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 the intervertebral discs.
Functions of intervertebral disc
The main function of the intervertebral disc is to absorb shock while walking and running.Some people think about the load on the spine while walking.Each step pushes 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 pressed between the vertebrae.
Its shock-absorbing abilities depend on the quality of the intervertebral discs.The younger the person, the more flexible the disc.In newborn babies, articular cartilage and intervertebral discs contain about 80% water, which gives them the ability to be as elastic as possible, like a sponge.With age, tissues deform, dry out, become less flexible and lose their shock-absorbing properties.The older the person, the greater the risk of developing complications of osteochondrosis, which are manifested by:
- hernia;
- Radiculitis;
- Raised.
Symptoms of intervertebral disc disease
Osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions occurs.Also, problems in the cervical region may not be accompanied by any specific pain, 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 to examine the cervical spine.
If the pain, concentrating in the sacral region, flows into the leg and buttock (usually only on one side), this indicates damage to the intervertebral discs in the lumbar region.After applying pressure to the damaged area, you may experience numbness in a leg, arm, or tingling in one of the limbs.The main 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.
- Pain that subsides with walking.
At the first sign of damage to the intervertebral disc, you should avoid heavy physical activity on your back, that is, do not lift anything heavy.
Why does osteochondrosis occur?
There are many factors that affect the condition of the disk.These include smoking and excessive exercise, especially when daily activities involve lifting heavy objects.On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition are a sure path to disc destruction.In addition, specific tasks that force you to keep your torso in an uncomfortable position, constant load on only one shoulder, as well as sleeping on an incorrectly selected mattress threaten to develop osteochondrosis.
Sleep correctly on mattresses of medium hardness so that the spine remains in a natural, even position during rest.Only beds with soft feathers look comfortable.Lying on a soft bed for a long time causes back pain in the morning.This happens because the back muscles get stretched when the back bends under its own weight.Strain in 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 are at risk of developing osteochondrosis, since such a foot cannot fully perform the functions of a shock absorber.Due to this, the load on the spinal cord increases and the disc deteriorates rapidly.
In addition, overweight people put more pressure on their spine than those whose body mass index is close to ideal.You need to monitor your size so that the weight and height ratio does not put excess stress on the skeleton.
However, completely healthy people who lead a sports lifestyle can develop osteochondrosis.The main reason for this is injury.An unfortunate fall or blow to the spine often causes hernias, bulges and osteochondrosis.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
A surgeon, an orthopedist or a neurologist can make the diagnosis.Due to the fact that pain in the lumbar region often becomes the reason for contacting a neurologist, such patients are first examined by a doctor of this particular specialty.First of all the patient is examined.To make a diagnosis, he needs to assess the patient's ability to turn the body, bend over, sit, walk, and bend the legs.After which the spinal cord is tapped.Thanks to the manual examination, the doctor will be able to identify pain points and feel narrowings and even hernias between the vertebrae.
To confirm the diagnosis, doctors recommend an X-ray of the spine.This is the simplest test which can be done even in a rural clinic.X-rays have long been available in medical practice and are an integral part of every trauma department.If the X-ray does not confirm the diagnosis, or when a more detailed study is needed, a CT scan or MRI of the spine is prescribed.With the help of such a test it will be possible to find out the quality of the discs, assess their elasticity and integrity, and also identify hidden pathologies.
How to treat osteochondrosis
As a conservative treatment, a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.If there is no serious damage to the disc, and the doctor has seen in the pictures that the cause of the pain is the compression of the nerve by the inflamed muscles, the treatment will be reduced to relieving the inflammatory process.Additionally, warming therapy may be prescribed, which will reduce swelling, relax muscles and relieve a pinched nerve.
In case of bulging or herniated intervertebral disc, the problem of back pain can be solved through surgery.Severely worn vertebrae can be replaced with prosthetics.