Osteochondrosis is a lesion of interarticular and intervertebral cartilage.Osteochondrosis is diagnosed in all joints without exception, however, according to medical statistics, such lesions are more common in intervertebral discs.
Functions of intervertebral discs
The main function of the intervertebral discs is to absorb shock when walking and running.Few people think about the load on the spine during movement.Each step puts pressure on the vertebrae.If there were no discs between them, the bones would wear out very quickly, and the nerve endings of the spinal column would be constantly compressed between the vertebrae.
Its cushioning abilities depend on the quality of the intervertebral disc.The younger the person, the more elastic the discs.In newborns, the articular cartilage and intervertebral discs consist of almost 80% water, which gives them the ability to be as elastic as possible, like a sponge.With age, tissues deteriorate, dry out, become less flexible and lose their cushioning properties.The older a person is, the greater the risk of developing complications of osteochondrosis, which manifest as:
- hernias;
- radiculitis;
- protrusions.
Symptoms of intervertebral disc disease
There is osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions.In addition, problems in the cervical region may not be accompanied by characteristic pain at all, while problems in the thoracic region may be reflected by pain not in the spine, but in the chest, which is why patients often confuse them with pain in the heart or bronchi.
Sometimes osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself as pain in the arm.If there were no obvious injuries that could cause pain in the arm, such a symptom should be a reason for an examination of the cervical spine.
If the pain, concentrated in the sacral area, flows into the leg and buttocks (usually only on one side), this indicates damage to the intervertebral disc in the lumbar region.After pressing on the damaged area, you may feel numbness in the leg, arm or tingling in one of the limbs.The main striking symptoms of osteochondrosis of the intervertebral space are:
- Pain in the sacral region, preventing sitting.
- Back pain that prevents you from bending over.
- Pain that goes away when walking.
At the first signs of damage to the intervertebral discs, you must avoid heavy physical activities on your back, i.e. do not lift anything heavy.
Why does osteochondrosis occur?
There are several reasons that affect the condition of the disks.These include smoking and excessive exercise, especially when daily activities involve heavy lifting.On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are a sure way to destroy the disc.In addition, specific work that forces you to keep your torso in an uncomfortable position, constant load on only one shoulder, as well as sleeping on an incorrectly selected mattress pose a risk of developing osteochondrosis.
Sleep properly on mattresses of moderate firmness so that the spine is in a natural, even position during rest.Soft feather beds just look comfortable.Lying on a soft bed for a long time causes morning back pain.This happens because the back muscles are stretched when the back bends under its own weight.Stretching of the back muscles, which continues throughout the night, leads to pain not only in the lower back, but along the entire length of the spine.
Flat feet pose a risk of developing osteochondrosis, because such a foot cannot fully perform the functions of a shock absorber.As a result, the spine bears increased loads, and the discs wear out faster.
In addition, people who are overweight put more strain on the spine than those whose body mass index is close to ideal.You need to follow your shape so that the ratio of weight to height does not put additional stress on the skeleton.
However, completely healthy people who lead a sports lifestyle can have osteochondrosis.The main reason for this is injury.An unfortunate fall or blow to the spine often leads to hernia, protrusion and osteochondrosis.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
A surgeon, orthopedist or neurologist can make the diagnosis.Due to the fact that pain in the lumbar region often becomes a reason for contacting a neurologist, such patients are first examined by a doctor of this special specialty.First, the patient is examined.To make a diagnosis, he must assess the patient's ability to twist the body, bend, sit, walk and bend the legs.After that, the spinal column is palpated.Thanks to the manual examination, the doctor will be able to identify painful points and feel compressions and even hernias between the vertebrae.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an X-ray of the spine.This is the simplest test that can be carried out even in a rural clinic.X-rays have long been available in medical practice and are an integral element of every trauma department.If the X-ray does not confirm the diagnosis, or when a more detailed study is needed, CT or MRI of the spine is prescribed.With the help of such an examination, it will be possible to find out the quality of the discs, assess their elasticity and integrity, as well as identify hidden pathologies.
How to treat osteochondrosis
As a conservative treatment, a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be prescribed.If there are no serious lesions of the discs, and the doctor noticed on the pictures that the cause of the pain lies in the pinching of the nerve by the inflamed muscle, then the treatment will be reduced to alleviating the inflammatory process.Additionally, heating therapy may be prescribed to reduce swelling, relax muscles and release a pinched nerve.
In case of protrusion or herniation of the intervertebral discs, the problem of back pain can be solved with surgery.Severely worn vertebrae can be replaced with prosthetics.