Osteochondrosis is a disease caused by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the vertebrae, intervertebral discs and ligaments. People after 30 years are most susceptible to the disease, but the beginning manifestations of the disease can appear in adolescence.
80-90% of the population face this ailment.
Symptoms of the disease
Depending on the location of the pathological focus, 3 forms of the disease are distinguished:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical region
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region
With damage to the cervical spine, the patient's complaints are associated with insufficient nutrition of the brain due to squeezing blood vessels. The most common complaint is severe headache and dizziness. In addition, patients are worried:
- Board of blood pressure
- Disorders of coordination of movements and gait shake
- Decrease in visual acuity;
- Hearing deterioration, ringing in the ears
- Hoarseness or hoarseness
- A snoring in a dream is a sign of constant tension of the neck muscles.
When compressing the nerves, numbness and cooling of the fingers, weakness in the limbs occurs.
If the nerves are infringed, severe pains in the neck, scalp pain, sore throat, teeth. The pain extends to the shoulders and limb.
The symptom of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is also pain - intercostal neuralgia. The pain is due to the compression of the nerve roots. The pain in the chest is acute, intensifies with coughing, inspiration, laughter, when moving.
Pain for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region can simulate other diseases, for example, heart pain, abdominal pain.
Lumbar osteochondrosis most often affects people who have a sedentary job. It is characterized by pain in the lower back, which are given to the buttock and leg. With infringement of the nerves, numbness and cooling of the legs, loss of sensitivity, incontinence of feces and urine are possible.
The causes of the disease
The disease is considered Polyetiological, that is, many factors contribute to the disease. The most common:
- Strong daily load on the spine
- Spinal injuries
- Metabolic disorders
- Overweight
- Curvature of the spinal column
- Hereditary factor
- The process of natural aging of the body.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis consists of several stages.
Collection of anamnesis of the disease and life
The doctor asks the patient questions to find out:
- Complaints
- Localization of pain and discomfort
- When the first symptoms appeared
- Which provokes the appearance and increased pain.
- Which helps to alleviate the condition.
It is important to find out the patient working conditions, bad habits than was ill throughout his life, whether there were bruises and injuries of the spine, whether one of the closest relatives of osteochondrosis has.
Inspection and palpation
On examination, the doctor draws attention to the position of the body and posture, to the symmetry of the back and neck, determines the volume of movements in the back, detects painful areas, evaluates muscle tone, determines the presence of pain irradiation, checks sensitivity.
X -ray examination
The radiography of the spine is performed in two oblique projections, in direct and lateral for greater information. Sometimes an X-ray research is required with functional samples-tilting, flexion, extension position.
Computed tomography
CT is a study that allows you to more clearly consider the bodies of the vertebrae, ligaments, blood vessels and soft tissues. A picture of one or more spine segments is performed. CT allows you to determine the compression of the nerves, tears and hernia of the intervertebral discs, their height, changes in the solid brain membrane, instability of the vertebrae.
Magnetic resonance therapy
MRI is used to diagnose osteochondrosis with clear visualization of blood vessels, nerve processes, intervertebral discs.
Complications
Osteochondrosis is a disease of not only the back, as is commonly believed. It affects blood vessels, nerves, muscles. Osteochondrosis provokes the development of a number of related diseases, among which:
- Migraine
- Vision and hearing deterioration
- Intervertebral hernias
- Schmorl's nodes
- Radiculitis
- Lumbago
- Sciatica
- Spondilasis, spondylarthrosis and others.
Treatment of the disease
Treat osteochondrosis conservatively, in severe cases - promptly.
Conservative treatment includes a whole complex of therapeutic procedures: massage, physiotherapy exercises, physiotherapy, manual therapy, reflexology, spinal traction and drug treatment.
Drug drugs are prescribed during exacerbations, help relieve pain, inflammation, and normalization of metabolic processes.
Risk group
The risk group of osteochondrosis includes:
- People leading a sedentary lifestyle with a sedentary work or spending a lot of time driving or at a computer
- People whose work or hobby is associated with weight lifting
- People with an excess body mass
- Pregnant
- Women who wear high heels.
Prevention
For the prevention of osteochondrosis, it is important to follow the rules:
- Do not overload the spine, limit vertical loads
- Do charging, strengthen the spinal muscles, knead them
- Do not
- Avoid injuries and bruises of the spine
- Do not wear weights
- Change the position of the body with a long sitting load and driving.
Diet and lifestyle
Diet for osteochondrosis does not have strict restrictions, it can be attributed to proper nutrition. It is necessary to limit salt and sugar. The main thing is that the food corresponds to the energy costs. If there is overweight, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of sweets and easily absorbed carbohydrates. Replace coffee with tea, sweets - dried fruits.
Every day you need to do exercises, which includes: sipping, squats, tilting to the sides, turns of the body, running, walking, swinging legs forward, to the side and backward.
Sleeping with osteochondrosis is preferably on a solid surface.
During a long seated work, you need to stretch out and turn the body every 20-30 minutes. With prolonged standing, it is important to change the support point from one leg to another.
If you need to carry heaviness, you can distribute the weight on each hand, you can use a backpack with wide straps.
Symptoms
- Headaches
- Hoarse voice
- Urine incontinence
- Fuzzy vision
- Wearing weakening
- Shark gait
- Snore