Osteochondrosis: treatment, symptoms, signs, causes

Here is another pathology that is considered to be age-related, but often occurs without any association with age.

For example, this fact: more than half of patients with osteochondrosis in the world noticed the first signs of its development at the age of 25. Yes, no one thought old age could come so soon. . . Some people see these years as mature, some are more accustomed to relating them to almost adolescence, and for some the 60's do not seem to be a cause of malaise. But everyone will strongly agree that, to put it mildly, this is not yet an age for the aging process.

What is the problem? In fact, it is versatile and may seem complicated to a layman. But in reality there is nothing complicated about it. In the section on disc herniation of the spine, we said that its content is water with proteins dissolved in it, right? So all osteochondrosis, along with its rate, severity, and treatment prognosis, is actually built on these proteins. what do we meanNow everything will become clear.

The proteins in the "filling" for the intervertebral disc are called glycosaminoglycans. Maybe we don't need to remember that name.

But we must definitely remember that the main purpose of glycosaminated dikans is to retain water. In addition, with the possibility of its gradual release under pressure. In other words, the proteins that create the jelly-like texture of the "filler" for the disk are made so that the water in it is heated at rest, and under load is gradually squeezed.

Of course, the water itself is too liquid to do anything like that. That is why the body synthesizes special proteins - unique! analogue of food gelling agents such as carrageenan, gums, starch.

In order for the contents of the intervertebral disc (and it, we recall, is the basis of its emollient properties) to stay in order, we need:

• monitor what we eat, avoiding deficiencies in vital substances, especially protein;
• avoid muscle cramps in the back;
• maintains active circulation of cerebrospinal fluid and blood in it to normalize metabolic processes in the tissues of the spine;
• avoid injury and infection of the tissues of the spine;
• maintains the rate of water-salt metabolism in the body.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis

So in the beginning our backs will start to "dance" to the rhythm of our every movement. However, for a long time this crunch can only be heard. In the future there will be a period of sensations - constant pulling, painful pain and discomfort. in the areas affected by osteochondrosis. They feel at rest and gradually increase with movement. Subjectively, patients note that the joints affected by the process seem to get tired faster than others. Accordingly, with the increase in the feeling of fatigue, increases and painful pain.

But this, of course, is far from the end of the process, although it is no longer the beginning. After all, the condition of the disc does not improve, and the condition of the cartilage deteriorates as the situation drags on, and very quickly. Over time, the crunches themselves become painful.

Any such sound is now accompanied by an outburst of dull pain both at the site of its appearance and in nearby tissues of any kind. It seems to spread like a vast painful wave from one point in the joint - exactly according to the laws of resonance.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

If we have problems with the cervical spine, we may feel:

• headache resistant to standard treatment - dull, painful, throbbing, constant, evenly distributed throughout the head. It coincides with an increase in neck pain and is similar to the headache that occurs when blood pressure jumps. As a rule, in osteochondrosis too high pressure leads to headaches;
• unmotivated attacks of vertigo throughout the day: with sudden changes in posture, head movements, tremors. Often dizziness coincides with the rhythm of breathing - a dangerous "lightness" in the head occurs with each inhalation and disappears during exhalation. Such symptoms mean that the intracranial pressure is currently reduced, not excessive, as in the previous example. As a rule, these two symptoms are observed sequentially in all patients with cervical osteochondrosis, occur periodically and last for several days. Sometimes one replaces the other, sometimes they are separated by periods of relative pressure;
• pain in the neck, especially at the base of the skull. In the initial stages it is expressed by vague discomfort during the day and crunching when turning the head. But touching the spine in this area or trying to massage the muscles causes soreness and stiffness of the muscle fiber. Subsequently, the pain is constant, intensified by turning the head to the side, bending to the chest, after sleeping on a high or too soft pillow;
• chest pain (as if under the ribs), under the shoulder blade, with return to the muscles of the shoulder and upper chest. They resemble an attack of angina pectoris or coronary artery disease as much as the pain of a herniated disc, but are more persistent. For example, in diseases of the cardiovascular system, the pain rarely lasts more than a few hours and depends little on the respiratory rhythm. In osteochondrosis it is constant, worsens with each breath, lasts up to several days or more;
• "Lumbago" along the entire shoulder line, often down to the fingertips. As a rule, depending on the degree of progression of osteochondrosis, the patient suffers simultaneously or short-term "lumbago" in the shoulder joint, or tingling and prolonged acute "lumbago" on the entire inner surface of the arm. As for the disruption of the small neurons in the shoulder, it is not felt at rest, but deteriorates sharply with the first movements of the head after prolonged immobility. Patients describe it as "electric discharges in the spine, in the shoulder muscles. "And irradiation in the hand is often accompanied by spasm of the muscles of the wrist and a violation of the sensitivity of the ring finger, as well as the little finger;
• quite often, although in less than half of all cases of cervical osteochondrosis the sensitivity and mobility of the tongue decreases. Patients may become unable to distinguish certain tastes (not recognizing bitter, sour, sweet, but it is easy to call mixed taste). Some people report changes in diction, especially when it is necessary to speak quickly and / or clearly.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest

Signs of thoracic osteochondrosis:

• pain, pulling pain in the chest, "somewhere under the ribs. "Unlike coronary heart disease, the patient finds it difficult to pinpoint its center. Such pain significantly depends on the rhythm of breathing - it is intensified by inspiration and coughing. And despite all the uncertainty of its location in the chest, any such attack clearly resonates in the causal vertebra / vertebrae. In 99 out of 100 cases, the displaced vertebra hurts the most;
• disorders in the sensitivity and mobility of the pulmonary diaphragm - the appearance of a feeling of incomplete inhalation, inability to perform lower exhalation;
• pain and discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract - especially common in the stomach, upper intestines, liver and pancreas. The pain can range from mild, unheard of discomfort to obvious cramps. Therefore, osteochondrosis of the chest is often confused with slow gastritis, enteritis, colitis, chronic pancreatitis.

Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis

Lumbar osteochondrosis, also called lumbago (to know it is the same), is the most common form of the disease.

With it we will have:

• Painful pain in the lower back, aggravated by bending, prolonged sitting or standing - in general, almost every movement of the body. As a rule, it disturbs the sick at night, in the presence of the habit of sleeping on his back, with straight legs. It disappears only during prolonged stay or the habit of sleeping in the fetal position. That is, with your knees tucked into your chest. Patients with lumbar osteochondrosis move quickly and voluntarily from a soft bed to a hard one, as it is easier to maintain the position of the embryo on a hard floor throughout the night;
• lumbar stiffness syndrome. This suggests: inability to bend down quickly after long standing or sitting, associated not so much with pain as with a general reduction in muscle extensibility and stiffness of the bones in the affected area; rapidly progressive tingling in the lumbar region when sitting or standing, associated with acute damage to the nerve endings in this position of the vertebrae;
• sciatic nerve entrapment (the main nerve trunk for the legs, entering the spine in the area of the coccyx). In the case of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region, it belongs to the number of sciatica scenarios, although not the only one. Despite the existence of several other options, sciatica is often a painful complication of osteochondrosis.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

We will have to treat ourselves for a long time, so we will first improve the quality of life on our own.

1. Let's remove the smoked bed and the feather pillow from the bed. Leaving a basic mattress, take an orthopedic pillow - thick, low, with a fixed recess in the middle. These pillows are usually made of padded polyester. So you need to make sure that it is not too soft - now it is harmful to us. And the probability of it "blowing out", turning into a flat pancake in a week, is very high. The thickness of the roll on the edges should be equal to the length of our neck from the base of the skull to the 7th vertebra, which stands out whenthe head is tilted. If it is 1, 5-2 cm lower, the better.
2. We will buy another not very thick pillow or we will use our old pen in a new quality. From now on, we will always have to place this pillow under the thighs or buttocks in a supine position, as well as under the upper part of the knee when sleeping in the fetal position. Let's experiment with the optimal height, width and position of the pillow - the right thing, placed in the right place, will bring instant disappearance of pain in the most noticeable focus in this particular position.
3. Lifting and carrying objects weighing more than 10 kg in the case of osteochondrosis is strictly prohibited. Therefore, any training should be conducted with us at your own or minimum weight. With any type of osteochondrosis, it is wiser not to do it alone, but to go to the gym. It is in the gym, because cardio (treadmill, bike, ski) and fitness are not the same. Now we must organize additional support for our backs and work with strictly the same, correct body position. The best for such purposes is a simulator - a steel frame in which both we and the lifted weight can move only in an amplitude limited by the structure.
4. After each effort (including routine upright walking) we should do a light massage of the back, gently stretching it. Heat can be applied to areas with particularly intense back pain - provided that the focus of pain does not migrate along with the change in posture, of course. And because pain migration is common in osteochondrosis, sometimes a simple "five-minute" pad like the Lyapko applicator is five times more effective than any heating pad. After all, we really can't buy a warming mattress instead! In addition, during the warm season, heating such a large area runs the risk of ending up with heat stroke. . .

If we understand all this, take it into account and we are sure that we will not forget, we will organize the activation of metabolic processes for our spine. As already mentioned, you should not exercise at home with osteochondrosis. More precisely, you should not get carried away by this - it is better to work with a professional orthopedist or instructor, where there is equipment that can compensate for the power deficits that have occurred in our spine. But since, alas, not everyone has such an opportunity, we still dare to recommend some warm-up exercises with a reduced likelihood of complications.

There is only one rule here that should not be broken. Namely: if we decide to take matters into our own hands, before we start training, we definitely need to order or buy a special medical bandage or corset. Bandage to reliably fix exactly that part of the back where there is a pathological process. You need to work only in it, providing support to the problem area of the spine, which he lacks at the moment.

Thus:

1. We will sit close to the table, the lid of which would rest on our stomachs, in a chair with a narrow and high back. We need to have a stable support for both the back and the back of the head. Let's lean with all our backs on the back of the chair, stretch your arms, sliding them on the lid, as much as possible. It is even necessary to bend slightly, pushing the shoulders forward, but it is forbidden to tear off the back of the head or back from the support. An object weighing more than 10 kg must be placed on the line where our palms remain in this position. Its shape and surface should be comfortable, because then we will have to take this object with our palms slightly underneath and pull it towards us without lifting it from the surface. You need to move it not so much with your hands as with the effort of the shoulder blades, which are now trying to return the outstretched forearms to their normal position. As you can see, we are talking about an "experimental" and slightly tuned rowing machine for our needs. More precisely, its modification, involving simply lifting weights on yourself. In any case, this exercise develops well the muscles of the middle of the back - between the shoulder blades, as well as width. After we pull the weight towards us, it must be moved back and the traction must be repeated 15 more times.
2. Let's stand close to our already familiar table and rest our pelvic bones on the edge of the lid. Let's put our hands behind our heads, let our heads fall so that our foreheads are resting on the table. At the same time, the back should not be rounded - we will round it later. So far, our task is to make 15 bends to the table with a straight back and arms at the nape of the neck. The correct body position means that in the future, if we fall on the table, we will be our whole face, not our forehead. Therefore, we must stay above the lid, avoiding relying on it.
3. We use one of the exercises described in detail in the section for the prevention of back diseases. Namely: we lie on the floor, arms outstretched over our heads, with straight legs folded together. Lift one (each) arm off the floor and stretch forward at the same time as the opposite leg. Of course, you should not try to throw your leg over your head, but pull it back with a kick. Then lower your limbs, count to three in your mind, and repeat with another pair of "hands against feet. " You should do a total of 20 reps for both pairs of limbs.
4. We sit on the floor, with our backs to the wall, legs outstretched in front of us. Do not rest your back too tightly against the wall and rest your palms firmly on the floor. Now we need to raise the body with one hand above the floor as high as possible. It is better to keep your legs straight while keeping a sitting position. If you do not get straight lines, you can try to press them to your chest. In this case, you will need to keep in mind that changing the position of the legs will shift the center of gravity and will require you to lean your head against the wall. Repeat 5-7 times.
5. We will receive a special belt for lifting weights - wide, made of thick leather, which perfectly fixes the lower back. In milder forms of osteochondrosis, it is quite possible to leave only the bandage fixing the diseased area. Take in the bathroom a 15-liter basin or bucket that we use on the farm. We fill it with water so that it does not spray on the edges, we take it out in any free place. Water containers should be placed on the floor, feet slightly apart and bent inwards. knees for stability, slightly move the body forward. We should get a very ambiguous posture - a slight bend forward, with noticeably relaxed buttocks, but a straight line of the spine at the top of the torso. This is perfectly normal and correct in terms of the anatomy of the human body. When the desired position is reached, we should sit until we manage to grab the handles of the pelvis without rounding the back. The pelvis should then be raised, with the knees and lower back straightened in a synchronous motion.

As mentioned above, self-massage is easier for most people to understand intuitively, relying on the sensations in the process. And we recommend that you just regularly (daily) conduct an independent session with a massager, discovering the structural features of your back - with all its pathologies and proportions. However, no two rotations are the same in the world. So no masseur or doctor will study this organ better than us. Meanwhile, the individual details of the structure of our backs can be extremely important here. Especially if only one part of the spine is affected or its damage includes "aggravating circumstances" in the spirit of distortion, hernia, malformations.

However, here are some recommendations related to the nuances of massage in different departments. In fact, in the original they are known only to specialists and are often missed in the popular presentation of massage techniques. Thus:

In cervical osteochondrosis, the process affects both types of muscles equally often and strongly. Therefore, regular, albeit thorough massage does not always bring patients the relief they hoped for. After all, the shoulder girdle is the most massive in the whole body, and the skeletal muscles are nowhere "hidden" as deeply as here.

And to fully satisfy the result, we will consider a few provisions in which it will be easier to get to them:

• When massaging pain in the deltoid muscles, their outer edge is "reached" most easily by pressing a finger from above in the recess between the clavicle and the "impact" of the shoulder joint. You should not press your finger too hard - there. in addition to the muscle, there are also the ligaments of the shoulder. However, as we knead the hard head of the muscle, we will begin to distinguish more accurately its soft fiber and the springy ligament apparatus. It is necessary to work exclusively with a soft head, kneading it with twisting movements. Then you can go up and 2-3 cm up the shoulder line, continuing to work on top;
• the inner edge of the deltoid (the most problematic shoulder muscle in everyday life) is attached to the 7th vertebra. He acts stronger than others when we, as they say, bow our heads to our chests. But under the head of the deltoid muscle there are a number of skeletal muscles that completely cover them from manipulation from above. Meanwhile, the lion's share of osteochondrosis "discharges" passes through their fibers. So we have to lie on our backs on a soft surface.

The middle of the back will cause us less problems with the number of muscle fibers. However, their design is very complex - in the sense that most of the muscle heads here are not attached to the edges of the bones, but seem to pass under them. This is especially true for the shoulder blades, to which all the muscles of the middle are attached on one side, but none of these attachments are located directly on the edge of the bone or on it:

• if we are tormented by burning or shooting pains "somewhere under the shoulder blade", it does not matter whether they are observed in the upper part of the shoulder blade, below or even in the middle. The fact is that we will not reach these places in the usual lying position. We must lie down so that the massaged hand hangs freely from the bed and lies on the floor. The working arm is always opposite and must be tightly wound on top, behind the back of the head. Inconvenient but effective. It is better to massage the middle part under the shoulder blade with a hard massager - we will hardly be able to reach with our fingers and therefore we will not be able to press. To increase the area we reach, a pillow can be placed under the elbow of the working hand;
• how to stretch the upper corners of the latissimus dorsi, placing his hand on top, even the genius of acrobatics will not be able to. Lats are the muscles that allow bodybuilders and physically well-developed individuals in general to demonstrate the classic V-shaped extension of the back from torso to shoulders. It is them that the rowing machine develops well - pulling heavy objects to the chest. They are located in the upper back and strictly on the sides. The value of the developed widths for the strength of the arms and lower back can not be overestimated, so they must not only develop, but also monitor their condition. In addition, most people do not follow them at all, and in ordinary life they are used very rarely. For massage of the laths it is better to use a lying position on your side. In this case, for stability, the legs should be pulled closer to the stomach, the working arm should be pulled forward along the bed and placed under the arm of the hand to be massaged. For convenience, the hand to be massaged does not need to be kept lowered to the side - it is also more appropriate to go down on the bed at chest level. Then the lower edge of the blade will stretch after it and the plates will immediately attach to it.

The lumbar region has its own structural features. First, the same row of small skeletal muscles runs along the spine here, moving the vertebrae as they rotate. Second, in this place many muscles coming from above are attached to the sacrum. That is, connecting the lower back with the upper - in fact, allows you to maintain and maintain throughout life the speed of the S-shaped curvature of the back. By the way, for this reason, weakness in the middle of the back (scoliosis) is often accompanied by curvature of the lower back - lordosis and kyphosis. The main muscle of the lumbar spine is the broad. Without her health, we will not see a normal S-curve like our ears. And the sacrum and coccyx will hurt us constantly, even without osteochondrosis.

So let's get started:

• it should be remembered that the latissimus dorsi muscle is strongly inclined: its upper edge is attached to the lower part of the scapula, and the lower - to the sacral bones, ie to the coccyx. Therefore, if we go straight from the armpit with our fingers or a massager down the side, we will knead a muscle that is equally connected to both the back and the abdomen - the oblique abdominal muscle. This is not the width that connects the lower back to the shoulder - the oblique muscle is responsible for tilting the body strictly to the side. Mostly for successful straightening from this slope. He suffers a lot from scoliosis and pelvic lesions. The main part for us is the lower, near the femur. It has two heads with which it is attached to the tibial joint. One is located closer to the buttocks (merges with its upper lobe), and the second goes slightly forward, to the groin area. So if we make it a habit to massage the whole area around the protrusions of the pelvic bones, it will definitely not be superfluous;
• if for some reason (most often due to pain) we decide to warm the butt, it is better to do it while lying on one side, pressing your knees to your chest. This position makes all the gluteal muscles accessible for massage. For the first time, the buttocks may seem very painful and seem to be made entirely of tendon tissue - they will be so dense to the touch. In reality, they don't have to be like that - it's a spasm. It is especially noticeable in the upper lobes and the middle part. Usually the toe in the middle of the buttocks should be freely pressed to the depth of one phalanx - the mass of the gluteal muscles is not less than the mass of the shoulder muscles. This is what we need to achieve without looking at any burning pain.