Osteochondrosis is a degenerative process that occurs in articular cartilage and adjacent bone tissue.Doctors define this disease as a degenerative-destructive lesion of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs: they lose moisture, height and elasticity decrease.
Osteochondrosis "looked younger"
If only a few decades ago joint cartilage began to deteriorate in people who had crossed the 40-year mark, today the disease appears even in adolescence.
Doctors cite many reasons for this unpleasant trend.An unhealthy lifestyle, together with an unfavorable environmental situation and a deteriorating standard of living, provokes premature wear and deformation of bone and cartilage structures.
Constant standing in an unnatural position, a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition accompany every person.Few people think about the prevention of osteochondrosis, neglecting physical exercises, a balanced diet and an approach to maintaining their health in general.The result of such unconsciousness is usually sad.
The main causes of osteochondrosis
Experts are still debating how many real factors in the formation of the disease exist.Unconditional reasons include:
- individual predisposition;
- segmental blood circulation disorders;
- changes acquired with age;
- damage to the fibrous ring;
- overweight;
- constant load;
- 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, the degree of tissue damage and the patient's level of discomfort.The pathological process occurs in four stages:
- Preclinical.First, the basic level of nutrition of the intervertebral discs decreases, their elasticity and stability 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 becomes sharper and more sudden, the discomfort becomes more apparent.A symptom such as "lumbago" appears, the limbs begin to go numb;
- Vascular-radicular stage.The fibrinous ring completely loses its shape.From this moment, hernias can form.X-rays are very informative.Subjective sensations of patients are pronounced (pain, sharp pain attacks, constant discomfort).Frequent muscle spasms appear and performance decreases significantly.If nerve fibers suffer, then the first signs of dysfunction of internal systems are inevitable;
- As the height of the beads decreases, friction between them begins.Osteophytes may appear as a compensatory mechanism.These are specific growths of osteochondrosis that help strengthen the area where the friction was most intense.But osteophytes can provoke inflammatory processes in the surrounding soft tissues, worsening the pathological appearance.
Symptoms of disease: emphasis on the well-being of patients
Osteochondrosis is characterized by a whole galaxy of very different symptoms.This is due to the infinity of the pathological process itself and its impact on most organs of the human body.There are several main syndromes that manifest in patients suffering from osteochondrosis:
- Static syndrome.When the vertebrae lose their shape, your posture inevitably changes.Signs of kyphosis, scoliosis and lordosis appear.Discomfort is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness;
- Neurological syndrome.Nerve tissue damage leads to paresthesia (impaired sensitivity) of various areas, accompanied by a feeling of numbness, tingling, "crawling";
- Vascular syndrome.Due to the compression (squeezing) of large vessels and capillaries by the deformed vertebrae, blood circulation is disrupted.Result: nausea, dizziness, paleness, signs of oxygen starvation;
- Trophism symptom.Since tissue nutrition is interrupted (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 headache.Analgesics do not relieve pain.Typically, the pain begins in the parietal area, smoothly flowing to the temporal region.Over time, the patient begins to feel discomfort and numbness in the shoulder girdle.
Due to impaired blood supply to the brain, a person may experience dizziness, nausea and tinnitus.If the nutrition of the optic area is damaged, then visual acuity is usually significantly reduced.
Older people may suddenly lose consciousness and have difficulty with memory and coordination.Rare symptoms include shortness of breath, anxiety and hiccups.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
The chest region is less affected.One of the main reasons for the appearance of pathology is considered to be scoliosis and improper desk work (meaning sitting 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, aching pain in the area of the liver and kidneys.
In the differential diagnosis, deformation processes in the chest region can be confused with myocardial infarction and intercostal neuralgia.This ECG and a more complete examination (absence of cyanosis, pallor, pallor of the skin) make it possible to correctly 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.Hernias appear more often here, complicating the clinical picture.
Main symptoms: prolonged pain, muscle soreness, discomfort, rare lumbago, paresthesia, which stops from time to time and then resumes.The degree of skin sensitivity on the legs, feet and thighs may vary.
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 the "slipping" of the vertebrae and problems in the functioning of nearby organs.
What pain in osteochondrosis will tell you
Depending on the place where the deformation processes occur most intensively, the nature and specificity of the pain depends.The main feature: damaged vertebrae squeeze the nerve roots, causing pain in the area for which the nerve plexuses are responsible.
The problems can be broken down as follows:
- Cervical region - headache, stiff neck and shoulders, disturbances in vision, breathing and other important functions;
- Chest region - pain in the heart, lumbago in the arm and internal organs, impaired digestive function, arrhythmia, problems with the functioning of the endocrine system.The pain is always strong and sharp;
- Lower back – pain, constant pain, genitourinary system dysfunction, pelvic congestion, reproductive dysfunction.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The doctor must collect an anamnesis as complete as possible.During the examination, the specialist palpates the areas where the pain is most pronounced.
An 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 more accurately examine the processes of destruction of cartilage and bone tissue.Also, using this technique is suitable for diagnosing hernias and other soft tissue defects near the source of the disease.
For the differential diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the chest region, an ECG is used.The patient should undergo a general blood and urine test.
Computer work and the development of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease.It affects both "office plankton" who sit all the time at the computer, and frustrated workers who subject their health to tremendous stress.Irrational work, neglect of the rules for the prevention of osteochondrosis and an unhealthy lifestyle provoke the rapid destruction of bone 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 young people.Top tips from experts:
- It is necessary to monitor your posture and position at your desk;
- Even during hard work, it is important to take a break and "stretch" the body;
- You cannot tolerate discomfort while sitting at the computer.The body, especially the back, should be comfortable;
- An active lifestyle.Work or free time at the computer should be alternated with sports recreation or light gymnastics.
The wrong way of life
An unbalanced diet provokes osteochondrosis.Junk food attacks on several "fronts" at once.First of all, obesity caused by fast food and similar foods is one of the main causes of spinal dysfunction.And the deposited salts and other harmful elements in the bones only worsen the problem, accelerating the destructive processes.
Alcohol and tobacco have similar effects.Harmful substances affect the cellular level, having a destructive effect on bone tissue and cartilage surfaces, which are the most sensitive to nicotine.
By revising your lifestyle, diet and eliminating bad habits, you can prevent the onset 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 pain-free movements becomes clear only when the pathological process immobilizes the human body.
Taking care of your health today means a happy and fulfilled life in the future.