Osteochondrosis is a disease of the spine in which the intervertebral discs and the joints with them undergo degenerative disorders.The interval between them decreases, thanks to which the nerve endings and roots are compressed, which causes severe pain.Pathological changes often occur in the lumbar region.
Since self-medication can only worsen the condition, your doctor will tell you how to treat osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.The difficulty is that the symptoms of osteochondrosis can manifest themselves in other diseases that have major differences in treatment.
Basic information about the disease
Not everyone knows what osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is.To understand the essence of the disease, you need to look deeply at the anatomy.
The spine is a solid, dense structure in the form of a cylinder with an arc along which the processes extend.The vertebral body is connected 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 are involved in the formation of joints, but only the upper and lower ones, where small rocking movements are possible.Between the vertebrae there are openings bounded by processes;the nerve roots of the spinal nerves come out through them.
Pathological changes appear primarily in the nucleus pulposus (a semi-fluid structure with a jelly-like center at the disc opening).The nucleus pulposus has maximum flexibility and is the main shock absorber.And then the pathological process develops in the joints of the vertebrae, causing narrowing of the intervertebral holes.
The sacrum is a large, triangular bone located at the base of the spine.It consists of five vertebrae that are fused together and have front and back surfaces.There are no discs in this section and osteochondrosis does not develop.
Osteochondrosis of the back is often diagnosed in people after 30 years of age.The degenerative process occurs after the disruption of water-salt exchange in the disc.As a result, the bone structure becomes thin and fragile.The nucleus pulposus expands its borders and moves towards the spinal canal.As a result, the fluid and nerves inside the canal are compressed and swelling appears.This causes painful sensations and dysfunction of the organs to which these areas belong.
Due to compression, bone cells divide faster and osteophytes (abnormal growths) appear in the vertebrae.It is impossible to restore the disc, because it is cartilage, and therefore the functionality of the organs is further impaired.
Lumbar osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment of which will be described later, often occurs due to the weakening of the muscle corset, and therefore it is very important to train the abdominal, side and back muscles.
Many people wonder if osteochondrosis can be cured.It is easiest to eliminate this disease at an early stage.
Degrees of disease
Sacral osteochondrosis progresses gradually.
There are 4 stages of the disease:
- 1st degreeit is characterized by the manifestation of mild painful sensations that intensify after physical activity.There is often a dull pain that radiates to the hip;
- Stage 2.The space between the vertebrae decreases and they begin to collapse together with the surrounding tissues.At the same time, nerve endings are compressed.Intervertebral osteochondrosis causes sharp, radiating pain.Painful sensations force a 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 vertebra and the manifestation of intervertebral hernia;
- Stage 4.Vertebrae grow, cartilage atrophies, and because of this, the patient's movement becomes difficult.In the lumbar-sacral region, the spine 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 load on the lower back.Sometimes the causes of the disease are autoimmune in nature.In some cases, it is damaged before the disease, especially if several vertebrae are affected.
Causes of lumbar osteochondrosis:
- The disease develops as a result of severe stress.People who are constantly engaged in hard physical labor suffer more often.
- Back pain is caused by excess weight.And this happens due to the constant pressure of the spine in the lumbosacral region.
- Due to lack of physical activity, nutrition of bone tissue deteriorates, blood flow slows down, muscles weaken.
- Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, which has various causes, often develops due to incorrect posture.If a person bends while sitting, the discs are deformed and wear out prematurely, and all this is due to uneven load.
- Osteochondrosis often occurs as a result of back injuries.Which, if the level of sports training is low, can be injured during training.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 consequence of the aging of the body and a decrease in its ability to regenerate.As a result, the mobility of the discs decreases, they lose their elasticity and are therefore deformed.
- This disease is often accompanied by rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, etc.
In rare cases, osteochondrosis appears due to hypothermia, severe depression, poor nutrition, chronic fatigue and poor environmental conditions.
Symptoms
Symptoms of osteochondrosis in women and men are very similar.The only difference is that the disease manifests itself earlier in the fair half of humanity.In the early stage, the disease does not manifest itself in any way, a person continues to live a full life without guessing anything.However, there are signs that can prompt you to make the right decision, which consists of a complete diagnosis and a visit to a doctor.
Symptoms of lumbar lumbar osteochondrosis:
- Lower back pain.At first, painful sensations appear after exercise, and as the disease progresses, it becomes permanent.
- Mobility in the area affected by lumbar osteochondrosis is reduced.When the patient tries to bend, turn or sit, severe radiating pain appears, radiating from the leg to the foot.
- When the nerves are pinched, the sensitivity of the feet changes (increases or decreases).Sometimes there is a burning sensation or numbness around.
- The skin in the affected area becomes pale, dry, and the temperature decreases.
- Sweating increases especially at night.
- With osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the function of the genitourinary organs is disturbed.
These are the main symptoms 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 bends forward;
- during exacerbation, pain appears even after light movement.Painful sensations increase sharply and spread to the hip or leg.The patient's condition is relieved when he lies on his back and bends the injured limb at the knee.After a few weeks, these symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis gradually disappear, motor activity is restored and muscles relax;
- The subacute stage of the disease is characterized by dull, aching, radiating pain.
If a person sees such manifestations, it is worth consulting a doctor.
Diagnostic measures
Lumbar-sacral spine osteochondrosis treatment should begin after a comprehensive diagnosis.
First, a neurologist or vertebrologist conducts a visual examination based on the patient's complaints and palpates the affected area of the body.The diagnosis is confirmed if the patient feels pain when palpating certain points, the range of motion of the legs is reduced, or the hips are placed asymmetrically.In addition, the doctor assesses the patient's condition.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are described above, can be determined using the following studies:
- X-rays will confirm the diagnosis again.This method cannot assess the condition of the spine.The pictures show only the narrowing of the spaces between the vertebrae and the growth of osteophytes.
- Computed tomography of the lower back will make it possible to make a diagnosis and see the affected area on a computer monitor from a different angle or slice.However, the technique is effective in diagnosing bony structures;magnetic resonance imaging is recommended for soft tissue imaging including vertebral discs.
- Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine shows a complete picture of the state of bone tissue and soft structures in the lumbosacral region.
After conducting the above studies, you can start treating lumbar osteochondrosis.
Treatment methods
Many patients wonder whether it is possible to completely cure osteochondrosis of the back.The answer, unfortunately, will be negative.If you start treatment in the first or second stage of the disease, you can stop its development.
Thus, the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis is a long and complex process and helps to achieve the following goals:
- relieve pain;
- eliminate spasm;
- strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, back, sides, hips and legs;
- restore blood flow and metabolism in the affected area;
- eliminate inflammation;
- to restore the motor function of the lower back;
- normalize sensitivity in the legs;
- improve the functionality of the pelvic organs.
Conservative treatment
The process of treating osteochondrosis begins with the use of various drugs.They are prescribed only by a doctor, because self-treatment can lead to negative consequences.The doctor can use several groups of drugs, only in this case a positive result can be expected.
Medicines are used for these purposes:
- Pain relievers used to relieve anxiety;
- Using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, radicular pain and swelling are eliminated.Drugs containing steroid hormones are also prescribed for osteochondrosis.They alleviate or completely eliminate inflammation;
- Many patients are interested in how to treat lumbar osteochondrosis in the later stages.Paraspinal blocks are used to relieve pain.For this, painkillers are injected into the lower back;
- You can get rid of muscle cramps with the help of muscle relaxants;
- The attending physician prescribes chondroprotectors to restore cartilage metabolism, initiate regeneration processes and stop dystrophic changes;
- Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis is carried out using B vitamins.They improve metabolism in cells, eliminate inflammation, remove excess fluid;
- Swelling is eliminated with the help of diuretic drugs;
- Immunomodulatory drugs strengthen the immune system;
- To improve blood flow in the affected area, the doctor prescribes drugs that reduce blood viscosity.Medicines are injected into a vein using a drip 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;If there are no contraindications, your doctor will help you choose the optimal one.Physiotherapy relieves pain, relieves muscle spasms, activates metabolic and recovery processes.
To solve these problems, the following procedures are prescribed:
- amplipulseThe affected area is subjected to sinusoidal modulated currents;
- sonophoresis- simultaneous exposure to ultrasound and drugs;
- diadynamic therapy- treatment with low voltage electric current;
- Darsonvalization.The damaged area is exposed to a low-power alternating current, but with a high frequency and voltage;
- inductothermy– treatment with high-frequency magnetic fields;
- laser therapy- treatment with optical radiation from a laser.
It is difficult to assess the therapeutic effect of these procedures.
If you want to know how to get rid of pain, strengthen muscles, relax, then it must be said that this can be done with the help of physical therapy.Reflexology and massage will only increase the effectiveness of therapy.Massage techniques and gymnastics are performed outside the period of inflammation, otherwise the disease will worsen.It is useful to engage in swimming, as well as water gymnastics, in which case the load on the spine will be minimal.
Surgical treatment
Surgery is a last resort, performed only when previous methods have failed and the disease has progressed so far that it is the only way to help the patient return to activity.The intervention is carried out in cases of significant movement disorders and intervertebral hernias.Therefore, it is better not to know how to treat lumbar osteochondrosis surgically, because it is considered the most radical.
The surgeon removes the herniated discs and strengthens the misaligned vertebrae.The doctor can also perform a spinal fusion operation, the essence of which is that a part of the spine is completely immobilized using a special metal structure.This is followed by long-term rehabilitation.
Special instructions
If lumbosacral osteochondrosis is not treated, 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, its symptoms can be different, threatens vertebral instability.The disc cannot support the vertebra and the lumbar region is displaced from the sacrum due to compression.In this regard, the functionality of the genitourinary organs is disturbed.
To avoid complications, you should follow the following rules:
- avoid intense physical activity;
- strengthen the muscle corset;
- maintain proper posture;
- exercise daily;
- build nutrition, maintain the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
- to observe an optimal rest regime;
- treat back diseases in the early stages.
Also, you should not self-medicate - then the disease will pass as soon as possible.It will be useful to wear a corset, which will lighten the load on the lower back.