The lumbar spine is quite mobile and at the same time experiences heavy loads, regardless of a person’s lifestyle and the work he performs. Therefore, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is one of the most common cases of this disease. It affects both men and women, most often after 25-30 years, but recently the disease has become significantly younger. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, without treatment, steadily progresses and can ultimately even lead to disability.
Causes
Osteochondrosis is a degenerative disease, as a result of which the intervertebral discs begin to collapse, a change in the distance between the vertebrae and discs occurs, displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other, followed by irritation or compression of the spinal cord, nerve endings and blood vessels running along the spine.
The reasons that lead to the development of osteochondrosis, as a rule, are a consequence of excessive load on the spinal column: heavy lifting, excess weight, back injuries, sedentary lifestyle. The situation is significantly worsened by diseases leading to metabolic disorders, lack of sleep, stress and poor nutrition.
Symptoms
A common symptom of lumbar osteochondrosis is lower back pain. They can occur during physical activity, at rest, when changing posture, etc. Pain sensations can radiate, that is, spread further than the place where the nerve is pinched, for example, radiate to the leg.
As the deformation of the vertebrae worsens, it becomes painful to perform even very simple movements: bending, turning, etc. , which significantly worsens the quality of life. Symptoms of genitourinary disorders may also appear, including involuntary urination.
Complications
Without timely and adequate treatment, progressive deformations of the intervertebral discs can lead to serious complications: the spine loses flexibility, and due to pain it becomes impossible to perform simple actions such as bending and turning. With a long course of the disease, due to pinching of nerves by bone growths, complications extending to the genitourinary area and inflammation of the sciatic nerve are possible. Pain can occur even with coughing or minor physical activity.
Treatment
Medicines for osteochondrosis, as a rule, bring only temporary relief, relieving pain. Some of them warm up the muscles, locally increasing superficial blood circulation, but this is clearly not enough for the full restoration of cartilage tissue. Especially if there is pinching of nerves and blood vessels. Therefore, the symptoms of the disease usually recur quickly.
Due to the development of the disease, not only the spine itself suffers, but also muscles, blood vessels and even internal organs. The work of an osteopathic doctor is focused not on treating the external symptoms of the disease, but on identifying and eliminating the root cause of its occurrence.
Osteopathic treatment has no contraindications for the treatment of osteochondrosis and is comfortable and safe for patients of any age. In 90% of cases, it helps to avoid surgical treatment, and moreover, it is equally effective at any stage of the disease. Especially with problems with internal organs, which are the result of pinching of the spinal cord and its roots. In addition, osteopathic treatment is necessarily indicated for patients with hernias and protrusions of discs. It is completely safe and extremely effective. According to our observations, this is probably the most effective treatment method.
Lumbar pain, numbness spreading to the legs, a feeling that the legs are literally falling off, the inability to bend, turn and walk normally - these are the common symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
Lumbar osteochondrosis is a "disease of civilization" that is directly related to human upright posture. The disease causes stiffness of movement and back pain. These symptoms prevent you from leading an active lifestyle and can cause more serious diseases, including internal organs. With osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, any sudden movement or lifting of weight can cause severe pain in the lower back.
No two patients are alike. Everyone is unique. In our practice, we have encountered diagnoses where the list of diseases looked like a quote from a medical encyclopedia. For example, patient Anastasia, 69 years old: coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, stage II hypertension, chronic cholecystitis, left kidney cyst, endometrial hyperplastic process. And finally, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, polyosteoarthrosis, osteoporosis. How can we help such a patient? With so many serious neglected diseases? And what does lumbar osteochondrosis have to do with it?
The meaning of treatment, as the doctors of our centers see it, is to restore the speed and volume of blood flow through the systemic circulation by performing sequential exercises of the first, second and third floors of the body: that is, aimed at the legs, abs and back.
In the absence of normal blood circulation in the lumbar spine, as well as the spinal column, oxygen starvation occurs, which affects the normal functioning of the entire body, with a focus on the internal organs of the small pelvis. Hence a whole bunch of diseases from internal organs to the cardiovascular system.
As a rule, when examining patients with lumbar osteochondrosis, we identify excessive tension in the paravertebral muscles of the thoracic and spinal regions, a lack of elasticity in the muscles of the thigh and lower extremities in general - that is, muscle rigidity - they are hard.
Most patients are unable to reach the tips of their toes with their hands, and often even reach their knees. The muscles are so weakened that they cannot cope well with their own body weight, let alone perform simple household chores.
Every day, the lumbar spine, as the most loaded part, is subjected to a number of static and dynamic loads, so it is quite rightly considered one of the most vulnerable. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms and treatment of which are discussed in this article, is a real "scourge" of patients after 35 years of age.
Lumbar osteochondrosisis a pathology that is characterized by the development of dystrophic disorders in the intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine. The discs provide flexibility and mobility of the spine, however, as a result of the influence of a number of factors, their structure is disrupted, they lose their firmness, elasticity, turgor, which can lead to the appearance of protrusion, and subsequently - a vertebral hernia, as well as pinching of nerve endings and roots.
You can undergo a course of treatment for lumbar osteochondrosis in the clinic. Timely seeking professional medical help is an opportunity to stop destructive processes and restore health to your spine.
Causes
Lumbar osteochondrosis can appear due to a number of factors:
- spinal injuries;;
- static and dynamic overloads of the spine;
- improper distribution of the load on the spine;
- vertebral mobility;
- intense physical activity;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- age-related changes.
Clinical manifestations
Clinical manifestations of lumbar osteochondrosis at the initial stage are not clearly expressed in the form of limited mobility and stiffness. However, as the disease develops, pain symptoms appear, localized in the lumbar and back areas. The pain radiates to the sacrum, legs and (sometimes) to the pelvic organs. The pain intensifies during turns and bends and often becomes unbearable. In addition, the following symptoms are observed:
- limited movement;
- curvature, "skew", scoliosis in the lumbar spine;
- muscle spasms;
- lameness in one or both legs;
- a feeling of weakness, impaired sensitivity of the skin of the legs, decreased reflexes - with compression of the nerve endings.
Diagnostics
Before prescribing treatment for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, specialists conduct comprehensive diagnostic studies that allow them to correctly make a diagnosis, determine the degree of development of the pathology and its consequences for both the spine and the patient’s body as a whole. They include:
Osteochondrosis– one of the most common diseases of the 21st century.
A sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, poor diet, constant stress - all these factors eventually lead to wear and tear of the intervertebral cartilage.
Cartilage loses elasticity, becomes fragile, and the disease progresses, significantly worsening the quality of life.
Patients with osteochondrosis experience problems of varying complexity: from pain to disruption of the functioning of internal organs.
The reasons for the development of osteochondrosis are also:
- Age-related changes
- Spinal injuries
- Posture disorders
- Rachiocampsis
- Flat feet
- Hereditary predisposition
- Excessive exercise
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis are, in particular, aching pain in the back or lower back, aggravated by sudden movements and changes in body position, radiating to the buttocks and legs, anterior abdominal wall, groin area, accompanied by burning, tingling, numbness, and the appearance of "goosebumps. "
In addition, with lumbar osteochondrosis, there is a decrease in skin sensitivity in the thighs, buttocks and legs, and less often in the feet. There is increased chilliness in the legs, a feeling of weakness in the legs, as well as curvature of the lumbar spine.
You need to know that in most cases the cause of complaints of lower back pain is precisely osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.
Patients with osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine require timely and adequate treatment. Otherwise, the destruction of cartilage, ligaments and vertebrae will progress, which can lead to dysfunction of internal organs and disability.
Modern restorative medicine can greatly improve the condition of patients with lumbar osteochondrosis. Significant improvement can be achieved by using a set of methods, including physical therapy, acupuncture, taking medications, therapeutic massage and much more according to individual prescriptions.
Lumbar osteochondrosis- a very common form of osteochondrosis. It occurs in both men and women. Patients themselves often mistakenly "diagnose" it as a "pinched lumbar nerve, " since the pain that occurs with lumbar osteochondrosis is concentrated in the sacral region.
In general, pain is the main symptom of this disease. It comes in different intensities. Some people suffer from aching pains that occur after sitting or sleeping for a long time, others suffer from "shooting" and sharp pains. In this case, pain occurs when the patient takes an uncomfortable position. Due to severe pain, a person cannot straighten up.
Pain in the sacral areaoccur due to pinched nerve endings, muscle swelling and pinched nerve roots. Pain can also begin due to irritation of the lumbar ligaments.
Lower back painit intensifies with almost any movement of the body, primarily when bending forward. Even a simple sneeze or cough leads to increased pain.
However, lumbar osteochondrosis has other symptoms. First of all, these are disturbances in the sensitivity of the skin, muscles of the legs, and the lower half of the body. Some patients also experience weakening of tendon reflexes in the legs, and in particularly severe cases, their complete disappearance. Osteochondrosis is a factor in the development of scoliosis of the lumbar spine, primarily in children and the elderly.
Lumbar osteochondrosis also has the following clinical symptoms:
Symptom of lumbar osteochondrosisand at the same time, its most unpleasant complication is vertebral instability. The disc stops fixing the vertebra. As a result, when under load, the lumbar spine practically "slides" from the sacrum, which leads to severe, excruciating pain. Moreover, with this pathology, the functioning of internal organs is disrupted. First of all, this concerns the genitourinary system. Lumbar osteochondrosis affects the potency of a man, and provokes gynecological problems in a woman.
Unfortunately, modern medicine has not yet invented a remedy that could quickly and easily solve this problem. Treatment of osteochondrosis is very complex and long-term. It must be comprehensive; only in this case can good results be achieved.
Treatment measures for lumbar osteochondrosis include:
In particularly severe cases, surgical intervention may be performed.
INtreatment of osteochondrosisSanatorium-resort treatment is very effective.
In case of exacerbation of osteochondrosis, the patient is prescribed bed rest. Moreover, the patient must lie on a hard mattress.
In case of severe attacks, the patient needs to move as little as possible and seek help from a specialist. A neurologist is involved in the diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis.
If any of the above symptoms are detected, you should consult a neurologist
You can make an appointment by calling 8 (928) 337-60-60.
Osteochondrosis of the lower back
Of all diseases of the peripheral nervous system, osteochondrosis of the spinal column accounts for 80%, of which 60-80% affect the lumbar region, consisting of 5 vertebrae. In 40% of people, the first signs of the disease appear at the age of 30-35 years. In old age, spinal osteochondrosis is diagnosed in 90% of people. Painful sensations are experienced by 7 out of 10 people, exacerbation can last from 6 to 16 months.
Stages of development
1st – the onset of degenerative disorders, affecting nerve endings and disrupting blood supply. The inflammatory process causes pain that radiates to the legs. The patient experiences occasional tingling in the back and buttocks. Appears after heavy physical exertion.
2nd – the outer shell of the intervertebral disc (fibrous ring) is destroyed. The distance between the vertebrae is reduced, the nerve endings are compressed, which provokes severe, acute pain. Symptoms are especially pronounced while walking.
3rd – due to excessive mobility of the vertebrae, muscle fibers and nerve endings are compressed. Spasms, numbness, burning pain, hernias occur - displacement of the intervertebral disc into the spinal cord.
4th – the growth of pathological exostoses on the bone structure. The spine literally "turns to stone. "Progressive arthrosis and lack of treatment immobilize the patient.
Reasons for development
The disease develops slowly, under the confluence of a number of circumstances, that is, the development of the disease depends on the influence of not one, but several factors:
Sedentary lifestyle (physical inactivity), sedentary work, low level of physical activity. At first glance, they are not dangerous. However, with prolonged exposure, muscle tone, the so-called "muscle corset, " is weakened. It supports the spine and internal organs. Thus, physical inactivity provokes disruption of the functioning of a number of systems - blood circulation, breathing, digestion.
Overweight. With a BMI (Quetelet body mass index) above 25 kg/m2, excess weight creates additional stress on the body: it puts pressure on the spine, overloads the joints, and impairs blood supply.
Endocrine pathological processes. Hormonal imbalance, disturbances in the functioning of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland "slow down" the body’s metabolism. Frequent hormonal changes "wash out" calcium from bone tissue, making it weak and fragile.
Unbalanced diet. Popular and affordable fast food satisfies the body's energy needs in full, while from the point of view of saturating the body with the necessary vitamins and microelements, it is absolutely useless.
In men whose profession involves significant physical activity, lumbar osteochondrosis occurs many times more often.
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
Pain is the main marker of the onset of the disease and its localization. Based on the nature of occurrence, frequency and duration, a preliminary diagnosis can be made. Most often, patients with lumbar osteochondrosis experience aching pain radiating to the leg, groin area, and tailbone. In a horizontal position, the discomfort disappears.
Spinal nerves extend from the trunk of the spine to different parts of the body. Each nerve is responsible for a specific area. This is called "segmental innervation. "It is for this reason that the affected nerve "responses" in a specific area: this is how "radicular syndrome" manifests itself.
The spinal nerve map allows you to identify pain with a specific area of the spine: C1-C8 - 8 cervical, T1-T12 - 12 thoracic, L1-L5 - 5 lumbar, S1-S5 - 5 sacral, C0 - 2 coccygeal. Signs of osteochondrosis depending on segmental innervation:
L3-L4 – weak knee reflex, partial numbness, episodic loss of sensation are noted along the anterior surface of the thigh;
L4-L5 – muscle weakness, the patient is unable to fix the body while standing on the heels, pain and sensory disturbances spread to the area from the lower back to the buttock, as well as along the entire lateral surface of the thigh (from top to bottom).
L5–S1 – tremors in the calf muscle, inability to stand on the toes, pain in the back of the thigh.
In rare cases, the radicular arteries are also involved in the destructive process, provoking a spinal stroke - a dangerous pathology in which the patient experiences paresis and paralysis, and dysfunction of the pelvic organs.
Pain reflex symptoms
Lumbago or lumbago (in this case not sciatica! ) – acute pain. Any awkward movement, even sneezing and coughing, provokes a spasm. The patient spontaneously changes his body position, moving it to the side. An attempt to take a vertical position provokes a new lumbago.
Lumbodynia is a dull and aching pain that occurs on one side. Periods of remission are followed by exacerbation, which gradually develops into severe pain.
Lumboischialgia - painful sensations appear in the leg.
Side signs of the disease are not so typical and can easily be mistaken for symptoms of another problem: impaired sweating (hypohidrosis), pallor of the skin of the affected area due to poor blood circulation, severe dryness and flaking.
Diagnostics
At the initial stage, a complete medical history of the patient is collected. The overall picture should be supplemented by the conclusions of a surgeon, orthopedist, neurologist, and rheumatologist. Specialists subject the patient to a visual examination to assess changes in posture, muscle tone, and skin sensitivity.
X-ray is carried out for the primary diagnosis of lumbar osteochondrosis of the 1st degree; it is used to examine the condition of the intervertebral discs, pathologies of the spinal cord, and also evaluate the general condition of the spine. However, this type of diagnosis does not provide complete information about the affected tissues.
Computed tomography (CT) is a highly sensitive examination using a beam of ionizing rays. CT scan records the degree of disc deformation, inflammatory processes in the membrane of the spinal cord and nerve endings in a layer-by-layer image.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) informatively shows the general condition of muscle mass, blood vessels, and ligaments. Detects tumors and inflammatory processes.
Myelography is one of the ways to visually assess the condition of the spinal cord and nerve roots by injecting a contrast agent using a needle into the cavity between the pia mater and the spinal arachnoid, filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Similar to CT, MTP and X-ray, the procedure is carried out in real time.
Neurological examination of sensitivity and reflexes for pathologies is a complex of studies that includes a screening method for studying the symmetry of the limbs, testing vibration sensitivity, and assessing the Babinsky, Chaddock and Oppenheiman reflexes.
Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis
The effectiveness of conservative treatment is achieved through a combination of drugs of various groups, massage and manual therapy. However, at stage 3, lumbar osteochondrosis can no longer be cured using conservative methods; surgical intervention is required. One of the methods of surgery for osteochondrosis is microdiscectomy. This is a neurosurgical operation to remove a hernia without damaging the nerve structures. It is performed under general anesthesia. The patient can walk already on the 3rd day.
Drug therapy (for stages 1-2)
- Analgesics for pain relief: local (ointments, gels), oral (tablets, suspensions), intramuscular (injection solutions).
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent the development of the inflammatory process. Reduces temperature, removes swelling. Most often, gels and tablets are used, in more serious cases (inflammation of the sciatic nerve) - injections. Prima course is 7-14 days.
- Muscle relaxants. Prescribed in the acute period for muscle spasms, as well as during the period of remission to consolidate the effect.
- Chondroprotectors. Block destructive processes in intervertebral discs, promote regeneration, improve metabolism in cartilage tissues.
- Vitamin complexes of group B. Improve nerve conduction.
- Diuretics. Reduces swelling.
As an emergency aid at the time of exacerbation, potent injections are used - paravertebral blockade, which causes temporary loss of sensitivity.
Prevention
- Active lifestyle combined with moderate physical activity;
- Choosing comfortable or, if indicated, orthopedic shoes;
- Body weight control;
- Sleep only on an orthopedic mattress and pillow;
- Office furniture only with a flat back;
- Refusal of heavy loads on the back and spine. When carrying heavy items, the load should be distributed evenly in both hands.