The article speaks of what is osteochondrosis of the lumbar back in simple words - this information will allow you to understand what happens when the intervertebral discs are destroyed and how to perform an effective and safe treatment.
According to medical statistics, more than 70% of the modern population knows what osteochondrosis is.A sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular physical activity, excessive calorie intake in diet with lack of essential microelements and vitamins in it - all this and much more leads to the fact that intervertebral discs begin to worsen at a young age.First, a dull pain appears, without attention, and then a sharp, persistent pain in the lumbar region.A person cannot move independently;Anydo movement causes severe pain and discomfort.The involvement of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis is interrupted.
To understand what the spinal osteochondrosis is, you need to have an idea of its structure and functions.Let's start with the second question.So the spinal column is the supporting part of the human skeleton.The upper shoulder band, lower limbs and chest, and skulls are glued to it.The most important function of the spinal column is to ensure the safety of the spinal cord - the central part of the autonomic nervous system, which ensures the performance of the entire human body.
Anatomically, the spinal column consists of two structural parts: vertebral bodies with arch and spinos processes and intervertebral discs.Vertebral bodies make up 70-75% of the height of the spine, and the intervertebral discs (depending on the patient's age) - from 25 to 30%.The shape of the intervertebral disc follows the shape of the vertebral body and the processes of the bow.The disk ensures uniform distribution of load that absorbs the shocks transmitted from the lower extremities and other parts of the body.It also provides protection for radical nerves that leave the spinal cord.
What is lumbar osteochondrosis?It is a degenerative destruction of the dystrophic cartilage tissue of the fibrous ring of the intervertebral discus L5-L4, L4-L3, L3-L2, L2-L1.In total, the lumbar region contains five vertebral bodies and 4 intervertebral discs that divide them.Through the foraminal openings in the vertebral bodies, the radicular nerves are removed, responsible for the intrigue of the following body parts:
- L1 and L2 - abdominal organs and upper thigh;
- L3 - genitals, knees and bladder;
- L4 - feet, feet and prostate gland;
- L5 - toes, feet, feet.
The branches of these radicular nerves form the sciatica, which runs from the back through the gluteal region in the popliteal fosse.It is divided into tibial and fibular branches and then the inner of the leg and lower leg.Also, individual branches of radicular nerves of the lumbar back are part of a nerve plexus called Cauda Equina.
With the development of osteochondrosis, a gradual breakdown of intrigue occurs.Diseases of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis can develop.In severe cases, the atrophy of the muscle fibers of the lower extremities develops, partial leg paresis, etc.
You can learn more information about what is osteochondrosis, what are the symptoms and its treatment in this article.Here are some tips on what to do when such a diagnosis is made and which doctor you should contact to undergo a complete effective treatment.
What is osteochondrosis and what are its causes?
Modern science knows the answers to questions about what osteochondrosis is and what its causes are, but, unfortunately, the application of this knowledge in practice for effective prevention and treatment is difficult due to the fact that the patient will have to make any effort to combat the disease.
Anatomically and physiologically, the body of the intervertebral disc consists of almost 80% fluid.This circumstance that makes it possible to effectively distribute the load that absorbs the stroke on the surface of the divided vertebral bodies.But neither the annulus fibrosis nor the nucleus of the intervertebral disc nucleus has its capillary network.Therefore there is no blood supply here.All intake of fluid and necessary ingredients dissolved in it occur through diffuse exchange.It is performed only if adequate physical stress is applied to the surrounding muscles.If the muscle frame of the back and lower back does not work, then the scattered food stops.
The pathology begins to develop:
- First, the fibrous ring is simply dehydrated and loses its elasticity;
- Then its surface begins to suffer primary destruction, resulting in inflammation (deterioration of osteochondrosis) and deposition of calcium salts in order to restore the integrity of the damaged tissue;
- Calcifications film prevents further dissolved nutrition, and therefore, even with active work of the surrounding muscles, spontaneous restoration of the fibrous ring tissue does not occur;
- The next stage is the fluid collection from the nuclear pulposus located inside the fibrous ring;
- At this stage, the pulposus nucleus loses its mass, ceases to distribute evenly the load that absorbs the stroke, and the height of the intervertebral disc decreases;
- At the extension stage, the intervertebral disc extends beyond vertebral bodies and begins to pressure the surrounding soft tissue and radical nerves, this provokes constant pain and stiffness of movement;
- The third stage is the rupture of the fibrous ring (extraction) and the release of part of the pulposus of the nucleus on the outside (herniation disc).
What reasons can provoke the development of this spinal column pathology:
- lack of adequate and regular physical activity in the muscle frame of the back and back;
- Improper organization of sleeping spaces and work when it is located in which the microcirculation of blood and lymphatic fluid in the spinal column area is broken;
- disruption of metabolic processes in the body, whose first sign is excessive body weight;
- poor behavior and bending of the spinal column, resulting in a change in the distribution of load that absorbs the shock along the spine;
- Keeping a sedentary lifestyle and sitting deeds;
- Endocrine diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus with associated angiopathy;
- Back injuries (sprinkled ligaments and tendons, muscle tears, displacements and subluxions of vertebral bodies, fractures and compression cracks).
There are other reasons, but they are less common and do not pose such a pronounced risk as those listed above.
What is lumbar osteochondrosis
In general terms, what is explained osteochondrosis of the disease above.Now let's stop a little at the question of what lumbar osteochondrosis is and why it is so common.In recent decades, the disease has quickly become new.If previously it was diagnosed in people who had crossed the threshold of 40 years, now the first signs of degenerative dyn-degenerative changes in intervertebral discs are found not only in 20 years of people but in adolescents aged 14-16.
Of course, expanding the possibilities of early diagnosis plays a certain role in this.With the advent of MRI examinations, early cases of the disease began to be detected more often.Therefore, patients have learned about intervertebral osteochondrosis due to the appearance of severe pain.And now, when you perform examinations, it is possible to capture the pathology at an early stage of development.
The lower part is the most vulnerable place of the spine.This is where the maximum load of shock absorption occurs when you perform any body movement.During pregnancy, significant changes occur here with the displacement of vertebral bodies, changes in behavior, and the expansion of intervertebral spaces.Therefore, pregnancy for a woman almost always becomes the period during which the spinal column begins to worsen.
What is the second degree spinal osteochondrosis?This is a condition in which constant clinical manifestations already appear and the patient is forced to seek medical help.As a rule, in the second phase of the development of degenerative distrofic pathology, there are a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc and the thinning of the fibrous ring tissue.
What is osteochondrosis of the lumbosakral region
What is osteochondrosis of the sacral region can only be felt by patients under 25 years of age.In this era, the complete union of vertebral bodies in the sacral spine occurs.Atrophy of the intervertebral discs.Therefore, the clinical signs of inflammation can indicate completely different pathologies.
Much more often they ask what is lumbosacral osteochondrosis, as it affects the intervertebral disk located between the sacral and lumbar regions.This is the L5-S1-it calculates the conditional center of the human body gravity and the maximum physical load that absorbs the shock.
It is important to understand what the osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region is and how it can be treated effectively.First of all, all possible causes of pathology should be excluded.Then it is necessary to strengthen the tone of the muscles surrounding the lower back.Treatment is best performed using manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.
Signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis
Now you understand what spinal osteochondrosis is, and when its symptoms appear, you will be able to identify and eliminate the possible cause of pathological changes.
Many patients ask what are the signs of osteochondrosis in X -rays and in the results of an MRI examination.So in the photograph, the doctor can see cracks on the surface of the fibrous ring, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc and a change in its shape.These are the main signs of osteochondrosis.
Clinical symptoms include:
- pain in the lumbar region;
- spread of pain along the surface of the thigh, foot and foot;
- decrease in muscle strength to lower extremities;
- change of attitude by regulating the physiological curve of the spine in the lumbar region;
- the stiffness of the movements and the restriction of their amplitude;
- Muscle tension in the lumbar region.
In advanced cases, numbness of lower extremities, convulsions, lumbagos, etc. may occur.
What is polysegmental or common osteochondrosis?
The question of what is polysegrative osteochondrosis can respond briefly.These are degenerative dystrophic changes affecting not one but some intervertebral discs.The same can be said about what is the usual osteochondrosis of the spinal column.This is a condition in which pathological changes are detected not in one, but in some parts of the spine.For example, if a person has only two lumbar discs affected, then it is a polysegrative form of the disease.If a disk is affected in lumbar and lumbosacral regions, then this is a common form.
What is radical osteochondrosis (in plain language)
And now a few words about what is radical osteochondrosis and why this condition is dangerous to human health.So, speaking in simple terms about what is - osteochondrosis, it can be noted that it is literally a leveling of lining between vertebral bodies.
When moving or in a static body position, due to the action of gravity, colossal pressure is observed in the spinal column.Eachdo overlapping vertebra puts pressure on the bottom.The intervertebral discs that share them are in a compressed state.If they do not have enough juice, they lose the ability to resist and subject to flattening.At the same time, they lose the ability to provide a sufficient height of the intervertebral space so that the radical nerves stretching from the spinal cord do not undergo compression.
If the disk has lost its height and shape, the radical nerve becomes suppressed.Osteochondrosis with radical syndrome occurs.It is associated with pronounced neurological manifestations in the form of numbness, paresis, paralysis, decreased muscle strength, appearance of paresthesia, etc.
Effective treatment of osteochondrosis
We have understood what osteochondrosis is, we can now talk about the effective treatment of the disease.As it has already been made clear, for the complete restoration of the intervertebral discs, it is necessary to restore damaged digestive food of the cartilage tissue of the fibrous ring.This can only be done with the help of manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.There are no pharmacological drugs that can restore dispersed food of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral disc.And the injection of chondroprotectors in the absence of diffuse metabolism is useless.They do not penetrate the cartilage tissue.
For effective treatment it is necessary:
- Change your lifestyle, make it more active with enough physical activity and the right diet;
- Avoid extreme physical activity in the posterior muscles;
- Perform several spinal column traction procedures in order to restore the physiological height of the intervertebral spaces;
- Visit an osteopath to restore the elasticity of cartilage tissue and its ability to dissolve the exchange with muscle tissue;
- Perform several massage sessions to improve tissue permeability, elasticity, restoration of blood microcyrulation and lymphatic fluid;
- Develop an individual course of therapeutic exercises with a vertebologist.
Physiotherapy, kinesiotherapy, laser therapy and much more are also shown.The treatment of osteochondrosis should be performed under the supervision of a vertebologist or neurologist.