Osteochondrosis is a gradual destruction of spinal structures due to degenerative changes. It is a chronic disease that occupies a leading place among the pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Experienced neurologists are involved in his treatment.
About the disease
Almost every third person who consults a neurologist with back pain is diagnosed with osteochondrosis. It affects about 90% of the elderly. The risk group includes the older generation, as well as people with occupational risks - loaders, drivers, office workers, sellers, hairdressers.
The average age of the first manifestations of the disease is 30-35 years. When exposed to adverse factors, painful symptoms appear even earlier.
In osteochondrosis of the spine, the bone structure, intervertebral cartilages and discs in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar region are damaged. As a result, muscle tension increases and amortization processes worsen. Intervertebral discs wear and shift, causing stiffness and pain. Without treatment, degenerative-dystrophic changes progress, the nerve roots are damaged, the functioning of the internal organs is disturbed. In the last stages of osteochondrosis, partial or complete loss of working capacity occurs due to limited mobility.
At the first signs of illness, you should immediately contact a specialized specialist - a neurologist. The doctor will prescribe a comprehensive examination and develop effective treatment tactics.
Types of osteochondrosis
Depending on the localization, osteochondrosis is of three types: cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral. In almost 50% of cases, the disease affects the spinal structures in the lumbar region. This is due to the fact that the lower back experiences maximum static loads.
The second most common is cervical osteochondrosis. Damage to the cervical vertebrae can be caused by injuries, repetitive physical labor, as well as sedentary work where you have to keep your head in one position for a long time.
Sedentary work and the constant position of the neck even cause hernia in the cervical region.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is less common. A sedentary lifestyle also contributes to its development. Its main symptom is chest pain, which can easily be confused with a heart attack.
The diagnosis "general osteochondrosis" is made when all departments are involved in the pathological process.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
The clinical picture depends on the affected part of the spine. The common symptom for all is pain. It can be sharp, like "lumbago, " or dull and painful. The pain increases with movement, physical activity and prolonged stay in one position. In the later stages, as well as during an exacerbation of the disease, it is permanent and interferes with sleep and leading a normal lifestyle.
In addition to pain, the patient feels tension and stiffness in the back muscles, heaviness and discomfort. When the nerve endings are pinched, pain radiates to adjacent areas of the body (along the length of the nerve), accompanied by tingling, numbness and a feeling of "needles under the skin".
Symptoms of osteochondrosis can be confused with other diseases, so you should not engage in self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In a professional clinic, patients will be given maximum attention and will be examined with highly precise new equipment that will allow an accurate diagnosis to be made.
Cervical region
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has the richest clinical picture. The disease can begin with a painful periodic pain in the neck, a feeling of stiffness or discomfort after being in one position in front of the computer, after sleeping. When the nerves and vessels of the spine are involved in the process, the pain spreads to the back of the head, collarbone, shoulder, and sometimes even to the chest. The pain becomes more intense when tilting or turning the head, taking a deep breath, and also at night during sleep. The sensitivity of the shoulder blades, shoulders and hands is impaired, numbness and cold appear.
In the later stages, when the intervertebral discs significantly thin, lose their fixation and become too mobile, the following symptoms may appear:
- stiffness when turning the neck;
- sharp sharp pain in the spine;
- headache, accompanied by compression and pulsation in the head, noise and ringing in the ears, auditory and visual disturbances;
- nausea;
- lack of coordination;
- vertigo attacks.
Vegeto-vascular symptoms are a consequence of the vertebral artery syndrome, which develops due to spasm or compression of the artery involved in the blood supply to the brain.
Sharp pain, loss of sensitivity of the skin in the neck area, stiffness of the vertebrae occurs with rupture of the fibrous ring, formation of intervertebral hernias and osteophytes.
Thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the chest "imitates" pain in the heart, as well as intercostal neuralgia. The pain is often worse at night. It can be moderate and increase gradually or appear suddenly and abruptly.
With osteochondrosis of the chest, doctors first exclude the cardiac nature of the pain. For this purpose, a differential diagnosis is carried out.
Painful sensations are localized in the area between the shoulder blades or ribs and are intensified when raising the arms, bending down, taking a deep breath or exhaling. They radiate in the area of the heart, kidneys and stomach. In the chest area, patients note a feeling of stiffness or pressure, tingling, "tingling" in the chest, numbness in the neck, arms and abdomen.
Lumbosacral region
With lumbosacral osteochondrosis, the pain is localized in the lower back, radiates to the pelvis, groin and down the leg. It is accompanied by muscle tension, numbness and tingling. Muscle cramps and disruption of the pelvic organs are possible.
The specified lumbosacral pain syndrome can be caused by pathologies of the genitourinary system and the gastrointestinal tract. Clinicians should take this fact into account when making the diagnosis.
Reasons
Damage to the intervertebral cartilage most often occurs due to excessive loads, including static loads, as well as injuries to the spine caused by a fall, impact, sudden movement or jump from a height.
Increased stress, as a result of which degenerative changes occur, includes lifting weights, uneven distribution of the load on the back muscles and prolonged stay in one position, especially uncomfortable. The most sensitive to overload are the intervertebral cartilage discs, which perform the function of cushioning and provide movement in the spine.
The development of osteochondrosis is promoted by:
- overweight;
- age-related changes;
- heredity;
- flat feet;
- inflammatory or autoimmune cartilage damage;
- birth defects;
- vertebral instability;
- poor posture;
- poor nutrition;
- hypothermia;
- a sedentary lifestyle, which provokes weakness of the muscle corset, deterioration of nutrition and blood supply to the intervertebral joints;
- metabolic disorders;
- deficiency of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D;
- hormonal, endocrine disorders.
Under the influence of provoking factors, metabolic processes, hydration and blood circulation in the intervertebral discs deteriorate. As a result, cracks appear in the fibrous ring. The height of the discs decreases, the mobility of the spine is disturbed, reflex tension and spasm occur. Protrusions and hernias are formed. The disc bulges, irritates the spinal roots, causing pain and other discomfort.
Advantages of treatment in a modern clinic
A modern clinic that treats osteochondrosis has a number of advantages:
- Experienced specialists in the field of neurology who regularly upgrade their qualifications.
- New diagnostic equipment that increases the accuracy of diagnosing osteochondrosis to 100%.
- The use of minimally invasive technologies in the surgical treatment of osteochondrosis.
- A 24-hour hospital where patients can stay after spine surgery.
- Individual rehabilitation programs that allow you to restore full motor activity.
- High level of service and affordable prices for treatment of osteochondrosis in Moscow.
- Application of proprietary methods with proven effectiveness. Focus on non-surgical treatment, taking into account the patient's age and the presence of co-morbidities.
- Qualified help with complications of osteochondrosis - protrusions, pinched nerves, disc herniations, osteophytes, limited mobility of the vertebrae.
In a modern clinic, all modern methods of treating osteochondrosis are available to the patient: drugs, physiotherapy procedures, manual therapy, osteopathy, reflexology, therapeutic blockades, surgical interventions.
Diagnosis
There are many causes of back pain. To find out what caused the pain, a consultation with a neurologist is necessary. At the initial appointment, the doctor examines the patient's complaints and medical history to identify risk factors, conducts a neurological examination and assesses range of motion. During examination and palpation of the spine, the doctor can detect distortion, muscle spasms, trigger points and other pathological changes.
In addition, the doctor prescribes instrumental diagnostic methods: radiography, CT or MRI of the spine. In case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, dopplerography of the vessels of the head and neck, MRI of the head, osteochondrosis of the chest - electrocardiography or ultrasound of the heart, lumbar spine - ultrasound of the kidneys and pelvic organs may be necessary. In addition, blood and urine tests may be prescribed.
To rule out diseases of the spinal cord, including cancer, myelography is performed. This is an x-ray method of examination using a contrast agent.
Based on the results obtained during the diagnosis, the neurologist prepares an individual treatment plan.
Treatment
The treatment of osteochondrosis depends on the affected part of the spine and the stage of the disease. In the initial stage, drug therapy, physiotherapy, lifestyle correction, weight and physical activity are sufficient. If the structure of the discs and the mobility of the joints are significantly impaired, there is a protrusion of the disc and other complications, then additional physical therapy procedures may be prescribed, including therapeutic massage, spinal traction and manual therapy. In advanced cases, when osteochondrosis does not respond to conservative therapy, surgery is performed.
Conservative
Conservative treatment methods stop the development of osteochondrosis, help get rid of chronic back pain and other unpleasant symptoms, improve the mobility of the spine. These include:
- Drug therapy. Prescribed drugs that reduce pain and inflammation, relax back muscles, strengthen cartilage and bone tissue.
- Physiotherapy procedures. They improve blood circulation and nutrition of the intervertebral discs, promote tissue recovery, relax the muscles of the neck, lower back and chest. In osteochondrosis, magnetotherapy, UHF, shock wave, vacuum therapy, laser therapy, acupuncture, massage and electrostimulation are effective. The course of massage includes 10-15 sessions, depending on the severity of the changes in the spinal structures.
- Manual therapy. The procedure is painless. It allows you to get rid of muscle tension, soreness, restore the mobility and anatomy of the vertebrae.
- Physical therapy. This is an important component of treatment. Complexes of exercises selected by a physiotherapist strengthen the corset of the back, correct the posture, improve blood circulation, eliminate pain, improve the mobility of the neck and other parts of the spine.
- Therapeutic blockade. It is used when severe pain occurs that cannot be relieved with analgesics. The high efficiency of the procedure is justified by the paravertebral administration of drugs - in the tissue near the intervertebral nerve roots.
- Traction of the spine. Effective in osteochondrosis with disc protrusion and intervertebral hernia, as well as in radicular syndrome.
The best results are obtained with complex treatment - a combination of several methods that mutually enhance their effect.
Surgically
The main goal of the operation is to remove the compression of the nerve roots, spinal cord, arteries, etc. During the operation, a herniated disc, part or all of it can be removed. The operation is performed with minimal risks, as minimally invasive technologies and modern visualization systems are used, allowing to see the surgical field in real time with high resolution.
Puncture laser discectomy
This is a new microsurgical method that is used to treat osteochondrosis, primarily of the cervical vertebrae. The affected intervertebral disc is vaporized with a laser. The light guide is fed through a needle with a diameter of up to 1. 2 mm, which is inserted into the affected disc. The laser effect lasts 40-60 minutes. The pain syndrome disappears immediately after the procedure.
Puncture laser discectomy is used only in the initial stages of osteochondrosis, in the absence of signs of vertebral instability.
Prevention
Osteochondrosis of any part of the spine can be prevented if preventive recommendations are constantly followed. Moderate loads, maintenance of correct posture and therapeutic exercises for the back are necessary. You cannot lift weights or sit or stand in one position for a long time.
If you have back problems, you should visit an orthopedist or neurologist regularly.
Rehabilitation
The duration of recovery of spinal function depends on the type and volume of the intervention. In the first days after the operation, bed rest is indicated, then light physical activity and the wearing of orthopedic devices for the back are required. Physiotherapy exercises chosen by a doctor allow you to gradually return to your normal lifestyle.