This disease usually refers to systemic dystrophic disorders of the articular cartilage, manifested in the area between the vertebrae.According to the local localization of this problem, cervical, thoracic and lumbar types of the disease are distinguished.
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is a complex problem, it cannot be cured quickly.The cause of the problem is considered to be a sedentary lifestyle, which contributes to the initiation of negative processes in the cartilage of the joints.Remember that as the human body grows, a strong vascular bed with diffuse nutrition forms in the intervertebral discs.Any negative conditions and processes worsen the nutrition of the vascular layer and form a number of factors that aggravate the development of pathology.
Physiological factors that contribute to the formation of osteochondrosis include poor nutrition, increased pressure on the back and its injuries, constant abnormal postures, flat feet and obesity.
Symptoms
The symptoms of osteochondrosis look like this:
- Pain and numbness in legs/hands, severe back pain.
- Significant increase in pain during physical activity and even coughing.
- Anticonvulsant state of the muscle rays, reduced motor activity.
- Other systemic manifestations characteristic of damage to a specific region of the spine.
Main reasons
- Age-related degenerative changes.
- Genetic and hereditary predispositions.
- Heavy weight.
- Poor nutrition.
- Infectious and intoxicating lesions.
- Metabolic imbalance.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Traumatic syndromes in the spine.
- Overloading of the spinal system due to active training, weight lifting, incorrect posture, pregnancy, wearing uncomfortable shoes.
- Severe stress, nervous tension, smoking.
- Bad environmental conditions for permanent residence.
- Skeletal instability, flat feet.
Main guys
The main types of osteochondrosis include:
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Pathological transformations in the discs between the vertebrae in the cervical spine, more specifically in its upper third.It is most often caused by incorrect body posture, metabolic disorders, weak muscular skeleton and bad lifestyle in general.The patient feels pain in the shoulders and arms and periodically suffers from migraines.He almost always shows the so-called "vertebral artery syndrome", caused by his spasmodic reactions to compression - throbbing headache, dizziness, flickering of visual defects before the eyes, numbness in the hands.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
Pathological condition located in the second third of the spine.The procedures are always accompanied by accompanying syndromes - dull pain and discomfort in the thoracic region of the spine, aggravated by bending the trunk or deep breathing, as well as sudden attacks on the affected part of the spine, severe deterioration of the quality of breathing due to pain, as well as its transmission to the back, neck and lower part of the spine.Often this problem causes pathologies in other organs - the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas.Read more about thoracic osteochondrosis.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis
In this case, there is a pain syndrome in the specified area with "lumbar" in the accompanying segments, numbness of the legs, negative manifestations in the vascular system and calves.Symptoms are aggravated by standing, bending over and coughing.This type of osteochondrosis causes muscle weakness, pain and pathologies of the pelvic organs, severe inflammation of the sacrum and back.
Prevention
It is recommended to prevent osteochondrosis from a young age, especially if a person has a hereditary predisposition to this disease.
Main points:
- Therapeutic exercise.
- Swimming.
- Self-massage of a potentially problematic area.
- Compliance with recommendations for normalization of body posture.
- Relieves tension in the specified area.
- Morning exercises.
- Weight normalization and proper nutrition.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
The treatment of osteochondrosis, regardless of its stage, is complex.
Pharmaceutical treatment
The main direction of drug treatment is to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the problem and to enhance the positive effects of other procedures.Local and systemic preparations not only eliminate pain, but also improve blood circulation, relieve inflammation, partially restore problematic cartilage tissue and relax muscle complexes.
- Pills.Painkillers in the form of analgesics and NSAIDs.Drugs that restore cartilage tissue are also prescribed.
- Topical external treatments.Most often these are ointments and creams.The most in demand for osteochondrosis are steroid hormone drugs based on prednisolone or hydrocortisone, complex gels.
- Injections.Injections for osteochondrosis are usually used in the acute stage of the disease, when classic tablets and local forms of drugs do not have the desired effect on the body.The vast majority of injections aim to eliminate very intense pain syndromes.The classic scheme of use is a special blockade with the introduction of an anesthetic subcutaneously and then intramuscularly in the region of the spinal nerves.Such injections can only be given in a hospital setting.
Exercises (physical therapy)
Therapeutic gymnastics is an important stage in the fight against osteochondrosis.Exercise therapy is prescribed exclusively by the attending physician, taking into account the specifics of the disease and the current condition of the patient, usually at the stage of remission of the problem.
The main goal of such exercises is to strengthen the back muscles and develop damaged cartilaginous components of the joints.Exercise therapy uses various techniques, but one of the most popular is considered to be a regimen of two dozen exercises according to the best therapist known in the past.The complex usually includes general strengthening exercises, targeted treatment measures for problem areas, as well as "beacon" exercises that allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.The exact list of actions, the sequence, the amount and other initial data are given to the patient personally by the attending physician!
Massage for osteochondrosis
Massage procedures for osteochondrosis significantly relieve the unpleasant symptoms of the disease and at the same time help to overcome the problem in combination with other measures.
Individual elements of massage and approaches to its application may differ depending on the localization of osteochondrosis, its course, the presence of chronic diseases in the patient, etc., that is, it is prescribed individually based on the current clinical picture.
The most frequently used are the classic therapeutic, acupuncture, connective, hardware and cupping massages.The above measures are aimed at improving lymph/blood circulation, normalizing nutrition of spinal discs, relieving pain syndromes, firing special fibers, relaxing muscle mass, restoring nutrition to soft tissues, etc.
The use of massage for osteochondrosis should be abandoned if the patient has aneurysms, tumors, thrombosis, osteomyelitis, hematological diseases, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, problems with the pelvic organs with zone osteochondrosis, various skin manifestations of a massive nature in the form of warts, herpetic lesions.
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine has effectively treated osteochondrosis for centuries, usually with compresses and oral tinctures.
The most popular recipes:
- Mix grated raw potatoes and honey in a ratio of 1 to 1. Apply to the problem area for two hours as a compress.
- Make a tablespoon of crushed strawberry leaves in a glass of boiling water, leave for twenty minutes, then consume on an empty stomach.Take for three months.
- Dissolve 300 grams of watermelon pulp and 200 grams of soda in a warm bath and take it for half an hour.The course consists of 20 procedures.
- Pour boiling water over ten grams of thyme and take half a glass 2 times a day.