Lumbar osteochondrosis is the leading cause of three-quarters of low back pain.If left untreated, it often results in a herniated disc, causing difficulty in walking and severely limiting mobility.The disease is widespread - more than 50% of people complain of its manifestations in various stages.No wonder, the entire lower back is the lower part of the spine and bears the heaviest load.
Can the "price of walking upright" be avoided?What is needed for early diagnosis?How to stop or slow down the disease process?Let’s take a look at what’s in the article.
What is lumbosacral osteochondrosis
The human spinal cord includes cartilage intervertebral discs in addition to the 33 bones that make up the spine.They provide stability to the spine against vertical loads and also act as springs, softening movements - it is thanks to them that our bones do not rub against each other and the back does not curve.Together with muscles and ligaments, they participate in the body's adoption of various postures.Without these cartilage "spacers," we wouldn't be able to run, jump, and walk without suffering severe headaches and injuries.However, they tend to wear out over time - caused by genetic "weaknesses" in the cartilage tissue, uneven load distribution (e.g. poor posture), poor nutrition, and many other factors associated with the modern lifestyle.The disease is characterized by a chronic course with periodic relapses.Complete cure is impossible, but timely treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis can achieve almost 100% effect and return to normal life.
Degenerative changes in the cartilage tissue of the spine lead to intervertebral disc degeneration.It manifests as discomfort during exercise, excessive muscle tension, sharp shooting, or persistent soreness.The consequences of disc wear are trophic deterioration of tissues, the development of microcracks in the bones and osteophytes, herniation of the spinal cord, and compression of internal organs.Therefore, lumbar osteochondrosis is called a systemic disease - it can cause a series of metabolic disorders, affecting the abdominal and pelvic organs (mainly the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system), spinal cord, and brain.Radiculopathy, or radiculopathy, caused by this disease, can cause nerve pain in the heart and even the stomach.Leg paralysis and other serious symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis sometimes occur.
When the disease is localized to the lower back, displacement of the vertebrae often occurs due to sudden daily movements.In this case, the patient becomes difficult to walk and sit, the inflammatory process begins, relief requires medication, physical therapy, a special exercise therapy program for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, and the observation of an orthopedic surgeon.In some cases, the vertebrae need to be realigned, which is a fairly painful process, but noticeable relief occurs after 1-2 days.It can only be performed by a chiropractor (an osteopath and neurologist).
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
Older people (and sometimes younger people) who experience back pain and have no idea how lumbar osteochondrosis manifests themselves often look for a perfectly reasonable explanation for it.Colds, strains, lying down... In fact, pain and pain syndrome often indicate that a certain nerve, root or even a section of spinal cord has been compressed, which means that the disease has passed the first stage and requires not only symptomatic treatment, but also supportive treatment.
- Grade 1 osteochondrosisThe lower back is characterized by slight pain at the sacrum and above, which feels like an echo and does not cause special attention.Discomfort only occurs after sleep or after sitting in an uncomfortable position for a long time or doing a lot of physical activity.In this case, the patient attributes the unpleasant sensation to "numbness" in the limbs, but hardware examination and modern diagnostics help to identify slight displacements of the intervertebral discs and the presence of cracks in the annulus fibrosus of the spine.
- Osteochondrosis 2nd degreeThe lumbar spine presents with chronic fatigue, discomfort, and reduced weight-bearing capacity.Pain and discomfort in the lower back ("goosebumps", sensitivity to cold, etc.) become a constant companion of the patient; sometimes there are spasmodic contractions of the muscles below the affected area (gluteal muscles, femurs and spine).There may also be a partial decrease in sensitivity or, conversely, the development of neuralgia, which due to its neurogenic nature is difficult to relieve with conventional analgesics.Severe pain, so-called, is observed during movement."shooting".Stiffness occurs when you are required to sit in one position for at least 10-15 minutes, especially after sleep or work.For this stage, conservative treatment is still effective - the disease responds well to treatment, and stable remission can be achieved for several months without acute phases of the disease.
- Osteochondrosis 3rd degreeThe lumbar spine is already a complex disease, characterized by the gradual destruction of nearby fibrous tissue and intractable pain.Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis peak, reducing work ability and causing disability.This stage is dangerous because intervertebral hernias and other irreversible changes to the spine can affect large nerves and blood vessels.At this stage, severe dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system and significant activity limitation, or even paralysis and paresis, may have occurred.Stage III osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine significantly affects quality and life expectancy, and additional support (such as crutches) may be required when walking.
Many experts also distinguish between stage 4 and stage 5, with stage 4 having cartilage scarring and stage 5 considered incompatible with life, but with timely treatment and lifestyle changes, this condition is rare in practice.
Prevention of lumbar osteochondrosis
Infections or colds, stress, hormonal imbalances, weight gain, pregnancy, age-related changes, physical intoxication, overexertion, dehydration, vitamin deficiencies, smoking, high physical activity, unbalanced diet, uncomfortable workplace or bed, injuries, etc. may trigger the progression of the disease.Osteochondrosis, meanwhile, is characterized by ongoing microtrauma—sometimes an injury to the lower back doesn't require bruising, but excessively sharp tilting, turning, or lifting of the leg is enough.
Therefore, in addition to taking multivitamin complexes, immunomodulators and gymnastics exercises, chondroprotectants for lumbar osteochondrosis are included in mandatory preventive courses.If possible, it is also recommended to eliminate or compensate for the above factors.
How to treat lumbar osteochondrosis
The question of how to treat lumbar osteochondrosis (with pharmacological or non-pharmacological therapies) cannot be answered definitively.Treatment of the disease proceeds from several directions:
- Eliminate symptoms that reduce the patient's quality of life;
- Partial regeneration of connective tissue;
- Implement a preventive program to prevent the progression of destructive processes in cartilage and bone tissue (maintaining muscle corseting, overall tone, etc.).
Cartilage lacks nerve endings and blood vessels - this determines the specifics of diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis.First, cartilage is not injured, so self-diagnosis of the disease is difficult, and the vast majority of patients with second- or third-degree lumbar osteochondrosis refer to an orthopedic surgeon or spinal neurologist.The more severe the cartilage destruction, the greater the stress on the already worn discs, the faster the disease progresses, and the more difficult it is to achieve positive changes.The reason for this is that cellular repair of cartilage occurs very slowly - nutrition of the tissue occurs primarily by diffusion.Therefore, overall improvement in a patient's condition plays an important role in the path to remission.Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis must include diet, maintenance medications for 1-3 months, and special gymnastics exercises.During exercise, separate time is allocated for warm-up, which stimulates nutrition of adjacent tissues and therefore of cartilage.Warming up must alternate between exercise, whether it's sitting in front of a computer or taking a long walk.
Sometimes, your doctor may recommend wearing a compression device such as a corset or bandage to support the spine in the correct position.This measure is effective for concomitant postural disorders.
Drug treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis
Drugs for the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis include oral and topical anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, analgesics, cartilage protectants, drugs that improve metabolism (B vitamins, etc.) and blood circulation, glucocorticoids, neurotransmitters, enzymes, etc.Decreased immunity and susceptibility to infectious diseases require the use of immunomodulators.Ongoing pain can lead to depression, which also requires treatment.Anticonvulsants and diuretics are also prescribed if the patient experiences convulsions or swelling.Tablets, suspensions, injections, gels, and applicators to treat lumbar osteochondrosis do not need to be used regularly—usually doctors will prescribe a separate maintenance course every once in a while.In the acute phase, accompanied by extremely severe pain, specialists can place so-called.Paravertebral Block - An anesthetic is injected into the nerve root where it exits the spine.
Physical therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis
Physiotherapy and massage are effective in both acute forms and remission phases of the disease and remain the most successful conservative treatments.They help increase nutrition and blood supply to problem areas, improve muscle support in the spine, and help relax the back and stabilize the condition.Physical treatments for lumbar osteochondrosis include shock wave therapy, electrophoresis, mud and paraffin baths, hot stone therapy, acupuncture, therapeutic baths, etc.Exercises for the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis occupy a special place, such as massage, which essentially consists of stretching the spine and is aimed at releasing compressed nerve roots.For example, traction during rotation can change the angle of curvature in lordosis, thereby reducing pain.
Therapeutic exercises for lumbar osteochondrosis must take into account the presence of excess weight and other diseases and injuries, gender and age characteristics, and the severity of pain.The best results are achieved through consistent exercise.
In advanced osteochondrosis, the neurosurgeon may find indications for surgical treatment—microdiscectomy or installation of an expandable titanium implant.
The question of how to treat lumbar osteochondrosis should be answered by a doctor in all cases without exception.Self-medication and lack of comprehensive diagnosis can lead to misjudgments of the boundaries of the pathological process and its stages, leading to incorrect treatment options.In some cases, the condition even worsens due to improper treatment exercises and unprofessional selection of analgesics and NSAIDs.Clarify the symptoms and treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis with your doctor.
You can start taking the chondroprotectant Artracam - this domestic drug improves metabolic processes and prevents further deformation of cartilage, and with complex treatments it even shows positive dynamics and increases cartilage tissue without injections!