Osteochondrosis: treatment, symptoms, signs, causes

Here is another condition that is considered age-related, but usually occurs without any relationship to age.

For example, this fact: more than half of osteochondrosis patients worldwide noticed the first signs of its development at 25 years of age. Yes, no one thought that old age could come so soon. . . Some people see these years as mature, some are more used to referring to them as near adolescence, and for others, 60 years do not seem to be a cause for discomfort. But definitely everyone will agree that for the aging process, to say the least, it is not an age yet.

What is the problem? In reality, it is multifaceted and might seem complicated to a layman. But in reality there is nothing complicated about it. In the section on spinal disc herniation, we said that its content is water with proteins dissolved in it, right? Thus, all osteochondrosis, along with its speed, severity and treatment projections, is, in fact, constructed from these proteins. What does that mean? Now everything will be clear.

The proteins in the "filler" of the intervertebral disc are called glycosaminoglycans. Maybe we don't need to remember that name.

But we definitely need to remember that the main purpose of glucosamine dicans is to retain water. Furthermore, with the possibility of its gradual release under pressure. In other words, the proteins that create the gelatinous texture of the disk's "filler" are made so that the water inside it is heated at rest and, under load, it is gradually squeezed out.

Of course, the water itself is too fluid to do something like that. That's why the body synthesizes special proteins - unique! analogue of food gelling agents such as carrageenan, gums, starch.

For the contents of the intervertebral disc (and it, we remember, is the basis of its damping properties) to remain in order, we need throughout life:

• monitor what we eat, avoiding deficiencies of vital substances, especially proteins;
• avoid back muscle cramps;
• maintain active circulation of cerebrospinal fluid and blood in it to normalize metabolic processes in spinal tissues;
• prevent spinal tissue injuries and infections;
• maintain the rate of water salt metabolism in the body.

Osteochondrosis Symptoms

So, early on, our backs will start tapping to the rhythm of our every move. However, for a long time, this noise can only be heard. In the future, there will come a period of sensation - constant pulling, painful pain and discomfort in the areas affected by osteochondrosis. They feel at rest and, with movement, gradually increase. Subjectively, patients observe that joints affected by the process seem to tire faster than others. Consequently, as the feeling of fatigue intensifies, the painful pain also increases.

But that, of course, is far from being the end of the process, although it is no longer the beginning. After all, the condition of the disc does not improve and the condition of the cartilage deteriorates over time, and very quickly. Over time, the crunches themselves become painful.

Each of these sounds is now accompanied by an explosion of dull pain, both at the site of its appearance and in nearby tissues of any kind. It seems to spread like an extended painful wave from a point on the joint - exactly in accordance with the laws of resonance.

Symptoms of Cervical Osteochondrosis

If we have problems with the cervical spine, we can feel:

• headache resistant to standard care - dull, painful, throbbing, constant, evenly spread throughout the head. It coincides with an increase in neck pain and is similar to the headaches that come with increases in blood pressure. As a rule, in osteochondrosis, very high pressure leads to a headache;
• attacks of unmotivated dizziness throughout the day: with sudden changes in posture, head movements, tremors. Dizziness often coincides with the rhythm of breathing - a dangerous "lightness" in the head appears with each inhalation and disappears during exhalation. Such symptomatology means that at the moment the intracranial pressure is reduced, not excessive, as in the previous example. As a rule, these two symptoms are observed alternately in all patients with cervical osteochondrosis, occur periodically and last for several days. Sometimes one replaces the other, sometimes they are separated by periods of relative pressure;
• neck pain, especially at the base of the skull. In the early stages, it is expressed by a vague discomfort during the day and a snapping noise when turning the head. But touching the spine in this area or trying to massage the muscles causes pain and stiffness in the muscle fiber. Thereafter, the pain is permanent, increases when you turn your head to the side, bends towards your chest, after sleeping on a high or very soft pillow;
• Painful pain in the chest (as if under the ribs), under the scapula, with a return to the muscles of the shoulder and upper chest. They resemble an attack of angina pectoris or coronary artery disease as much as the pain of a herniated disc, but are more permanent. For example, in diseases of the cardiovascular system, pain rarely lasts for more than a few hours and is little dependent on respiratory rate. In osteochondrosis it is constant, worsens with each breath, lasts for periods of several days or more;
• "Lumbago" along the entire line of the shoulder, usually to the fingertips. As a rule, depending on the degree of progression of osteochondrosis, the patient suffers at the same time, either from short-lived "lumbago" in the shoulder joint, or from bouts of dormancy and prolonged acute "lumbago" along the entire internal surface of the shoulder. the arm. As for the infraction of the small neurons in the shoulder, it is not felt at rest, but it worsens strongly with the first movements of the head after a long immobility. Patients describe it as "electrical discharges along the spine, in the muscles of the shoulders. And the irradiation in the hand is often accompanied by a spasm of the wrist muscles and a violation of the sensation of the ring finger as well as the little finger;
• quite often, although in less than half of all cases of cervical osteochondrosis, tongue tenderness and mobility are diminished. Patients may become unable to distinguish some flavors (not recognizing bitter, sour, sweet, but it's easy to name a mixed taste). Some people report changes in diction, especially when it is necessary to speak quickly and / or clearly.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region

Signs of thoracic osteochondrosis:

• aching, drawing chest pain, "somewhere under the ribs. "Unlike coronary heart disease, the patient has difficulty determining his center more accurately. This pain is significantly dependent on the rhythm of breathing - it increases with inspiration and coughing. And despite all the uncertainty of its location in the chest, each of these attacks clearly echoes in the causal vertebrae/vertebrae. In 99 cases out of 100, it is the displaced vertebra that hurts the most;
• disturbances in the sensitivity and mobility of the pulmonary diaphragm - the appearance of a feeling of incomplete inspiration, inability to perform lower expiration;
• pain and discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract - mainly in the stomach, upper intestine, liver and pancreas. The pain can range from mild, inaudible discomfort to obvious cramping. Therefore, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is often confused with slow gastritis, enteritis, colitis, chronic pancreatitis.

Lumbar osteochondrosis symptoms

Lumbar osteochondrosis, also called lumbago (so we know it's the same thing), is the most common form of the disease.

With it we will have:

• Pain in the lower back, made worse by bending over, long sitting or standing - usually almost any movement of the body. As a rule, it bothers the patient at night, in the presence of the habit of sleeping on his back, with his legs stretched out. It only drops with prolonged stay or the habit of sleeping in a fetal position. That is, with your knees bent to your chest. Patients with lumbar osteochondrosis move quickly and voluntarily from a soft to a hard bed, as it is easier to maintain the embryo's position on a hard floor overnight;
• lumbar stiffness syndrome. It implies: the inability to bend quickly after standing or sitting for a long time, associated not so much with pain but with a general decrease in muscle extensibility and bone stiffness in the affected area; rapidly advancing numbness in the lower back when sitting or standing, associated with acute infraction of the nerve endings in this position of the vertebrae;
• compression of the sciatic nerve (the main neural trunk for the legs, entering the spine in the coccyx region). With osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region, it belongs to the number of sciatica scenarios, although it is not the only one. Despite the existence of several other variants, sciatica is often a painful complication of osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis Treatment

We will have to undergo treatment for a long time, so first let's improve the quality of life of our own backs.

1. Let's remove the feather bed and feather pillow from the bed. Let's get off a main mattress, get an orthopedic pillow - dense, low, with a fixed depression in the middle. Typically, these pillows are made from quilted polyester. So you need to make sure it's not too soft - now it's harmful for us. And the probability of "exploding" into a flat pancake within a week is very high. The thickness of the roller along the edges should equal the length of our neck, from the base of the skull to the 7th vertebra that protrudes when the head is tilted. If it is 1. 5-2 cm shorter, the better.
2. We'll buy another pillow not too thick or use our old feather in a new quality. From now on, we will always need to place this pillow under the thighs or buttocks in the supine position, as well as under the upper knee when sleeping in the fetal position. Let's experience the ideal height, width and position of the pillow - the right thing, placed in the right place, will bring the pain instantly disappearing into the most noticeable focus in this particular position.
3. It is strictly prohibited to lift and carry objects weighing more than 10 kg in case of osteochondrosis. Therefore, any training must be done with us with proper or minimum weight. In any type of osteochondrosis, it is wiser not to do it alone, but to go to the gym. It's in the gym, as cardio (treadmill, bike, skiing) and fitness are not the same thing. Now we need to organize our additional back support and work strictly with the same correct body position. Best for such purposes is a simulator - a steel frame, in which we and the weight being lifted can only move within a range limited by the frame.
4. After any exertion (including routine orthostatic walking), a light back massage should be performed, gently stretching. Heat can be applied in places with particularly severe back pain - as long as the pain focus does not shift along with the posture change, of course. And since pain migration is a frequent phenomenon in osteochondrosis, sometimes a simple "five minutes" on a treadmill like the Lyapko applicator turns out to be five times more effective than any heating pad. After all, we can't buy a heated mattress! Furthermore, in the hot season, heating such a vast area runs the risk of ending up in heatstroke. . .

If we understand all this, take it into account and make sure we don't forget, we will organize the activation of the metabolic processes in our spinal column. As already mentioned, you should not exercise at home with osteochondrosis. More precisely, don't get carried away by this - it's best to work with a professional orthopedist or instructor where equipment is available that can compensate for the strength deficiencies that have arisen in our spine. But as, unfortunately, not everyone has this opportunity, we still dare to recommend some warm-up exercises that are less likely to have complications.

There is only one rule here that must not be broken. Namely: if we decide to do everything with our own hands, before we start training, we definitely need to order or buy a special medical bandage or corset. A bandage for reliable fixation on exactly that part of the back where there is a pathological process. You should only work on it, supporting the problematic section of the spine, which it currently doesn't have.

So:

1. We will sit at the table, the lid of which would have rested against our stomach, in a chair with a narrow, high back. We must have firm support for both the back and the back of the neck. Let's lean back with your back fully supported by the back of the chair, stretch your arms, sliding them along the lid, as far as possible. It is even necessary to bend a little, pushing the shoulder blades forward, but for this it is forbidden to tear off the back of the neck or the back of the support. On the line where the palms remain in this position, an object weighing more than 10 kg should be placed. Its shape and surface must be comfortable, as we will then have to pick up this object with our palms slightly underneath and pull it towards us without lifting it from the surface. You need to move it not so much with your hands as with the effort of the scapular muscles, which are now trying to return the extended, forward forearms to their normal position. As you can see, we are talking about a "domesticated" paddle and slightly adapted to our needs. More precisely, its modification, implying a simple pull of weight on itself. In any case, this exercise develops the muscles in the middle of the back well - between the shoulder blades as well as the back. After we pull the weight towards us, it must be moved back and the pull must be repeated 15 more times.
2. Let's stand by the table already familiar to us and rest our pelvic bones on the edge of the lid. Let's put our hands behind our heads, let our heads drop so that our foreheads rest on the table. At the same time, the back must not be rounded - we will round it later. For now, our task is to make 15 turns on the table itself with a straight back and hands behind our necks. Correct body position means that, in the future, if we fall onto the table, we will be our whole face, not our forehead. Therefore, above the lid itself, we must delay, avoiding depending on it.
3. We used one of the exercises detailed in the section on preventing back disease. Namely: we lie face down on the floor, arms extended above our head, legs straight crossed. Raise one (any) arm off the floor and stretch forward at the same time, as well as the opposite leg. Of course, you shouldn't try to throw your leg over your head, but pull it back with a kicking motion. Then lower the limbs, mentally count to three, and repeat with another pair of "opposite hand-leg. "In total you need to do 20 reps for both pairs of limbs.
4. We sat on the floor with our backs to the wall, legs stretched out in front of us. Do not lean your back too hard on the wall and your palms on the floor. Now we need to lift the body with one hand off the ground as high as we can. It's best to keep your legs straight while maintaining a sitting position. If straight lines don't work, you can try pressing them to your chest. In this case, you will have to take into account that changing the position of the legs will change the center of gravity and will require you to lean your head against the wall. Repeat 5-7 times.
5. We will have a special weight-lifting belt - wide, made of thick leather that perfectly secures the lower back. In milder forms of osteochondrosis, it is quite possible to leave only the dressing to fix the diseased area. Take a 15 liter basin or bucket that we use on the farm to the bathroom. We fill it with water so it doesn't splash on the edges, we take it to any free space. Dishes with water should be placed on the floor, legs slightly apart and folded inwards. knees for stability, slightly move your body forward. We should have a very ambiguous posture - a slight forward lean, with visibly drawn back buttocks, but an even line of spine across the upper torso. This is completely normal and correct from the standpoint of the anatomy of the human body. When the desired position is reached, we should still sit until we can grasp the pelvic straps without rounding the back. Then, the pelvis must be raised, with synchronized movement, straightening the knees and lower back.

As mentioned above, self-massage is easier for most people to understand intuitively, relying on the sensations in the process. And we recommend that you simply regularly (daily) conduct an independent session with a massager, discovering the structural features of your back - with all its pathologies and proportions. At the same time, there are no two identical spins in the world. Therefore, no massage therapist or doctor will study this organ better than we do. Meanwhile, the individual details of our back structure can be extremely important here. Especially if only part of the spine is affected or if your damage includes "aggravating circumstances" in spirit curvature, hernia, malformations.

However, here are some recommendations regarding the nuances of massage from various departments. In fact, in the original, they are known only to experts and are often omitted from the popular presentation of massage techniques. So:

In cervical osteochondrosis, the process affects both types of muscles with equal frequency and intensity. Therefore, regular massage, however deep, does not always bring patients the relief they were hoping for. After all, the shoulder girdle is the most massive in the entire body, and skeletal muscles are nowhere "hidden" as deeply as they are here.

And for complete satisfaction with the result, we will take into account several devices that will be easier to reach them:

• When massaging sore deltoid muscles, their outer edge is easier to "reach" by pressing a finger down into the depression between the collarbone and the "bulge" of the shoulder joint. You shouldn't press your finger too hard - there. in addition to the muscle, the shoulder ligaments are also located. However, as we massage the muscle's rigid head, we will begin to distinguish more accurately between its soft fiber and the elastic ligament apparatus. It is necessary to work exclusively with the soft head, crushing it with twisting movements. You can then climb 2-3 cm along the shoulder line, continuing to work from above;
• the inner edge of the deltoid (the most problematic shoulder muscle in everyday life) is attached to the 7th vertebra. He acts stronger than others when, as they say, we lean our head on our chest. But under the head of the deltoid muscle, there are several skeletal muscles, and this completely covers them from manipulation from above. Meanwhile, most of the "discharge" of osteochondrosis passes through its fibers. Therefore, we need to lie on our back on a soft surface.

The mid-back will give us less problems with the number of muscle fibers itself. However, its design is very complex - in the sense that most of the muscle heads here are not attached to the edges of the bones, but, as it were, under them. This is especially true for the shoulder blades, to which all the middle muscles are attached to one side, but none of these attachments are located directly on the edge of the bone or over it:

• if we are plagued by burning or stabbing pains "somewhere under the scapula, " it does not matter whether they are observed at the top of the scapula, below, or even in the middle. The fact is that in the usual lying position we will not reach these places. We need to lie down so that the massaged hand hangs freely on the bed and floor. The active hand is always the opposite and must be curled tightly over the back of the neck. Inconvenient but effective. It's better to massage the middle part under the shoulder blade with a strong massager - we'll hardly reach it with our fingers and therefore we won't be able to press. To increase the area we reach, a pillow can be placed under the elbow of the working hand;
• like stretching the upper corners of the latissimus dorsi, placing the hand over it, even the genius of acrobatics cannot. The lats are the muscles that allow bodybuilders and physically well-developed individuals in general to demonstrate the classic V-shaped extension of the back from the torso to the shoulders. They are the ones that the rowing machine develops well - the traction of heavy objects to the chest. They are located on the upper back and strictly on the sides. The value of developed lats for the strength of the arms and lower back cannot be overestimated, so they need not only to be developed but also to monitor their condition. Furthermore, the vast majority of people do not follow them and, in everyday life, they are rarely used directly. For back massage, it is best to lie on your side. In this case, for stability, the legs should be pulled closer to the stomach, the working hand should be pulled forward across the bed and placed under the armpit of the arm being massaged. For convenience, the hand to be massaged does not need to be kept down along the side - it is more appropriate to lower it onto the bed at chest level as well. Then the lower edge of the scapula will extend beyond it and the dorsals will immediately be attached to it.

The lumbar region has its own structural characteristics. First, the same row of small skeletal muscles runs along the spine here, moving the vertebrae as it rotates. Second, in this location, many muscles from above are attached to the sacrum. That is, connecting the lower back to the upper - actually allowing you to maintain and maintain the rate of S-shaped back curvature throughout your life. By the way, for this reason, weakness in the mid-back (scoliosis) is often accompanied by lower back curvature - lordosis and kyphosis. The main muscle in the lumbar spine is the lats. Without her health, we won't see a normal S-shaped curve like our ears. And the sacrum and coccyx constantly hurt us, even without osteochondrosis.

So let's start:

• it should be remembered that the latissimus dorsi muscle is strongly oblique: its upper edge is attached to the underside of the scapula, and the lower - to the sacral bones, that is, to the coccyx. So, if we walk directly from the armpit down with our fingers or with a massager along the side, we will knead a muscle that is equally related to the back and the abdomen - the abdominal oblique muscle. This is not the lats, which connect the lower back to the shoulder - the oblique muscle is responsible for leaning the body strictly to the side. Mainly to successfully correct this slant. She suffers a lot from scoliosis and pelvic injuries. Its main section for us is the lower one, near the femur itself. There are two heads with which it is connected to the tibial joint. One is located closer to the buttock (merges with your upper lobe), and the second goes slightly forward into the groin area. So, if we are in the habit of massaging the entire area around the bumps of the pelvic bones, it definitely won't become superfluous;
• if for some reason (mostly because of the pain) we decide to warm our buttocks, it's best to do it lying on our side, tucking our knees into our chests. This position makes all the gluteal muscles available for the massage. For the first time, the buttocks can feel very painful and as if they are made up entirely of tendon tissue - they will be very dense to the touch. In fact, they shouldn't be like that - it's a spasm. It is especially noticeable in the upper and middle lobes. Normally, the finger in the middle of the buttocks must be pressed freely to the depth of one phalanx - the arrangement of the gluteal muscles is no less than the arrangement of the shoulder muscles. This is what we need to achieve without looking at any burning pain.