Osteochondrosis, whose symptoms and treatment are described below, is a disease from which only representatives of the nature of the homo sapiens suffer. Back pain is the result of the development of equality: Due to the change in the location of the spine is compressed and deleted the intervertebral disks over time, as a result of unpleasant symptoms occurring. About 60% of the planet's population suffers from osteocondrosis. Treatment of osteocondrosis is a rather difficult matter, but there are methods that allow you to forget about pain for a long time. What kind of disease is this, what does the deformation of the intervertebral disks occur and how to treat osteocondrosis? You can find out all about osteocondrosis by studying this article.
What is osteocondrosis?
Many have heard that there is such a disease as osteocondrosis. What is it? The leading sign of pathology is deformation and inflammation of the articular cartilage. Osteochondrosis, the signs that many people over 40 can observe can affect not only the spine but also other collections. To understand how to treat osteocondrosis back and how this disease develops, remember the structure of the spine.
The spine consists of 35 vertebrae, separated by articular cartilage. Soft cartilage ensures the spine as well as its stable position in the room. The basis of articular cartilage is intervertebral discs, which in the process of vital activity are exposed to different kinds of loads. These loads can be either static (long stay in a position) and dynamic (running, fast walks, jumping). Due to stresses, the intervertebral disks are gradually suddenly sudden, as a result of the distance between the vertebrae. Because of this, a person begins to experience signs of osteocondrosis, such as pain, cannot make certain movements or remain in some postures for a long time, etc.
For what reasons, Osteochondrosis develops?
There is no single cause of osteocondrosis: the disease develops due to a combination of several factors, among which the most important can be distinguished:
- Hereditary disposal. Of course, the disease itself is not inherited by osteocondrosis, but in the functions of the bone structure: Very often the causes of osteocondrosis are in the inadequate production of certain proteins that provide cartilage strength;
- Intervertebral osteochondrosis often provokes metabolic disorders;
- The presence of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, for example curvature of the spine or flat feet;
- The presence of a story of injuries to the spine: Professional athletes often suffer from spine ostocondrosis;
- Lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- the presence of excess weight;
- Frequent loads;
- Pregnancy: In this case, the cause of osteochondrosis is an increased load on the spine.
These are the main causes of osteocondrosis that provoke the development of the disease.
It is generally accepted that signs of osteocondrosis are usually manifested in adult age. In recent years, however, the disease has been "younger": the diagnosis of osteocondrosis is often produced by adolescents, while the disease may occur under 15 years.
Most often, osteochondrosis of the intervertebral discs of high stature affects the spine whose spine is exposed to increased loads. The new tension leads to the fact that the intervertebral discs are deformed, as a result of the pain and limitation of mobility occurring, develops intervertebral osteochondrosis.
Signs of osteocondrosis
Only a doctor can make a diagnosis and cure intervertebral osteochondrosis: Do not self -medics. But everyone should know what symptoms indicate the possibility of osteochondrosis.
The main signs of osteocondrosis:
- A feeling of heaviness and pain in the back;
- the periodic occurrence of "goosebumps" in the area of the crucifix, neck or back;
- a feeling of pain shooting in a particular spine;
- Pain when you lift your hands up;
- the frequent attacks of dizziness;
- nausea and noise in the ears;
- Numbness in the limbs.
In the presence of at least one of the above symptoms, seek medical attention. After all, the sooner the treatment of osteochondrosis of the back has started, the easier it will be to get rid of the unpleasant manifestation of this disease. Are osteochondrosis treated at a late stage? The answer will be affirmative. It is true how to defeat osteochondrosis, you only learn after an examination in the clinic. An experienced orthopedist will advise how to deal with osteochondrosis, prescribe the necessary drugs and procedures. Don't be afraid: If you are diagnosed with osteochondrosis, the treatment will be quite long but effective. After all, osteochondrosis due to modern therapy can quickly get to nothing and not disturb the patient for a long time.
To decide how to treat osteocondrosis of the spine, the doctor must determine the degree of injury to the spine. This is impossible to do without a complete diagnostic examination: The patient does not have enough symptoms of osteocondrosis to make a diagnosis. Diagnostic procedures such as X -Ray, MR and CT are typically prescribed.
Varieties of osteocondrosis
There are two most common classifications of the disease. The first of them is based on dislocation of the lesion, the second - at the degree of development of pathology.
Depending on the affected section they distinguish:
- Cervical osteocondrosis. Its main symptoms are pain in the neck, dizziness and headache, chest pain that causes in the hand, a feeling of skying into the eyes. With cervical osteochondrosis in patients, hypertension attacks are often observed;
- Osteocondrosis in the Thorax region. The thorax region is affected relatively rarely. Pain in this type of spinal cord disease is a fairly rare occurrence. Typically, patients complain of unpleasant sensations in the chest and pain in the heart, which often take as signs and symptoms of angina pectoris. Sometimes it is helped to help diagnose an ECG that with osteocondrosis does not show any disorders of the heart muscle. Typically, the cause of osteocondrosis in the thorax region is an injury or curvature of the spine;
- Osteocondrosis in the lumbar area. Since the lumbosacral region withstands heavy loads, the disease affects it quite often. The most important syndromes of osteocondrosis in the lumbar area are shooting pain that is particularly strong in the spring and autumn. Pain can be given in heels, caviar and knees. With violation of the sciatic nerve, patients cannot bend in one direction. If you do not start timely treatment, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine can be complicated by the appearance of a hernia. In men, spinal disease osteochondrosis of the lumbar area may be accompanied by reduced strength.
Depending on how osteochondrosis is manifested, four stages of the development of this pathology are separated. Of course, effective treatment of osteochondrosis with conservative methods is only possible in the initial stages. Spinal osteochondrosis develops in four stages:
- The first phase. Intervertebral disks Flases, due to which the space between the vertebrae decreases. Small cracks occur on cartilage;
- The second phase. The distance between the vertebrae is reduced to such an extent that they begin to change relative to each other;
- The third phase. Intervertebral discs are gradually squeezed out of the intervertebral space. At this point, symptoms of spinal cord's osteochondrosis affect the quality of life, limit mobility and cause significant disorder;
- The fourth phase. Bone tips grow between the vertebrae, due to which the mobility of the spine falls. Spikes damage the nerves and vessels located near the spine, and that is why the symptoms of osteocondrosis of the back are almost unbearable to humans and forced to take large doses of painkillers. At this point, treatment with osteocondrosis is often performed by surgical methods.
What to do with osteocondrosis? Is it possible to get rid of unpleasant symptoms of intervertebral osteocondrosis forever and what procedures can the patient's condition relieve the patient's condition? You will find the answers below.
Drug treatment of osteocondrosis
Is it possible to cure osteocondrosis? Many doctors say this is impossible. However, to slow down the development of the disease, soften the symptoms and remove some signs of osteocondrosis. If the disease is in the early stages, conservative treatment methods are usually used: Special drugs are used, physiotherapy, spa treatment and a special diet are recommended.
Medicine is used for worsening osteochondrosis. Medicine helps to get rid of the patient's concerns as well as slow down the development of pathology. The most important groups of drugs treated with intervertebral osteochondrosis include:
- Anti -inflammatory drugs. These drugs help get rid of pain and limit mobility in the spine. After the unpleasant manifestations of osteochondrosis begin to fall, patients are written off tablets. Typically, the course of treatment is about a month. Along with injections and tablets of the affected areas, anti -inflammatory and painkillers are applied;
- Musorelaxants. With osteocondrosis, a crucifixed muscle occurs, which does not affect the patient's condition in the best way. Musorelaxants allow you to remove muscle clamps and relieve unpleasant symptoms.
- Special protectors. Preparations related to this group help slow down the process of deformation of cartilage and thereby slow down the development of the disease.
How to defeat osteochondrosis of the spine? Treatment at 2-4 steps is performed by additional drugs:
- Vitamin complexes that accelerate metabolism and improve tissue regeneration;
- Drugs that normalize blood flow;
- Glucocorticosteroids that reduce inflammatory processes and remove swelling of the tissues;
- Stimulants that improve metabolism.
To prescribe medications and determine their dosage should only the participating physician.
Physiotherapy
Medicine has a better effect if used with physiotherapeutic goals. Most often it is recommended with osteocondrosis:
- Electrophoresis. If you do not know how to cure osteocondrosis of the spine, pay attention to electrophoresis. The procedure helps to relax the tense muscles and save the patient from pain. Thanks to electrophoresis, blood circulation is improved in affected tissues and metabolism accelerates;
- acupuncture. The therapist acting on biologically active points using thin needles defeats the therapist pain and inflammatory process;
- Magnetotherapy. This method allows you to reduce pain and swelling of the tissue. In addition, by means of magnetotherapy it is possible to normalize metabolic processes in the affected tissue in the body;
- massage. The massage course is an excellent tool for reducing pain as well as recovering the mobility of the spine in osteocondrosis. Massage with osteocondrosis can only be performed by an experienced specialist: unprofessional intervention can cause the spine to hurt even more, at worst you can damage your back. It is advisable to look for a masseur among friends who defeated osteocondrosis;
- Medical physical exercise. Patients suffering from osteocondrosis are recommended for physical therapy exercises that help strengthen the spine and speed up their backs with regeneration of damaged tissue. Reviews show that physical training is one of the best methods of therapy for spinal disorders. The symptoms cease to emerge after a few months of regular classes. It is true that you get rid of pain, do not stop performing exercises, otherwise discomfort may appear again;
- Thermotherapy. This type of treatment of intervertebral osteochondrosis has a number of contraindications, therefore it is necessary to consult your doctor. Thermotherapy has a pain -relieving effect and helps to quickly recover damaged tissues: it happens that the patient, after several sessions, forgets for a long time about pain, and osteochondrosis manifests much less often than before;
- Mud. Thanks to the therapeutic mud used on the patient's back, you can reduce muscle spasms, remove inflammation and improve the spine of the spine. Patient reviews indicate that osteochondrosis will cease to bother for a long time after several treatment courses.
Patients are typically prescribed the entire complex of physiotherapeutic goals. The duration of the course and the best treatment methods depend on the degree of damage to the spine. During the year, the course of treatment of osteocondrosis of the back is recommended from three to four times: As a result, the disease and symptoms of the disease will gradually come to nothing.
Is it possible to cure osteocondrosis without physical therapy? Every doctor gives a negative answer: It is advisable to use a set of methods to get the necessary result.