Osteochondrosis is a disease of the spine in which the intervertebral discs suffer degenerative disorders and, with them, the joints.The interval between them is reduced, so the nerve endings and roots are compressed, which leads to the formation of severe pain.Pathological changes often occur in the lumbar region.
Your doctor will tell you how to treat osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, since self-medication can only worsen the condition.The difficulty lies in the fact that the symptoms of osteochondrosis can also manifest themselves in other diseases, the treatment of which has fundamental differences.
Basic information about the disease.
Not everyone knows what osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is.To understand the essence of the disease, it is necessary to delve deeper into the anatomy.
The vertebra is a solid, dense cylinder-shaped structure with an arch from which the processes extend.The vertebral body is fixed to them using arches and in the middle there is a vertebral foramen.It is these openings that form the spinal canal.
Not all processes participate in the formation of joints, but only the upper and lower ones, in which small swinging movements are possible.Between the vertebrae there are openings that are limited by processes;It is through them that the nerve roots of the spinal nerves emerge.
Pathological changes first appear in the nucleus pulposus (a semifluid structure with a gelatinous center at the opening of the disc).The nucleus pulposus has the maximum elasticity and is the main shock absorber.And then the pathological process develops in the joints of the vertebrae, which leads to a narrowing of the intervertebral foramina.
The sacrum is a large triangle-shaped bone located at the base of the spine.It consists of five fused vertebrae and has anterior and posterior surfaces.There are no discs in this section and osteochondrosis does not develop.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is often diagnosed in people after 30 years of age.The degenerative process occurs after an alteration of the water-salt metabolism in the disc.As a result, the bone structure becomes thin and brittle.The nucleus pulposus expands its limits and advances towards the spinal canal.As a result, the fluid inside the canal and the nerves are compressed and swelling appears.This causes the appearance of painful sensations and dysfunction of the organs to which these areas belong.
Due to the compression, bone cells divide faster and osteophytes (abnormal growths) appear on the vertebrae.Regeneration of the disc is impossible, since it is cartilage and, therefore, the functionality of the organs is even more affected.
Lumbar osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment of which will be described later, often occurs due to the weakening of the muscular corset, and therefore it is very important to train the muscles of the abdomen, sides and back.
Many people wonder whether osteochondrosis can be treated or not.This disease is easier to eliminate at an early stage.
Degrees of the disease.
Sacral osteochondrosis progresses gradually.
There are 4 stages of the disease:
- 1st gradecharacterized by the manifestation of mild painful sensations that intensify after physical activity.There is often a dull pain radiating to the buttocks;
- Stage 2.The interval between the vertebrae decreases and they begin to collapse along with nearby tissues.At the same time, the nerve endings are compressed.Intervertebral osteochondrosis causes sharp, radiating pain.Painful sensations force the person to lean forward.This causes displacement and stretching of the intervertebral discs;
- Stage 3osteochondrosis of the lower spine is manifested by the complete destruction of the vertebrae and the manifestation of an intervertebral hernia;
- Stage 4.The vertebrae grow, the cartilage atrophies and therefore it is difficult for the patient to move.The spine in the lumbosacral area loses its flexibility, becomes less mobile, and the patient often becomes disabled.
It is important to monitor your health and start treatment if the symptoms described above appear.
Causes of the disease
Lumbar osteochondrosis occurs due to constant and uneven loading on the lower back.Sometimes the causes of the disease are autoimmune in nature.In some cases, the disease is preceded by an injury, especially if several vertebrae are affected.
Causes of lumbar osteochondrosis:
- The disease develops due to intense stress.People who constantly do heavy physical work suffer more often.
- Low back pain is caused by excess weight.And this happens because the spine in the lumbosacral area is under constant pressure.
- Due to low physical activity, the nutrition of bone tissue deteriorates, blood flow slows down, and muscles weaken.
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, the causes of which vary, often develops due to incorrect posture.If a person slouches while sitting, the discs deform and wear out prematurely, and this is all due to uneven loading.
- Osteochondrosis often occurs as a result of injuries to the back.Which can be damaged during training if the level of sports training is low.To avoid problems, it is important to learn how to lift heavy objects correctly.You can injure your back when you fall.
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is a natural result of the aging of the body and a decrease in its recovery capacity.As a result, the mobility of the discs decreases, they lose flexibility and therefore become deformed.
- This disease often occurs due to rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, etc.
In rare cases, osteochondrosis appears due to hypothermia, severe depression, poor nutrition, chronic fatigue and poor environmental conditions.
Symptoms
Signs of osteochondrosis in women and men are very similar.The only difference is that in the beautiful half of humanity the disease manifests itself earlier.At an early stage, the disease does not manifest itself in any way, the person, without guessing anything, continues to live a full life.However, there are symptoms that can prompt you to make the right decision, which consists of a complete diagnosis and seeing a doctor.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine:
- Lumbar pain.At first, painful sensations appear after exercise, and as the disease progresses, they become permanent.
- With lumbar osteochondrosis, mobility in the affected area decreases.When the patient tries to bend, turn or sit, intense pain appears that radiates and extends from the leg to the foot.
- When the nerves are pinched, the sensitivity of the legs changes (increases or decreases).Sometimes there is a burning sensation or numbness of the limb.
- The skin of the affected area becomes pale, dry, and the temperature decreases.
- Sweating increases, especially at night.
- With osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the functioning of the genitourinary organs is disturbed.
These are the main signs of lumbar osteochondrosis.
The disease is chronic, but can worsen.
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis in acute and subacute forms:
- lumbago: pain occurs after muscle tension.Due to muscle spasm, the patient leans forward;
- during exacerbation, pain appears even after slight movement.Painful sensations increase sharply and radiate to the buttock or leg.The patient's condition is relieved when he lies on his back and bends the affected limb at the knee.After a few weeks, these signs of lumbar osteochondrosis gradually disappear, motor activity is restored and the muscles relax;
- The subacute phase of the disease is characterized by dull, aching, radiating pain.
If a person notices such manifestations, then it is worth visiting a doctor.
Diagnostic measures
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine should begin after a thorough diagnosis.
First, a neurologist or vertebrologist performs a visual examination based on the patient's complaints and palpates the affected area of the body.If the patient feels pain when palpating certain points, the range of motion of the legs has decreased, or the buttocks are positioned asymmetrically, then the diagnosis is confirmed.Additionally, the doctor evaluates the patient's posture.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are described above, can be identified by the following studies:
- X-rays will once again confirm the diagnosis.This method cannot evaluate the status of the column.The images show only a narrowing of the openings between the vertebrae and the growth of osteophytes.
- A CT scan of the lower back will allow a diagnosis to be made and the affected area to be viewed on a computer monitor from a different angle or slice.However, the technique is effective in diagnosing bone structures;for soft tissue formations, including vertebral discs, it is recommended to use magnetic resonance imaging.
- MRI of the spine shows a complete picture of the state of bone tissue and soft structures in the lumbosacral area.
After carrying out the above studies, you can begin to treat lumbar osteochondrosis.
Treatment methods
Many patients are interested in whether it is possible to completely cure osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.The answer, unfortunately, will be negative.If you start treatment in the first or second stage of the disease, you can stop its development.
Therefore, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is a long and complex process that helps achieve the following objectives:
- relieve pain;
- eliminate spasm;
- strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, back, sides, glutes and legs;
- restore blood flow and metabolism in the affected area;
- eliminate inflammation;
- restore the motor function of the lower back;
- normalize sensitivity in the legs;
- improve the functionality of the pelvic organs.
Conservative treatment
The treatment process for osteochondrosis begins with the use of various medications.They are prescribed only by a doctor, since self-medication can have negative consequences.The doctor can use several groups of drugs, only in this case you can expect a positive result.
For these purposes, medications are used:
- Pain relievers, used to relieve discomfort;
- The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs eliminates radicular pain and swelling.Drugs with steroid hormones are also prescribed for osteochondrosis.They relieve or completely eliminate inflammation;
- How to treat lumbar osteochondrosis in the later stages is of interest to many patients.Paraspinal blocks are used to relieve pain.To do this, pain relievers are injected into the lower back;
- With the help of muscle relaxants you can get rid of muscle cramps;
- To restore metabolism in cartilage, start regeneration processes and stop dystrophic changes, the attending physician prescribes chondroprotectors;
- Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis is carried out with vitamin B. They improve metabolism in cells, eliminate inflammation, remove excess fluid;
- With the help of diuretic drugs, swelling is eliminated;
- Immunomodulatory drugs strengthen the immune system;
- To improve blood flow in the affected area, the doctor prescribes medications that reduce blood viscosity.The medications are injected into a vein with a dropper or taken in tablet form.
Physiotherapy
The use of physiotherapy can bring success in the treatment of osteochondrosis.There are many techniques that can be used;Your doctor will help you choose the optimal one if there are no contraindications.Physiotherapy relieves pain, relieves muscle spasms and activates metabolic and recovery processes.
To solve these problems, the following procedures are prescribed:
- amplipulseThe affected area is exposed to sinusoidal modular currents;
- sonophoresis– simultaneous exposure to ultrasound and medications;
- diadynamic therapy– treatment with low voltage electric current;
- Darsonvalization.The damaged area is exposed to alternating current of low intensity, but of high frequency and voltage;
- inductothermy– treatment with high frequency magnetic fields;
- laser therapy– treatment with optical radiation that comes from a laser.
The therapeutic effect of these procedures is difficult to overestimate.
If you want to know how to get rid of pain, strengthen muscles and relax, it must be said that this can be done with the help of physiotherapy.Reflexology and massage will only increase the effectiveness of the therapy.Massage and gymnastics techniques are performed outside the period of inflammation, otherwise the disease will worsen.It is useful to swim, as well as perform water gymnastics, in which case the load on the spine will be minimal.
Surgical treatment
Surgery is a measure of last resort, performed only if previous methods proved ineffective and the disease progresses so much that it is the only way to help the patient return to activity.The intervention is performed in cases of significant movement disorders and the presence of intervertebral hernias.Therefore, it is better not to know how to surgically cure lumbar osteochondrosis, since it is considered the most radical.
The surgeon removes hernias between the discs and strengthens vertebrae that have become misaligned.The doctor can also perform a spinal fusion operation, the essence of which is that a section of the spine is completely immobilized using a special metal structure.This is followed by long-term rehabilitation.
Special instructions
If lumbosacral osteochondrosis is left untreated, the sciatic nerve can become inflamed, which can cause severe pain.To reduce discomfort, a person leans forward, but because of this, the condition of the spine in the damaged area only worsens.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, the symptoms of which can be different, threatens spinal instability.The disc cannot support the vertebra and the lower back moves away from the sacrum due to compression.In this sense, the functionality of the genitourinary organs is altered.
To prevent complications, you must adhere to the following rules:
- avoid intense physical activity;
- strengthen the muscle corset;
- maintain correct posture;
- exercise daily;
- establish nutrition, maintain a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
- comply with the optimal rest regime;
- treat back diseases in the early stages.
You should also not self-medicate, then the disease will disappear as soon as possible.It will be useful to wear a corset that will relieve the load on the lumbar spine.