Osteochondrosis is a degenerative process that occurs in articular cartilage and adjacent bone tissue.Doctors define this disease as a degenerative-destructive lesion of vertebrae and intervertebral discs: moisture, height and elasticity decrease.
Osteochondrosis "looked younger"
A few decades ago, articular cartilage began to deteriorate in people who passed the 40-year mark, today the disease occurs even in adolescence.
Doctors named many reasons for this unpleasant trend.An unhealthy lifestyle, along with an unfavorable environmental situation and a poor standard of living, provokes premature wear and deformation of bone and cartilage structures.
Constantly being in an unnatural state, a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition accompany every person.Few people think about the prevention of osteochondrosis, physical exercises, a balanced diet and an approach to maintaining their health in general.As a result of such unconsciousness, it is generally sad.
The main causes of osteochondrosis
Experts still argue how many real factors are involved in the formation of the disease.Unconditional causes include:
- individual inclination;
- segmental bleeding disorders;
- age-related changes;
- damage to the fibrous ring;
- overweight;
- constant loads;
- poor nutrition;
- bad habits;
- failure of the body during menopause;
- sedentary work.
Stages of development of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is classified into stages, taking into account clinical signs, tissue damage and the level of patient discomfort.The pathological process occurs in four stages:
- Preclinic.Firstly, the basic level of nutrition of the intervertebral discs decreases, their flexibility and strength deteriorate.No changes can be detected on X-ray.The patient may experience mild fatigue, mild discomfort, stiffness, dizziness, headache;
- Stage of discogenic radiculitis.The fibrous ring begins to slowly deform (cracks and protrusions appear).The pain is sharper and more sudden, the discomfort is more noticeable.A symptom like "lumbago" appears, the limbs begin to go numb;
- Vascular-radicular stage.The fibrin ring completely loses its shape.From this moment, a hernia may occur.X-rays are very informative.Subjective feelings of patients are pronounced (pain, acute attacks of pain, constant anxiety).Often muscle spasms appear and performance decreases sharply.If the nerve fibers suffer, the first signs of dysfunction of the internal systems are inevitable;
- As the height of the spines decreases, the friction between them begins.Osteophytes may be seen as a compensatory mechanism.These are special osteogrowths that help strengthen the area where the friction is most intense.But osteophytes can be caused by inflammatory processes in the surrounding soft tissues, inflammatory processes that aggravate the pathological picture.
Disease symptoms: an emphasis on patient well-being
Osteochondrosis is characterized by a galaxy of very different symptoms.This is related to the impact of the pathological process itself and on most organs of the human body.There are several main syndromes that manifest themselves in patients suffering from osteochondrosis:
- Static syndrome.When your vertebrae lose their shape, your posture inevitably changes.Signs of kyphosis, scoliosis and lordosis appear.Anxiety is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness;
- Neurological syndrome.Damage to nerve tissue is accompanied by paresthesia (uselessness) of various zones, numbness, tingling, "creeping" feeling;
- Vascular syndrome.Blood circulation is disturbed due to compression (squeezing) of large vessels and capillaries with a deformed vertebra.Result: nausea, dizziness, pallor, signs of oxygen starvation;
- A sign of trophism.Because tissue nutrition is disturbed (due to compression of small vessels), trophic ulcers can appear on the surface of the skin.
Cervical osteochondrosis
The first manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis is a headache.Analgesics do not relieve pain.Typically, pain begins in the parietal zone, which flows smoothly into the temporal region.Over time, the patient begins to feel discomfort and numbness in the shoulder girdle.
Due to the blood supply to the brain, a person may experience dizziness, nausea and increased tinnitus.If the nutrition of the optical zone is disturbed, the invisible acuity is generally sharply reduced.
Elderly people may suddenly lose consciousness and have difficulty with memory and coordination.Rare symptoms include shortness of breath, restlessness, and hiccups.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
The thoracic region is the least affected.One of the main reasons for the appearance of pathology is scoliosis and improper work at the desk (meaning sedentary work).The patient experiences a dull aching pain from the beginning of the development of the disease.As the disease progresses, it provokes other symptoms: chest pain, numbness, paresthesia, pain in the area of the liver and kidneys.
In the differential diagnosis, deformation processes in the thoracic region can be confused with myocardial infarction and intercostal neuralgia.This ECG and a more comprehensive examination (absence of cyanosis, pallor, lack of paleness of the skin) allow to accurately indicate the diagnosis.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis
The most common type of osteochondrosis.This is because this area of the spine carries the biggest load.Hernias, most often occur here, complicate the clinical picture.
Main symptoms: Prolonged pain, pain, discomfort, rare lumbago, paresthesia, sensations that stop from time to time and then resume again.The degree of skin sensitivity can vary on the legs, feet and thighs.
A common cause of osteochondrosis in this department is trauma, mechanical compression and heavy physical activity.One of the most unpleasant consequences of lumbosacral deformities is "slipping" of vertebrae and problems in the functioning of nearby organs.
What pain in osteochondrosis will tell you
Depending on where the deformation processes are most intense, the nature and specificity of pain depends.Main feature: Damaged vertebrae cause pain in the area where nerve plexuses are responsible for the nerve roots.
Problems can be distributed as follows:
- Cervical region - headache, stiff neck and shoulders, disturbances in vision, breathing and other important functions;
- Thoracic region - pain in the heart, arm and internal organs, digestive function, arrhythmia, arrhythmia, problems in the functioning of the endocrine system.The pain is always strong and sharp;
- Lower back - aching, constant pain, malfunction of the genitourinary system, obstruction in the pelvis, reproductive dysfunction.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The doctor should collect as complete an anamnesis as possible.During the examination, the specialist palpates the areas where the pain is most pronounced.
X-ray examination will be informative.Especially in the last stages of the disease.
Modern diagnostic methods include MRI and CT, which make it possible to examine the processes of destruction of cartilage and bone tissue in the most accurate way.Also, using this technique, it is convenient to diagnose hernias and other soft tissue defects near the source of the disease.
An ECG is used for the differential diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.The patient should undergo a general blood and urine test.
Working at the computer and the development of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease.It affects the "office plankton" whose employees are always sitting at the computer and subjecting their health to extraordinary stress.Irrational work, neglecting the rules for the prevention of osteochondrosis and an unhealthy lifestyle provokes the rapid destruction of bone and cartilage tissue.
Today's generation of young people is too "computerized".Many medical professionals cite this as one of the main reasons why osteochondrosis is so common and affects so many young people.The best recommendations of experts:
- You need to monitor your posture and position at your desk;
- Even during exertion, it is important to take a break and "stretch" the body;
- You can't stand the discomfort while sitting at the computer.The body, especially the back, should be relaxed;
- Active lifestyle.Computer work or leisure time should be alternated with sports recreation or light gymnastics.
Wrong lifestyle
An unbalanced diet provokes osteochondrosis.Foods that are on several "fronts" at once.First of all, obesity caused by fast food and similar snacks is one of the main causes of spinal dysfunction.Salts and other harmful elements stored in the bones only increase the problem and accelerate the destructive processes.
Alcohol and smoking have a similar effect.Harmful substances affect the cellular level, which has a destructive effect on bone tissue and cartilage surfaces, which are most sensitive to nicotine.
By eliminating your lifestyle, diet and bad habits, you can prevent the appearance or progression of osteochondrosis.The ability to move easily and freely is a real luxury, a gift of nature for every person.Unfortunately, the value of painless movements becomes clear only when the pathological process immobilizes the human body.
Taking care of your health today means a happy, fulfilling life in the future.