Many often hear, but do not know exactly what osteochondrosis is. In fact, this disease is not so rare. This disease is characterized by dystrophic-degenerative lesions of vertebral tissues, further deformation of discs between vertebrae, as well as adjacent ligaments of the spinal apparatus.
As a rule, pathology first affects ligaments, then bones and other tissues. When patients start to feel regular pain, they already consult a doctor.
Statistics show that osteochondrosis of the spine accounts for 50-90% of the world's population. Symptoms of osteochondrosis often appear in people over the age of 30, but there is a risk of the onset of symptoms even in teenagers.
Stages of disease development
In medicine, there are several stages of the course of the disease:
- In the 1st stageDehydration of the nucleus pulposus is observed, which in turn leads to the appearance of deformations in the fibrous ring. The initial stage is characterized by the development of symptoms within the vertebral disc. Symptoms of osteochondrosis are not pronounced. Treatment of osteochondrosis at this stage can be carried out with the help of exercise therapy and massage;
- In the 2nd stageafter the change in the height of the disc and the dehydration of the ligament, the muscles begin to converge. This causes them to sag. Symptoms of osteochondrosis include excessive mobility in the vertebral region. This, in turn, can lead to the process of displacement of the vertebra;
- In the 3rd stagesigns of osteochondrosis are most pronounced, as the patient may experience protrusion or even prolapse of the intervertebral discs. Also, due to changes in the bones and muscles, the joints begin to suffer, which leads to the formation of arthrosis;
- In the 4th stagethe patient's spine adapts to the changes that have already occurred. The body tries to immobilize the spine as much as possible to maintain protective as well as locomotor function. At the same time, osteophytes begin to spread in the intervertebral discs - bone growths that occur in nearby vertebrae. Formed osteophytes can cause damage to nerve endings. The result is their disobedience.
Causes of the disease
Symptoms of osteochondrosis can occur for the following reasons:
- spinal cord injury;
- tendency to diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- natural aging process;
- presence of constant physical load;
- obesity;
- incorrect posture;
- the presence of constant vibration - relevant for several professions, for example, drivers of large trucks;
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of osteochondrosis may not appear immediately. The main symptoms include discomfort in the back, as well as pain. Symptoms of osteochondrosis appear most often when the patient exposes the body to great physical force. Also a sign of the disease is a feeling of numbness in the limbs. When at least one of these symptoms appears, it is necessary to pay attention to their nature and intensity - pain in the leg or arm can manifest itself in different ways. Additional signs of osteochondrosis are disc herniation, as well as protrusion or compression of the nerve endings.
Osteochondrosis of the spine is divided into the following types depending on the location:
- in the cervical region;
- in the sternum;
- in the lumbosacral region.
Treatment of the disease
Treatment of osteochondrosis includes a combination of the following methods:
- therapeutic exercises or exercises for osteochondrosis;
- physiotherapy procedures (acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, electrical stimulation);
- diet for osteochondrosis;
- spinal traction;
- massage for osteochondrosis.
Treatment of osteochondrosis should be started as early as possible, but even in the last stages there are great chances to eliminate the disease.
Gymnastics for osteochondrosis is one of the most effective methods of preventing and stopping the manifestations of the disease. Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis includes exercises that can strengthen the muscles of the back and the whole body. To get the effect after a few sessions, you need to do gymnastics every day. Gymnastics for osteochondrosis includes popular exercises that are probably familiar to many, as they are used in the complex of morning exercises.
Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis not only helps to recover quickly, but is also able to prevent the appearance of the first signs of the disease. Instead of morning exercises, you can do exercise therapy for osteochondrosis.
It is necessary to charge with osteochondrosis, align the uneven column of the spine, strengthen the corset of the back muscles, improve metabolism and blood circulation in the tissues. Proper exercise in osteochondrosis improves blood supply to the brain and helps to widen the space between the vertebrae, which allows the release of previously compressed nerve endings. For a patient, doing exercises for osteochondrosis may take only a few minutes every day, but even this can lead to a noticeable reduction in the manifestations of the disease in a few weeks. And exercise is not the main method of treatment with osteochondrosis in the early stages.
Another advantage of exercise therapy for osteochondrosis is that the complex is designed for all age groups, as it takes into account the age characteristics and capabilities of the body. Exercises for osteochondrosis can be done at home or in a clinic on special simulators. It should be noted that the treatment of osteochondrosis at home with high-quality and correct exercises gives the same effective results as performing therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis in the clinic.
Nutrition for osteochondrosis should consist of lean meat, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. Diet for osteochondrosis provides frequent meals (5-6 times a day). At the last meal of the day, you should take a glass of fermented milk products.
Diet for osteochondrosis sharply limits the intake of legumes, grapes and their products, cakes, spices and various refined products. When the doctor draws up a nutritional plan for osteochondrosis for the patient, he will also include bread products with bran, fruits, vegetables and berries (especially sea dog).
In osteochondrosis, nutrition performs the regenerative function of the body, providing cells with building material. It is important to remember that a diet for osteochondrosis (indeed, for the prevention of various other diseases) involves careful chewing of food. At the same time, the process of eating food lasts at least 15 minutes. The more saliva and gastric juice are secreted, the greater the effect of rational and balanced nutrition in osteochondrosis.
Treatment of osteochondrosis is also carried out with the help of massage. Massage for osteochondrosis is performed when the patient does not feel pain when touched. Therapeutic massage for osteochondrosis has a reflexive effect on painful areas by stimulating parts of the body that are not sensitive to the disease. At the same time, massage for osteochondrosis should start in a very gentle mode so as not to cause discomfort in the form of muscle tension.
The technique of massage for osteochondrosis shows that during the session the patient lies in the most comfortable position on his stomach. The general goals of massage for osteochondrosis are as follows:
- pain relief;
- improvement of metabolism in the area of occurrence of the disease;
- muscle relaxation;
- suppression of inflammatory processes in the intervertebral disc area.
Also, the debate about how to treat osteochondrosis at home does not decrease. There are many alternative methods, but their use must be agreed with the attending physician. Now all doctors unanimously say that massage and exercises for osteochondrosis are the right ways to first reduce all symptoms of the disease, and then completely eliminate it.