Many people often hear about it, but don't know what osteochondrosis actually is. In fact, the disease is not uncommon. The disease is characterized by dystrophy-degenerative disease of the vertebral body tissue, with further deformation of the intervertebral discs between the vertebrae and the adjacent ligaments of the spinal apparatus.
Often, the pathology negatively affects the ligaments first, followed by the bones and other tissues. By the time patients start to experience regular pain, they are already seeing a doctor.
Statistics show that spinal osteochondrosis has accounted for 50% to 90% of the world's population. Symptoms of osteochondrosis usually appear in people over the age of 30, but even teens are at risk for symptoms.
stage of disease development
In medicine, the disease process has several stages:
- At the first stageDehydration of the nucleus pulposus was observed, resulting in deformation of the annulus fibrosus. The initial stage is characterized by symptoms within the disc. The signs of osteochondrosis are not obvious. The treatment of osteochondrosis at this stage can be carried out with the help of exercise therapy and massage;
- in stage 2After the disc height changes and the ligaments become dehydrated, the muscles begin to converge. This causes them to sag. Signs of osteochondrosis also include hypermobility in the vertebral region. This in turn causes the process of displacement of the vertebrae;
- in stage 3The signs of osteochondrosis become most obvious as patients may experience a herniated or even prolapsed disc. In addition, due to changes in the bones and muscles, the joints begin to be affected, leading to the formation of arthropathy;
- in stage 4The patient's spine is already adapting to the changes that have taken place. The body tries to immobilize the spine as much as possible to maintain its protective function as well as musculoskeletal function. At the same time, osteophytes begin to spread in the discs -- bone growths forming on nearby vertebrae. The resulting osteophytes can cause damage to nerve endings. The result is their impatience.
cause of disease
Signs of osteochondrosis may appear due to:
- Spinal cord injury;
- Susceptibility to musculoskeletal diseases;
- natural aging process;
- There is persistent physical overload;
- obesity;
- incorrect posture;
- Presence of persistent vibration - associated with multiple occupations, such as large truck drivers;
symptoms of disease
Symptoms of osteochondrosis may not appear right away. The main symptoms include back discomfort and pain. Symptoms of osteochondrosis most often occur when the patient exposes the body to heavy physical exertion. In addition, a symptom of the disease is numbness in the extremities. When at least one of these signs appears, you need to pay attention to their nature and intensity - pain in the leg or arm can manifest in different ways. Other signs of osteochondrosis are herniated discs, and herniated or pinched nerve endings.
There are the following types of spinal osteochondrosis, depending on the location:
- in the neck area;
- in the sternum area;
- in the lumbosacral region.
treatment of disease
Treatment for osteochondrosis includes a combination of the following:
- Therapeutic exercises or exercises for osteochondrosis;
- Physiotherapy procedures (acupuncture, medication, electrical stimulation);
- diet for osteochondrosis;
- spinal traction;
- Massage for osteochondrosis.
Treatment for osteochondrosis should begin as early as possible, but even in the final stages, there is a good chance of overcoming the disease.
Osteochondrosis gymnastics is one of the most effective ways to prevent and stop the manifestations of the disease. Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis includes exercises that strengthen the muscles of the back and whole body. Gymnastics are required every day, several times to achieve results. Osteochondrosis gymnastics include popular exercises that many may be familiar with, as they are used for complex morning exercises.
Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis not only facilitates rapid recovery, but also prevents the first symptoms of the disease from appearing. Instead of morning exercise, you can do exercise therapy for osteochondrosis.
Charges with osteochondrosis should align the uneven columns of the spine, strengthen the corset of the back muscles, improve metabolism and blood circulation in the tissues. Proper exercise for osteochondrosis improves blood supply to the brain and helps widen the space between the vertebrae, allowing you to release previously compressed nerve endings. For patients, osteochondrosis exercise can be done in just a few minutes a day, but even this can lead to a significant reduction in disease manifestations within a few weeks. And in the early stages, exercise and osteochondrosis are not the primary treatment at all.
Another advantage of osteochondrosis exercise therapy is that the complex is designed for people of all ages, as it takes into account the age characteristics and abilities of the body. Exercises for osteochondrosis can be performed at home or on special simulators in the clinic. It is important to note that with high-quality and appropriate exercise, treating osteochondrosis at home can be as effective as therapeutic exercise in the clinic.
Nutrition for osteochondrosis should include lean meats, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. A diet for osteochondrosis provides frequent eating (5-6 times a day). For the last meal of the day, you need to drink a glass of fermented dairy products.
The osteochondrosis diet severely limits the intake of beans, grapes and their products, muffins, spices, and various refined products. When a doctor develops a nutritional plan for a patient with osteochondrosis, he will also include baked products containing bran, fruits, vegetables, and berries (especially sea buckthorn).
Nutrients in osteochondrosis have restorative functions on the body, providing cells with building materials. It's important to remember that a diet for osteochondrosis (actually to prevent various other diseases) requires careful chewing of food. The process of eating at the same time lasts at least 15 minutes. The more saliva and gastric juice secreted, the greater the effect of a reasonable and balanced diet on osteochondrosis.
The treatment of osteochondrosis is also carried out with the help of massage. Osteochondrosis massage is performed when the patient feels no pain to the touch. Therapeutic massage for osteochondrosis reflexively affects painful areas by stimulating less susceptible areas of the body. At the same time, massage for osteochondrosis should be started in a very gentle way so as not to cause discomfort due to muscle tension.
Techniques of massage for osteochondrosis show that patients lie on their backs in the most relaxed position during treatment. The overall goals of massage therapy for osteochondrosis are as follows:
- relieve pain;
- Improve metabolism in diseased areas;
- muscle relaxation;
- Inhibits inflammatory processes in the area of the intervertebral disc.
Also, the debate over how to treat osteochondrosis at home has not died down. There are many alternatives, but their use must be approved by the attending physician. All doctors now agree that massage and exercise for osteochondrosis is the right way to first relieve all symptoms of the disease and then overcome it completely.