Disease, which flows in the chronic Form and causes damage to the intervertebral discs and cartilage is called osteochondrosis of the spine. To develop usually begins after 25-30 years of chronicity occurs closer to 40 years. Osteochondrosis is one of the most common causes of back pain.
What is osteochondrosis
Under this concept, the disease, the tissue of the spine is meant to be. In the course of time, the spine is compressed and crushed drives. These discs need for the strengthening and mobility of the spine. Dimensions Standard discs do not change, you get enough food and cease to fulfil their function. In the advanced stage of osteochondrosis of the spine occur as a herniated disc or spinal curvature can. Often this disease is the cause of disability.
Causes
The real reasons for the emergence of such a disease such as osteochondrosis of the doctors is still unknown, but there are some factors for the development of the disease, for example:
- Congenital and acquired grass spine because of the frequent falls, blows.
- Poor genetics and diseases of the spine in the genus.
- Advanced age, obesity.
- Flat feet, postural disorders, and other diseases of the muscles.
- A Metabolic Disorder.
- Lack of exercise and the muscles atrophied.
- Sudden movements or excessive strain on the muscles and bone use of asymmetric motion during exercise or work.
- Unbalanced diet, Smoking, intake of drugs and alcohol.
- Adverse environmental conditions — high humidity, low temperature and bad environment.
- Wearing the wrong shoes and High Heels.
These are just the main factors that influence the development and course of the disease. The disease occurs in people who do heavy physical work. For example, weight lifter, Mover, Turner, or builders. The constant Stress, lack of physical activity and the diet can also be a reason of the development of such disease as osteochondrosis of the spine.
Osteochondrosis of the spine in adults and its classification
The development of the disease can begin in the Teens, when the spine to grow straight, no time to. But this is a Problem with the time disappears. Children move a lot, physical activity and a balanced diet with a high content of vitamins will help, forget osteochondrosis.
But with adults it's different. Osteochondrosis of the spine in adults with age-related changes, namely poor nutrition and blood flow to the cartilage and bone to use. The intervertebral discs of the adult person by their appearance, you have vessels, no blood, so they get food and oxygen from other substances. The nutrition of the cartilage is the most important task in the fight against osteochondrosis. You can do this by exercises, the just for the group of back muscles. Also, physiotherapy, massages and the right diet helps.
According to the scientists in the USA, the incidence increases with each year.
Osteochondrosis of the spine in adults in the United States, detectable more than 30% of the population and this number is growing every year. He frequently appears in men who prefer either a seat at the end of life, deal either heavy physical work. In Russia numbers even sadder. More than 50% of the population lose the ability to work precisely because of the problems with the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system.
To reduce pain in the back, neck and head, to life the traction. The man is passive and irritable. Often depression will occur on the background of the deterioration of the health. In General, osteochondrosis, a number of comorbidities such as chronic Stress, migraine and diseases of the internal systems.
Spinal osteochondrosis: symptoms and diagnosis
The symptomatology of this disease is pronounced, confuse it with something heavy.
To observe at an early stage to determine osteochondrosis only a few of the main characteristics of and behind the qualified help treat.
In total, there are 4 types of diseases: cervical, lumbar, thoracic, and mixed, i.e., at several points of the spine.
Symptoms depending on the type a little different:
- For lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration characteristic of persistent pain in the lower back, the passes sometimes, but often softened with sharp attacks.
- Back pain may increase with physical exercises or sudden movements.
- Most often, the pain changes to sharp. In the organs of the small pelvis, sacrum, and even in the legs.
- The sensitivity of the feet are partly broken, and in a running Form at all disappears.
- The man is difficult to do bending and twists of the torso, the Patient tries to keep the same attitude, not to complaints.
Symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease is a little different:
- Frequent headaches that do not disappear even after the use of painkillers are, worse when turning the head and bending down.
- The Patient can feel severe dizziness when driving the head.
- Pain of the cervical spine is in the back, the arms, the chest.
- Often there is a deterioration of vision and hearing, before the eyes of the dark spots, hard to focus the view on an object.
- Numbness of the tongue, but also a clear change in the voice sense.
Thoracic osteochondrosis often can be confused with neck-strap look, but there are a couple of distinctive things:
- The Patient may experience pain in the chest, and the shovels, and hands.
- In the case of supercooling, a significant deterioration occurs, pain intensified at night or during physical strain.
- Often people in hard deep breaths, if the chest is crushed.
- Appear on the skin tingling or burning, quickly freezing feet and hands.
- The pain is worse when walking fast or running.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of the doctor, and the patient looked in different positions — standing, lying, sitting, in movement and rest. So, at the advice, it is important to honestly say that about all of your complaints, even if the pain intensified slightly when you cough or sneeze. This also has an impact on the further diagnosis can. For confirmation, or Vice versa, refuting the presence of the disease, a number of additional Hardware research. Some of the most popular types is the MRI, x-ray and computed tomography.
Spinal osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which often help to show some other disorders such as kyphosis, bulbosus hernia protrusion, and drives, you must determine the doctor.
Not worth it to treat yourself and postpone the visit to the doctor on the back burner. Of these, only the does not depend on the presence of back pain, but also the full value of life.
Osteochondrosis of the spine: medical treatment and operational
The therapy of this dangerous disease is divided into 2 types — conservative and surgical interventions. The right treatment can only stomatologist, the expert, often the Patient has a consultation with several physicians — neurologists, surgeons, and trauma.
About the started forms of the disease can be eliminated only with the help of the surgery. More conservative treatment, which helps to recover the body requires. Postoperative period includes massages, physiotherapy and nutrition.
Drug Treatment
Often the doctor prescribes, in the determination of such a disease such as osteochondrosis of the spine, the treatment of drugs. It is combined together with a particular diet, a diet with more minerals and vitamins. The large use of vitamins do not need to take medication, so that you can have a negative impact on the bones, the circulatory system and the digestive tract.
The treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine with the help of medications of several types can contain:
- Use of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Spasmolytic Complex.
- Antioxidants.
- The micro-circulation of the blood.
- Preparations for the restoration of cartilage tissue.
But they not only look at medications. Often the "passive" treatment is not the desired results, and sometimes even with this method is useless. It is important, not only waiting for improvements, and with your health and physical shape. Also in the advanced Form of the patient a series of physical exercises to improve the muscle tone allows and improve blood circulation.
The conservative treatment should always consist of a number of techniques, for example:
- Healing gymnastics.
- Manual therapy and massage.
- Physiotherapy medical equipment.
- A balanced diet and work with the mental state in the event of Stress.
In many cases, patients exercise therapy, massage and manual therapy helps. Most of the doctors are trying to get along in the treatment without medicines, as all medicines do not just heal, but add a certain degree of harm to the body.
Massage and manual therapy
Often, patients go to the treatment of manual therapists. But this is only a prevention of the disease or a good way to treat acute bouts of pain. The procedure should only people that experienced specialist. Often, patients offer a course of Massage or even acupuncture. The choice of the Masseur should be treated with extreme caution as any wrong movement pain can provide, and even injury to the spine.
Acupuncture helps to normalize hormone balance, weight loss, severe pain and cramps, back Tonus of the muscles.
Sports
To increase the effectiveness of the Massage, and medication can be through exercises. But remember that you need to regularly and without fanaticism. No sports during the attacks of the disease. First, you need to aggravation remove. The special complex of the exercises have to get the doctor, he is dependent on the stage of the disease. But most of the time, simple gymnastics, it is tables movements without jerky movements.
Movement therapy relieve pain, strengthen and muscle-skeletal spasm remove. Methods of Massage and sports there is often the opportunity to push into the background the use of medicines.
Physiotherapy
This procedure is an important part in the treatment. Patients in the period of post-operative Rehabilitation, or as a Supplement to the basic treatment, the following therapies can assign:
- Shock-Wave Method.
- The Magnetic Field Therapy.
- The Laser Treatment.
- Balneo therapy.
- Detensor or traction of the spine.
- Vibro.
Each method has a positive effect on the body, but pass by such methods must determine, in accordance with and under the supervision of a physician.
The treatment of folk medicine
Remove the excruciating pain or spasms can and traditional methods. For example, RUB of various herbs and roots, sheep's wool or bee venom.
Many folk remedies can be applied, both internally and to the outside — rubbing, compresses and baths. But you need to know, cause if you are allergic to some ingredients. Special attention should plant the raster time and ointments on the Basis of poison. To reduce some of the plants are the effect of drugs is able. It is important to consult with a specialist before the combination with the primary therapy.
A lot of rubbing and appliqués give a warming effect, what is the blood flow to the damaged disk.
Fleece or puppy the fur relieves pain and cramps and swelling. Well, the affected heated body. Also warm osteochondrosis applications of kerosene and soap to help. To do this, moisten a natural substance in kerosene, squeeze and you are punished. The fabric you have on the skin and wrap a warm scarf. Leave for 1-2 hours to the Association remove any discomfort.
Diet
Salt — what should diseases in the first line in the presence of degenerative disc. But it is important to gradually reduce the amount of this product. Also from your diet coffee, lemonade and sweet foods must be excluded. If you are overweight you are recommended to remove baked goods, ordinary bread and rolls to be replaced by bran, or dry biscuits.
The bulk of the diet should be from animal protein — poultry, fish, milk and eggs. About the fruit and should not be forgotten. Many of the vitamins contained in cabbage, peppers, carrots, celery, and parsley! Buying Mayonnaise, sunflower oil, better replace it by the contained olive oil with a few tablespoons of lemon juice.
For the recovery of cartilage tissue is important vitamins A, C, D, B, calcium, Magnesium, and manganese consume. All of this you can find in large quantities products available — nuts, cheese, salad, fish, and Butter. The Patient has a large intake of calcium, together with Magnesium, calcium is not different-to-digest, and will be out of the bone, washed-out, which negatively affects the dynamics of the treatment.
Complications
If not any cure disease, then there would be complications. Osteochondrosis can develop, sciatica, hernia, high blood pressure and intercostal neuralgia.
More serious consequences — it is a stroke and heart attack, as well as the inflammation of the sciatic nerve. One of the most dangerous complications of compression of the vertebral arteries. They deliver oxygen to the brain, without such a high risk of occurrence of problems with the cardiovascular System, disorders of hearing and vision.
Prevention
To avoid a similar illness which are required to sports on a regular basis — Yoga, swimming, running.
Pay attention to the correct posture, as well as the chairs with a rigid backrest, which your back straight. Excellent prevention is a special Massage mattress.
Avoid wearing the heavy in one Hand and not do asymmetrical exercises during the training.
Select shoes with the proper Termi and shock-absorbing sole.
Nutrition is an important Element in the fight against osteoarthritis, therefore, the correct diet is one of the most important rules.