Such a disease as osteochondrosis of the back does not exist in modern medicine.First of all, it is worth clarifying that the term osteochondrosis itself is outdated and does not exist in the current edition of ICD-10.It was replaced by a degenerative dystrophic disease of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs.However, we will tell you about osteochondrosis of the back, its symptoms and treatment, since this is what many patients call their condition.And they will understand what this article is about.
So, osteochondrosis is the degeneration of intervertebral discs of dystrophic origin.Everything else is indirectly related to this disease.But in order to understand this process, it is worth taking a short excursion into the field of anatomy and physiology.The main element of the human musculoskeletal system is the spine.With its help, a stable position of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and chest is ensured.Inside the spine is the spinal cord, a structure that provides vitality to the entire body.The spine provides flexibility to the body, enables independent walking and any movement with the hands.It is the connecting link between the head and the limbs.
The spinal column consists of individual vertebral bodies.They are connected to each other with the help of joints and ligaments.There are long longitudinal bands that start in the tailbone area and end in the occipital area.There are short transverse ligaments that connect adjacent vertebral bodies.The intervertebral discs consist of a dense outer shell (annulus fibrosus) that can withstand even the most extreme loads.But the fibrous ring has a significant drawback - it completely lacks its own blood capillary network.It only receives fluid when the surrounding muscles are actively contracting and relaxing.In addition, part of the nutrition is provided by diffuse exchange between the intervertebral disc and the end plate separating it from the vertebra.
If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle and the back muscles do not work actively and regularly, the fibrous ring dries out and cracks.In the initial stage, it absorbs fluid from the tissues of the nucleus pulposus in it.This gelatin body ensures the disc's normal height and shock-absorbing ability to evenly distribute the applied loads.
In the long course of this pathological process, the height of the intervertebral disc decreases.It loses its ability to protect the radicular nerves from the spinal cord against pressure from adjacent vertebral bodies.They are damaged and radiculitis occurs (inflammation of the radicular nerves).This is a dangerous condition.Therefore, the body takes measures to compensate for the lost capacity of the intervertebral discs.This causes excessive tension in the back muscles.As a result, the diffuse nutrition of the remaining cartilaginous tissue is further impaired.Therefore, osteochondrosis of the back is considered a rapidly developing and spreading disease.Without treatment, it quickly affects all the intervertebral discs and the person becomes disabled.
If you are concerned about back pain associated with degeneration of the cartilage tissue of the spine, we recommend that you do not wait until everything goes away on its own.Get medical help immediately.Treatment of osteochondrosis without surgery is possible at any stage, except for the isolation of the hernia.If a part of the nucleus pulposus has separated from the intervertebral disc, only surgical intervention can help this situation.
You can request an appointment with a vertebrologist or neurologist.They can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective and safe treatment.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the back
The most common causes of back osteochondrosis are physical inactivity, excess weight, sedentary work and refusal of regular physical activity.These factors provoke the destruction of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs at a young age.At a later stage of life (after 50 years), osteochondrosis develops for slightly different reasons:
- hormonal changes that lead to leaching of calcium and phosphorus from bone tissue;
- gerontological degenerative changes in the body;
- disruption of capillary blood flow against the background of atherosclerotic deformations of blood vessels;
- metabolic disorders such as diabetes or changes in thyroid function;
- age-related decline in muscle mass;
- changes in the posture and curvature of the spine;
- chronic diseases of internal organs that reduce a person's physical activity.
In addition, possible causes of the development of back osteochondrosis can be traumatic injuries of the vertebral bodies, their spinal processes, ligaments and tendons.The inappropriate arrangement of sleeping and working spaces is of no small importance.If a person does not pay attention to the position of his body during night sleep, the risk of destruction of the spine and the development of osteochondrosis increases sharply.
You should also stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.These two bad habits cause disruption of blood microcirculation in the area of the intervertebral discs, which triggers their degenerative dystrophic destruction.
Osteochondrosis of the back can be caused by eating and drinking habits.An adult should drink at least 2 liters of clean water per day to maintain water and electrolyte balance.In addition, the diet should contain all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the regeneration of the hyaline cartilage that forms the tissues of the fibrous rings.If the diet is dominated by fatty and refined foods, the body will quickly begin to experience a lack of certain nutrients.This does not allow the restoration of the integrity of all tissues, including vertebrates.
Therefore, in the complex treatment of back osteochondrosis, an experienced doctor necessarily corrects the patient's diet.It gives him the necessary recommendations for the proper organization of the sleeping and working area.
With osteochondrosis, the back muscles experience severe overload.They are responsible for the support of the spinal column and the safety of the radicular nerves.As a result of prolonged static tension, the cycle of blood circulation in the capillaries changes.The myocytes begin to experience oxygen starvation and the ischemic reaction is quickly initiated.At first it causes severe pain in the back muscles.The myocytes then begin to die.A short-term inflammation may occur against the background of necrosis of the muscle tissue.Then the degeneration of the muscle fibers begins.This has many negative consequences.Patients may develop myofascial pain syndrome.It persists for many years even after successful treatment of osteochondrosis.
Therefore, this process cannot be started.As soon as the first signs of osteochondrosis appear, consult a doctor immediately.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the back
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic back is the least common, since the mobility of the vertebral bodies is not wide.The height of the intervertebral spaces is also ensured by the fixation of the rib cages.Therefore, we will not consider the symptoms of this type of disease separately.
Most often, osteochondrosis develops in the lumbar region, since it bears the main shock-absorbing and physical load associated with any movement of the human body.Symptoms of the pathology include a characteristic shooting pain in the lumbar region.It can spread to the inner, outer or back surface of the thigh and lower leg, up to the heel or toes.Neurological clinical symptoms such as numbness, paresthesia, decreased muscle strength, pallor, and coldness of the skin of the lower extremities begin to appear gradually.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical and cervical thoracic spine is not less often diagnosed.This disease most often develops in people who do mental work.In the case of prolonged static tension of the neck muscles, blood microcirculation is interrupted and cartilage tissue is destroyed.
The clinical symptoms associated with such localization of degenerative dystrophic changes in the cartilaginous tissues of the disc can be more diverse.The pain can radiate under the shoulder blade, in the area of the heart and in the upper limbs.Muscle weakness occurs quickly in the arms.There are signs of impaired blood circulation in the posterior vertebral arteries.These include dizziness, reduced mental performance, frequent changes in blood pressure, drowsiness, apathy, etc.
If symptoms of osteochondrosis of the back appear, clinical examinations should be performed.First of all, an X-ray of the affected part of the spine is prescribed.Based on these, the doctor can only make a preliminary diagnosis.A more detailed examination of the condition of the tissues of the spinal column is possible during an MRI examination.Doppler ultrasound, soft tissue ultrasound, biochemical and general blood tests, rheumatic tests, etc. may also be necessary.
What to do and how to relieve the pain?
In the case of osteochondrosis of the back, the first thing is to stop physical activity and provide relative rest to the spine and muscles.In the first days after the attack, it is better to observe strict bed rest.Treatment can only be prescribed by a neurologist or vertebrologist.It is not recommended to take medicines on their own.Not only can they have a negative impact on your health, but they can also make it difficult to establish an accurate diagnosis in the future.
The only thing you can do to relieve back pain caused by osteochondrosis and not harm your health is traction on the spine.It is important to restore the normal height of the intervertebral spaces.This removes the pressure from the radicular nerves and all pain disappears without the use of additional pharmacological drugs.Traction can be done using hardware, manual or physical exercises.Only the doctor can decide during an examination which method is suitable for your individual case.
How to treat and cure osteochondrosis of the back?
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the back can only be carried out by conservative methods, even in the stage of intervertebral hernia prolapse.Doctors know how to cure osteochondrosis of the back without surgery.Osteopathy and massage, physiotherapy and kinesiotherapy, laser therapy, reflexology and many others are used for this purpose.
Before treating osteochondrosis of the back, the doctor gives the patient comprehensive individual recommendations, the implementation of which will eliminate possible causes and risk factors.An individual therapy course is then developed.During the treatment, the damaged cartilage tissue is completely restored.If all recommendations are followed, relapse of osteochondrosis will not occur.