This disease usually refers to systemic dystrophic disorders of the articular cartilage, manifested in the area between the vertebrae.According to the localization of this problem, cervical, thoracic and lumbar types of the disease are distinguished.
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is a complex problem, it is not treated 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 with the growth of the human body, a powerful vascular bed with diffuse nutrition is formed in the intervertebral discs.Any negative conditions and processes worsen the nutrition of the vascular bed and form a number of factors that aggravate the development of the pathology.
Physiological factors contributing to the formation of osteochondrosis include poor nutrition, increased load on the back and its injuries, constant abnormal postures, flat feet and obesity.
Symptoms
Symptoms of osteochondrosis look like this:
- Pain and numbness in legs/arms, severe back pain.
- Significant increase in pain during physical activity and even coughing.
- Spasmolytic state of the muscles of the spokes, reduced motor activity.
- Other systemic manifestations characteristic of damage to a specific area of the spine.
Main reasons
- Age-related degenerative changes.
- Genetic and hereditary predispositions.
- Heavy weight.
- Bad nutrition.
- Infectious and intoxication lesions.
- Metabolic imbalance.
- A sedentary lifestyle.
- Traumatic syndromes in the spine.
- Overloading of the spine due to active training, lifting weights, incorrect posture, pregnancy, wearing uncomfortable shoes.
- Severe stress, neuralgic overstrain, smoking.
- Bad environmental conditions for permanent residence.
- Skeletal instability, flat feet.
Main types
The main types of osteochondrosis include:
Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae
Pathological transformations in the discs between the vertebrae in the cervical spine, more precisely in its upper third.It is most often due to incorrect posture, metabolic disorders, weak muscular skeleton and poor lifestyle in general.The patient experiences pain in the shoulders and arms and periodically suffers from migraines.Almost always he exhibits the so-called "syndrome of the vertebral artery" caused by its spasmodic reactions to compression - throbbing headache, vertigo, flickering of optical defects before the eyes, numbness of the hands.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
A pathological condition located in the second third of the spine.Practical ones are always accompanied by accompanying syndromes - dull pain and discomfort in the thoracic region of the spine, aggravated by bending the torso or deep breathing, as well as sudden attacks in the affected part of the spine, severe deterioration of the quality of breathing due to pain, as well as its transmission to the chest, neck and back.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 "lumbago" in the accompanying areas, numbness in the legs, negative manifestations in the vascular system and calves.Symptoms are aggravated by standing, bending over and coughing hard.This type of osteochondrosis causes muscle weakness, pain and pathologies of the pelvic organs, severe inflammation of the sacrum and lower back.
Prevention
It is recommended to prevent osteochondrosis from an early age, especially if a person has a hereditary predisposition to this disease.
Main points:
- Physical therapy.
- Swimming.
- Self-massage of a potentially problematic area.
- Compliance with the recommendations for normalization of the posture.
- Relieve tension in the designated area.
- Morning exercises.
- Weight normalization and proper nutrition.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
The treatment of osteochondrosis, regardless of its stage, is complex.
Drug treatment
The main direction of drug therapy is the elimination of unpleasant symptoms of the problem and the strengthening of 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.Pain relievers in the form of analgesics and NSAIDs.Medicines are also prescribed that restore cartilage tissue.
- Local external funds.Most often these are ointments and creams.The most sought after in osteochondrosis are steroid hormonal 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 majority of injections are aimed at eliminating very strong pain syndromes.The classic scheme of administration is a special blockade with the introduction of anesthetic subcutaneously and then intramuscularly in the region of the spinal nerves.Such injections can only be performed in a hospital setting.
Exercise (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 patient's current condition, usually in the remission stage of the problem.
The main purpose of such exercises is to strengthen the back muscles and develop the damaged cartilaginous components of the joints.Exercise therapy uses various techniques, but one of the most popular is considered to be a scheme of two dozen exercises according to the best therapist known in the past.The complex usually includes general strengthening exercises, targeted measures for the treatment of problem areas, as well as "beacon" exercises that allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.The exact list of actions, their sequence, amount and other output data is given personally to the patient 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., i.e.are prescribed individually based on the current clinical picture.
The most frequently applied are classic healing, point, connective, apparatus and cupping massage.The above measures are aimed at improving lympho-blood circulation, normalizing the nutrition of the spinal discs, alleviating pain syndromes, starting special fibers, relaxing the muscle mass, restoring the nutrition of the soft tissues, etc.
The use of massage in osteochondrosis should be abandoned if the patient has aneurysms, tumors, thrombosis, osteomyelitis, blood diseases, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, pelvic organ problems with lumbar osteochondrosis, various skin manifestations of a massive nature in the form of warts, herpes 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.
- Boil a tablespoon of crushed strawberry leaves in a cup of boiling water, leave for twenty minutes and then eat on an empty stomach.Take 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 ten grams of thyme with boiling water and take half a cup 2 times a day.