Osteochondrosis

If your lower back, back or neck hurts, it’s difficult to straighten up, your spine crunches – many people automatically diagnose themselves: “of course – osteochondrosis!”The reasons for this “sickness” seem to be extremely clear: we live in the twenty-first century, we move little, we don’t eat right...

However, in reality everything is a little more complicated.

What is it - spinal osteochondrosis?How appropriate is such a diagnosis?And what happens in the spinal column?

In scientific terms, osteochondrosis is a degenerative (that is, leading to premature “aging”, “wear and tear”) disease of the spine (by the way, it can also affect other joints).The pathological process begins with the intervertebral discs and gradually spreads to the vertebrae.

Osteochondrosis of the spine - does such a diagnosis exist?

In English-speaking medicine, this term denotes a completely different group of diseases that have nothing to do with our “native” osteochondrosis.In the International Classification of Diseases, a book that all neurologists should refer to when indicating a diagnosis, there are terms such as “osteochondrosis of the spine in adults,” “juvenile osteochondrosis of the spine,” and “osteochondrosis of the spine, unspecified.”

However, sometimes this diagnosis is not made entirely justifiably, when the doctor actually cannot fully understand what is happening to the patient.This term may cover diseases such as:

• Myofascial pain syndrome– a condition in which spasm constantly occurs in the same muscles.
• Muscle injuries.After an injury, pain begins to bother you, and after a while it goes away on its own.
• Otolithiasis– a condition in which calcium salt crystals accumulate in the inner ear.They lead to dizziness - sometimes they are mistaken for a manifestation of spinal diseases.
• Headaches.They are also often associated with degenerative changes in the cervical spine.In fact, more often they have other reasons.

Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis

The standard set of treatment measures for exacerbation of the disease looks like this:

• Anti-inflammatory and painkillers..
• If the pain is very severe and does not go away- novocaine blockades are used.The doctor, armed with a needle and syringe, injects the anesthetic into special places where it blocks the transmission of pain nerve impulses.
• Physiotherapy helps:medicinal electrophoresis with anesthesia, ultrasound, ultraviolet irradiation, diadynamic currents.
• If pain forces you to constantly be in nervous tension,Prescribe medications to help calm you down.
• To the area of paindry heat is applied.
• In order to unload the spine,Different types of traction are used.The patient can be placed on a special bed with a raised headboard and secured with rings by the armpits.Underwater traction in the pool is also used.
• Your doctor may recommendyou should visit a chiropractor, acupuncture sessions.
• During an exacerbationwear special orthopedic devices that help relieve muscles and support the spine - corsets, Shants collar.

When the exacerbation passes, you need to take measures to help prevent a new one.Therapeutic exercises and massage help strengthen the muscles that support the spine.Physiotherapy courses are prescribed.Swimming is good for you.All treatment methods for osteochondrosis have contraindications, they must be used wisely, so self-medication is not the best choice.Visit your doctor.

Sometimes the symptoms of the disease, despite treatment, continue to increase, and the patient’s condition worsens.In this case, the neurologist may raise the question of surgical treatment.

Why should you visit a doctor soon?Firstly, “real” osteochondrosis is not such a harmless disease.Over time, it can make a person disabled if left untreated.Secondly, the symptoms can be caused by the same myofascial pain syndrome - a neurologist will be able to quickly detect the cause of the pain and eliminate it. 

Back pain is a symptom that, according to statistics, more than 90% of people experience at least once in their lives.Most often it is attributed to osteochondrosis.Not all people experiencing pain in the spine go to doctors.Many people treat themselves with medications that can be obtained without a prescription at the pharmacy, or with folk remedies.Sometimes such “treatment” brings temporary relief - but in the meantime the disease can continue to progress and, perhaps, next time the back or lower back will “twist” much more strongly.

An experienced neurologist will be able to correctly assess the symptoms of osteochondrosis, understand their causes and prescribe the correct treatment for osteochondrosis.

Pain, the main manifestation of osteochondrosis, can be more or less successfully combated for a long time with the help of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, and some folk remedies.But this does not solve the main problem; pathological changes in the spine continue to increase.

Over time, this is fraught with compression of the spinal cord and the arteries that supply it, and the development of serious neurological complications: severe weakening, even complete loss, of movements and sensitivity, loss of control over the bladder and rectum.

What symptoms usually manifests itself as spinal osteochondrosis?

A typical manifestation of the disease is pain.As a rule, they are aching, constantly bothering, accompanied by a feeling of numbness, aching in the arms and legs.Typically, pain intensifies during sudden movements, heavy lifting, physical work, sneezing, coughing, and prolonged stay in a monotonous uncomfortable position.

The muscles surrounding the spine respond to pain.Tension arises in them.Because of this, the patient may be in an antalgic position - one in which the pain does not bother him so much.Gradually this leads to curvature of the spine.

Over time, if the disease is not treated, the pain intensifies and becomes excruciating.Other signs of osteochondrosis occur:

• Sensitivity is impaired, a feeling of numbness, tingling, and “crawling” occurs in the arms and legs.
• The muscles of the limbs weaken and decrease in size over time - their atrophy develops.
• With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, patients complain of headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, “spots” and bright spots before the eyes.
• With thoracic osteochondrosis, pain in the heart is bothersome.The person may experience a sensation “as if a stake had been driven into the chest.”
• If compression of the nerve roots of the spine occurs (for example, during the formation of a herniated disc, bone outgrowths on the vertebrae), severe shooting pains occur.

Correct treatment of symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis

The key to effective treatment is correct and timely diagnosis.During a neurological examination at the clinic, a specialist doctor will assess your symptoms and the degree of impairment of certain nervous functions.

Here you can undergo an examination using new, modern equipment - this will help you understand in detail what is happening to your spinal column, nerve roots, surrounding tissues, and muscles.

Treatment should be directed not just against the symptoms of osteochondrosis.You need to try to eliminate the cause, and if this is not possible, understand how you can most effectively keep the disease under control and prevent it from progressing.The neurologist will draw up the correct treatment program and adjust it taking into account changes in your condition.

In order to defeat the enemy, you need to know him by sight.This is the case with any disease: a careful examination by a doctor, modern instrumental studies and laboratory tests help to establish an accurate diagnosis, understand what is happening in the patient’s body and prescribe effective treatment for osteochondrosis.

The main manifestation of osteochondrosis is back pain, a symptom that can occur with many other diseases.In order to establish the exact cause and cope with it, you need the help of a specialist. 

Neurological examination in the diagnosis of osteochondrosis: how is the appointment in the neurologist’s office?

During your appointment, your doctor will ask you some questions:

• What complaints bother you?
• Where does pain usually occur?
• How long does the pain last?How strong is she?
• What is the nature of the pain: are they stabbing, shooting, aching, pulling?
• When do your symptoms usually occur?What provokes them?
• When and after what do you feel better?

Then the doctor will conduct a neurological examination, checking the sensitivity of your skin, muscle strength and tone, reflexes, sense of balance, and coordination of movements.The neurologist can press on specific points near your spine to determine pain.After this, to clarify the diagnosis, you will be prescribed an examination program.

Our neurologists work according to the same standards: they will examine you carefully, won’t miss anything, and will prescribe all the necessary tests.

What diagnostic methods are used for osteochondrosis?

Most often, the following diagnostic methods are prescribed for osteochondrosis:

• Radiography.It is carried out in at least two projections: frontal and profile.If necessary, photographs are taken in other positions.
• X-ray contrast studies.In order to better examine pathological changes in the spinal column, you may be injected with a contrast agent solution into the spinal canal (myelography), intervertebral disc (discography), and blood vessels (angiography).These studies are carried out only for special indications.
• Computed tomography.It helps to examine bone structures in more detail, compared to radiography, to detect a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc, and bone growths on the vertebrae.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.Helps to detect changes in soft tissues with high accuracy.

Your doctor may also prescribe other diagnostic methods for osteochondrosis.The specialist will make sure that you get an appointment with the right doctor and undergo all the necessary tests, so that you do not have to overpay for unnecessary procedures.

Prevention of osteochondrosis

To keep your back healthy, follow these recommendations:

• Your nutrition should be complete.
• You need regular physical activity.If you have chronic diseases, consult your doctor and ask them to recommend a suitable gymnastics complex.
• Maintain a normal weight - this will help prevent not only osteochondrosis, but also many other “sores”.
• If you have a sedentary job, take breaks more often to walk and stretch.
• Lift weights correctly.Don't bend at the waist.Keep your back straight - your legs should do the work.

Osteochondrosis belongs to a group of diseases that are scientifically called “degenerative pathologies.”In other words, these are diseases in which the vertebrae, intervertebral discs and joints themselves prematurely “wear out”, “age” (this is not an entirely accurate explanation, but in general it helps to roughly imagine what is happening to the spinal column).But what causes this premature wear and tear?

Why does osteochondrosis occur?

Spinal osteochondrosis is a disease that does not have one specific cause.Various factors lead to its occurrence:

• Injuries.Osteochondrosis can become a loud echo of a previously suffered fracture or ligament damage.
• Microtraumas.They can be caused by frequent similar movements in the spinal column, prolonged stay in a monotonous uncomfortable position.
• Congenital anomalies of the spine.They are different: non-fusion of the vertebral arches, changes in the number of vertebrae in the lumbar and sacral region, incorrect location of the articular processes in the lumbar region.A person may not suspect his entire life that he has one of these conditions, and then, when his back “sicks,” the anomaly is revealed during an examination.
• Autoimmune conditionsin which immune cells appear in the intervertebral discs, attacking the body’s own tissues.
• Circulatory disorders.The tissues of the spine stop receiving the required amount of oxygen-rich blood.

Who most often experiences osteochondrosis?

Certain conditions contribute to spinal problems:

• Sedentary lifestyle, low physical activity.Office workers are at increased risk.
• Overweight.Every extra kilogram adds stress to the spinal column.
• Excessive physical activity.Overload during training in athletes.
• Poor nutrition.In order for the vertebrae, ligaments and muscles to be strong and withstand loads, they must receive the necessary substances - “building material”.
• Previous injuries to the neck, back, lower back.
• Untreated postural disorders, scoliosis.
• Constant stay, work in an uncomfortable forced position, when you often have to stand or sit bent over for a long time.
• If you have close relatives who have osteochondrosis, your risks are also increased.

What happens to the spine during osteochondrosis?

The development of osteochondrosis is primarily based on the “wear and tear” of the intervertebral disc.Its structure changes at the molecular level.At first, the intervertebral disc swells, then “dries out,” its height decreases, it begins to protrude beyond the vertebral body, and cracks and tears appear in its outer part.Through them, vessels grow inside, the disc becomes denser, and calcification begins in it.The vertebra becomes loose.

Next, the degenerative process spreads to the vertebrae themselves and intervertebral joints.The muscles surrounding the affected part of the spine are constantly under tension, and compactions appear in them.

In order to compensate for the increased load on the vertebrae, bone outgrowths (osteophytes) appear on them, increasing their surface.

Depending on where the pathological changes occur, cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis are distinguished.Two or all three sections may be affected at once.