Osteochondrosis –degenerative-dystrophic damage to the spinal tissues, characterized by damage to the intervertebral discs, adjacent articular surfaces and vertebral bodies and the ligamentous apparatus of the spinal column.
Most often, pathological processes in osteochondrosis first affect the bones and ligaments.We usually learn that the disease has already begun when complications appear: pain, sensory disturbances, muscle atrophy, dysfunction of internal organs.
Who suffers from osteochondrosis?
Nowadays, osteochondrosis affects 40 to 90% of the world's population.Most often, the disease affects people over the age of 30.However, the first symptoms of osteochondrosis can appear in adolescence.
Stages of development of spinal osteochondrosis
- The first stage of development of osteochondrosis.
Dehydration of the nucleus pulposus begins.This leads to a decrease in the height of the disc.Cracks appear in the fibrous ring, but the pathological process does not extend beyond the intervertebral disc.
- The second stage of development of osteochondrosis.
As a result of the decrease in the height of the disc, the attachment points of the muscles and ligaments belonging to two adjacent vertebrae become closer.Therefore, muscles and ligaments sag.This can lead to excessive mobility of the two vertebrae relative to each other, i.e. an instability of the vertebral movement segment is formed.In this phase, the sliding or displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other is characteristic, with the formation of spondylolisthesis.
- The third stage of development of osteochondrosis.
During this period, the most pronounced morphological changes occur, which mainly affect the intervertebral discs themselves: disc prolapses and protrusions are formed.The articular system of the vertebral motor segment also suffers.Subluxations occur in the intervertebral and non-vertebral joints and arthrosis forms.
- The fourth stage of development of osteochondrosis.
In this stage, adaptive changes occur in the affected segments of the spine.The body tries to overcome the excessive mobility of the vertebrae and to immobilize the spine to preserve its support and protective functions.In this regard, marginal bone growths appear on the adjacent surfaces of the vertebral bodies, in other words, osteophytes.An osteophyte growing “in the wrong place” causes microtrauma to the nerve root.In the fourth stage, fibrous ankylosis processes usually begin in the intervertebral discs and joints.Eventually, the vertebral motor segment appears to be enclosed in a shell and the clinical manifestations regress.
Causes of osteochondrosis
In each of the numerous existing theories of the development of osteochondrosis, various reasons responsible for the onset of the disease are accepted, for example, mechanical trauma, hereditary predisposition or metabolic disorders.A particular difficulty in determining the cause of osteochondrosis is due to the fact that this disease can occur in both the elderly and young people, both in robust and less fit people.It is commonly believed that the cause of osteochondrosis is the deposition of salts in the spine: supposedly, on X-rays, salts can be seen in the form of “growths” or “hooks” on the vertebrae.If during the movement creaks and creaks are heard in the joints, as if sand was poured between them, for many patients the only reason for this condition is the notorious "salt deposition".Such misunderstandings are not at all harmless: the correct idea of \u200b\u200bhow to treat a disease can be determined on the basis of an analysis of the causes that provoked it.
The term "osteochondrosis" comes from the Greek roots osteon - "bone" and chondr - "cartilage".The ending "-oz" means that the disease of bones and cartilage is not associated with inflammatory processes, but is degenerative-dystrophic in nature, that is, the basis of the disease is a violation of tissue nutrition and, as a consequence, the degeneration of its structure.Like all living tissues, the bone tissue of the vertebrae and the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs are constantly rebuilt and self-renewing.Under the influence of regularly exercised physical activity, they acquire strength and elasticity, and in the absence of loads, the strength of the tissues decreases.
This is due to the peculiarities of nutrition and blood supply to bone and cartilaginous tissue.Adult discs have no vessels of their own;they receive nutrients and oxygen from nearby tissues.Therefore, for proper nutrition of the discs, it is necessary to activate blood circulation in the tissues surrounding the discs.And this can only be achieved through intense muscular work.
Based on its composition, the intervertebral disc can be divided into two parts: this is the nucleus pulposus, which gives elasticity to the disc, located in the center and surrounded by a strong fibrous ring.Due to the deterioration of nutrition of the intervertebral discs, the complex structure of biopolymer compounds that make up the nucleus pulposus is destroyed.The moisture content in the nucleus pulposus decreases and becomes more fragile.If exposed to even slight overloads, the nucleus pulposus can disintegrate into fragments.This leads to a decrease in its elasticity to an even greater extent.A decrease in the resistance of the fibrous rings of the discs is also observed.All these factors create the basis and constitute the cause of the development of osteochondrosis.
To restore the function of the spine, it is necessary to heal the damage to the intervertebral disc, mobilize the compensatory abilities of the spine, as well as the musculoskeletal system as a whole, and not to resolve the “salt deposits” or eliminate the “spikes” on the vertebrae.When taking an x-ray examination after the end of treatment, you can see that the vertebrae have not changed shape.And the notorious "spikes" are not the cause of osteochondrosis, but a consequence of adaptation processes.Marginal growths increase the support surface area of the vertebral body.Due to the increase in area, the specific pressure decreases, which allows you to compensate for the decrease in strength and elasticity of the intervertebral disc.
Degenerative-dystrophic changes occurring in the spine are accompanied by calcification (calcification) of damaged discs, individual sections of joint ligaments, cartilage and capsules.This process can only conditionally be called salt deposition.Therefore, this is not the cause of osteochondrosis, but only a consequence and the final stage of the process described above.
Reversing structural changes in the spine is nearly impossible.But minimizing them is a very real task.If no effort is made to keep the spine in the same condition achieved following treatment, the pain may return.
Clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis
The clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis are very diverse.They depend on the stage of development of osteochondrosis.The main clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis occur when the pathological process spreads to the posterior part of the fibrous ring and the posterior longitudinal ligament.Depending on the stage of degeneration of the intervertebral discs, irritation, compression or disruption of the conductivity of the roots of the spinal cord, compression of the blood vessels or spinal cord occurs.Various neurological syndromes develop: reflex and compression.
The main cause of pain in osteochondrosis is the so-called irritation of the nerve root.In this case, circulatory disorders occur, swelling occurs, and subsequently fibrosis of the surrounding structures may develop, accompanied by an increase in the sensitivity of the roots to various influences (movements in the affected segment of the spine, etc.).
Vascular disorders in osteochondrosis are often associated with impaired vasomotor innervation.Mechanical compression of blood vessels by osteophytes is also possible, for example in the cervical spine.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
One of the characteristics of spinal osteochondrosis that aggravates the process is that its symptoms are too extensive.The disease can manifest itself in completely different parts of the body.This can be pain or numbness in the limbs or discomfort and pain in the internal organs.At the same time, often a person does not in any way associate pain in the heart, dysfunction of the genital organs, headaches, pain and numbness in the legs with osteochondrosis and in general with the spine, directly “treating” the symptoms of osteochondrosis with the help of various types of painkillers, all kinds of advertised drugs, dietary supplements and other methods.But this path only makes the situation worse.Osteochondrosis continues to develop, and the treatment methods used, at best, simply do not lead to significant improvements, other than temporarily relieving pain, and at worst, can harm the body even more.
Therefore, it is important to carefully analyze your condition and the changes that occur in it.It is necessary to start moving in the right direction: timely consult a doctor, undergo the necessary diagnostics and only after determining the correct diagnosis begin treatment under the supervision of the attending physician.
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis include, first of all, pain and discomfort in the back.At the same time, pain can be periodic, inconsistent, appear and disappear.But the very first sensation of discomfort or pain in the spine should give you pause.The appearance of the first pains is a signal to at least pay attention to this and try to remember why they appeared.This could be lifting a heavy object, a sudden movement, a fall, etc.
Another symptom of osteochondrosis is the accompanying discomfort or back pain with pain and numbness in the extremities (arms or legs).The pain most often radiates to the left limb, that is, the left arm or leg.Also, pain can occur in the heart area, in the back, and not only in the spine area, but, for example, in the ribs, etc.In this case it is especially important to pay attention to the nature of the change in pain depending on the patient's actions, comparing sensations of pain in the back with pain, for example, in the leg.If the patient sat for a long time and developed pain or numbness in the foot, discomfort in the lower back, and after a short warm-up or walking the pain disappeared, then this will be an indirect sign determining lumbar osteochondrosis of the spine.The same image can be with the neck and arm.Summing up, we can say that the main symptoms of osteochondrosis include pain and discomfort in the back.In cases where these symptoms coincide with pain elsewhere in the body, osteochondrosis may be complicated by protrusion, herniated disc, or nerve compression.
Also, I would like to draw attention to the fact that even when the first pain in the spine appears, special attention should be paid to this ailment.After all, osteochondrosis can manifest itself weakly or not at all for quite a long time.At the same time, it will continue to develop successfully in the spine, leading to the degradation of an increasing number of discs.Therefore, a timely visit to the doctor will allow you to diagnose osteochondrosis at an earlier stage, facilitating its treatment.
Osteochondrosis and salt deposition
Osteophytes or hook-shaped growths of the vertebrae appear to reduce the load on the intervertebral discs.In this case, the appearance of osteophytes damages the mobility of the intervertebral joints.
The widespread belief in everyday life that salt deposition is the main cause of osteochondrosis is erroneous.Therefore, treatment of osteochondrosis with a salt-free diet is useless.
The most common complaints with spinal osteochondrosis
The most common disorders related to osteochondrosis are the following:
- Discomfort in various parts of the spine.The pain can range from mild, dull and annoying to severe, sometimes very intense and unbearable, with twinges.
- Increased fatigue during work, both physical and mental.
- Loss of sensation in the limbs and various parts of the body, feeling of cold in the hands or feet.
- Pain radiating to the legs, along the nerve trunks.
- Pain radiating to the shoulder blade, shoulder, as well as pain in the neck and back of the head.
- A frequent companion of cervical osteochondrosis are headaches and dizziness.Increased visual fatigue or decreased visual acuity is often observed.
- When the lumbosacral region is affected, reproductive system disorders and various sexual dysfunctions are common.Therefore, most men experience an increase in sexual potency after treatment.In women, the normal functioning of the lumbosacral area increases the likelihood of conception and contributes to a comfortable pregnancy.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
To diagnose osteochondrosis, you need to take a medical history.Determining patient complaints is of decisive importance.Some symptoms of osteochondrosis are quite characteristic.Others, on the contrary, must be differentiated from the signs of other diseases.It is important that nervous, vascular and trophic disorders occurring in osteochondrosis can mimic various diseases, such as angina pectoris, gastritis, gastric ulcer and acute surgical diseases of the abdominal organs.Therefore, to avoid incorrect diagnoses and subsequent prescription of incorrect treatments, each symptom must be subjected to a detailed analysis.
When collecting anamnesis, including the patient's complaints, the history of the current disease and the patient's life, the doctor pays attention to his age, since osteochondrosis develops more often in older people, and the evolution of symptoms from the moment they appear until the patient consults a doctor.Osteochondrosis is characterized by slow development, in which periods of exacerbation are periodically replaced by periods of remission.Additional research methods are prescribed to clarify the diagnosis.
X-ray studies for osteochondrosis
The most accessible method of diagnosing osteochondrosis and at the same time quite informative is x-ray examination.There are several types of radiographic methods for diagnosing this disease:
Survey radiography of the spine is the simplest radiological method of diagnosing osteochondrosis.Its essence is to obtain an x-ray of the spine as a whole or its individual segments.Most often, a targeted x-ray is performed: based on the symptoms of the disease and the patient's complaints, the location of the spinal lesion is determined.On an
Myelography is a more complex and dangerous diagnostic method.During such an examination, a certain amount of contrast liquid is injected into the spinal canal.The risk of this examination method is the possibility of allergic reactions to the contrast medium or the risk of damage to the spinal cord during puncture of the spinal canal.Myelography can determine the internal structure of the spinal canal.This method is especially informative for determining spinal hernias.
Computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance are the most modern, but also the most expensive and difficult to access methods for diagnosing osteochondrosis.These diagnostic methods are usually used when it is necessary to distinguish between osteochondrosis and other diseases of the spine that have similar symptoms, for example, tumors of the spinal canal.
For a complete assessment of the patient's condition, it is mandatory to conduct a neurological examination of the patient with osteochondrosis.Thanks to a neurological consultation it is possible to clarify the location and degree of motor and sensory disorders.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
The clinic provides effective treatment for all forms of osteochondrosis.The treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis.Treatment is based on a comprehensive program aimed at quickly eliminating the underlying syndrome and the cause of suffering.The following methods can be used as part of complex therapy:
- acupuncture;
- vacuum therapy;
- gentle manual therapy techniques (post-isometric relaxation);
- laser therapy;
- pharmacopuncture;
- dry traction;
- magnetopuncture;
- electrical stimulation and other treatment methods.
On average, the course of treatment is 10-15 sessions, and the elimination of acute pain syndrome is from 1 to 3 sessions.
The sooner treatment is started, the better the result will be!
Is complete relief from osteochondrosis real?
It depends on the form of the disease, the severity, correctness and timeliness of treatment.Complete recovery is possible only in the initial stages.
But you can prevent exacerbations of osteochondrosis and not feel pain for years.If a person had osteochondrosis, but now does not feel discomfort, this does not mean that it passed without a trace.There may be changes in the spine.
The main task is to stop the development of the disease and do everything possible so that some pathological changes in the spine disappear, the symptoms disappear or decrease (back pain, cold and numbness of the arms, legs, headaches, etc.).