).Numbness, dizziness, and general weakness appear.The disease often causes pain in the kidney area, erectile dysfunction, and frequent urination.With lumbar osteochondrosis, scoliosis often develops.

Thoracic osteochondrosisaccompanied by shortness of breath, stiffness in the thoracic region, pain between the shoulder blades and ribs.Often patients are concerned about problems in the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and pancreas.Specific manifestations of pathologies of the thoracic spine include dry skin, peeling of the skin on the extremities, and brittle nails.

Osteochondrosis: diagnosis

You should consult a doctor (vertebrologist or neurologist) if you feel back pain (of any kind), muscle spasms and sensory disturbances in the back and limbs.

No additional preparation is required for visiting a neurologist or vertebrologist.It is important to provide your doctor with a list of pain medications you have taken recently.It is also necessary to report all measures taken during self-treatment before scheduling a consultation.

During your appointment, the doctor will conduct a comprehensive examination, which includes:

• collecting anamnesis, studying the medical history and complaints of the patient;
• physiological examination, palpation, assessment of the condition of the skin and localization of pain;
• determination of the nature of pain (acute, dull, reflected, local, etc.);
• blood test (indicators of calcium level in the blood and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are important);
• ECG and ultrasound of the heart (to exclude or confirm the connection of pain syndromes with diseases of the cardiovascular system);
• duplex scanning of the arteries of the head and neck (assessment of the quality of blood flow, determination of vasoconstriction).

To confirm the diagnosis, additional radiographic studies may be prescribed, which include:

• X-ray of the spine.A complete image in two projections, if necessary, filming of each individual segment of the spine.Functional radiography may also be prescribed - a study in which a specialist takes pictures in various body positions.
• Computed tomography of an individual disc.The study shows the condition of the vertebral body, blood vessels, nerve endings, ligaments and soft tissues, ruptures in the contours of the intervertebral disc, disc height, changes in the dura mater, marginal growths, and vertebral instability.
• Myelography.Contrast X-ray of the spinal cord.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.This is an alternative to CT scan of the intervertebral disc.Allows you to assess the condition of blood vessels and cartilage tissue.

X-ray studies confirm that this is osteochondrosis if the images show:

• pathological mobility of the vertebrae, deviating from the norm;
• displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other;
• deposition of salts in intervertebral discs;
• uniform narrowing of the intervertebral space in the lumbar and cervical regions, wedge-shaped narrowing in the thoracic region;
• formation of osteophytes (marginal growths);
• marginal sclerosis is the formation of a compaction on the affected disc.

As part of the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe a consultation with another specialist (ENT specialist, cardiologist, urologist, etc.).

Important!

The main task of a diagnostic doctor is to establish the causes of osteochondrosis.Depending on the results obtained during the examination, the doctor will determine the type of pathology and prescribe appropriate therapy in a particular case.

Complications of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the spine is an unpleasant disease, which in its final stages can cause the development of other diseases and pathologies.The most common ones are:

• protrusion (bulging of intervertebral discs);
• intervertebral hernia;
• salt deposits between the vertebrae;
• kyphosis (curvature of the spine);
• muscle atrophy;
• spinal stroke (circulation disorder in the spinal cord);
• radiculitis;
• disruption of the functioning of the genitourinary system (problems with urination, erectile dysfunction in men, inflammatory processes in the uterus, ovaries and appendages in women);
• paralysis of limbs.

Timely consultation with a doctor at the first painful sensation and regular prevention of osteochondrosis will help avoid the development of complications.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

At the Naran clinic, doctors practice an integrated approach to the treatment of osteochondrosis.

Doctors of Tibetan medicine use four treatment methods:

• Correction of nutrition according to dosha
• Lifestyle correction
• Phytotherapy

A set of external procedures:

• Nutrition correction.A balanced diet according to the constitution of the human body (dosha) promotes a surge of energy and cell renewal in all organs and organ systems of the body.
• Phytotherapy.The use of medicinal Tibetan herbs and mixtures based on the recipes of ancient healers.Restores the natural balance in the body, promotes its rejuvenation and eradication of many diseases.

External effects on the body:

• energy acupressure - normalizes and restores adequate functioning of internal organs, helps improve blood circulation throughout the body, restores immunity;
• acupuncture - eliminates pain and inflammation, relieves discomfort resulting from external manifestations, improves the circulation of fluids in the body;
• vacuum therapy (cupping) – improves innervation, removes waste and toxins, normalizes regulatory and metabolic processes;
• stone therapy – beneficial for the cardiovascular system, blood pressure, relieves muscle spasms, restores sleep;
• Moxibustion, moxibustion or jutherapy of biologically active points has been used in Tibetan medicine for more than 5 thousand years.For burning or heating, cigars made from wormwood, edelweiss, juniper, poplar leaves, as well as pressed coal, etc. are used.

Prevention of osteochondrosis

The main method of prevention is to evenly distribute the load on the spine.In practice this includes:

• active lifestyle;
• moderate exercise (morning exercises, yoga, swimming, walking, running, cycling, exercises to strengthen the muscle corset);
• sleeping on an orthopedic mattress and pillow;
• wearing comfortable, or better yet, orthopedic shoes;
• balanced diet, including a large amount of minerals and vitamins;
• regular preventive examinations by a neurologist and vertebrologist;
• quitting smoking and alcohol.

During prolonged sedentary and stationary work, it is important to periodically take breaks, change position, and do a warm-up, this will help you relax and reduce the load on the spine.

When lifting weights, you do not need to do it quickly, jerkingly, only smoothly and in a half-squat.To carry heavy objects, it is better to choose backpacks with an orthopedic wall rather than bags with a shoulder strap.

Avoid spending a long time in a static, uncomfortable position, especially standing and with your arms raised - this position injures the ligaments and increases the load on the intervertebral discs.

Important!

Doctors recommend sitting in a physiologically correct position: relaxed shoulders, toned abdominal muscles, even distribution of weight on both buttocks and a straight position of the spine with even emphasis on the back of the chair.

Manual therapy, various methods of physiotherapy and acupuncture also give positive results as a preventive measure for spinal osteochondrosis.

Treatment of osteochondrosis consists of three stages:

1. Relieving or reducing pain.
2. Elimination of disturbances in the condition and functioning of intervertebral discs and vertebrae.
3. Prevention of complications.

If you consult a specialist promptly at the first signs of the disease, you can avoid complications and the need for surgical treatment.This is why it is so important to undergo annual preventive examinations with a neurologist and vertebrologist, even if you are not bothered by pain in the spine.

Important!

Only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, determine the disease and its causes, and prescribe effective treatment.