Osteochondrosis is a degenerative process that occurs in the articular cartilage and adjacent bone tissue.Doctors define this disease as a degenerative lesion-destroying vertebrae and intervertebral discs: they lose moisture, height and decrease in elasticity.
Osteochondrosis "looks younger"
If only a few decades ago, articular cartilage began to deteriorate in people who had passed the 40-year mark, today the disease occurs even in adolescence.
Doctors name many reasons for this unpleasant trend.Unhealthy lifestyles, together with unfavorable environmental conditions and deteriorating living standards, cause premature wear and deformation of bone and cartilage structures.
Always being in an unnatural position, an inactive lifestyle, and poor nutrition accompany everyone.Few people think about the prevention of osteochondrosis, neglecting physical exercise, a balanced diet, and an approach to maintaining their own health in general.The consequences of such ignorance are usually sad.
The main cause of osteochondrosis
Experts still dispute how many real factors in the formation of the disease exist.Unconditional reasons include:
- individual tendencies;
- segmental circulatory disorders;
- changes acquired with age;
- damage to the fibrous ring;
- overweight;
- constant load;
- poor nutrition;
- bad habits;
- body failure during menopause;
- sedentary work.
Stages of development of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is classified in stages, taking into account clinical signs, the level of tissue damage and the level of patient discomfort.The pathological process occurs in four stages:
- preclinical.First, the basic level of nutrition of the intervertebral disc decreases, its elasticity and firmness deteriorate.No changes can be detected on x-ray.Patients may experience some fatigue, mild discomfort, stiffness, dizziness, headache;
- Stages of discogenic radiculitis.The fibrous ring begins to slowly change shape (cracks and protrusions appear).The pain becomes sharper and more sudden, the discomfort becomes more pronounced.Symptoms such as "lumbago" appear, limbs begin to go numb;
- Vascular-radicular stage.The fibrin ring loses its shape completely.From this moment on, a hernia can form.X-rays are very informative.The patient's subjective sensations are pronounced (pain, sharp pain attacks, constant discomfort).Frequent muscle spasms appear, and performance drops sharply.If the nerve fibers suffer, then the first signs of dysfunction of the internal system cannot be avoided;
- When the height of the vertebrae decreases, friction between them begins.Osteophytes may appear as a compensatory mechanism.This is a specialized osteogrowth that helps strengthen the area where the friction is strongest.But osteophytes can trigger an inflammatory process in the surrounding soft tissue, worsening the pathological picture.
Disease symptoms: emphasis on patient well-being
Osteochondrosis is characterized by a whole galaxy of very different symptoms.This is due to the extent of the pathological process itself and its influence on most organs of the human body.There are several main syndromes that manifest themselves in patients suffering from osteochondrosis:
- Static syndrome.When the vertebrae lose their shape, your posture definitely changes.Signs of kyphosis, scoliosis, and lordosis appear.Discomfort is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness;
- Neurological syndrome.Damage to nerve tissue leads to paresthesia (impaired sensitivity) of different zones, accompanied by numbness, tingling, "crawling";
- Vascular syndrome.Due to the compression (squeezing) of large vessels and capillaries by the deformed vertebrae, blood circulation is disturbed.Results: nausea, dizziness, paleness, signs of oxygen starvation;
- Symptoms of trophism.Because tissue nutrition is disrupted (due to compression of small vessels), trophic ulcers may appear on the surface of the skin.
Cervical osteochondrosis
The first manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis is a headache.Analgesics do not relieve pain.Usually, the pain begins in the parietal zone, smoothly flowing to the temporal region.Over time, the patient begins to feel discomfort and numbness in the shoulder girdle.
Due to the interruption of blood supply to the brain, a person may experience dizziness, nausea, and tinnitus that increases.If the nutrition of the optic zone is disturbed, then visual acuity usually decreases sharply.
Elderly people may suddenly lose consciousness and have difficulty with memory and coordination.Rare symptoms include shortness of breath, anxiety, and hiccups.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
The thoracic region is least affected.One of the main reasons for the appearance of pathology is considered to be scoliosis and improper work at a desk (meaning sedentary work).Patients experience dull pain from the beginning of the development of the disease.As the disease progresses, it causes other symptoms: chest pain, numbness, paresthesia, pain in the liver and kidney area.
In the differential diagnosis, deformation processes in the thoracic region may be confused with myocardial infarction and intercostal neuralgia.This ECG and a more careful examination (absence of cyanosis, pallor, pale skin) make it possible to accurately determine the diagnosis.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis
The most common type of osteochondrosis.This is due to the fact that this area of the spine bears the greatest load.Hernia most often occurs here, complicating the clinical picture.
The main symptoms: prolonged pain, muscle aches, discomfort, rare lumbago, paresthesia, which stops from time to time and then resumes.The level of skin sensitivity on the legs, feet and thighs may change.
Common causes of osteochondrosis in this department are trauma, mechanical compression and severe physical activity.One of the most unpleasant consequences of a lumbosacral defect is the "slipping" of the vertebrae and problems in the function of nearby organs.
What pain in osteochondrosis will tell you about
Depending on where the deformation process is most intense, the nature and specificity of the pain depends.The main feature: the damaged vertebra pinches the nerve root, causing pain in the area where the nerve plexus is responsible.
Problems can be distributed as follows:
- Cervical region – headache, stiff neck and shoulders, impaired vision, breathing, and other vital functions;
- Thoracic region - pain in the heart, lumbago in the arms and internal organs, disorders of digestive function, arrhythmia, problems with the function of the endocrine system.The pain is always strong and sharp;
- Lower back - pain, constant pain, damage to the genitourinary system, congestion in the pelvis, reproductive dysfunction.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The doctor needs to collect as complete an anamnesis as possible.During the examination, the specialist palpates the area where the pain is most pronounced.
An X-ray examination will provide information.Especially in the last stages of the disease.
Modern diagnostic methods include MRI and CT, which make it possible to accurately examine the process of destruction of cartilage and bone tissue.Also, using this technique it is easy to diagnose hernias and other soft tissue defects near the source of the disease.
For the differential diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, ECG is used.Patients must undergo general blood and urine tests.
Work at the computer and the development of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a dangerous disease.It affects both "office plankton" who sit in front of the computer all the time, and ordinary workers who cause their health to suffer tremendous stress.Irrational work, neglect of the rules for the prevention of osteochondrosis and an unhealthy lifestyle lead to the rapid destruction of bones and cartilage tissue.
The modern youth generation is too "computerized".Many medical professionals cite this as one of the main reasons why osteochondrosis has become so common and affects very young people.Top tips from the experts:
- It is necessary to monitor your posture and position at your desk;
- Even during hard work, it is important to rest and "stretch" the body;
- You cannot tolerate discomfort while sitting in front of the computer.The body, especially the back, should be comfortable;
- Active lifestyle.Work time or free time at the computer should alternate with recreational sports or light gymnastics.
Wrong lifestyle
An unbalanced diet causes osteochondrosis.Snacks attack on several "fronts" at once.First of all, obesity caused by fast food and similar snacks is one of the causes of spinal dysfunction.And deposited salt and other harmful elements in the bones only worsen the problem, accelerating the destructive process.
Alcohol and smoking have similar effects.Harmful substances affect the cellular level, have a damaging effect on bone tissue and cartilage surfaces, which are most sensitive to nicotine.
By reviewing your lifestyle, diet, and eliminating bad habits, you can prevent the appearance or development of osteochondrosis.The ability to move easily and freely is a real luxury, a gift of nature for everyone.Unfortunately, the value of painless movement becomes clear only when pathological processes paralyze the human body.
Taking care of your health today means a happy and fulfilling life in the future.