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 old generation, but also the young, full of energy.There are many reasons for this - sedentary work, lack of sports or any other physical activity, and so on.

What is she?

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

Depending on the location, cervical, thoracic and lumbar-crucial osteochondrosis are distinguished.Despite the fact that vertebral osteochondrosis appears after 40 years, the first signs of osteochondrosis are already visible in 20.

reason

There can be many factors that provoke the development of the disease.This includes hypothermia, vertebral displacements as a result of injuries and severe physical exertion.

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

• The habit of bending the back;
• Lack of a strong muscle belt;
• 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);
• Inheritance;
• Untreated viral infections;
• Changes in hormonal levels, both in women and in men;
• Various back injuries.

Most often, athletes, loaders, builders and all those whose profession is associated with active physical work are susceptible to osteochondrosis.For those who, on the contrary, lead a sedentary lifestyle, doctors recommend moving more, engaging in some kind of preventive sports, as well as proper nutrition so that the body receives all the vitamins, minerals and microelements it needs.

Symptoms

Symptoms of osteochondrosis depend directly on the affected vertebral region.

• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spineSpina is accompanied by frequent neck pain that goes to the back and chest, tense neck muscles, which can cause pain when touched, swelling and numbness of the tongue, a jumping and tingling sensation 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 pains in the sternum, a feeling of chest compression and pain between the ribs may appear 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 sensation in the legs, cold hands and feet, sensations of needles in the lower extremities.

If one or more symptoms of this disease appear, you should immediately consult a specialist, because osteochondrosis can lead to interruptions in the functioning of many organs and systems, pinched nerves, as well as migraines, dizziness and insomnia.Lumbosacral osteochondrosis is particularly dangerous, since then there is a risk of developing diseases of the heart and blood vessels, diseases of the genitourinary system, scoliosis and displacement of intervertebral discs.

stages

Osteochondrosis develops gradually and has several stages of its development:

• In the first stageIt is still difficult to understand that the disease has arisen.The symptoms are not pronounced, the patient experiences only mild discomfort.Minor pains in the back and lower back occur from time to time, but very often they are attributed to overwork and increased physical activity.Very often, osteochondrosis of the first degree is accidentally diagnosed during the routine examination of the patient.
• In the second phasepain appears more often and becomes more severe, and cartilage tissue deformation processes begin.The easiest way to treat osteochondrosis is in the second stage, since the doctor can already see all the changes that occur in the body.Painkillers can be added to the general complex therapy.
• Until the third stagedeformation of the spine occurs, scoliosis, kyphosis and other back diseases begin to develop.The treatment is aimed at modifying the defects of the spine and minimizing the defects that have occurred.
• In the fourth stageosteochondrosis, it becomes difficult for the patient to move, the cartilage tissue thickens and some vertebrae are displaced.Pain accompanies a person constantly.Very often, in the fourth stage of the disease, the patient is recognized as disabled.

Diagnosing

The doctor can make 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 motion.After which 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);
• the study of arterial vessels of the brain.

After analyzing the patient's condition, the doctor will identify possible concomitant diseases, such as hernia, radiculitis and displaced intervertebral discs.

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

The consequences

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

If you do not contact a specialist in time, there is a risk of a hernia, cholesterol plaques, as a result of which the blood pressure and oxygen supply to the cells are disrupted.

In patients with the fourth stage of osteochondrosis, heart rhythm disorders, abnormal functioning of the respiratory system may occur;the organs of sight and hearing may also be affected and the coordination of movements may be impaired.

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 damaged metabolism most often suffer from this disease.Osteochondrosis is often associated with vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis can be of two types:

• conservative;
• surgical.

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

With a conservative method of treatment, the patient will be prescribed a number of medicines and other techniques, such as massage, therapeutic exercises, exercise therapy.This method of therapy involves taking medications and handling equipment.

The most commonly used methods of conservative treatment are as follows:

• Therapeutic physical education, the exercises of which will be individually adapted to the condition of the patient's body.
• Acupuncture.
• Massage and hydromassage.
• Magnetic therapy and vibration stimulation.
• Ultrasound and laser therapy.
• Medicines.
• The right food, which will also be individually adapted to the patient.
• Psychotherapy.

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

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

Preventing

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 when working at the computer.
• It is also necessary to devote enough time to sports or any other physical activity, thus strengthening your muscle corset.Exercises in swimming pools are 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 should first sit down and then grab something heavy.It should be noted that you cannot lift more than 17 kg at a time.
• The basic principles of diet are also important elements in the treatment of osteochondrosis.Food should provide the body with all useful vitamins and minerals, especially during the period of vitamin deficiency.Avoid excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, fast food and carbonated drinks.The diet should include vegetables and fruits as a source of fiber, as well as meat, fish and legumes as a source 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 your health and undergo check-ups by a specialist once every six months.