Osteochondrosis is a lesion of the interarticular and intervertebral cartilage.Osteochondrosis is diagnosed in all joints without exception, however, according to medical statistics, such injuries are more common in intervertebral discs.
Functions of intervertebral discs
The main function of the intervertebral discs is to absorb shocks when walking and running.Few people think about the load placed on the spine during movement.Each step gives a push to the vertebrae.If there were no discs between them, the bones would wear out very quickly and the spinal nerve endings would be continually compressed between the vertebrae.
Its shock absorption capabilities depend on the quality of the intervertebral disc.The younger the person, the more elastic the discs are.In newborns, articular cartilage and intervertebral discs are made up 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 shock-absorbing properties.The older the person, the greater the risk of developing complications of osteochondrosis, manifested by:
- hernias;
- radiculitis;
- protrusions.
Symptoms of intervertebral disc disease
There are osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions.At the same time, problems in the cervical region may not be accompanied by any characteristic pain, while problems in the thoracic region may be reflected in 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 to examine the cervical spine.
If the pain, concentrated in the sacral region, flows to 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 your leg, arm, or tingling in one of your limbs.The main striking symptoms of osteochondrosis of the intervertebral space are:
- Pain in the sacral region, preventing the person from sitting.
- Back pain that prevents you from bending over.
- Pain that decreases when walking.
At the first signs of damage to the intervertebral discs, intense physical activity on the back should be avoided, that is, do not lift anything heavy.
Why does osteochondrosis occur?
There are several reasons that affect the condition of the discs.These include smoking and excessive physical exercise, especially when daily activities involve lifting heavy objects.On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition are a surefire path to disc destruction.In addition, specific jobs that require keeping the torso in an uncomfortable position, constant load on just one shoulder, as well as sleeping on an incorrectly selected mattress pose a risk of developing osteochondrosis.
Sleep correctly on mattresses of moderate hardness so that the spine is in a natural and uniform position during rest.Soft feather mattresses just feel comfortable.Lying on a soft bed for a long time causes back pain in the morning.This happens because the back muscles are stretched when the back bends under its own weight.Stretching the back muscles, which continues throughout the night, causes pain not only in the lower back, but along the entire length of the spine.
Flat feet pose a risk of developing osteochondrosis, because this foot cannot fully perform shock absorber functions.Because of this, the spine supports greater loads and the discs wear out more quickly.
In addition, overweight people put more pressure on the spine than those whose body mass index is close to ideal.You need to monitor your shape so that the weight-to-height ratio does not put additional pressure on the skeleton.
However, completely healthy people who lead a sports lifestyle can get osteochondrosis.The main reason for this is injuries.An unfortunate fall or blow to the spine often causes hernias, protrusion and osteochondrosis.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
A surgeon, orthopedist or neurologist can make a diagnosis.Due to the fact that pain in the lower back often becomes a reason for contacting a neurologist, such patients are first examined by a doctor of this particular specialty.First, the patient is examined.To diagnose, he needs to assess the patient's ability to twist the body, bend, sit, walk and bend the legs.After this, the spine is palpated.Thanks to manual examination, the doctor will be able to identify points of pain 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 performed 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 necessary, a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan of the spine is prescribed.With the help of this 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 may be prescribed.If there are no serious injuries to the discs and the doctor notices in the photos that the cause of the pain is compression of the nerve by the inflamed muscle, the treatment will be reduced to relieving the inflammatory process.Additionally, warming therapy may be prescribed, which will reduce swelling, relax the muscle, and release the pinched nerve.
In the case of intervertebral disc protrusion or hernia, the problem of back pain can be resolved through surgery.Severely worn vertebrae can be replaced with prosthetics.