Imagine, in the 21st century, osteochondrosis is diagnosed in 50-80% of the world's population. The numbers are not small and, most importantly, the disease is "getting younger". If before the first symptoms did not appear before the age of 35, now the first signs are diagnosed in teenagers. Most often, a predisposition to osteochondrosis is seen in people with an irregular spinal load. It can be incorrect posture, the habit of carrying a bag on your shoulder, sitting too long in the same position, injury, excessive sporting load, and of course age-related changes.
"Most people have definitely heard about osteochondrosis, but not everyone knows what it is"
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is a pathology of the spine, expressed as a degenerative lesion of the intervertebral discs and adjacent bone tissue, which leads to the effacement of the vertebral bodies and joint surfaces.
Unfortunately, when the first back pain appears, almost no one goes to the doctor, which leads to the fact that the disease is already detected in severe stages. Disease at an early stage is treated quite effectively, as spinal changes are not critical, but over time the process becomes irreversible.
The main sign that you may already be developing osteochondrosis is pain in your neck, back, or lower back. In a more advanced form, the pain "radiates" to the chest, arms, shoulders, legs, and other parts of the body.
Depending on the location, osteochondrosis is divided into several types:
- Cervical osteochondrosis.
- Thoracic osteochondrosis.
- Lumbar osteochondrosis.
Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis
Clinical manifestations arise from damage to nerve tissues and blood vessels located near the affected area.
- Backache.
- Feeling of "lumbago" after physical exertion.
- Poor posture and, as a result, scoliosis.
- Violation of skin sensitivity in certain areas of the body.
- Numbness.
- Dizziness and nausea due to impaired blood supply.
- Headache.
Osteochondrosis can have several symptoms and signs, so it is not always easy to detect it at the first signs. Take periodic exams and don't delay going to the doctor at the first suspicion of osteochondrosis.
Causes of osteochondrosis
<2_img_rightxx>There can be a number of reasons for the development of osteochondrosis. As a rule, lack of respect for the spine leads to this disease, if not at a young age, then certainly at 50 years of age.
Think about how you sit every day, how you sleep, if you have a comfortable pillow and if you always carry weights in your hand, if you give the right load when playing sports, as all of this can lead to irreversible consequences for the spine. . .
The reasons for the development of osteochondrosis can be:
- Genetic predisposition.
- Nervous exhaustion of the body.
- Poor posture during active growth.
- Wear uncomfortable shoes.
- Wear heels at an early age.
- Excessive physical tension in the body.
- Overweight.
- Sedentary and sedentary lifestyle.
- Improper transportation of weights.
- Frequent lifting of loads.
- Vibration loads on the body.
- Dehydration of the body.
- Hypothermia of the body.
"Please note that being overweight and sedentary can cause back problems over time! "
At risk:
- Drivers.
- Office Team.
- Movers
- Pregnant women.
- Obese.
- Professional athletes.
Take care of your health and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Stages of development of osteochondrosis
<3_img_leftxx>None of the illnesses start abruptly and immediately. Osteochondrosis is no exception. There are 4 main stages in the development of osteochondrosis.
Advanced cases of osteochondrosis can lead to partial or complete paralysis. In order not to bring the situation to a critical state, it is necessary to start treatment in time in the early stages of the development of osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis Treatment
For the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, an individual approach is required for each patient. There is no standard and uniform treatment method. The patient's age, physical condition, causes of osteochondrosis and many other factors are taken into account. But, of course, each of the treatments has common characteristics:
Osteochondrosis medication
<4_img_leftxx>Osteochondrosis cannot be cured with medication alone, but they play a key role in reducing the severity of the disease's symptoms, improving blood supply and tissue regeneration processes. For the complete elimination of the disease, an integrated approach and the maintenance of the body's condition in good condition throughout the rest of life is necessary. Medication for osteochondrosis consists of taking several groups of medications.
- First, it is necessary to relieve pain that interferes with a normal lifestyle. For these purposes, NSAIDs - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. (Ketoprofen, Ibuprofen, Ketorolac).
- After the pain symptoms are removed, chondroprotectives and vitamins are prescribed to restore cartilage tissue. These medications prevent further destruction of the intervertebral discs and reduce inflammation. These drugs include glucosamine, which, unlike analogues, does not need to be injected. Just dissolve a powder sachet in a glass of water and take it orally. This method of administration promotes better drug absorption and relieves discomfort that occurs during injections.
- Medicines that stimulate blood microcirculation.
- Local pain relievers.
Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis
The treatment of osteochondrosis with physical therapy is a very effective measure and, most importantly, it is painless and practically without contraindications. These procedures help relieve inflammation, eliminate spasms, and eliminate pinching of nerve endings. Physiotherapy includes procedures such as:
- Electrophoresis.
- Magnetotherapy.
- Phototherapy.
- Shockwave therapy.
- Mud Therapy.
It is important to know that some physical therapy procedures cannot be used during periods of exacerbation. Treatment of osteochondrosis with physical therapy is prescribed exclusively by a physician and in combination with drug treatment.
Physiotherapy and massage for osteochondrosis
Physiotherapy exercises for osteochondrosis help to form a muscular corset that will help support the diseased spine. The exercise set is individually selected for each patient individually. For stage 3, the exercises are performed only in a lying position, in a gentle way and preferably under supervision.
The treatment of osteochondrosis with massage is also a common practice. The main thing is that the massage is done by a professional who will not harm your spine. After the session, you should experience muscle relaxation, clamp release, and general relief. Manual massage improves blood circulation. In acute periods of illness, it is better to refuse this method of treatment.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the patient experiences severe pain in the head, neck, arms and shoulder girdle. There may be flickering "flies", tinnitus and blemishes in front of the eyes. As a rule, in the early stages, the patient will examine the head and does not suspect that the matter is completely different. With cervical osteochondrosis are prescribed.
- Agnioprotectors against vertigo, which most often appear in the morning (Pentoxifylline).
- Chondroprotectors that prevent cartilage tissue destruction, reduce inflammation, relieve pain and restore joint mobility (glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate).
- Antidepressants, which sometimes have to be used by patients because constant pain has a detrimental effect on the psyche and contributes to the development of insomnia, depression (Doxylamin).
- Vitamins that will improve the general condition of the body.
- Anticolvulants for headaches that interfere with the full life of patients.
- NSAIDs are prescribed in the acute period to relieve pain.
Treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis
In osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, sharp pains occur in the front of the chest and breathing can become frequent and heavy. There may be sharp pain when turning and bending in the shoulder blade area. It is difficult to diagnose thoracic osteochondrosis as the pain is not felt directly in the spine and the symptoms are more similar to heart, lung or kidney disease. Fortunately, this type of osteochondrosis is very rare and the cause of its occurrence is, in most cases, scoliosis.
Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis
Lumbar osteochondrosis is the most common type today. This is because this particular part of the spine is subject to the greatest stress. First, a dull pain appears in the lower back, then the pain starts to radiate to the leg and can cause numbness in the lower extremities. Flexion and extension problems arise. In these cases, the main thing is to start the timely treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis and apply complex measures. Several rules must be followed:
- Limit physical activity.
- Take all prescribed medications.
- Submit to prescribed physical therapy.
- Take a special massage course.
- Get rid of excess weight if necessary.
With inadequate treatment and non-compliance with the recommendations, surgery may be necessary in the last lumbar osteochondrosis.
Which doctor treats osteochondrosis?
If you have back pain and suspect that you have osteochondrosis, you should initially make an appointment with a therapist who, based on your complaints, will refer you to a neurologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist and surgeon.
How long is osteochondrosis treated?
Many patients are interested in how long osteochondrosis treatment will take? Nobody will give you an exact answer, but the main signs of the disease disappear, as a rule, within 1-3 months, additional maintenance of the condition is necessary.
Is it possible to get rid of osteochondrosis for good?
It all depends on the stage at which it was discovered. If the patient turns into 1-2 stages, then with proper treatment and compliance with all the rules, you can get rid of osteochondrosis for good. In later stages, unfortunately, it will not be possible to completely get rid of the disease.
orthopedic pillow
You may need an orthopedic pillow if you have been diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis. This pillow will improve the quality of your sleep and will not continue to deform your spine. You can contact a special shop where consultants will show you all pillow options and advise on prices.