Recently, more and more people began to suffer from osteochondrosis. With this disease, there is a disruption in the normal functioning of the intervertebral discs.
Recently, more and more young people, over the age of eighteen, began to suffer from spinal pain. First, the ligaments and bones of the spine begin to suffer. If osteochondrosis occurs, treatment should be started immediately. It is preliminarily recommended to 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 due to the fact that calcium deposition begins, which is not absorbed by bone tissue. This occurs when there is a violation of blood circulation, curvature of the spine.
There are the following causes of osteochondrosis:
- physical overvoltage;
- overweight;
- strong loads on the spine;
- inheritance;
- frequent hypothermia;
- stressful situations;
- irregular foot shape;
- unbalanced diet;
- an inactive lifestyle.
The disease is more common in women than in men. Often osteochondrosis of the back arises if a person sits incorrectly or sleeps on a very high pillow. It is difficult to determine the pathology, because the disease can occur in people of any age. The causes of osteochondrosis are different and it is not so easy to detect them.
There are degrees of osteochondrosis, and it is worth noting that at first it will be difficult to find pathologies. The patient does not complain of vivid symptoms, he may feel slight weakness, discomfort in the spine. In fact, in fact, such signs of chondrosis can speak of various diseases.
This pathology may not make itself felt and proceed in secret. In fact, in the first degree, osteochondrosis is often found completely by accident during various examinations. With second degree osteochondrosis, you may notice that your back is already starting to hurt, which means that changes are taking place in the cartilage tissue.
If the patient does not consult a doctor and effective treatment is not provided, the intervertebral clefts will begin to get smaller and the nerve or vessels will be pinched. Most of the time, pain is eliminated to this degree with certain medications. The disease can bring discomfort and pain, so the patient has to go to see a doctor.
With osteochondrosis in the third stage, the development of lordosis begins, scoliosis begins, and a hump is formed. Complex therapy can only slightly improve the spine and eliminate some defects. It is imperative to know the causes of osteochondrosis. In the fourth grade, changes are already taking place that cannot be corrected in any way. The patient can hardly walk, because even if he turns a little, excruciating pain occurs. It will have seals in the cartilaginous tissues and the vertebrae will shift.
In this degree of disease, patients are likely to experience disability. A person should know how chondrosis differs from osteochondrosis. For this, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of the 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
The symptoms of chondrosis are extremely unpleasant, and first of all there is discomfort in the back. Everything will depend on the degree of illness of the patient.
First, the patient is sent for a diagnosis in order to identify the causes of osteochondrosis. The patient may constantly feel fatigue in the back, pain in the neck and chest. The symptoms will depend on how advanced the osteochondrosis of the spine is.
Symptoms appear as follows:
- severe pain syndrome;
- muscle spasms;
- limbs may go numb;
- severe headaches;
- can shoot in the spine;
- frequent fainting and dizziness;
- points in front of the eyes;
- High blood pressure;
- excruciating neck pain.
If even minor pain sensations arise, this may indicate not only that there is osteochondrosis of the back, but also other diseases.
Already when a person is over forty years old, their intervertebral discs do not accumulate fluid. Therefore, they are no longer as flexible as before. They tend to be more prone to flattening, 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 visit a medical center. Then the doctor will first refer to the diagnosis. Then you will be able to 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 diseases and it is necessary 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 has been a strong load on the neck area. The thyroid gland is nearby, and with osteochondrosis, it cannot do its job normally. Often there is pressure on the vessels that provide oxygen to the tissues. Because of this, there may be shortness of breath and cell death begins.
You should know that the brain is almost completely dependent on the vessels. If blood flow is disturbed, this can affect the respiratory and cardiac organs. With osteochondrosis, there are constant headaches, hearing and vision problems, frequent loss of consciousness. Difficulty moving the head, numbness, and pain in the arms may occur. If such symptoms occur, it is necessary to urgently start the treatment of osteochondrosis.
Chest.It is difficult for specialists to conduct an examination for this disease. Most of the time, the doctor barely understands whether it is just painful attacks or heart attacks. With osteochondrosis of this type, there may be complications in the liver, kidneys, stomach and pancreas.
Most often, the pain comes in the form of injections in the back and chest. There are sharp and strong pain sensations with osteochondrosis, and failure of the respiratory system occurs. There may also be constant discomfort in the spine, and this 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 they can also go to the hips and buttocks. The pain goes away when the person lies down to rest. Discomfort may occur with sudden movements.
This pathology leads to poor blood circulation in the lower back, stiffness occurs. The muscles begin to weaken and the posture bends, making it difficult to move normally. The attending physician will tell you in detail how to treat osteochondrosis.
If the symptoms appear frequently and the pain becomes stronger each time, you should contact a medical institution. The specialist will be able to identify the types of osteochondrosis and prescribe a comprehensive examination and treatment.
Diagnostics
The doctor can make an accurate diagnosis of osteochondrosis after the patient undergoes a comprehensive examination. First of all, the patient must be examined by a neurologist. The diagnosis is made when a person is lying down or sitting down. The specialist observes how you feel in motion, as well as in the prone position. A full posture exam can also be done, with the doctor probing the spine.
Determine the nature and intensity of the pain, where exactly it bothers the patient. It also checks for muscle tension in the ridge area. After all, if a muscle spasm occurs, this may indicate not only that there are signs of osteochondrosis, but also other diseases.
The following diagnostics are prescribed to detect the disease:
Bone scan.With this procedure, you can see how high the spinal discs are. Vertebral disorders and presence of bone growths. The diagnosis is made in two ways, when the patient is on his back and on his side. The image in two positions helps to find changes in the work of the column.
Magnetic resonance imaging.With the help of this study, you can see the vessels and nerve endings. An MRI finds osteochondrosis of the spine, as well as the exact location of a hernia or a pinched nerve.
CONNECTICUT.This exam allows you to see a high-quality image of the spine. The procedure is completely painless and does not cause discomfort to the patient.
If the diagnosis is made correctly, it will help to start the treatment of osteochondrosis as soon as possible. At the first symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor immediately. After all, if you ignore the disease, it can have serious consequences.
Treatment
To cure osteochondrosis, you should definitely consult a doctor. He will find the cause of the disease and prescribe the correct treatment. In severe cases, it is necessary to carry out a surgical intervention, since 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, recovery gymnastics, proper nutrition, massage.
It all depends on the stage in which the spinal osteochondrosis is found. Therapy can last up to three months, and it also takes another year to consolidate the treatment result. You are undergoing medical therapy or surgery. Very often, people who have discovered symptoms of osteochondrosis do not know which doctor to turn to.
A good option would be to visit a therapist first, as you cannot hesitate with such a disease. He knows exactly how to treat osteochondrosis of the spine and can also refer other doctors. 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.
Drug treatment
Medications help relieve inflammation and restore the musculoskeletal system to function. They also stop osteochondrosis of the spine and reduce pain. With osteochondrosis, not only drug treatment is used, you also need to follow a 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 medications, you should consult your doctor. You never need to self-medicate, this can have serious consequences. Before the doctor prescribes a treatment for osteochondrosis of the spine, you need to undergo a comprehensive examination.
Treatment and manual massage
How to get rid of osteochondrosis with manual treatment? With its help, you can only eliminate severe pain and improve posture. Visceral therapy is often used. It allows the joints to function well and helps normalize blood flow. Immunity will also be strengthened, which will prevent the exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Many people think what to do with osteochondrosis, doctors recommend including massage in the treatment. It helps to relieve muscle spasms well and makes them stronger 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 for osteochondrosis has several types: classical, segmental reflex, point.
How to treat osteochondrosis with massage procedures. A regular massage is done on your own, it will help to tone the muscles and eliminate pain.
First you need to stroke the spine with light movements. Next, you need to start stretching your neck, lower back, and chest muscles. You can pinch these places and apply light pressure where it hurts the most. It is also better to do 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 must choose a balanced diet and reduce your salt intake. There must be all the nutrients in the body to speed up recovery. The diet helps to normalize the metabolism, prevents the deposition of salt in the spine. If there is a decrease in excess weight, this will help speed up the treatment of osteochondrosis of the back.
Foods to eat: fermented dairy products and milk, fruits, lean meats, rye bread, nuts, vegetables and herbs, buckwheat porridge, eggs, fish.
You should try to completely eliminate foods that contain sugar. Consuming alcoholic beverages and tobacco products is prohibited. You need to eat about five times a day. It is better to cook steamed or baked. It rejects flour, spicy, fat and salinity. Throughout the 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 correct prevention, you will not even need to know how to treat chondrosis. First of all, try not to lift weights and do little physical activities.
Stop spending a lot of time in front of the computer and television. If a person works and leads a sedentary lifestyle, he should exercise at least several times a day.
Osteochondrosis, the symptoms are obvious. The disease can cause back pain and discomfort. If the first signs of osteochondrosis appear, you should consult a doctor. Self-medicating is not recommended as this can lead to serious complications. The specialist will send you for an examination, he will be able to find the reasons and prescribe the correct and effective treatment.