Many people associate the word "osteochondrosis" with old age. It is believed that this is a disease of grandparents, in which "shoots in the waist" and "back pain". However, there is only a grain of truth in this delusion: indeed, osteochondrosis isdegenerative(ie caused by a local metabolic disorder)changes in the spinethat inevitably occur in all adultspeople. However, osteochondrosis is found today in 9 out of 10 people over the age of 45, and the first signs of the disease can begin as early as age 25.
This disease is even called"the disease of civilization" because the main cause of osteochondrosis is improper "exploitation" of the spine. The fact is that modern man puts him under excessive strain and, paradoxically, not when running or lifting weights, but when sitting without getting up from a chair for hours. This load is calledstaticand is very complex. Because one thinks that he is resting when he is sitting. But in fact, the spine in a sitting position works with increased stress.
How the spine works
To understand what osteochondrosis is, you need to understand what the human spine is. We all know that the spine consists of vertebrae connected in series by intervertebral discs. In total, a person usually has 33-34 vertebrae: 7 of them form the cervical region, 12 - the thoracic region, 5 (or 6 in a small percentage of people) - the lumbar, another 5 vertebrae growing together, form the sacrum and finally, the coccyx consistsfive (or four - depending on individual characteristics) vertebrae. The vertebrae are actually bones and they are immobile, but in order to be able to move freely, ensuring the mobility of our whole body, and also not to collapse from shocks and friction, there is a layer of gelatinous substance between each vertebra. pulposus nucleus) surrounded by strong multilayered plates (annular fibrosis). Collectively this is called theintervertebral disc.In addition, the structure of the spine contains many connections, vessels, nerves. It is a very complex organ that largely determines the work of almost all body systems, as it protects the spinal cord and affects its work.
The vertebrae and intervertebral discs are constantly updated throughout a person's life. This is possible due to the fact that they are well supplied with blood and are always provided with good nutrition. However, if for some reason the nutrition begins to flow in the spine in insufficient quantities, the nucleus pulposus loses its properties, the intervertebral disc becomes flat and less elastic, cracks appear in the ring, and the vertebrae themselves begin to move in different directions andapproaching each other. All this leads to a number of dangerous deviations - above all toinflammation both in the spine itself and in the surrounding tissues, and up to compression of the spinal cord and spinal nerves.
Interestingly, such a concept as "spinal osteochondrosis" exists mainly in the post-Soviet space. In foreign literature, the changes that occur in the thorns are called"hernias", "myofascial pain", "disc damage", "dorsopathy". So, if you've heard something like this about yourself, it means you have osteochondrosis of the spine. As for theintervertebral hernia, it is considered one of the stages of osteochondrosis.
The disease has no acute course and develops gradually: first the intervertebral disc narrows, degeneratively changes, thenbulges appear- the pulse nucleus appears squeezed and mixed with the fibrous ring, but does not break it. When there is a rupture of the annular fibrosis, they speak of aintervertebral hernia.In the last, most severe stage of osteochondrosis,the intervertebral discs are completely worn out, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other and also collapse, pathological bone growths and osteophytes appear on them. In the last stage, the spine seems to "petrify", that is, it loses its mobility, which can lead to damage.
Causes of spinal diseases
What causes all the abovedegenerative changes?As already mentioned, the main reason isunusual load on the spine:for example, when a person has to sit a lot in uncomfortable positions, "hunched over", the cervical and thoracic areas experience tension and do not receive the necessary nutrition. In addition,osteochondrosis can develop due to poor posture.However,sports, especially strength sports, with impaired exercise techniquecan also lead todegenerative changes in the spine.
Another common cause is anyback injury. The development of osteochondrosis can also be influenced byhereditary genetic predispositions, hormonal disorders, overweight, unhealthy diet, insufficient water intake and as a result dehydration, smoking and alcohol abuse.
Women often face the first signs of osteochondrosis during pregnancy, and then, when young mothers have to feed their baby in uncomfortable positions and often carry it in their arms, the condition of the spine deteriorates markedly.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
The symptoms of osteochondrosis are different and depend on the exact department in which the disorders occurred. Pain is the main manifestation of this pathology, but while rupture of the annular ringis not mild, it can be annoying, depressing, and patients may not even pay attention to it.More often the pain intensifies in the morning or after exercise, radiates to the arms, legs, neck, ribs and chest (in this case, osteochondrosis can easily be confused with coronary heart disease).
In addition,tingling and numbness may occur in the limbs.
With osteochondrosisin the cervical spinemay occur headaches, sometimes very severe, dizziness, nausea, wheezing in the ears. The development of a hernia, leading to compression of the nerve endings, can lead to disruption of the internal organs associated with the affected nerve. For example, in the case of a hernia in the lumbar part of the spine, there may be problems with urination, potency may disappear, in the chest - indigestion, in the cervix - problems with the blood supply to the brain.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
Only a doctor can distinguish osteochondrosis from other diseases of the internal organs and determine the source of pain. Today, the most reliable method for diagnosing spinal diseases is considered to be magnetic resonance imaging.
X-rays are also reliable, but less informative. On an X-ray you can see changes in the intervertebral discs, but you cannot, for example, see a hernia and assess the condition of the spinal cord and the degree of its compression by displaced vertebrae. In addition, MRI allows you to distinguish osteochondrosis from other dangerous diseases, including malignancies and ankylosing spondylitis.
Is it possible to treat osteochondrosis?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to cure osteochondrosis, but it is possible to alleviate the patient's condition andto stop further destruction of the intervertebral disc, but it is necessary totocompletely change your lifestyle - do physical therapy, swimming, regularly attend massage or manual therapy courses, start eating right and give up bad habits. Sports, massage, proper nutrition and weight loss can have a significantly greater and longer-term healing effect than medication.
Doctors are still debating the effectiveness of chondroprotectors - drugs that repair cartilage tissue and supposedly strengthen ring fibrosis, their effectiveness has not been sufficiently proven, but because they are definitely not harmful, they can be used to treat osteochondrosis. .
For severe pain, your doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants (medicines that relax the muscles) and analgesics.
Used in the treatment of osteochondrosis andvitamins, as their lack provokes further destruction of the intervertebral disc:B vitamins, for example, contribute to the improvement of protein metabolismbetween tissues and since thenprotein is the main building material in the body, then the normalization of protein metabolism contributes to the recovery of nerve and cartilage tissue. Vitamin A improves blood circulation. However, like vitamins, like all other medications, you need to be careful as they can cause severe side effects and they can only be taken after consulting a doctor and under his supervision.
Surgical treatment of osteochondrosis is also possible, but is usually resorted to when there issignificant narrowing of the spinal canal and excessive compression of the nerves and spinal cord from the resulting hernias. In this case, the situation is so difficult that the patient, for example, can not walk, his internal organs begin to fail or there is a risk of stroke. Most often such serious consequences are caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spine, degenerative changes in the thoracic spine, even in the presence of a hernia, almost never require surgical treatment.
Today in medical practice are actively introducedmethods of so-called sparing surgery, when doctors manage to preserve the integral structure of the vertebrae by removing part of the pulpal nucleus with the help ofendoscope. The device is inserted at the site of the spine through small incisions in the skin, which avoids large blood loss. Because the entire disc is not removed during surgery, the biomechanics of the spine are usually not disrupted and this shortens the recovery period. Often patients get to their feet within a day of surgery. However, any spinal surgery is still fraught with complications and subsequent recurrences of the disease, so experienced specialists will try to postpone surgical treatment until the last. And here it all depends on the patients themselves: if they follow all the recommendations of doctors and take care of their health, then even in the presence of a hernia, they will be able to cope without surgery.