What is osteochondrosis

One of the most common causes of back pain is osteochondrosis.According to statistics, about 80% of people suffer from this pathology.However, not all patients can accurately answer what osteochondrosis is.This is a chronic disease that affects the cartilage and bone tissue of the spinal column.Degenerative-dystrophic changes can affect any part of the spine or several at the same time.

To get rid of the disease faster, you need to start treatment when the first signs of pathology appear.However, many people simply do not notice them, and then the pathology develops and becomes more severe.

Osteochondrosis must be treated comprehensively: medications, exercise therapy, physiotherapeutic procedures, etc. If there are complications (intervertebral hernia, radiculitis, leg paralysis), surgery may be necessary.

What is it

A chronic disease in which the intervertebral discs and bone tissue of the spinal column are damaged is called osteochondrosis.

The spinal column consists of 33–35 vertebrae, between which there are cartilage pads (vertebral disc).They consist of a nucleus pulposus and a fibrous ring (outer portion); they are covered on both sides with dense, elastic glassy hyaline cartilage.Thanks to intervertebral discs, the spine becomes more elastic and mobile.

With osteochondrosis, metabolic processes and blood circulation in the spine are disrupted.Under the influence of negative factors, the discs between the vertebrae become less strong and elastic, and their volume decreases.The spinal column contracts and the height of the cartilage pads decreases.

The central gelatinous part of the disc first swells and then dries out, then the depreciation of the spinal column is impaired.The outer shell becomes thinner and cracks appear on it.When a gelatinous substance leaks there, protrusions (protrusion) are formed.When the outer part of the disc ruptures and the nucleus pulposus prolapses, an intervertebral hernia is diagnosed.

The disease osteochondrosis is manifested by discomfort, impaired mobility, and pain in the affected area.When hernias appear, neurological disorders occur: back pain that spreads to the upper or lower extremities, numbness of the arms, legs, groin, involuntary urination or defecation, etc.

Reference.Previously, osteochondrosis was diagnosed mainly in patients over 40 years of age.Now the disease is increasingly being detected in younger people (from 16 to 30 years old).This is usually associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Reasons

Degenerative-dystrophic changes in cartilage and bone tissue occur due to uneven load on the elements of the spinal column.Then, in areas with excess pressure, destruction of the intervertebral discs occurs.The pathological process can be caused by many negative factors.

The main causes of osteochondrosis:

• Injuries after a fall or blow.
• Congenital anomalies of the spinal column, genetic predisposition.
• Metabolic disorders due to poor nutrition, the appearance of excess body weight.
• Infectious diseases.
• Excessive stress on the spine during strength sports or heavy physical work.
• Chemicals that enter the body through food or air.
• Frequent vibrations, for example from drivers.
• Flat feet.
• Incorrect posture.
• Passive lifestyle, for example, among people with sedentary work (office workers, drivers).
• Smoking.
• Long-term exposure to adverse weather conditions (low temperature and high humidity) on the body.
• Wearing anatomically incorrect shoes (tight or with heels).
• Frequent stress.
• Pregnancy, etc.

Often the disease manifests itself in people who carry heavy weights in one hand, are in the wrong position for a long time, or sleep on an overly soft mattress or high pillow.The likelihood of developing the disease increases with age-related changes associated with metabolic processes or blood supply to the vertebrae.This risk increases if a person often changes the position of the body, bends, straightens, or jerks the body.

Reference.Osteochondrosis is often diagnosed in tall people who are slouched and have a weak muscle corset.And also movers, professional athletes, builders, and office workers are also at risk.

Types of osteochondrosis

As already mentioned, pathology can affect different parts of the spine.Depending on the location, the following types of osteochondrosis are distinguished:

• Lumbar is the most common type of disease, since the load on the lumbosacral segment is quite high.The pathology is accompanied by pain in the lower back, which can spread to the legs, groin, and in the later stages, neurological disorders occur (impaired sensitivity of the lower body).
• Cervical - also common.Degenerative-dystrophic changes are associated with weakness of the neck muscles, so even with minimal exposure there is a risk of vertebral displacement.It manifests itself as pain, which can radiate to the upper extremities, cephalalgia (headache), hearing and vision disorders.
• Thoracic is the rarest form of pathology.This is due to the fact that the mobility of the thoracic segment is minimal; in addition, it is protected by the ribs, back and abdominal muscles.It is quite difficult to identify the disease, since its symptoms resemble those of other diseases.

And there is also osteochondrosis of several parts or the entire spine at once.This type of disease has the most severe course.

Reference.According to medical statistics, osteochondrosis of the lumbar segment occurs in 50% of patients, cervical – 25%, thoracic – up to 10%.In 12% of cases, several parts of the spinal column are affected at once.

Classification of osteochondrosis depending on its stage:

• Stage 1– the initial stage of pathology, which is manifested by dehydration of the nucleus pulposus, a decrease in the height of the cartilage pad, and the appearance of cracks in its outer part.Diagnosing the disease at this stage is very difficult, since there are no obvious symptoms yet.The patient experiences slight discomfort in the damaged area if he remains in a certain position for a long time or actively moves.The pathology has a sluggish course, a hidden form.It is discovered accidentally during an X-ray, MRI or CT scan of the back.
• Stage 2– at this stage, the gap between the vertebrae decreases, the surrounding muscles and ligaments sag, and the likelihood of protrusions and displacement of spinal elements increases.The cartilage lining begins to deteriorate, which is accompanied by pain.In the absence of proper therapy, displaced discs or vertebrae can compress nerve bundles, muscles, and blood vessels.It is much easier to identify the disease at this stage.Complex conservative therapy is carried out.
• Stage 3– the outer part of the disc is destroyed, protrusions and hernias form.In addition, the risk of subluxation increases, and arthrosis of the intervertebral joints may develop.The patient experiences severe pain, which can spread to the upper or lower extremities, and sensitivity is impaired (tingling or numbness).
• Stage 4– due to excessive flexibility of the joints of the spine, bone growths appear at the areas of their contact, so the body tries to improve the fixation of neighboring vertebrae.Osteophytes often pinch nerve bundles and injure elements of the spinal column.The risk of ankylosis increases, which then leads to joint immobility.The patient develops severe pain, neurological disorders, and finds it difficult to move.If left untreated, he may become disabled.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease that is important to notice in time to prevent dangerous complications.

Symptoms

The first signs of the disease are discomfort and a feeling of stiffness in the affected area.The patient's back gets tired faster, and pain occurs periodically.Then spinal osteochondrosis in adults is complemented by other symptoms.Clinical manifestations depend on the stage and location of the affected area.Therefore, patients need to know how the pathology of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine differs.This will allow you to notice warning signs in time and seek medical help.

Symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis, which affects the cervical spine:

• aching or stabbing pain that can spread to the upper back, neck or arms;
• increased muscle tone around the affected area, which can be felt by palpation;
• cephalgia, which intensifies during movement and is not relieved by analgesics;
• dizziness with sudden turns of the neck;
• visual impairment, which is manifested by “spots” or spots before the eyes;
• hearing disorders (noise or ringing in the ears);
• weakening of the neck or shoulder muscles;
• loss of sensitivity in the neck and hands;
• in rare cases, the patient's tongue becomes swollen and numb.

This type of pathology is more often observed in office workers.

Clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral segment:

• aching or sharp pain in the lower back;
• discomfort increases when the patient moves;
• pain syndrome can spread to the lower part of the body (buttocks, groin, legs);
• neurological disorders that manifest themselves as numbness, tingling, coldness in the groin, buttocks, legs;
• weakening, thinning of the leg muscles.

In some cases, due to severe pain, the patient cannot straighten his back, turn or bend over.He tries to adopt a position that eases the discomfort.

Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the thoracic segment of the spine are accompanied by the following symptoms:

• periodic acute pain in the chest, shoulder blades, which intensifies when raising the upper limbs, bending over;
• pain becomes more pronounced at night, after hypothermia, physical exertion;
• impaired skin sensitivity;
• feeling of chest compression;
• During movement, a sharp pain may appear between the ribs.

Reference.Patients often confuse thoracic osteochondrosis with heart disease.However, during the first pathology, the pain intensifies with breathing and is not relieved by nitroglycerin.

When several parts of the spine are affected at once, specific symptoms appear.

Treatment methods

After the doctor makes a diagnosis of osteochondrosis, treatment must begin.The treatment plan is drawn up by the doctor, taking into account the degree of the disease, its causes, and the general condition of the patient.

During diagnosis, the following methods are used:

• Radiography.
• CT or MRI.
• Ultrasound of the spine.
• Myelography.
• Neurological tests.

In addition, the patient may be prescribed laboratory tests.

Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis should be comprehensive.Depending on the severity, it lasts from 4 to 8 weeks, then maintenance therapy is carried out for a long time (about a year).This will help consolidate the results and prevent relapses.

Your doctor will tell you what to do if you have osteochondrosis.Treatment usually begins with the use of conservative methods: taking medications, performing therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, massage, etc. Surgical intervention is performed only in cases where the pain does not disappear for a long time after drug treatment, neurological disorders are present, or the disease is rapidly progressing.

Conservative methods will help get rid of pain and other unpleasant symptoms, normalize the functionality of the spine, and prevent complications.

Medicines reduce the symptoms of the disease, improve blood supply and tissue trophism, and accelerate the healing of damaged areas.The following drugs are used for this purpose:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs help relieve inflammation and pain.
• Antispasmodics help relax tense muscles and relieve pain.
• Preparations with antioxidant effects, for example, vitamin C, tocopherol, thioctic acid.
• To improve blood supply to the damaged area, vasodilators and B vitamins are used.
• To speed up recovery or stop the further development of degenerative processes, chondroprotectors, preparations based on hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and chondroitin are used.

Reference.The fight against severe pain is carried out with the help of therapeutic blockades.The medicine is injected into the affected area.If steroid drugs are added to local anesthetics, the therapeutic effect will last longer.This method of therapy is used if traditional methods (medicines, rest, physical therapy) are ineffective.

The following conservative methods will help treat osteochondrosis:

• Physiotherapeutic procedures will help relieve pain and increase the effectiveness of medications.In addition, they are used during the period of remission, when there are no severe symptoms.The most commonly used treatments are ultrasound, laser treatment, magnetic therapy, diadynamic therapy, electrophoresis with the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Therapeutic gymnastics helps correct posture, strengthen the muscles of the back, abdomen, sides, ligaments, normalize muscle tone, and relieve pain associated with compression of nerve bundles.Regular training will help improve blood circulation, nutrition of damaged vertebral discs, and speed up their recovery.
• Kinesitherapy – safe exercises on special simulators.This technique allows you to remove the axial load from the spinal column, restores microcirculation in the deep muscles, helps relieve pain, spasm, swelling and normalize the functionality of the damaged area.

Important.A set of exercises for osteochondrosis is compiled by the doctor for each patient individually.It is recommended to conduct training under the supervision of an instructor.

• Massage also helps fight osteochondrosis as part of complex therapy.Therapeutic procedures improve blood flow to the spine, relax spasmodic muscles, and improve tissue trophism.A very popular water body massage, which, in addition to the effects described above, normalizes the state of the nervous system.
• Manual therapy is the influence of the therapist’s hands on the patient’s body.Treatment methods are selected separately for each patient.After a course of treatment, blood circulation is normalized, metabolic processes in the damaged area are improved, its mobility is corrected, and the immune system is strengthened.Manual therapy helps prevent complications of osteochondrosis.The main thing is to find an experienced specialist.
• Traction is the stretching of the spinal column using weights and special simulators.The procedure helps eliminate vertebral displacement, increase intervertebral space, and correct disorders of the spinal structure.
• Acupuncture - exposure to biologically active points on the body with thin sterile needles.Acupuncture helps relax tense muscles and reduce pain.

To improve the condition, the patient is recommended to sleep on an orthopedic mattress.If your work involves sitting for a long time, then you need to buy a chair with an orthopedic back, periodically stand up and do exercises for your back.In addition, stress and hypothermia should be avoided.

Chondrosis and osteochondrosis: what is the difference

Chondrosis and osteochondrosis are related conditions.However, many patients do not understand the difference.

Back chondrosis is a disease that affects cartilage tissue.With osteochondrosis, degenerative-dystrophic changes spread to the vertebrae and surrounding tissues.This is the main difference between these two pathologies.That is, chondrosis is the first stage of osteochondrosis.

The causes of chondrosis and osteochondrosis are no different.However, they manifest themselves in different ways.

With chondrosis, the cartilage tissue wears out, its composition changes or it becomes thinner.For this reason, the intervertebral discs are no longer able to fully perform the shock-absorbing function.

Now you know the differences between chondrosis and osteochondrosis.

Symptoms of chondrosis

As already mentioned, it is very difficult to identify pathology at the first stage, because it has a gradual course.Therefore, chondrosis is more often detected when bone tissue is affected, that is, osteochondrosis develops.

Spinal chondrosis is manifested by the following symptoms:

• increased back fatigue;
• incorrect posture;
• slight impairment of spinal mobility in the damaged area;
• occasional mild back pain.

It is recommended to consult a doctor if you notice at least one manifestation of the disease.Then it will be possible to stop the process of cartilage destruction.

To identify chondrosis, it is recommended to perform radiography or MRI.The latter study is more informative, as it allows you to notice the slightest changes in the structure of the cartilage.

Treatment of chondrosis

To prevent chondrosis from turning into osteochondrosis, it is necessary to carry out complex treatment.For this purpose, the patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, and vitamins.Physical therapy helps improve spinal mobility and strengthen muscles.Therapy can be supplemented with physiotherapeutic procedures and reflexology.

Reviews

Most patients who began treatment for the disease on time are satisfied with the results of therapy.The pain and stiffness in the spine disappeared.But to achieve such results, you need to carry out a whole range of measures.

• Man, 38 years old: “I was diagnosed with lumbar osteochondrosis at the second stage.The doctor prescribed injections for 1.5 months and 10 massage sessions.In addition, he began performing therapeutic exercises.After the course the pain went away.I’ll repeat the course in a month to consolidate the results.”
• Woman, 45 years old: “I couldn’t straighten up due to pain due to osteochondrosis.The doctor prescribed me injections, massage, and magnetic therapy.And I also tried to do exercises every day and took chondroprotectors.After completing the course, the pain disappeared.”
• Woman, 44 years old: “I have cervical osteochondrosis, which I managed to get rid of twice.She provided complex treatment: medications, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy, swimming pool.But 3 years after the last treatment, severe pain and numbness appeared in the neck, shoulder blade, and arm.I went to the doctor, and an MRI revealed a hernia.I was referred to a neurosurgeon who scheduled surgery.After removal of the protrusion, she underwent rehabilitation.It’s been a year now and nothing bothers me yet.”

The most important thing

Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease that is difficult to detect at stage 1 and can be confused with other pathologies.It is better to visit a doctor when the first signs of the disease appear (discomfort, stiffness in the damaged area), then it will be easier to cure it.It is important to carry out complex therapy: medications, exercise therapy, massage, physiotherapy, manual therapy, etc. If conservative methods do not help for more than 6 months, neurological disorders or other severe complications are present, then surgery cannot be avoided.