Many hear it often but do not know exactly what osteochondrosis is. In fact, this disease is not that rare. This disease is characterized by dystrophic-degenerative lesions of the vertebral tissues, further deformation of the discs between the vertebrae, as well as adjacent ligaments of the spinal apparatus.
As a rule, the pathology negatively affects the ligaments first, then the bones and other tissues. Patients go to the doctor when they start to experience regular pain.
Statistics show that osteochondrosis of the spine has 50 to 90% of the world population. Often, symptoms of osteochondrosis appear in people who have passed the threshold of 30 years, but there is a risk of the appearance of manifestations even in teenagers.
Stages of disease development
In medicine, there are several stages of the course of the disease:
- in phase 1there is dehydration of the nucleus pulposus 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. Signs of osteochondrosis are not pronounced. Treatment of osteochondrosis at this stage can be carried out with the help of exercise therapy and massage;
- in phase 2after a change in disc height and after ligament dehydration, the muscles begin to converge. This makes them give in. Signs of osteochondrosis also include excessive mobility in the vertebral region. This, in turn, can cause the vertebrae to shift;
- in phase 3the signs of osteochondrosis become the most pronounced, as the patient may present with protrusion of the intervertebral discs or even prolapse. Also, due to changes in the bones and muscles, the joints begin to suffer, which causes the formation of osteoarthritis;
- in phase 4the patient's spine is already adapting to the changes that have occurred. The body tries to immobilize the spine as much as possible to preserve its protective and musculoskeletal function. At the same time, osteophytes begin to spread on intervertebral discs - bony growths that form on nearby vertebrae. The resulting osteophytes can damage nerve endings. The result is your isolation.
Causes of disease
Signs of osteochondrosis can occur due to such reasons:
- spinal injury;
- predisposition to diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- natural aging process;
- the presence of constant physical overload;
- obesity;
- incorrect posture;
- the presence of constant vibration - relevant for various professions, for example, drivers of large trucks;
disease symptoms
Symptoms of osteochondrosis may not appear right away. The main symptoms include back discomfort as well as pain. Symptoms of osteochondrosis appear most often when the patient exposes the body to a great deal of physical exertion. Also a symptom of the disease is a feeling of numbness in the limbs. When at least one of these signs appears, you need to pay attention to its nature and intensity - leg or arm pain can manifest itself in different ways. Additional signs of osteochondrosis are a herniated disc as well as protrusion or pinching of the nerve ending.
Osteochondrosis of the spine is of the following types, depending on the location:
- in the cervical region;
- in the sternum region;
- in the lumbosacral region.
disease treatment
Treatment of osteochondrosis involves a combination of the following methods:
- therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis or exercise;
- physiotherapy procedures (acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, electrical stimulation);
- diet for osteochondrosis;
- spine traction;
- massage for osteochondrosis.
The treatment of osteochondrosis should be started as early as possible, but even in the last stages there are great chances of overcoming 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 your back muscles and your entire body. It is necessary to perform gymnastics daily to achieve the effect after a few sessions. Gymnastics for osteochondrosis includes popular exercises that are probably familiar to many as they are used in the morning exercise complex.
Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis not only contributes to a quick recovery, but is also able to prevent the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease. You can do exercise therapy for osteochondrosis instead of morning exercise.
Loading with osteochondrosis should align the irregular spine 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 expand the space between the vertebrae, which allows you to release previously compressed nerve endings. For a patient, doing exercises for osteochondrosis may only take a few minutes every day, but even that can lead to a noticeable decrease in the manifestations of the disease within a few weeks. And in the early stages, exercise with osteochondrosis is not the main method of treatment.
Another advantage of exercise therapy for osteochondrosis is that the complex is designed for people of all ages, as it takes into account the characteristics of age and the capabilities of the body. Exercises for osteochondrosis can be done at home, or perhaps in the clinic on special simulators. It should be noted that with proper and high-quality exercises, treating osteochondrosis at home brings the same effective results as performing therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis in the clinic.
Nutrition for osteochondrosis should include lean meat, dairy, vegetables and fruits. The diet for osteochondrosis provides for frequent feeding (5-6 times a day). At the last meal of the day, you need to have a glass of fermented dairy products.
The osteochondrosis diet drastically limits your intake of vegetables, grapes and grapes, muffins, spices, and various refined products. When the doctor draws up his osteochondrosis nutrition plan for the patient, he will also include baked goods containing bran, fruits, vegetables and berries (in particular, hawthorn).
Nutrition in osteochondrosis plays a restorative role in the body, providing building material to the cells. It is important to remember that a diet for osteochondrosis (as, indeed, for the prevention of several other diseases) involves careful chewing of food. The process of eating food at the same time takes at least 15 minutes. The more saliva and gastric juices are secreted, the greater the effect of a rational and balanced diet on 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 being touched. Massage therapy for osteochondrosis reflexively affects painful areas, stimulating areas of the body that are not susceptible to disease. At the same time, massage for osteochondrosis should start very gently, so as not to cause discomfort in the form of muscle tension.
The technique according to which massage is performed for osteochondrosis suggests that the patient lie face down in the most relaxed position during the session. The general goals pursued by massage for osteochondrosis are as follows:
- pain elimination;
- improved metabolism in the area of disease occurrence;
- muscle relaxation;
- suppression of inflammatory processes in the intervertebral disc area.
In addition, disputes about how to cure osteochondrosis at home do not subside. There are many alternative methods, but their use must be agreed with the treating 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 overcome it.