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Osteochondrosis of the spine - symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Osteochondrosis of the spinal column

Osteochondrosis of the spine is a degenerative-dystrophic destruction caused by the gradual thinning of the cartilage tissue in the intervertebral discs.All people are susceptible to this disease, because due to the upright posture, the human spine experiences enormous loads.If we take into account harmful factors, then by the age of 40-50 back osteochondrosis is found in almost everyone.Pathology cannot be completely cured.It is impossible to stop the degenerative process related to aging, but with proper treatment it can be slowed down.You should learn how to properly cope with the symptoms of osteochondrosis.





General features of the pathology

The disease develops in three parts of the ridge - cervical, thoracic and lumbar.Cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis are diagnosed more often, because these areas have increased mobility.The more active movements a person can make in the joints, the more prone the intervertebral discs are to injury and degeneration.Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region occurs less often, but is more severe.

The pathology is insidious in that it contributes to the appearance of other degenerative diseases in the body, including intervertebral hernia.In the initial stages, the patient does not feel pain, but permanent metabolic changes in the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus already appear, which disrupts the bone structure of the spine.Blood circulation in the affected area worsens, which leads to premature degeneration.

The intervertebral disc contains a fibrous ring that is covered with microcracks.The nucleus pulposus appears on the surface of the damage - its parts begin to gradually flow out.Against the background of degenerative processes, the fibrous ring begins to weaken and stretch, which leads to an increase in the area of microdamage.When the annulus fibrosus ruptures, the nucleus pulposus comes out.This is how an intervertebral hernia of the spinal cord occurs.

If you slow down the degeneration process, which causes osteochondrosis, hernias and protrusions appear later.The earlier treatment is started, the easier it is to suppress signs of deterioration.Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the back depend on the location in the ridge and the effect of accompanying diseases on the body.

Causes that cause osteochondrosis of the spinal column

In most cases, the disease is hereditary.In other cases, the disease occurs against the background of common adverse conditions that can cause deterioration, including:

  1. Previous back injuries, including damage to bones, joints and tendons.
  2. Musculoskeletal problems, including poor posture and flat feet.
  3. History of metabolic disorders, including endocrine pathologies.People with uncompensated hypothyroidism and diabetes are at risk of developing bone problems.These problems negatively affect the absorption of calcium.
  4. Being overweight.With obesity and a high body mass index, a person experiences premature wear and tear of the joints.Heavy weight puts pressure on the musculoskeletal system, which negatively affects the health of the spine.
  5. Poor nutrition.A daily diet depleted of nutrients and microelements causes hypovitaminosis, which causes the human body to suffer systemically, which can negatively affect the condition of the spine.
  6. Physical inactivity.It has been proven that a sedentary lifestyle leads to brittle bones.Moderate physical activity is beneficial.
  7. Weight lifting.Like insufficient muscle activity, excessive overexertion is fraught with microtrauma and damage, which causes diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
  8. Previous viral or bacterial infections.Examples: osteomyelitis, poliomyelitis.
  9. Having bad habits.Abuse of alcohol and nicotine causes deterioration of blood circulation, which negatively affects the condition of the bone system.

Factors affecting the onset of the disease:

  1. Congenital spine defects.
  2. Bad posture.
  3. Have flat feet.
  4. Prolonged stay in a sitting or standing position.
  5. Belonging to the female gender.Women experience increased bone loss during pregnancy and menopause.With a long-term lack of calcium and other minerals, a degenerative process occurs in the spine, which contributes to the appearance of osteochondrosis.
  6. Hypogonadism.With the lack of steroid hormones in both sexes, calcium is practically not fixed in bone tissue.As a result, the patient suffers from age-related osteochondrosis.At a young age, such conditions occur very rarely.In this case we are talking about mutations.

Considering the above risk factors, you should try to lead a gentle lifestyle.

Stages of disease development

The disease has 4 stages of the disease, including the following picture:

  1. The initial phase is the phase of degenerative metabolic processes.The patient has no symptoms, because the cartilage tissue has not started to actively deteriorate.Deformation of the intervertebral disc begins.Since there is no protrusion yet, the patient does not feel back pain.Usually, in the initial stage of osteochondrosis, the disease is rarely detected, more often by accident.Not every expert is able to spot the first signs of degeneration.In rare cases, the patient may experience minimal discomfort associated with overwork.The patient's back starts to hurt when he stands or sits for a long time.Also, such pain is associated with overstrain and weakness of the muscular frame.
  2. In the second phase, the active destruction of the fibrous ring begins, which causes a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc.At this stage, the attentive patient already turns to a specialist, because he feels more vivid symptoms.The head may begin to ache frequently, and unexplained pressure spikes may occur.It often hurts the lower back, neck or shoulder blades.The patient no longer tolerates long-term exercise and gets tired quickly.At this stage, osteochondrosis is detected by X-ray.
  3. In the third stage, the disease causes protrusion of the annulus fibrosus.During diagnostics, the patient is diagnosed with a protrusion or a small intervertebral hernia, which creates serious problems in everyday life.The cartilage is already weakened and the patient feels very bad.The third phase is transitional in terms of treatment.At this stage, it is still possible to use conservative treatment to make the patient feel better and slow down the development of the hernia.
  4. Phase 4 – terminal.Vertebrae lose elasticity and mobility.The patient suffers from pain not only during the day during movement, but also at night.Sleep is disturbed and neurological symptoms appear, because the problem is chronic.Chronic fatigue syndrome is getting worse.At this stage, significant hernias have already been diagnosed that interfere with the patient's normal life.In this case, surgical intervention to remove osteophytes is indicated.Conservative treatment in advanced cases does not bring relief.

The sooner osteochondrosis is detected, the easier it will be to fight it.In stages 1-2, it is still possible to stop the development of pathology if you unconditionally adhere to medical regulations.

Types of osteochondrosis of the spine

The spine consists of 3 parts, including the lower back, thoracic and neck.Depending on the individual situation, degenerative lesions occur more often in one of the departments.Less often, the pathology affects several segments of the ridge.The cervical and lumbar regions are most often affected, because increased mobility is observed in those places.If the thoracic spine is affected, the pathology is more severe due to the anatomical features of the ridge in this area.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is the most common.The prevalence of the pathology is associated with an increased load in the lower part of the body.Also, this part of the back is most prone to hernias and bulges.If complications arise in a patient with such an anamnesis, problems with mobility, bowel movements and urination occur.Advanced cases require serious correction and surgical intervention.

With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, there is severe pain and shooting in the head.Most often, the disease occurs against the background of long-term sedentary work and increased physical activity.Patients with this disease also require an integrated approach to therapy.Damage to the cervical spine also occurs due to the presence of increased mobility in the shoulders and head.

Thoracic osteochondrosis occurs less often, because due to well-developed muscles and reduced mobility, this area is the least susceptible to such a pathological process.This type of osteochondrosis is difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms of the pathology resemble diseases of the heart, lungs or stomach.In case of thoracic osteochondrosis, radiating pain is more often observed in the region of the ribs and heart, so the disease is confused with ischemic heart disease and signs of a heart attack.An important diagnostic criterion is that if heart problems are not detected when complaining of chest pain, visit a neurologist or traumatologist.

The older the patient, the greater the risk that degeneration of the spinal joint affects more parts of the spine.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the spine

Symptoms can be divided into general and specific.The second option is typical for osteochondrosis of any part, depending on the location.Common signs of degenerative back disease include:

  1. Pain, weakness and discomfort.Considering the degree and localization of the pathological process, the patient experiences different degrees of pain.In the initial stages, the discomfort is small, pressing.At night, the discomfort temporarily disappears.As the degeneration of the spine progresses, the pain becomes more severe and more frequent.In the worst case, the pain does not stop and prevents you from sleeping at night.
  2. Weakness, constant fatigue.Problems with the spine are often associated with impaired nerve conduction and poor blood flow.If the patient actively develops osteochondrosis, chronic fatigue syndrome appears over time.The patient becomes more and more unable to perform work duties, and the person does not sleep enough.The more advanced the pathology, the worse the patient feels.
  3. Reduced mobility in a certain part of the spine.During the period of deterioration, not only does permanent pain occur, but the mobility of the affected back area is also significantly limited.This phenomenon is associated not only with the inflammatory process, but also with muscle spasticity.
  4. Muscle spasm in the affected part of the spine.Osteochondrosis is not only the result of natural degenerative processes in the body.Physical inactivity often causes disease.In the absence of motor activity, the muscles atrophy and cannot adequately remove the load from the spine.As a result, a permanent tension arises, which is fraught with serious aggravations.The patient experiences multiple spasms that must be relieved with medication.
  5. Radicular syndrome.This phenomenon is typical for all types of osteochondrosis, without exception.When the pathology is complicated by the appearance of a hernia, there is an increased pressure of the protruding nucleus pulposus on the nerve segments.As a result, side effects occur - limitation of mobility, pain, lumbago, paresthesias, and in severe situations - loss of sensation in the fingers and lower extremities.
  6. Other vegetative manifestations.These include symptoms reminiscent of vegetative-vascular dystonia, neurological disorders, cardiac, pulmonary and gastric signs.

Recognizable symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:

  1. Headache.It occurs suddenly, and the attack itself often turns into a migraine, accompanied by dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness and pressure spikes.The condition is often associated with persistent poor circulation in the affected area and entrapment of nerve roots.
  2. Pain in the neck, trapezius or upper back.This symptom is associated with increased muscle spasticity.The spine cannot withstand the load, so these muscles are overloaded.Also, this condition occurs more often in office workers.The nature of the pain is excruciating, restraining, painful.
  3. Increased pressure.If the intervertebral hernia compresses the vascular bed, the patient experiences an attack of hypertension that is not related to problems of the cardiovascular system.
  4. The appearance of a feeling of tightness in the neck and throat.The phenomenon is also associated with muscle spasticity, which causes blood vessels in the neck to be pinched.
  5. Shooting in fingers, clavicles and hands.This is a purely neurological symptom associated with pinching of nerve roots.
  6. Shortness of breath, pain in the heart and throat are less common.

Signs of thoracic osteochondrosis look like this:

  1. A feeling of tightness in the chest.
  2. Occurrence of attacks of intercostal neuralgia.
  3. Pain in the area of the heart that is not related to cardiac pathology.
  4. Complaints of difficulty breathing, pain in the depth of the chest.
  5. Cough is not related to problems of the respiratory system.
  6. Discomfort in the stomach or esophagus.
  7. Pain in the interscapular region.It is characterized by a chronic course.It occurs more often against the background of static muscle overload.
  8. Numbness in hands, collarbones and fingers.Less often - in the lower back.

This is how the symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis manifest themselves:

  1. Lower back pain.
  2. Pulling sensation in the kidney area or lower abdomen.
  3. Occurrence of sciatic nerve pinching.
  4. The onset of symptoms of a tight piriformis muscle.If this muscle spasms, it compresses the sciatic nerve, causing specific symptoms, including burning and shooting along the leg, starting from the gluteal area to the thigh and lower leg.This neurological symptom most often indicates problems with the spine.
  5. Problems with bowel movements and urination.When a hernia or protrusion compresses the lower parts of the nerve endings, the force of contraction of the smooth muscles of the intestine and bladder weakens significantly over time.As a result, intestinal atony and urine retention develop.Such conditions are extremely dangerous and require qualified medical care.
  6. Over time, the patient's gait changes and lameness appears in one leg.The condition is also associated with pinching of nerve endings.

If the patient has several symptoms on a certain part of the spine, which are reminiscent of advanced osteochondrosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.There are no specific diagnostic criteria that allow you to discover the disease yourself.It is necessary to undergo a comprehensive diagnosis, after which the exact cause of the disease will be determined.

Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the back

Primary diagnosis consists of taking an anamnesis.A neurologist or traumatologist asks about complaints and examines the patient's back.If the patient is not sure that he should see these specialists in particular, he should see a therapist first.The general practitioner will examine the patient, record complaints in the record and give a referral to a specialist.

The main problem in diagnosing osteochondrosis of the spine is that the pathology gives many false signs that indicate other diseases.Therefore, it is necessary to visit a specialist several times to make sure that there are no pathologies related to the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems.

What types of diagnostics are usually prescribed:

  1. Radiography.This type of examination is quick and does not require large financial costs.The image can be obtained free of charge if the patient undergoes the procedure at the clinic at the place of registration.An X-ray image can superficially assess the condition of the ridge.If there are gross defects or signs of a reduction in the distance between the intervertebral spaces, the patient will be referred to other procedures to clarify the diagnosis.
  2. MRI or CT.These types of studies clearly see soft tissues, therefore, they are the main diagnostic methods that recognize various degenerative processes - displacements, disc herniations, protrusions.With the help of such diagnostics, not only osteochondrosis is detected, but also hernias, protrusions and pinched nerves.
  3. Laboratory tests.Sometimes it is necessary to undergo a series of blood tests that will help to find hidden diseases that negatively affect the course of the disease.Usually tests are done in combination - OBC, OAM, sugar, regulators of calcium-phosphorus metabolism, rheumatological tests.

Based on the obtained data, the doctor makes a final diagnosis.After receiving the conclusion, you must follow the recommendations of the specialist in order to endure the course of the spinal disease as painlessly as possible.There are pathologies that cannot be completely cured.These include osteochondrosis.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

There are many treatment options for this spinal disease.They are used depending on the stage of the complication.If the pathology is at an early stage, then the best remedies are drugs and conservative treatment.In advanced cases, this is rare, but surgical intervention may be required when medications do not help and the patient loses feeling in the limbs and becomes disabled.

What is used among medicinal products:

  1. NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.These medications quickly relieve pain associated with inflammation or irritation.The therapeutic effect is achieved quickly, within one day.Therefore, such drugs are the first line of choice.Disadvantages of NSAIDs - you cannot inject them for more than two days.In oral form, some types of drugs are used for no longer than three weeks.This limitation in use is explained by the high gastrotoxicity of the drugs.People suffering from peptic ulcer or gastritis are additionally prescribed medicines to protect the stomach lining.
  2. Corticosteroids are hormonal pain relievers.In case of severe pain and degenerative processes, special drugs are given intra-articularly to eliminate local inflammation.The use of extended components is recommended.The active ingredient lasts up to 3-4 weeks.For some patients, one injection is enough to forget about the pain for a long time.
  3. Chondroprotectors are drugs used to strengthen and nourish cartilage tissue.In many patients suffering from osteochondrosis of the spine, cartilage and bone tissue are weak, so they need to be strengthened.Chondroprotectors do not stop the development of the disease and build cartilage tissue, but they help slow down degenerative processes.They take a long course.
  4. Muscle relaxants.Medicines used to relax tight muscles.The duration of therapy is from 2 to 4 weeks.
  5. B vitamins.Neurotropic substances - B1, B6 and B12 help with sciatica or pinching of the sciatic nerve.In large doses, these substances show an analgesic effect and nourish damaged nerve fibers.

Conservative treatment methods include:

  1. Manual therapy.The method allows you to relax tight muscles through the hands of an expert.During an exacerbation, this type of treatment should not be used.
  2. Exercise therapy.You can strengthen your muscles with the help of physical therapy.It has been proven that back pain is more often associated with muscle weakness, because the spine cannot withstand the load, which causes fatigue and discomfort.In order for the patient to feel relief, it is necessary to perform the exercises consistently 2-3 times a week.Physical education improves posture and eliminates pain.
  3. Massage.With the help of a massager, it is possible to improve blood flow in damaged muscles, which has a positive effect on well-being.Increased blood flow nourishes and relaxes tissues, which helps fight cramps.The procedure is contraindicated in the acute period and is performed only during rehabilitation.
  4. Physiotherapy.Conservative treatment is aimed at improving blood flow in damaged tissues using the hardware method.Using electricity or magnetic radiation improves muscle communication, which helps fight spasms and chronic pain.Physiotherapy allows the application of systemic drugs locally, which penetrate well under the skin.

Disease prevention

Osteochondrosis of the spine can be prevented if you adhere to a healthy lifestyle, including giving up bad habits, proper nutrition and combating physical inactivity.You also need to monitor your body weight.Obese patients experience greater stress not only on the back, but also on the whole body.It is recommended to wear orthopedic shoes and monitor your posture.