Many people associate the word "osteochondrosis" with old age. There is an opinion that it is a disease of grandparents, during which "shot in the lower back" and "pain in the back". However, there is only a grain of truth in this delusion: indeed, osteochondrosis is adegenerative(i. e. caused by a local metabolic disorder)spine changesthat inevitably occur in all elderly people. However, osteochondrosis is found in 9 out of more than 45 people today and the first manifestations of the disease can begin as early as age 25.
This disease is even called "zzbxz" "disease of civilization" because the main cause of osteochondrosis is improper "exploitation" of the spine. The fact is that the modern man will be overwhelmed by it and, paradoxically, not when he is running or lifting weights, but when he is sitting he does not get up from the chair for hours. This load is calledstaticand is very complex. Because a person thinks he is resting when he is sitting. In fact, the spine works in a sitting position with increased stress.
How the spine works
To understand what osteochondrosis is, you need to understand what the human spine is. We all know that the spine consists of the spine, which is connected in series with the intervertebral discs. In total, a person usually has 33-34 vertebral lines: 7 of them form the cervical region, 12 - the chest area, 5 (or 6 in a small percentage of people) - the waist, 5 more vertebrae, together, form the uterus, and finally, the coconutThe region consists of five (or four - depending on individual characteristics) vertebrates. The vertebrae are, in fact, bones and they are motionless, but in such a way that they can move freely, ensure the movement of the whole body, and also that they do not collapse from impact and friction, there is a layer of gelatinous substance between each vertebra (so called. nucleus pulposus) surrounded by strong multilayered plates (annulus fibrosus). Collectively, this is called theintervertebral disc.In addition, the structure of the spine contains a lot of ligaments, blood vessels, nerves. It is a very complex organ that largely determines the functioning of almost every system in the body as it protects the spinal cord and affects its functioning.
Spinal and intervertebral discs are constantly updated throughout human life. This is possible because they are well supplied with blood and always provide good nutrition. However, if for some reason feeding begins in the spine in insufficient quantities, the nucleus pulposus loses its properties, the intervertebral disc becomes flatter and less elastic, cracks appear in the fibrous anus, and the vertebrae begin to move in different directions and approach each other. All this leads to a lot of dangerous deviations - in the first placeInflammation both in the spine itself and in the surrounding tissues and in the contraction of the spinal cord and spinal nerves.
Interestingly, such a concept as "vertebral osteochondrosis" exists mainly in the post-Soviet space. In foreign literature, changes in the spine are called"hernias", "myopathic pain", "disc injuries", "dorsopathy". So if you have heard anything like this about yourself, then you have osteochondrosis of the spine. As forintervertebral hernia, it is considered as one of the stages of osteochondrosis.
The disease has no acute course and develops gradually: first, the intervertebral disc narrows, degenerative changes occur, then there is arash- the nucleus pulposus is exhausted and does not interfere with the fibrous ring, but does not interfere with it. When there is a rupture of the anal fibrosis, they speak of aintervertebral hernia. In the last, most acute stage of osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs are completely dislocated, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other and also collapse, causing abnormal bone growth and osteophytes to appear on them. In the last stage, the spine becomes "petrified", ie loses mobility, which can lead to disability.
Causes of spinal diseases
What causes all the abovedegenerative changes?As already mentioned, the main reason isabnormal load on the spine: in addition to eating,osteochondrosis can develop due to poor posture.However,sports, especially strenuous sports, with disruption of exercise equipmentcan also causedegenerative changes in the spine.
Another common cause is anyspinal cord injury. The development of osteochondrosis can also be influenced byhereditary genetic predispositions, hormonal disorders, overweight, unhealthy diet, insufficient water intake and, consequently, dehydration, smoking and alcohol abuse.
Women often experience the first manifestations of osteochondrosis during pregnancy, while when young mothers have to feed the baby in an uncomfortable position and often hold it in their hands, the condition of the spine deteriorates significantly.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
The symptoms of osteochondrosis are varied and depend on exactly the department in which the disorders occurred. Pain is a major manifestation of this pathology, however, untilmore often the pain intensifies in the morning or after exercise, radiating to the arms, legs, neck, ribs, and chest (in which case osteochondrosis can be easily confused with coronary heart disease).
In addition,numbness and tingling may occur in the limbs.
OsteochondrosisCervical spinecan cause headaches, sometimes very severe, dizziness, nausea, wheezing in the ears. The development of a hernia, leading to compression of the nerve endings, can lead to dysfunction of the internal organs associated with the affected nerve. For example, a lumbar spine hernia can cause urinary problems, potency disappears, in the chest - digestive disorders, in the cervix - problems with blood supply to the brain.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
Only a doctor can distinguish osteochondrosis from other diseases of the internal organs and determine the source of pain. The most reliable method of diagnosing spinal diseases today is magnetic resonance imaging.
X-rays are also reliable, but less informative. On the x-ray picture you can see the changes in the intervertebral discs, but, for example, you can not see the hernia and assess the condition of the spine and the degree of its compression by the displaced spine. In addition, MRI allows you to distinguish osteochondrosis from other dangerous diseases, including malignancies and ankylosing spondylitis.
Is it possible to cure osteochondrosis?
Unfortunately, osteochondrosis cannot be cured, but it is possible to alleviate the patient’s condition and stop further destruction of the intervertebral disc. Massage or manual therapy, start eating right and give up bad habits. Exercise, massage, proper nutrition, and weight loss can have significantly greater and longer-lasting healing effects than medications.Doctors are still arguing about the effectiveness of chondroprotectors - drugs that repair cartilage and presumably strengthen anus fibrosis have not been shown to be effective enough, but because they do not really cause harm, they can be used to treat osteochondrosis.
In case of severe pain, your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants), and analgesics.
is used to treat osteochondrosis andvitamins, as their deficiency causes further destruction of the intervertebral disc:B vitamins, for example, helps to improve protein metabolism between tissues. Helps restore nerve and cartilage tissue. Vitamin A improves blood circulation. However, taking vitamins, like other medications, should be done with caution as they can cause severe adverse reactions and can only be taken after consulting your doctor and under his supervision.
Osteochondrosis can also be treated surgically, but is usually used when there is significant narrowing of the spinal canal and excessive compression of the nerves and spinal cord resulting in hernias. In this case, the situation is so difficult that the patient, for example, can not walk, his internal organs begin to fail, or there is a risk of developing a stroke. Most often, such severe consequences are caused by osteochondrosis of the cervix and lumbar spine, degenerative changes of the thoracic spine, even in the presence of hernias, almost never require surgical treatment.
is actively introduced in medical practice todaye. Methods of horrific surgery, when doctors are able to maintain the integral structure of the spine using aendoscopeendoscope by removing part of the pulp of the nucleus. The device is inserted at the site of a spinal cord injury with small cuts in the skin to prevent large blood loss. Since the entire disc does not open during surgery, spinal biomechanics are generally not disrupted and this shortens the recovery period. Often, patients get to their feet one day after surgery. However, any spinal surgery is still fraught with complications of the disease and subsequent relapse, so experienced specialists will try to stop the surgical treatment completely. Here everything depends on the patients themselves: if they follow all the recommendations of doctors and take care of their health, they will be able to do it even without surgery, even in the presence of hernias.