Osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatments described below, are a disease that only representatives of Homo Sapiens species suffer. Back pain is a result of simple development: due to changes in the location of the spinal column, the intervertebral disc is compressed and eliminated over time, as a result unpleasant symptoms occur. About 60% of the planet population experienced osteochondrosis. Treatment of osteochondrosis is a bit difficult, but there are methods that allow you to forget the pain for a long time. What is the type of disease, what is the deformation of the intervertebral disc and how to treat osteochondrosis? You can learn everything about osteochondrosis by studying this article.
What is osteochondrosis?
Many have heard that there are diseases such as osteochondrosis. What is it? The main signs of pathology are deformation and inflammation of the cartilage together. Osteochondrosis, a sign of which many people over 40 can be observed, can affect not only the spine, but also other joints. To understand how to treat osteochondrosis back, and how the disease develops, you need to remember the structure of the spinal column.
The spine consists of 35 vertebrae, separated by articular cartilage. Soft cartilage ensures the flexibility of the spine, as well as its stable position in space. The articular cartilage base is an intervertebral disc, which is in the process of important activity subject to various types of loads. This load can be static (long -lasting in one position) and dynamic (walking, fast walking, jumping). Over time, due to the load, the intervertebral disc gradually arrived -suddenly, as a result the distance between the vertebrae decreased. Therefore, one begins to experience signs of osteochondrosis, for example, pain, cannot make certain movements or remain in some pose for a long time, etc.
For what reason do osteochondrosis develop?
There is no cause of osteochondrosis: the disease develops due to a combination of several factors, among them the main can be distinguished:
- Descent tendency. Of course, not the disease itself is inherited by osteochondrosis, but in the characteristics of bone structure: very often the cause of osteochondrosis lies in the inadequate production of certain proteins that provide cartilage strength;
- intervertebral osteochondrosis often causes metabolic disorders;
- Presence of disease of the musculoskeletal system, for example, spinal or flat leg curvature;
- Presence of history of injury in spinal columns: professional athletes often experience vertebratic osteochondrosis;
- lack of physical activity, inactive lifestyle;
- Excessive weight presence;
- frequent stress;
- Pregnancy: In this case, the cause of osteochondrosis is an increase in the load on the spine.
This is the leading cause of osteochondrosis that triggers the development of the disease.
It is generally accepted that the signs of osteochondrosis are usually shown in adulthood. However, in recent years, the disease has been "younger": diagnosis of osteochondrosis is often made by adolescents, while the disease may appear under 15.
Often, intervertebral disc osteochondrosis affects high people, whose spine is subject to increased load. The voltage that appears leads to the fact that the intervertebral disc is defective, resulting in pain and mobility limitations, intervertebral osteochondrosis develops.
Sign -to osteochondrosis
Only a doctor can diagnose and cure intervertebral osteochondrosis: you do not need to be alone. But everyone should know what symptoms indicate the possibility of osteochondrosis.
The main signs of osteochondrosis:
- heavy feelings and back pain;
- periodic occurrence of "goosebumps" in the lower back, neck or back;
- the feeling of pain that shoots in a particular spine;
- pain when lifting hands;
- frequent dizziness attacks;
- nausea and noise in the ear;
- Numbness of the limbs.
In front of at least one of the above symptoms, you should seek medical advice. After all, the faster treatment of the back osteochondrosis is started, the easier it is to eliminate the manifestation of the unpleasant disease. Is osteochondrosis treated in the final stage? The answer will be affirmative. True, how to beat osteochondrosis, you will study only after the examination at the clinic. Experienced orthopedists will advise how to deal with osteochondrosis, prescribe the necessary medications and procedures. You need not be afraid: if you are diagnosed with osteochondrosis, the treatment will be quite long, but effective. After all, osteochondrosis, due to modern therapy methods, can quickly come and not disturb the patient for a long time.
To determine how to treat spinal osteochondrosis, the doctor must determine the degree of damage to the spinal column. This is impossible to do without a complete diagnostic examination: the patient does not have enough osteochondrosis symptoms to make a diagnosis. Usually, diagnostic procedures such as X -Ray, MRI and CT are prescribed.
Varieties of osteochondrosis
There are two most common classifications of the disease. The first is based on lesions, the second - at the stage of pathological development.
Depending on the affected part, they distinguish:
- Cervical osteochondrosis. Its main symptoms are pain in the neck, dizziness and headache, chest pain, which gives it to the hands, the feeling of floating in the eyes. With cervical osteochondrosis in patients, hypertension attacks are often observed;
- Osteochondrosis of the thorax area. The thoracic region is affected quite rarely. Pain in this type of spinal disease is a relatively rare occurrence. Usually, the patient complains of unpleasant sensations in the chest and pain in the heart, which often takes as a sign and symptoms of angina pectoris. Sometimes it helps to diagnose ECG, which with osteochondrosis does not show any heart muscle disorders. Usually, the cause of osteochondrosis of the thoracic area is injury or spinal curvature;
- Osteochondrosis of lumbar area. As the lumbosacral region retains heavy loads, the disease has a regular effect. The main syndrome of the lumbar area osteochondrosis is a very strong shooting in spring and autumn. Pain can be given to the heels, caviar and knees. With sciatic nerve violations, the patient cannot bend one direction. If you do not start timely treatment, lumbar spinal osteochondrosis can be complicated by the appearance of hernia. In men, spinal cord disease -teochondrosis in the lumbar region- can be accompanied by affected potential.
Depending on how osteochondrosis is shown, four stages of this pathological development are distinguished. Naturally, effective osteochondrosis treatment with conservative methods is only possible in the early stages. Spinal osteochondrosis develops in four stages:
- First stage. The intervertebral disc is flattened, as the space between the vertebrae decreases. Small fractures occur in the cartilage;
- Second stage. The distance between the vertebrae is reduced to the extent that it begins to turn to each other;
- Third stage. The intervertebral disc is gradually squeezed out of the intervertebral space. At this stage, symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis affect the quality of life, limit movement and cause great suffering;
- Fourth stage. Bone panking grows between the vertebrae, where the movement of the spinal column decreases. Spikes injure the nerves and vessels near the spine, which is why the symptoms of back osteochondrosis become almost unbearable for humans and are forced to take a large dose of painkillers. At this stage, treatment with osteochondrosis is often performed by surgical methods.
What to do with osteochondrosis? Is it possible to get rid of unpleasant symptoms from intervertebral osteochondrosis, and what procedure can reduce the patient's condition? You will get the answer below.
Treatment of osteochondrosis drug
Is it possible to cure osteochondrosis? Many doctors say this is impossible. But to slow down the development of the disease, soften the symptoms and completely eliminate some signs of osteochondrosis. If the disease is in the early stages, conservative treatment methods are commonly used: special drugs used, physiotherapy, spa treatment, and special diets are recommended.
Medicines are used to enlarge osteochondrosis. Medicines help to get rid of the patient's anxiety, as well as slow the development of pathology. The main group of drugs treated with intervertebral osteochondrosis include:
- Anti -inflammation. These medicines help relieve pain and limit mobility in the spinal column. After unpleasant manifestations of osteochondrosis begin to decrease, the patient is written for tablets. Usually, treatment is about one month. Together with injections and tablets in the affected area, anti -inflammatory and analgesic ointments are used;
- Musorelaxants. With osteochondrosis, the circulated cross -muscles, which do not affect the patient's condition in the best way. Musorelaxants allow you to remove muscle clamps and reduce unpleasant symptoms.
- Special protector. Preparations related to this group help slow the process of deformation of the cartilage, thus slowing down the development of the disease.
How to beat spinal osteochondrosis? Treatment at stage 2-4 is carried out by additional drugs:
- vitamin complex which accelerates metabolism and enhances tissue regeneration;
- drugs that normalize blood flow;
- Glucocorticosteroids that reduce the process of inflammation and remove tissue swelling;
- stimulants that increase metabolism.
To prescribe medications and determine their dose only needs a doctor.
Physiotherapy
Medications have a better effect if they are used together with steps of physiotherapy. Often, with osteochondrosis, recommended:
- Electrophoresis. If you do not know how to cure spinal osteochondrosis, note the electrophoresis. This procedure helps to loosen the tense muscles and save the patient from pain. Thanks to electrophoresis, blood circulation in affected tissue increased and metabolism accelerated;
- acupuncture. Acting on biologically active points using a thin needle, the therapist beats the pain and the inflammatory process;
- Magnetotherapy. This method allows you to reduce pain and swelling of the tissue. In addition, with the help of magnetotherapy, it is possible to normalize the metabolic processes in the tissues affected by the body;
- Massage. Massage courses are an excellent tool for reducing pain, as well as restoring spinal mobility in osteochondrosis. Massage with osteochondrosis can only be done by an experienced specialist: unprofessional intervention can lead to the fact that the spine will hurt more, in the worst case you can damage the back. It is advisable to find a masseuse among friends who beat osteochondrosis;
- Physical Education Medicine. Patients with osteochondrosis are recommended for physiotherapy exercises, which help strengthen the spinal muscle frame and accelerate the process of regenerating damaged tissue. Reviews show that Physical Education is one of the best ways to therapy for back disease. Symptoms stop appearing after a few months of normal classrooms. True, get rid of pain, you cannot stop exercising, otherwise, discomfort may appear again;
- Thermotherapy. This type of intervertebral osteochondrosis treatment has several contraindications, so before starting a thermotherapy course, it is necessary to consult your doctor. Thermotherapy has an analgesic effect and helps to quickly recover damaged tissue: it occurs that after a few sessions, the patient forgets for a long time about pain, and osteochondrosis shows himself less than before;
- Mud. Thanks to the therapeutic mud used for the back of the patient, you can reduce muscle cramps, eliminate inflammation and improve spinal blood circulation. The patient's survey shows that osteochondrosis will stop interrupting for a long time after several courses of treatment.
Usually, the patient is prescribed the entire complex of physiotherapy steps. The duration of the course and the best treatment method depends on the degree of damage to the spine. Throughout the year, the treatment of the back osteochondrosis is recommended from three to four times: as a result, the pain and symptoms of the disease will gradually become vain.
Is it possible to cure osteochondrosis without physiotherapy? Any doctor will give a negative answer: it is advisable to use a set of methods to get the results needed.