Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine: symptoms and treatment

About 80% of people over 55 years old experience manifestations of various diseases of the back, they should not neglect the faces of younger age categories. So, one of the most common diseases of the spinal column-osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine-is also found in patients of 25-45 years. Even young people aged 16-25 are increasingly suffering from symptoms and causes of this extremely unpleasant ailment. The question becomes logical about whether it is possible to stop the tendency of the number of patients in general, and what to do to each person for preventive purposes so as not to become a victim of this pathology?

Symptoms

With insufficient attention to this disease, untimely diagnosis, its treatment is difficult in that secondary diseases or complications occur. As a natural continuation of pathology, osteochondrosis begins to progress. Its treatment is not always effective, and when tightening or an incorrectly prescribed therapeutic course, a risk of disability occurs. Another characteristic problem is the appearance of intervertebral hernias, which is accompanied by unbearable painful sensations. Every day, the chances of irrevocable getting rid of hernia are getting less and less.

The characteristic clinical symptoms help to recognize the disease in the early stages and avoid these sad consequences:

• Sharp pain after night sleep;
• Pain with sharp spreads of the body or raising heavy things;
• The body becomes inactive;
• Signs of scoliosis appear;
• The dream becomes restless;
• Depressive moods arise;
• Frequent urination are noted.

An independent assessment of these symptoms cannot be correct, since most of them have a common similarity to signs of other diseases in the spine or joints. Therefore, only a rheumatologist or orthopedist has a competence to talk about the presence of developing osteochondrosis of the lumbar region.

Classification

Differential diagnosis to correctly determine the disease, distinguish it from identical pathologies and determine the treatment course, the classification of the stages of this ailment helps:

• Stage 1 - at this time, the structure of the cartilage is just beginning to be changed. But now, pathological processes are affected by roots of nerve endings. As a result of this, pain is given in the legs. At the same time, blood flow worsens and inflammation is born. Pains are acute or stupid, and appear mainly only after reinforced loads on the axis of the back;
• The 2nd stage begins with the destruction of the fibrous ring in the spine, while the cartilage is thinner, and the vertebrae reduce the distance with each other. Pain in the second stage is sharp and sharp, sometimes unreasonable. During this period, the mobility of the spine throughout its axis intensifies, pinches of nerves occur, pressure on the soft tissues of the muscle corset is created;
• Stage 3 is characterized by strong compression of muscle fibers and nerve roots. Unbearable spasms and soreness with a burning character occur. In the area of defeat, numbness feels. With intensive development of the disease, signs of paresis and paralysis appear;
• Stage 4 - the period of growth of already formed osteophytes (neoplasms with the bone structure). At this stage, changes in a degenerative nature are activated, arthrosis in the spine and joints appear. The back becomes inactive, and in the absence of the correct treatment - completely motionless.

Diagnostic methods

Since even the ideal knowledge of the clinic and the classification of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine does not give a complete idea of the pathological processes provoked by him, a doctor who is engaged in the treatment of pathological processes in the spine, ailments of the musculoskeletal system or the orthopedist has to be prescribed an additional diagnostic examination:

1. X -ray in the frontal and lateral projection - makes it possible to identify distortion of the axis, the formation of osteofites, anatomical abnormalities of the vertebrae;
2. Magnetic resonance imaging-determines the state of the entire zone of back damage, detects fragments of destroyed vertebrae, cartilage and foci of inflammation;
3. Computed tomography gives an idea of the condition of soft tissues, bones of the vertebrae, the outer shell of the intervertebral disc, in principle, which is in principle for its integrity. and blood circulation in the area of localization of the disease.

At the same time, the patient takes tests for a rheumatoid test, general blood indicators, the content of biochemical components. The total survey results allow you to accurately establish the diagnosis and identify the development stage of osteochondrosis of the lumbar region.

Symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine

Among the common causes of pain in the back of the back, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, symptoms, the treatment of which have their characteristic features. The disease is the initial stage of osteochondrosis associated with the process of destruction of the cartilage ring, intervertebral discs, a change in their height towards reduction, the formation of swelling and pinches of nerve roots. Young and elderly people can face the disease, regardless of gender, social status and religion. A long absence of the manifestation of the symptoms of the disease leads to the loss of precious time and the transition from one stage of the disease to more severe forms of its development. The main distinguishing characteristic of osteochondrosis is the boundary zone of dystrophic changes in the tissues of the vertebrae, which does not go beyond the articular cartilage.

Causes of the initial stage of osteochondrosis

A number of external and internal factors determine the development of the pathological state of the lumbar region of the axial skeleton. Lumbar osteochondrosis appears due to certain risk factors. These include:

• aging of the body after 50 years;
• improper posture and anomaly of the anatomical structure of the axial skeleton, which determines the uneven load on the vertebrae;
• lifting weights with a weak muscle frame;
• hypothermia of the patient's body as a whole and the lower back separately;
• dysfunction of metabolic processes, work of endocrine organs, cardiovascular system;
• uneven loads on the spine during the performance of production duties, household chores, professional and amateur sports;
• pathologies of the musculoskeletal system of innate or acquired nature;
• hypodynamia, high frequency of stressful situations;
• excess body weight of the patient;
• lack of vitamins, minerals, trace elements in the body of a sick person, which are responsible for the health of the spine;
• acquisition of high -heeled shoes, uncomfortable platforms;
• The use of high pillows and soft mattresses during rest and sleep.

The frequency of diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the lumbar skeleton is determined by the number of risk factors for its development that are present in the patient's life.

Diagnosis of the disease

The determination of the degenerative-dystrophic lesion of one of the five vertebrae of the lumbar space of the axial skeleton provides for diagnostic measures. They are prescribed by a doctor. At the consultation with a specialist who knows how to treat lumbar osteochondrosis, a history of the disease is collected, the time and features of the manifestation of signs, the intensity and place of localization of painful sensations are being clarified. The condition of muscle fibers in the damage zone is determined by visual examination. Using the palpation method provides an opportunity for a doctor to see a picture of the symmetry of the vertebrae and the distance between them. The final diagnosis is established after obtaining the results of additional studies. These include:

• X -ray, performed in two projections and providing the opportunity to see the position of the vertebrae, the height of the disks, the seal of marginal bone plates and growths;
• Magnetic resonance imaging, which is a special research method to determine the state of the vascular system and fibrous rings in the degenerative-dystrophic lesion zone.

The goals and methods of treatment of pathology

The results of diagnostic measures are the basis for the treatment regimen for osteochondrosis of the lumbar lumbar skeleton, which pursues certain targets. These include:

• a decrease in the intensity of pain caused by degenerative-dystrophic lesions of one or more vertebrae of the lumbar skeleton;
• normalization of metabolic processes in cartilage, their restoration and exclusion of the risk of their further destruction;
• reduction in the load on the nerve fibers;
• increased blood flow in the tissues of the spine using massage, physiotherapeutic procedures;
• Strengthening the muscle frame of the axial skeleton by regular exercises of exercise therapy recommended by the instructor.

Therapy of chondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms and treatment of which has its own characteristics, consists of taking and the use of pharmaceuticals, recipes of traditional medicine, methods of unconventional treatment, including hirudotherapy. An effective addition in solving the problem of pathology is physiotherapeutic, water, massage procedures, gymnastics and sports, including special exercise exercises. Drug therapy includes the use of anti -inflammatory non -steroidal drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors, vitamin complexes with trace elements and minerals.

With very severe pains, novocaine or lidocaine blockades are prescribed, performed by introducing injections into the affected places of the vertebrae. For local use, ointments, gels, creams, patchings with a warming, anti -inflammatory effect are prescribed. Physiotherapeutic treatment includes the passage of healing courses of electrophoresis, diadynamic currents, exposure to ultravioletus, manual, shock-wave and reflexology procedures. In the absence of positive dynamics, the appearance of hernial protrusions, a surgical operation is prescribed. In order to avoid the development of complications with the appearance of the first symptoms, the treatment must begin immediately.

Lumbar osteochondrosis

Lumbar osteochondrosis is one of the most common forms of the underlying disease, actually osteochondrosis. Lumbar osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are equally determined by both men and women, manifested in the form of pain concentrated in the sacrum area, reflected in their symptoms and on the lower extremities, which is often determined by patients as "pinching of the lumbar nerve".

Protrusion for lumbar osteochondrosis

Protes in this area of interest to us develop most often, moreover, it is protrusions that cause the appearance of pain in the lower back. The lumbar region itself, given its location and features, is most subject to the emergence of certain functional problems. That is, when considering this statement on the one hand, it can be distinguished that our center of gravity directly refers precisely to the lumbar department, respectively, it is precisely on it that a significant part of the loads accounts. When considering, on the other hand, it can be noted that a significant amplitude of movements, again, falls on this lumbar region. Given this, the greatest tendency to damage (as well as protrusions of interest to us) is on the discs concentrated in the lumbar region. In addition, we must not forget that changes in discs in this and, of course, in other areas, occur, including against the background of age -related degenerative processes.

Recall our readers what the protrusions themselves are. The connection of the disks with each other in the spine is provided by the wheels based on cartilage. The main components of the intervertebral disk are a jetty nucleus and a fibrous ring, through which fixation is provided within the framework of the spinal disk. The impact of certain factors and conditions provokes the possibility of breaking this ring, against the background of which, in turn, the nucleus protrusion occurs. As a result of this process, hernia develops. As for the protrusion, it is already developing as a result of a similar course of the process, but without the concomitant rupture of the ring - in this case it is simply subject to thinning, and not a break, because the core protrudes directly through the ring. Actually, this protrusion is defined as protrusion.

As for the symptoms of protrusion, it manifests itself as follows:

• a feeling of stiffness in the lower back;
• soreness in the lumbar region;
• Lower pain of a chronic nature;
• lumbosacral radiculite;
• numbness, pain, tingling fingers on the legs, in the feet;
• impaired urination functions (in rare cases of the pathology under consideration).

Mostly, conservative treatment is applied to the protrusion of the lumbar disk. Meanwhile, significant in the development of protrusion are often accompanied by severe symptoms, resistant to treatment, in this case, you can no longer do without surgical intervention.

Treatment

Mostly the treatment of osteochondrosis is multicomponent and quite complicated in its implementation. Mostly all measures of therapy are reduced to the following points:

• drug treatment;
• if necessary - surgical treatment;
• diet;
• Medical physical education.

Exacerbation of the disease requires, first of all, compliance with bed rest for patients. The main recommendation for this part is a hard/hard sleeping place. Extremely expressed in manifestations, attacks provide for the need for a minimum motor load and in an early contact to the relevant specialist.