Recently, more and more people have started to suffer from osteochondrosis. With this disease there is a disruption of the normal functioning of the intervertebral discs.
Recently, more and more young people over the age of eighteen have started to suffer from spinal pain. First of all, the ligaments and bones of the spine begin to suffer. In case of osteochondrosis, treatment should be started immediately. It is recommended to first find out what chondrosis is.
Causes and stages of osteochondrosis
The main cause of osteochondrosis is not observed, while there are many provoking factors. Experts say that this may be because the deposition of calcium begins, which is not absorbed by bone tissue. This happens when there is a violation of blood circulation, the curvature of the spine.
There are the following causes of osteochondrosis:
- physical overvoltage;
- overweight;
- heavy loads in the spine;
- heredity;
- frequent hypothermia;
- stressful situations;
- irregular shape of the foot;
- unbalanced diet;
- an inactive lifestyle.
The disease is more common in women than in men. Often times, osteochondrosis of the back occurs if a person sits poorly or sleeps on a very high pillow. It is difficult to determine the pathology, since the disease can occur in people at any age. The causes of osteochondrosis are different and it is not so easy to detect them.
There are degrees of osteochondrosis, and it should be noted that at first it will be difficult to find pathology. The patient does not complain of having sharp symptoms, he may feel a slight weakness, discomfort in the spine. Indeed, in fact, such signs of chondrosis can talk about various diseases.
This pathology may not be felt and proceed secretly. Indeed, in the first degree, osteochondrosis is often found completely by accident during various examinations. With second-degree osteochondrosis, you may notice that the back is already starting to hurt, which means that changes are occurring in the cartilage tissue.
If the patient does not see a doctor and effective treatment is not provided, the intervertebral slits will start to become smaller and the nerve or vessels will be pinched. Most often, the pain is suppressed to this degree with certain medications. The disease can cause discomfort and pain, so the patient should go to a doctor.
With osteochondrosis in the third stage, the development of lordosis, scoliosis begins, and a lump is formed. Complex therapy can only slightly improve the spine and eliminate some defects. It is imperative to know the causes of osteochondrosis. At the fourth degree, changes are already underway and cannot be corrected in any way. The patient can hardly walk, because even if you turn around slightly, unbearable pain occurs. It will have seals in the cartilage tissue and the vertebrae will be displaced.
At this degree of disease, patients are likely to suffer from a disability. A person should know how chondrosis differs from osteochondrosis. For this, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of pathologies. Chondrosis is the initial stage of osteochondrosis. It develops in different parts of the spine. At the same time, with significant violations, osteochondrosis is already diagnosed.
Symptoms
Symptoms of chondrosis are extremely unpleasant, and first of all there is discomfort in the back. It will all depend on the degree of illness of the patient.
First, the patient is sent for diagnosis in order to identify the causes of osteochondrosis. The patient may constantly experience fatigue in the back, pain in the neck and chest. The symptoms will depend on the progress of the osteochondrosis of the spine.
The symptoms are as follows:
- severe pain syndrome;
- muscle spasms;
- limbs may become numb;
- severe headache;
- can shoot in the spine;
- frequent fainting and dizziness;
- points in front of the eyes;
- arterial hypertension;
- unbearable neck pain.
If even minor pain sensations occur, this may indicate not only osteochondrosis of the back, but also other diseases.
Already when a person is over forty, his intervertebral discs do not accumulate fluid. Therefore, they do not become as flexible as before. They tend to be more likely to flatten out, or the intervertebral discs can extend beyond the spine.
Painful sensations occur due to sneezing or coughing. If the symptoms of osteochondrosis do not go away even after a few weeks, you need to go to a medical institution. Then the doctor will first of all refer to the diagnosis. Then he can prescribe the correct and effective treatment for osteochondrosis.
Types of osteochondrosis
You should know that there are different types of osteochondrosis. It all depends on where exactly the pathology occurs. There are three types of illnesses, and you need to know which one can bother a person in a particular situation.
There are the following types:
Cervical.Such a disease can occur due to the fact that there was a heavy load in the neck area. The thyroid gland is located nearby, and with osteochondrosis, it cannot do its job normally. There is often pressure on the vessels that supply oxygen to the tissues. Due to this, there may be a lack of air and cell death begins.
You should know that the brain depends almost entirely on the vessels. If the blood flow is disturbed, it can affect the respiratory and heart organs. With osteochondrosis there are constant headaches, impaired hearing and vision, frequent loss of consciousness. Difficulty moving the head, numbness and pain in the arms may occur. If such symptoms appear, it is necessary to urgently begin treatment for osteochondrosis.
Chest.It is difficult for specialists to conduct an examination for this disease. Most often, the doctor can hardly understand whether it is just painful attacks or heart attacks. With osteochondrosis of this type, there can be complications in the liver, kidneys, stomach and pancreas.
Most often, the pain occurs in the form of gunshots in the back and chest. There are sharp and strong pain sensations with osteochondrosis, and failure occurs in the respiratory system. There may also be constant discomfort in the spine, which leads to the fact that it is difficult to walk.
Lumbar.Most often, it is this department that suffers, with osteochondrosis, strong sensations of pain appear in the back, and can also go to the hips and buttocks. The pain goes away when the person lies down to rest. Discomfort can occur with sudden movements.
This pathology leads to poor blood circulation in the lower back, stiffness occurs. The muscles start to weaken and the posture flexes, making it difficult to move normally. The attending physician will explain in detail how to treat osteochondrosis.
If the symptoms appear often and the pain becomes stronger each time, you should contact a medical institution. The specialist will be able to identify types of osteochondrosis and prescribe a comprehensive examination and treatment.
Diagnostic
The doctor can make an accurate diagnosis of osteochondrosis after the patient has had a comprehensive exam. First of all, the patient should be examined by a neurologist. The diagnosis is made when a person is lying down or sitting down. The specialist watches how he feels in motion, as well as when lying down. A thorough examination of the posture may also be done, with the doctor probing the spine.
Determine the nature and intensity of the pain, exactly where it bothers the patient. It also checks for muscle tension in the ridge region. After all, if a muscle spasm occurs, it may indicate not only that there are signs of osteochondrosis, but also completely other diseases.
The following diagnoses are prescribed to detect the disease:
X-ray.With this procedure, you can see the height of the intervertebral discs. Disorders of the vertebrae and presence of bone growths. The diagnosis is made in two ways, when the patient is on the back and on the side. The image in two positions helps to find changes in the work of the spine.
Magnetic resonance imaging.With the help of this study, you can see the vessels and nerve endings. An MRI detects osteochondrosis of the spine, as well as the exact location of a hernia or pinched nerve.
CT.This exam allows you to see a high quality image of the spine. The procedure is completely painless and does not bring discomfort to the patient.
If the diagnosis is made correctly, it will help to start treatment for osteochondrosis as soon as possible. At the first symptoms, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. After all, if you ignore the disease, it can lead to serious consequences.
Treatment
In order to cure osteochondrosis, you should definitely consult a doctor. He will find the cause of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment. In severe cases, it is necessary to conduct surgery, because without it it is impossible to cure the disease in its advanced form.
Treatment of osteochondrosis includes the following: the use of drugs, manual treatment, remedial gymnastics, proper nutrition, massage.
It all depends on the stage at which spinal osteochondrosis is located. The therapy can last up to three months, and it also takes an additional year to consolidate the result of the treatment. Medical therapy or surgery is in progress. Most often, people who have discovered symptoms of osteochondrosis do not know which doctor is best to turn to.
A good option would be to consult a therapist first, as you can not hesitate with such a disease. He knows exactly how to treat osteochondrosis of the spine and can refer to other doctors as well. The specialist will perform an external examination and refer you to a neurologist. The doctor will prescribe the patient to undergo a full study, only then will an effective treatment of chondrosis be prescribed.
Medical treatment
The drugs help relieve inflammation and restore the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. They also stop osteochondrosis of the spine and reduce pain. With osteochondrosis, not only drug therapy is used, but also you need to diet and do special exercises.
Medicines that help prevent disease and relieve pain:
- anti-inflammatory drugs: ibuprofen;
- antispasmodics: tizanidine;
- tablets that help improve blood circulation pentoxifylline, vitamin B;
- preparations for the regeneration of cartilage tissue;
- ointments to eliminate symptoms: diclofenac;
Before using these drugs, you should consult your doctor. You never need to self-medicate, it can lead to serious consequences. Before the doctor prescribes treatment for osteochondrosis of the spine, you must have a complete examination.
Manual treatment and massage
How to get rid of osteochondrosis using manual treatment? With its help, you can only remove severe pain and improve posture. Visceral therapy is often used. It helps the joints work well and helps normalize blood flow. Immunity will also be strengthened, which will prevent exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Many people think that when doing osteochondrosis, doctors recommend including massage in the treatment. It helps relieve muscle spasms well and strengthens them quickly, and the patient will feel much better. The massage procedure is performed for pain in the spine, as well as if there is atrophy of the back muscles. Massage is done to relieve pain.
A session of osteochondrosis has several types: classic, segmental reflex, punctual.
How to treat osteochondrosis with massage procedures. Regular massage is done alone, it will help tone muscles and relieve pain.
First you need to stroke the spine with light movements. Then you need to start stretching the muscles of the neck, lower back and chest. You can pinch these places and apply light pressure where it hurts the most. It is also best to make circular movements with your palms.
Preventive measures and diet
Can osteochondrosis be cured with proper nutrition? The diet helps to remove the load on the spine and it is important that there is an effective treatment for chondrosis. You need to choose a balanced diet and reduce your salt intake. There must be all the nutrients in the body in order to speed up recovery. The diet helps normalize metabolism, prevent salt deposits in the spine. If there is a decrease in excess weight, it will help speed up the treatment of osteochondrosis of the back.
Foods to eat: fermented dairy products and milk, fruits, lean meat, rye bread, nuts, vegetables and herbs, buckwheat porridge, eggs, fish.
You must try to completely eliminate foods containing sugar. It is forbidden to consume alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. You need to eat about five times a day. It is better to steam or cook the food. Refuse flour, spicy, fatty and saline. For the whole day you need to drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water. It is advisable not to consume strong tea and coffee. Now a person knows what osteochondrosis is and how to treat it.
If you adhere to the right prevention, you won't even need to know how to treat chondrosis. First of all, try not to lift any weight and do light physical activities.
Stop spending a lot of time in front of the computer and television. If a person is working and leading a sedentary lifestyle, then you need to exercise at least several times a day.
Osteochondrosis, the symptoms are obvious. The disease can cause discomfort and pain in the back. If the first signs of osteochondrosis appear, you need to see a doctor. Self-medication is not recommended, as this can lead to serious complications. The specialist will send you for examination, can find out the reasons and prescribe the correct and effective treatment.