Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is the gradual destruction of spinal structures due to degenerative changes. This is a chronic disease that occupies a leading position among the pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Experienced neurologists are involved in his treatment.

About the disease

Almost one in three people who see a neurologist because of back pain are diagnosed with osteochondrosis. It affects around 90% of older people. The risk group includes the older generation as well as people with occupational risks - loaders, drivers, office workers, salespeople, hairdressers.

The average age for the first manifestations of the disease is 30-35 years. If factors are unfavorable, painful symptoms appear even earlier.

With osteochondrosis of the spine, the bone structure, intervertebral cartilage and intervertebral discs in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar regions are damaged. This increases muscle tension and deteriorates breakdown processes. Discs wear and shift, causing stiffness and pain. Without treatment, degenerative-dystrophic changes progress, nerve roots are injured and the function of internal organs is disrupted. In the final stages of osteochondrosis, there is a partial or complete loss of the ability to work due to limited mobility.

At the first signs of illness, you should immediately contact a specialist - a neurologist. The doctor will prescribe a comprehensive examination and develop effective treatment tactics.

Types of osteochondrosis

Depending on the localization, there are three types of osteochondrosis: cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral. In almost 50% of cases, the disease affects the spinal structures in the lumbar region. This is because the lower back is subjected to maximum static load.

Cervical osteochondrosis ranks second in prevalence. Damage to the cervical spine can be caused by injuries, repetitive physical work, and sedentary tasks that require you to hold your head in one position for long periods of time.

Sedentary work and constant neck positioning can even cause a hernia in the neck area.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is less common. A sedentary lifestyle also contributes to its development. The main symptom is chest pain, which can easily be confused with a heart attack.

The diagnosis of "common osteochondrosis" is made when all departments are involved in the pathological process.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis

The clinical picture depends on the part of the spine affected. The common symptom for everyone is pain. It can be sharp, like a "lumbago", or dull and painful. The pain increases with movement, physical activity and prolonged stay in one position. In later stages, as well as with exacerbations of the disease, it is constant and interferes with sleep and leadershipa normal lifestyle.

In addition to pain, the patient feels tension and stiffness in the back muscles, a feeling of heaviness and discomfort. When nerve endings are pinched, the pain radiates to neighboring areas of the body (along the nerve), accompanied by numbness, tingling and the feeling of "pins and needles under the skin. "

Symptoms of osteochondrosis can be confused with other diseases, so you should not engage in self-diagnosis and self-medication. In a professional clinic, patients are given maximum attention and examined with high-precision new equipment that allows accurate diagnosis.

Neck region

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has the most diverse clinical picture. The disease can begin with aching periodic pain in the neck, a feeling of stiffness or discomfort after sitting in a position at the computer or after sleeping. When the nerves and vessels of the spine are involved in the process, the pain spreads to the back of the head, collarbone, shoulder, and sometimes even to the chest. The pain increases when tilting or turning the head, when taking deep breaths and also at night while sleeping. The sensitivity of the shoulder blades, shoulders and arms is impaired, tingling and chills occur.

In the later stages, when the intervertebral discs become significantly thinner, lose their fixation and become excessively mobile, the following symptoms may occur:

• Stiffness when turning the neck;
• sharp acute pain in the spine;
• Headaches accompanied by compression and pulsation in the head, noise and ringing in the ears, impaired hearing and vision;
• nausea;
• lack of coordination;
• Dizziness attacks.

Vegetovascular symptoms are a consequence of vertebral artery syndrome, which develops due to spasm or compression of the artery involved in the blood supply to the brain.

Acute pain, loss of skin sensitivity in the neck, stiffness of the vertebrae occur when the fibrous ring ruptures, the formation of intervertebral hernias and osteophytes occurs.

chest area

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine "mimics" heart pain as well as intercostal neuralgia. The pain often worsens at night. It can be moderate and increase gradually or occur suddenly and abruptly.

With osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, doctors initially rule out a cardiac nature of the pain. For this purpose, a differential diagnosis is carried out.

Painful sensations are localized in the area between the shoulder blades or ribs and increase when raising the arms, bending, inhaling and exhaling. They radiate into the area of the heart, kidneys and stomach. In the chest area, patients notice a feeling of stiffness or pressure, numbness, "tingling" in the chest, tingling in the neck, arms and stomach.

Lumbosacral region

In lumbosacral osteochondrosis, the pain is localized in the lower back and radiates to the pelvic area, groin and leg. It is accompanied by muscle tension, tingling and numbness. Muscle spasms and disorders of the pelvic organs are possible.

Referred lumbosacral pain syndrome can be caused by pathologies of the genitourinary system and gastrointestinal tract. Clinical specialists must take this fact into account when making a diagnosis.

Reasons

Damage to the intervertebral cartilage most often occurs from excessive stress, including static stress, as well as spinal injuries caused by a fall, blow, sudden movement, or jump from a height.

Increased stress leading to degenerative changes includes heavy lifting, uneven distribution of load on the back muscles, and prolonged stay in a position that is particularly uncomfortable. The most sensitive to overload are the intervertebral cartilage discs, which perform the function of shock absorption and ensure movement in the spine.

The development of osteochondrosis is promoted by:

• obesity;
• age-related changes;
• heredity;
• flat feet;
• inflammatory or autoimmune damage to cartilage;
• birth defects;
• vertebral instability;
• bad posture;
• poor diet;
• hypothermia;
• a sedentary lifestyle, which leads to weakness of the muscular corset, deterioration of nutrition and blood supply to the intervertebral joints;
• metabolic disorders;
• Lack of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D;
• hormonal, endocrine disorders.

Under the influence of provoking factors, metabolic processes, fluid supply and blood circulation in the intervertebral discs worsen. This causes tears in the annulus fibrosus. The height of the intervertebral discs decreases, the mobility of the spine is impaired and reflex tension and cramps occur. Protrusions and hernias form. The disc protrudes, irritating the spinal roots and causing pain and other discomfort.

Advantages of treatment in a modern clinic 

A modern clinic where osteochondrosis is treated has a number of advantages:

1. Experienced specialists in the field of neurology who regularly improve their skills.
2. New diagnostic device that increases the accuracy of diagnosing osteochondrosis to 100%.
3. The use of minimally invasive technologies in the surgical treatment of osteochondrosis.
4. A 24-hour hospital where patients can stay after spinal surgery.
5. Individual rehabilitation programs that allow you to restore full motor activity.
6. High level of service and affordable prices for treatment of osteochondrosis in Moscow.
7. Use of proprietary methods with proven effectiveness. Focus on non-surgical treatment, taking into account the patient's age and the presence of comorbidities.
8. Qualified help with complications of osteochondrosis – bulges, pinched nerves, herniated discs, osteophytes, limited mobility of the vertebrae.

In a modern clinic, all advanced methods of treating osteochondrosis are available to the patient: medications, physiotherapeutic procedures, manual therapy, osteopathy, reflexology, therapeutic blocks, surgical interventions.

diagnosis

There are many causes of back pain. To understand what caused the pain, a consultation with a neurologist is necessary. At the first appointment, the doctor examines the patient's symptoms and medical history to identify risk factors, performs a neurological examination and assesses range of motion. When examining and palpating the spine, the doctor can detect curvatures, muscle spasms, trigger points and other pathological changes.

In addition, the doctor prescribes instrumental diagnostic methods: X-ray, CT or MRI of the spine. In case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, Dopplerography of the vessels of the head and neck, MRI of the head, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine - electrocardiography or ultrasound of the heart, lumbar spine - ultrasound of the kidneys and pelvic organs may be required. Additionally, blood and urine tests may be prescribed.

To rule out spinal cord diseases, including cancer, myelography is performed. This is an X-ray examination method using a contrast agent.

Based on the results of the diagnosis, the neurologist creates an individual treatment regimen.

Treatment

Treatment for osteochondrosis depends on the part of the spine affected and the stage of the disease. In the initial stages, drug therapy, physiotherapy, lifestyle correction, weight and physical activity are enough. If the structure of the intervertebral discs and mobility of the joints are significantly impaired, a herniated disc and other complications occur, additional physiotherapeutic procedures may be prescribed, including therapeutic massage, spinal traction and manual therapy. In advanced cases, when osteochondrosis does not respond to conservative therapy, surgery is performed.

Conservative

Conservative treatment methods stop the development of osteochondrosis, help eliminate chronic back pain and other unpleasant symptoms, and improve spinal mobility. This includes:

1. Drug therapy. Prescribed medications that relieve pain and inflammation, relax back muscles, and strengthen cartilage and bone tissue.
2. Physiotherapeutic procedures. They improve blood circulation and nutrition of the intervertebral discs, promote tissue restoration, relax the neck, lower back and chest muscles. For osteochondrosis, magnetic therapy, UHF, shock wave, vacuum therapy, laser therapy, acupuncture, massage and electrical stimulation are effective. The massage course includes 10-15 sessions, depending on the severity of the changes in the vertebral structures.
3. Manual therapy. The procedure is painless. Allows you to eliminate muscle tension and pain, as well as restore mobility and anatomy of the vertebrae.
4. Therapeutic exercise. It is an important part of the treatment. Sets of exercises selected by a physiotherapist strengthen the back corset, correct posture, improve blood circulation, eliminate pain and improve mobility of the neck and other parts of the spine.
5. Therapeutic blockade. Used when severe pain occurs that cannot be relieved with analgesics. The high effectiveness of the procedure is due to the paravertebral administration of drugs - into the tissue near the roots of the intervertebral nerve.
6. Spinal traction. Effective for osteochondrosis with disc herniation and intervertebral hernia, as well as for radicular syndrome.

The best results are achieved through complex treatment - a combination of several methods that reinforce each other's effect.

Surgical

The main goal of the operation is to eliminate compression of the nerve roots, spinal cord, arteries, etc. During the operation, a fracture, part or all of the intervertebral disc can be removed. The operation is carried out with minimal risks due to the use of minimally invasive technologies and modern visualization systems that make it possible to see the operating field in real time and with high resolution.

Puncture laser discectomy

It is a new microsurgical method used to treat osteochondrosis, mainly of the cervical spine. The affected intervertebral disc is vaporized with a laser. The light guide is passed through a needle with a diameter of up to 1. 2 mm, which is inserted into the affected intervertebral disc. Laser exposure takes 40-60 minutes. The pain syndrome disappears immediately after the procedure.

Laser puncture discectomy is used only in the initial stages of osteochondrosis, when there are no signs of vertebral instability.

prevention

Osteochondrosis of any part of the spine can be prevented if preventive recommendations are constantly followed. Moderate stress, maintaining correct posture and therapeutic exercises for the back are required. You cannot lift weights or sit or stand in one position for long periods of time.

If you have back problems, you should see an orthopedist or neurologist regularly.

rehabilitation

The time it takes to restore spinal function depends on the type and extent of the procedure. Bed rest is indicated for the first few days after the operation, after which light physical activity and wearing orthopedic aids for the back are required. Physiotherapy exercises selected by a doctor allow you to gradually return to your normal lifestyle.