What is osteochondrosis

As people age, many people suffer from musculoskeletal disorders.The most common disease in this field of medicine is osteochondrosis of the spine.Unfortunately, today it affects not only the representatives of the older generation, but also the young, full of energy.There are many reasons for this - sedentary work, lack of sports or any other physical activity, etc.

what is that

Doctors define vertebral osteochondrosis as a whole complex of disorders in the joints and connective tissues and cartilage organs, which develop in any of the joints, but most often affect the intervertebral discs.

Depending on the localization, there are cervical, thoracic and lumbar-crucial osteochondrosis.Despite the fact that osteochondrosis of the vertebrae appears after 40 years, the first signs of osteochondrosis are already visible in the 20s.

Reasons

There can be many factors that provoke the development of the disease.These include hypothermia, displacement of the vertebrae as a result of injuries and heavy physical exertion.

However, the main causes of osteochondrosis of the spine are as follows:

• The habit of bending the back;
• Lack of solid muscle corset;
• scoliosis of various types;
• Stress, nervous shock, depression, chronic fatigue;
• Sedentary lifestyle;
• Frequent weight lifting;
• Metabolic disorders (the body may lack calcium in the blood, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and many other useful substances);
• Heredity;
• Untreated viral infections;
• Changes in hormone levels, both in women and in men;
• Various back injuries.

Athletes, loaders, builders and all those whose profession is connected with active physical work are most often susceptible to osteochondrosis.For those who, on the contrary, lead a sedentary lifestyle, doctors recommend more movement, doing some kind of preventive sport, as well as a proper diet so that the body gets all the necessary vitamins, minerals and microelements.

Symptoms

Symptoms of osteochondrosis directly depend on the affected spine.

• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spineThe spine is accompanied by frequent pains in the neck that go to the back and chest, tense neck muscles, which can cause pain when touched, swelling and numbness of the tongue, a feeling of goosebumps and tingling in the neck and palms, a feeling of general weakness in the neck and shoulders.
• Osteochondrosis of the thoracic regionspine has the following symptoms: sharp pain in the sternum, a feeling of compression in the chest, and intercostal pain may also occur during physical activity.
• Osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral regionspine is usually accompanied by pain in the lower back, which can radiate to the legs, sacrum and groin, lack of sensitivity in the legs, cold hands and feet, a feeling of pins and needles in the lower extremities.

If one or more symptoms of this disease appear, immediately contact a specialist, because osteochondrosis can lead to disturbances in the work of many organs and systems, pinched nerves, as well as migraines, dizziness and insomnia.Lumbosacral osteochondrosis is especially dangerous, because after that there is a risk of developing heart and vascular diseases, diseases of the genitourinary system, scoliosis and displacement of intervertebral discs.

Phases

Osteochondrosis develops gradually and has several stages of its development:

• In the first phaseIt is still difficult to understand that the disease arose.The symptoms are not expressed, the patient feels only mild discomfort.Minor pains in the back and lower back occur from time to time, but are very often attributed to overwork and increased physical activity.Very often, osteochondrosis of the first degree is diagnosed accidentally during a routine examination of the patient.
• In the second phasepain occurs more often and becomes more and more pronounced, and cartilage tissue deformation processes begin.The easiest way to treat osteochondrosis is in the second stage, because the doctor can already see all the changes that are happening in the body.Painkillers can be added to the general complex therapy.
• By the third stagedeformation of the spine occurs, scoliosis, kyphosis and other back diseases begin to develop.Treatment is aimed at modifying the spinal defect and minimizing the resulting defects.
• In the fourth stageosteochondrosis, the patient becomes difficult to move, cartilage tissue thickens and some vertebrae are displaced.Pain constantly follows a person.Very often, in the fourth stage of the disease, the patient is recognized as disabled.

Diagnostics

A doctor can give a preliminary diagnosis based on the above symptoms.First of all, the doctor will check the condition of the patient's spine in different positions, as well as in movement.After that, hardware diagnostics will be performed to clarify the diagnosis and clarify possible complications.

The main types of diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the musculoskeletal system include:

• MRI;
• CT (computed tomography);
• x-ray examination;
• Ultrasound (ultrasound examination);
• study of arterial vessels of the brain.

After analyzing the patient's condition, the doctor will identify possible accompanying diseases, such as hernias, radiculitis and displacement of intervertebral discs.

The patient, on the other hand, must keep in mind that the symptoms of osteochondrosis can be signs of any other disease, therefore the quality of the diagnosis must be the highest, because treatment will be prescribed based on the final result.

Consequences

One of the most dangerous consequences of osteochondrosis is complete or partial muscle atrophy.For many patients, pain is relieved only by painkillers.

If you do not consult a specialist in a timely manner, there is a risk of developing a hernia, cholesterol plaques, as a result of which blood pressure and oxygen supply to cells are impaired.

Patients with the fourth stage of osteochondrosis may experience heart rhythm disorders, abnormal functioning of the respiratory system;the organs of sight and hearing may also be affected, and movement coordination may be disturbed.

Due to the fact that osteochondrosis primarily affects the blood supply system, the entire human body is at risk.It is worth noting that people with impaired metabolism most often suffer from this disease.Osteochondrosis is often accompanied by vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis can be of two types:

• conservative;
• surgical.

The choice of treatment method depends on the severity of the disease, observed complications and the internal strength of the body to recover after the operation.

Along with the conservative method of treatment, the patient will be prescribed a whole series of drugs and other techniques, such as massage, therapeutic exercises, and exercise therapy.This method of therapy includes medication and hardware treatment.

The most commonly used conservative treatment methods are the following:

• Therapeutic physical culture, the exercises of which will be individually adapted to the state of the patient's body.
• Acupuncture.
• Massage and hydromassage.
• Magnetic therapy and vibration stimulation.
• Ultrasound and laser therapy.
• Medicines.
• Proper nutrition, which will also be adjusted individually for the patient.
• Psychotherapy.

It should be noted that if conservative treatment is incorrectly selected, the patient's condition may worsen.Self-treatment of osteochondrosis is excluded.

The surgical method of treating osteochondrosis is aimed at stabilizing the motor activity of the damaged segments of the spine.In the case of a hernia in the spine, the operation can be performed in two ways: standard scalpel or laser.The choice is made by the doctor together with the patient, taking into account not only his wishes, but also the condition of his body.According to statistics, surgical intervention is resorted to in 15% of cases.However, the success rate is only 3%.

Prevention

It should be remembered that no one is immune from osteochondrosis, so it is better to carry out timely prevention of this disease:

• First of all, you should always monitor your posture, keeping your back and neck straight even while working at the computer.
• It is also necessary to devote enough time to sports or any other physical activity, which will strengthen your muscular corset.Exercises in the pool are very suitable for these purposes.
• Special orthopedic mattresses and pillows can also be a good prevention of osteochondrosis.
• Special attention should be paid to the method of lifting weights - to relieve the spine from excessive stress, you must first squat, and then lift a heavy object.It should be noted that you cannot lift more than 17 kg at a time.
• The basic principles of nutrition are also important elements in the treatment of osteochondrosis.Food should bring all useful vitamins and minerals into the body, especially during periods of vitamin deficiency.Avoid too much caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, fast food and carbonated drinks.The diet should contain vegetables and fruits as sources of fiber, as well as meat, fish and legumes as sources of protein.

Every person should remember that undetected osteochondrosis can be extremely dangerous for the whole body;all organs and systems of the body are at risk.It is necessary to closely monitor the general state of health and to be examined by a specialist once every six months.