Osteochondrosis is a condition in which there is a series of disorders in the articular cartilage dystrophic character. Osteochondrosis in different joints occur, however, the most common osteochondrosis affects the intervertebral discs. If the place of localization of the disease, then osteochondrosis divided into thoracic, cervical, lumbar.
Osteochondrosis is a disease, as a cause for pain in the back at about 80% of the cases. In the case of complications of degenerative disc disease hernias of the intervertebral discs are sometimes caused painful sensations in the head, extremities, and other organs. The most common is called lumbar spinal osteochondrosis, provocative pain in the legs. Many people complain of symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease, the pain, the hands and the head. When breast Form of the disease, the pain occurs in the internal organs.
Causes of osteochondrosis
The original cause for the emergence of osteochondrosis is as upright human gait. There are many different theories about the causes of the emergence of osteochondrosis. Such, for example, a hereditary predisposition of character, injury, violation of metabolic processes in the body. The determination of the cause of the emergence of this disease is complicated by the fact that the disease manifests itself in people of different ages, of different stature and physical development.
There is also the theory that the cause of osteochondrosis is the deposition of salts in the spine. However, experts claim that it is in some degree a fallacy. And that's exactly the right analysis of the causes of the disease is the basis for effective treatment of the disease.
In the case of the osteochondrosis of the character of the disease is a non-inflammatory, degenerative-dystrophic. In the course of the development of the disease, nutrition of the tissue, disturbed its structure regenerates. People that have a constantly active movement, use a sturdy and elastic tissue bone. This is due to the fact that the disks of the spine did not originate in the adult man their own vessels, so oxygen and nutrients to the discs of the substances in the vicinity. A similar process can be complete only in the case of active blood flow, which can only be in a process of continuous intensive work of the muscles.
Each intervertebral disc consists of two parts. In the center of the disc, the jelly is like the core, the power of the drive is elastic and surrounds its strong Ring of fibrous. If the nutrition of the intervertebral discs worse, then the structure of biopolymer compounds is can break together. By reducing the moisture content in the disc, it becomes brittle. And when the spine undergoes stress, gelatinous nucleus is divided into fragments. As a result of its elasticity is significantly reduced. The fibrous rings also lose strength. Similar phenomena is the starting point for the Manifestation of the osteochondrosis in humans.
In view of the manifestations of the degenerative changes in the spine happened to the calcification of damaged hard drives, tapes, capsules. A similar phenomenon – the last stage of the process of the development of the disease.
Unfortunately, the reverse process after similar changes in the spine, is is almost impossible. Therefore, the main task of the treatment of osteochondrosis is the maintenance of the current Status.
Basically, manifestations of osteochondrosis more pronounced in people after reaching thirty-five age. In the process, the older you get the more symptoms of the disease is observed in him. But lately complained of a pain in the back, more and more young people are turning to doctors.
The reasons for such early emergence of osteochondrosis is first and foremost a very weak physical activity, postural problems, as well as crooked spine, flat feet and obesity. Today, the main causes of the emergence of osteochondrosis assume the following:
- Assessment of hereditary character;
- Problems with metabolic processes, intoxication, infection;
- the presence of obesity, poor diet (low fluid intake-chard in trace elements);
- the presence of injuries of the spine, its crooked, bad posture, flat feet;
- Existence in bad environmental conditions;
- an inactive way of life;
- regular lifting of heavy loads, work in awkward postures for long periods of time, an activity in which the human being often repeated jerky movement, rotation, and flexion of the trunk;
- to strong physical stress, overload of the spine as a result of diseases of the foot, discomfort when wearing shoes, as well as the strain during pregnancy;
- sudden cessation of the constant Training of people in sports, Stress, heavy Smoking.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
In people suffering from osteochondrosis, manifested primarily property, plant, and pain in the back. Sometimes a similar pain accompanied by numbness, sensations as well as pain in the extremities. If the therapy of osteochondrosis is not on time begins, a man quickly weight to lose, at it happens , the atrophy of the extremities. In the case of physical movement and exertion, but also when lifting heavy objects, sneezing, and coughing, the pain can be intense. In the case of a patient with osteochondrosis reduces the volume of the movements, occur muscle cramps.
Cervical osteochondrosis is manifested due to the peculiarities of the cervical spine. The vertebrae of the cervical spine have significantly smaller dimensions than the other departments vertebrae of the spine. Accordingly, cervical osteochondrosis is manifested through the constant strain on the neck. The symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease are expressed as follows: pain occurs in the hands, the neck, the shoulders can occur, and headaches. For this type of disease A. characteristic of the syndrome vertebral artery. The Manifestation of this syndrome human the presence of noise in the head feels, before the eyes of grain, flickering,"", dizzy. In front of the eyes of bright spots arise, parallel to this, the person feels severe pain in his head pulsing. Symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease sometimes resemble the signs of an Angina, but patients in the study was not observed a change in the heart.
In patients with osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the Patient feels pain in the chest. Pain can give in the area of the heart, and also in other internal organs.
Patients with osteochondrosis in lumbosacral area of the spine experience pain in the lower back, the feet, the sacrum, the organs of the small pelvis. You homeopathically on the nerve root, impaired sensitivity, can reflexes decrease, and hypotension manifest.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The provisional diagnosis of "osteochondrosis" specialist already during the first examination of the patient. Usually examination the doctor nerve doctor performs. In General, the Patient comes to the admission complained of pain and deformation, or reduced mobility.
Examination of the spine of the patient in the standing, and sitting, a doctor examines him, and in motion and at rest. In the course of the examination, the doctor makes sure draws attention to the posture of the people, the peculiarities of his physique, peculiarities of the spine, relief of muscles close to the spine.
Thanks to the feeling of the spine, the results of the examination of the patient may be due to information about whether a MIS-localized position of the spine, where the pain, but also to determine the degree of their intensity. In the course of feeling also determines how tense the muscles next to the spine because of the muscle tone, most accompanied by a diseases and injuries. In order to determine the Amplitude of the movements of the various parts of the spine, examined the possibilities of its Flexion.
In the diagnosis of degenerative disc disease is often applied is computed tomography, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging. These methods enable you, to determine what is the level of the lesion of the spine, to specify whether hidden pathology and diagnosis.
Through the correct approach to the diagnosis, the doctor can determine, what are the tactics of the therapy he choose, that the result of the highly effective.
The treatment of osteochondrosis
Treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease, but also other forms of the disease and its complications, with the application of conservative methods, whose goal is the elimination of pain, restoration of functions of spinal roots, as well as for the prevention of degenerative phenomena in the structures of the spine.
If all methods of conservative treatment does not bring the desired effect, and for this there are special indications, the patient is sometimes assigned to the surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease. The scope of the Operation depends on how amazed the spine and intense the symptoms of the disease.
Of the severity of the disease, the duration of the therapy depends on. In General, the active Phase of treatment with conservative methods, usually takes about 1-3 months. After the Operation, the Patient recovered in about a year. After the start of conservative treatment in many patients with osteochondrosis, an increase in pain. This is reflected in the reaction of muscles and other formations on the treatment.
If the pain is too strong, it can relatively quickly with the help of physio-therapeutic methods, medication, and application of a series of specially developed exercises for patients with osteochondrosis. It is important to take into account that an important factor of influence on the effectiveness of the treatment, the correctness of the behavior of the patient, his reasonable attitude toward the need for stick-developed method of treatment. For this, it is important perseverance, patience and the willingness to defeat the disease. It is proved that the most effective is the implementation of a conservative treatment and Rehabilitation after surgery in sanatorium conditions, but also in medical centers specializing in the treatment of this disease. In the presence of the necessary equipment and qualified doctors and the complex treatment is the most efficient and most productive is.
In the complex therapy in the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease necessarily includes physiotherapy, Massage, physiotherapy, manual therapy, foot reflex zone massage, use of drugs.
One of the main methods of influence on the condition of the musculoskeletal system of the people's physiotherapy. The Patient regularly carries out a certain number of exercises in which gradual decompression of the nerve is roots, the correction of the muscular corset, increasing the flexibility of ligamentous-muscular apparatus. Special exercises with cervical osteochondrosis also enable the effective prevention of the further development of the disease. The most important prerequisite for this is the regularity of the implementation of all exercises.
In the case of the use of physiotherapy is the treatment of osteochondrosis with the help of physical factors – magnetic fields, current of low frequency, ultrasound , etc. This technique reduces the duration of Rehabilitation after surgery, as well as to strengthen the effect of the different drugs.
With the help of Massage relieves tension of the muscles, the blood circulation, improve the strengthening effect in, as a rule, produce.
For the relief of severe pain is manual therapy. This technique allows to correct the posture. Pain relieve with the help of the extension of the spine procedure on a special Hardware. In the case of acupuncture, the effects of the reflex zones of the human body and can significantly impact any of the other methods improve.
During exacerbation of the disease, the treatment with the help of medication is considered, which removes the inflammation, pain, docked, activates the metabolic processes. Medication be administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
The tangible results of treatment occur in the use of multiple methods in a complex. However, in the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease and other forms of the disease assign and should only doctor the treating.