Osteochondrosis is a condition in which there is a number of irregularities in the articular cartilage degenerative nature. Osteochondrosis can occur in different joints, but osteoarthritis most often affects the intervertebral discs. If we take into account the localization of the disease, the osteochondrosis can be divided into thoracic, cervical, lumbar.
Osteochondrosis is a disease that causes pain in the back, approximately 80% of the time. In the case where the complications of degenerative disc disease , disc herniation pain is sometimes it may happen that the head, limbs, and other organs. The most commonly in the lumbar osteochondrosis, provoking the pain in my leg. Many people complain about the symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease, where the sore hands and head. In the thoracic form of the disease, the pain occurs in the internal organs.
The reason for osteochondrosis
The original, because the osteochondrosis can be considered human bipedalism. There are many different theories of the causes of lower back pain. For example, the predisposition is hereditary in nature, injury, violation of metabolic processes in the body. The determination of the causes of this disease is complicated by the fact that the disease appears in people of different age, body type, and physical level of development.
There is a theory that the cause of the osteochondrosis to become, the accumulation of salts in the spine. However, experts say that it is somewhat misleading. This is a correct analysis of the causes of the disease effective treatment of the disease.
The osteochondrosis of the nature of the disease is non-inflammatory, degenerative-dystrophic. The developmental process of the disease disturbed nutrition of the tissues, regeneration of the structure. People who are constantly active exercise, is more durable, flexible tissue in the bone. This is because the discs of the spine of an adult's own ships is not, therefore, oxygen and nutrients to the discs from the tissues, which are located nearby. A similar process can be complete only in the case of active blood circulation, which is possible only in the process of constant, intense muscle performance.
Each intervertebral disc is composed of two parts. The center of the disc, the nucleus pulposus, which is the flexible disk, and surrounded by a strong fibrous ring. If the power supply to the intervertebral discs become worse, the structure of the biopolymer compounds can be destroyed. Due to reduced moisture content, the disc becomes brittle. If the spine is under pressure, the nucleus pulposus is divided into fragments. As a result, the flexibility is significantly reduced. The fibrous rings lose power. Such phenomena are the starting point of the manifestation the people with the degenerative disc disease.
Having regard to the manifestations of the degenerative changes in the spine occur , the calcification of the damaged disc, ligaments, capsules. A similar phenomenon – the last stage of the development process of the disease.
Unfortunately, the reverse process after similar changes in the spine is practically impossible. Therefore, the main goal of treatment in osteoarthritis is to maintain the current status.
Basically manifestations of the disease become stronger people after reaching thirty-five years old. Thus, the older the person, the greater the symptoms he observed. Recently, however, complaints of back pain more and more young people going to the doctor.
Reason, that such an early occurrence of degenerative disc disease is primarily a very weak physical activity, problems with posture, and curved spine, flat feet, obesity. Until today, the main cause of osteochondrosis is considered to be the following:
- predisposition is hereditary in nature;
- problems with metabolic processes, intoxication, infection;
- the presence of overweight, poor nutrition (low intake of fluids, lack of micro-nutrients);
- injuries to the spine, the curvature of incorrect posture, flat feet;
- the existence of bad environmental conditions;
- the inactive lifestyle;
- regular lifting of heavy loads, work uncomfortable for a long time, the activity in which a person frequently a jerk move, it turns out, bending strain;
- too intense physical activity, overloading the spine for diseases of the legs, disorders in the process of wearing shoes, as well as the stress of the pregnancy;
- sudden cessation of regular exercise who exercise, the stress, the long lasting Smoke.
The symptoms of degenerative disc disease
People who suffer from degenerative disc disease, primarily manifested in the fact that your back hurts. Sometimes this pain is accompanied by numbness, a feeling of pain in the limbs. If the treatment of osteochondrosis does not start on time, the person quickly loses weight, it occurs atrophy of the limbs. During exercise or exertion, as well as the process of lifting too heavy objects, the process, the sneezing, coughing, the pain getting stronger. The patient, osteoarthritis, decrease the amount of movements that occur spasms of the muscles.
Cervical degenerative disc disease is manifested due to the nature of the structure of the cervical spine. The cervical vertebrae are much smaller than the other vertebrae of the spine. Accordingly, degenerative cervical disc disease manifests itself, due to the constant load on the neck. The symptoms of degenerative cervical disc disease can be expressed as follows: pain is obvious in the hand, neck, shoulder, you may have headache. This type of disease is characterized by the vertebral artery syndrome. The manifestation of this syndrome, the person feels the presence of noise in the head, the eyes flashing "flies", I'm dizzy. Eyes can occur colored spots, parallel the people feel a strong headache, throbbing in nature. The symptoms of osteochondrosis sometimes look like the signs of angina, but the patient during the test is not observed changes in the heart.
The patients with the osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the patient may feel chest pain. The pain radiates from the region of the heart and other internal organs.
The patients with the osteochondrosis of the lumbosacralis spine feel pain in the lower back that radiates to the legs, the hips, the pelvic organs. They admire the nerve roots, disturbance sensitivity, it may be reduced reflexes, low blood pressure may occur.
Diagnosis of degenerative disc disease
A preliminary diagnosis of "low back pain" specialist claims during the initial examination of the patient. As a general rule, the investigation carried out by a doctor-neurologist. Usually the patient comes to the office complaining of pain, deformity, or limitation.
Studies of the spine, the patient is carried out standing, lying and sitting, the doctor inspects her with the movement, and the other. During the test a doctor be sure to pay attention to your posture man, especially the body, especially the spine, to the relief of the muscles located near the spine.
Thank you for the feeling of the spine, the results of the patient survey can be added to the information, whether there is a spinal deformity where the pain is localized, and determining the extent of aid intensity. In the process of emotions is determined by how tense the muscles, the spine close to, because the muscle tone is accompanied by the most diseases and injuries. In order to determine the amplitude of the movement of the different parts of the spine, we are studying the possibility of bending.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is often used in computed tomography, x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging. These methods will allow you to figure out what level of spinal lesions, to determine if there is a hidden pathology, and specify the diagnosis.
The correct approach to the diagnosis the doctor can determine, what tactics of treatment to choose for her to be the most effective.
Treatment of degenerative disc disease
Treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease, as well as other forms of the disease, or the complications to perform conservative methods, which aim at eliminating pain, restoring function in the spinal roots, as well as the prevention of degenerative phenomena, the structures of the spine.
If all methods of conservative treatment does not bring the desired effect, but there are special indications, that patients are sometimes assigned to surgical methods in the treatment of degenerative disc disease. The volume of surgical intervention depends on the affected spinal, intense symptoms.
The severity of the disease depends on the duration of treatment. Typically, the active phase of the treatment of conservative methods usually 1-3 months. After the surgery, the patient is cured for approximately one year. After the start of the conservative treatment of patients with osteoarthritis increased the pain. This is expressed in the reaction of the muscles, as well as other organizations in the treatment.
If the pain is too strong, stop relatively quickly, physiotherapy methods, medications, as well as the implementation of a number of exercises specifically for patients with low back pain. It is important to note that an important factor that affects the effectiveness of treatment, the correct behavior of the patient adequate attitude to the need to adhere to the developed treatment method. Important the endurance, the patience, and the desire to defeat the disease. It has been proven to be the most effective with the the behaviour, medical treatment, healing, after the surgery, the health care environment, health centers, which spetsializiruyutsya the treatment of the disease. If the necessary equipment and qualified doctors, a comprehensive treatment is most effective.
The complex therapy in the treatment of degenerative cervical disc disease should include therapeutic exercise, massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic, reflexology, the use of drugs.
One of the most important methods of impact on the musculoskeletal system of the human a therapeutic practice. The patient is regularly performing a certain amount of practice, during which the gradual decompression of the nerve roots, correction of the muscles, increase the flexibility of the ligamentous-muscular apparatus. Special exercises cervical osteochondrosis also allows effective prevention of the further development of the disease. The main condition is the regularity of the exercises.
The use of physiotherapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis, the physical factors – magnetic fields, the current low-frequency, ultrasonic , etc. This technique allows to reduce the period of rehabilitation after surgery, and strengthens the effects of other drugs.
Using massage to relieve muscular tension, improve blood flow, to produce a reinforcing effect in general.
To relieve sharp pain used chiropractic. This technique also helps to correct posture. The pain has been removed means that the traction of the spine – performed procedures, special equipment. When reflexology is the effect of reflex zones of the human body, and significantly improve the effects of other methods.
Acute disease, treatment is applied to the medicine, which reduce inflammation, relieved pain, aktiviziruyutsya metabolic processes. Drug is administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
The tangible results of the treatment observed, when you use more than one method in combination. However, in the treatment of degenerative cervical disc disease is another form of the disease, you need to call the doctor.