Osteochondrosis is a degenerative process that occurs in articular cartilage and adjacent bone tissues.Doctors define this disease as a degenerative-destructive lesion of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs: they lose moisture, reduce their height and elasticity.
Osteochondrosis “looked younger”
If only a few decades ago, articular cartilage began to deteriorate in people who crossed the 40-year mark, today the disease occurs even in adolescence.
Doctors cite many reasons for this unpleasant trend.An unhealthy lifestyle, combined with an unfavorable environmental situation and a deterioration in the standard of living, causes premature wear and deformation of bone and cartilaginous structures.
Constantly being in an unnatural position, a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition accompany every person.Few people think about preventing osteochondrosis, neglecting physical exercise, a balanced diet and an approach to maintaining their own health in general.The result of this unconsciousness is often sad.
Main causes of osteochondrosis
Experts are still arguing about how many true factors there are in the formation of the disease.Unconditional reasons include:
- individual predisposition;
- segmental circulatory disorders;
- changes acquired with age;
- damage to the fibrous ring;
- overweight;
- constant loads;
- poor nutrition;
- bad habits;
- failure of the body during menopause;
- sedentary work.
Stages of development of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is classified into stages, taking into account clinical signs, the degree of tissue damage and the patient's level of discomfort.The pathological process occurs in four stages:
- Preclinical.First of all, the basic level of nutrition of the intervertebral discs decreases, their elasticity and firmness deteriorate.No changes can be detected on the x-ray.The patient may feel slight fatigue, slight discomfort, stiffness, dizziness, headache;
- Stage of discogenic radiculitis.The fibrous ring begins to slowly deform (cracks and protrusions appear).The pain becomes more acute and sudden, the discomfort becomes more noticeable.A symptom like “lumbago” appears, the limbs begin to go numb;
- Vascular-radicular stage.The fibrinous ring completely loses its shape.From this moment on, hernias can form.X-rays are very informative.Patients' subjective sensations are pronounced (pain, sharp attacks of pain, constant discomfort).Frequent muscle spasms appear and performance decreases sharply.If nerve fibers suffer, the first signs of dysfunction of internal systems will be inevitable;
- As the height of the vertebrae decreases, friction begins between them.Osteophytes may appear as a compensatory mechanism.These are specific osteogrowths that help to strengthen the area where the friction was most intense.But osteophytes can provoke inflammatory processes in the surrounding soft tissues, aggravating the pathological condition.
Symptoms of the disease: emphasis on patients’ well-being
Osteochondrosis is characterized by a whole galaxy of very different symptoms.This is due to the vastness of the pathological process itself and its influence on most organs of the human body.There are several main syndromes that manifest themselves in patients suffering from osteochondrosis:
- Static syndrome.When your vertebrae lose their shape, your posture inevitably changes.Signs of kyphosis, scoliosis and lordosis appear.The discomfort is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness;
- Neurological syndrome.Damage to the nervous tissue leads to paresthesia (impaired sensitivity) of different zones, accompanied by a feeling of numbness, tingling, “crawling”;
- Vascular syndrome.Due to compression (squeezing) of large vessels and capillaries by deformed vertebrae, blood circulation is disturbed.Result: nausea, dizziness, paleness, signs of lack of oxygen;
- Symptom of trophism.Since tissue nutrition is disturbed (due to compression of small vessels), trophic ulcers may appear on the surface of the skin.
Cervical osteochondrosis
The first manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis is headache.Painkillers do not relieve pain.Typically, the pain begins in the parietal zone, smoothly flowing into the temporal region.Over time, the patient begins to feel discomfort and numbness in the shoulder girdle.
Due to compromised blood supply to the brain, a person may experience dizziness, nausea, and increased tinnitus.If the nutrition of the optical zone is disturbed, visual acuity often decreases sharply.
Elderly people may suddenly lose consciousness and have difficulty with memory and coordination.Rare symptoms include shortness of breath, anxiety and hiccups.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
The thoracic region is less commonly affected.One of the main reasons for the appearance of pathology is considered to be scoliosis and inappropriate work at a desk (i.e. sedentary work).The patient feels a dull pain from the beginning of the disease's development.As the disease progresses, it causes other symptoms: chest pain, numbness, paresthesia, pain in the liver and kidneys.
In the differential diagnosis, deformational processes in the thoracic region can be confused with myocardial infarction and intercostal neuralgia.This ECG and a more in-depth examination (absence of cyanosis, paleness, pallor of the skin) make it possible to accurately specify the diagnosis.
Lumbosacral osteochondrosis
The most common type of osteochondrosis.This is due to the fact that it is this area of the spine that bears the greatest load.Hernias occur more frequently here, complicating the clinical picture.
The main symptoms: prolonged pain, sensations of muscle pain, discomfort, rare low back pain, paresthesia, which stops from time to time and then resumes.The degree of sensitivity of the skin on the feet, legs and thighs may change.
A common cause of osteochondrosis in this department is trauma, mechanical compression and intense physical activity.One of the most unpleasant consequences of lumbosacral deformities is the “slipping” of the vertebra and problems in the functioning of nearby organs.
What pain in osteochondrosis will tell you
Depending on where the deformation processes occur most intensely, the nature and specificity of the pain depends.The main feature: damaged vertebrae compress the nerve roots, causing pain in the area responsible for the nerve plexuses.
Problems can be distributed as follows:
- Cervical region – headaches, neck and shoulder stiffness, disturbances in vision, breathing and other important functions;
- Thoracic region - pain in the heart, low back pain in the arm and internal organs, impaired digestive function, arrhythmias, problems with the endocrine system.The pain is always strong and sharp;
- Lower back – constant pain, malfunction of the genitourinary system, pelvic congestion, reproductive dysfunction.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis
The doctor needs to collect as complete anamnesis as possible.During the examination, the specialist palpates the areas where the pain is most pronounced.
An X-ray examination will be informative.Especially in the last stages of the disease.
Modern diagnostic methods include magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, which make it possible to more accurately examine the processes of destruction of cartilage and bone tissue.Furthermore, using this technique it is convenient to diagnose hernias and other soft tissue defects close to the origin of the disease.
For differential diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, an ECG is used.The patient must undergo a general blood and urine test.
Working at a computer and the development of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease.It affects both the “office plankton” who sit in front of the computer all the time, and the inveterate workers who subject their health to extraordinary stress.Irrational work, disregard for the rules for preventing osteochondrosis and an unhealthy lifestyle provoke the rapid destruction of bone and cartilage tissue.
The modern youth generation is excessively “computerized”.Many medical professionals cite this as one of the main reasons why osteochondrosis has become so common and affects very young people.Top expert tips:
- It is necessary to monitor your posture and position at the table;
- Even during hard work, it is important to take a break and “stretch” your body;
- You cannot tolerate discomfort while sitting in front of the computer.The body, especially the back, must be comfortable;
- Active lifestyle.Times of work or leisure at the computer should be alternated with sports recreation or light exercise.
Wrong lifestyle
An unbalanced diet causes osteochondrosis.Junk food attacks on several “fronts” at the same time.Firstly, obesity caused by fast food and similar snacks is one of the underlying causes of spinal dysfunction.And salts and other harmful elements deposited in the bones only aggravate the problem, accelerating the destructive processes.
Alcohol and smoking have similar effects.Harmful substances affect the cellular level, having a destructive effect on bone tissue and cartilaginous surfaces, which are most sensitive to nicotine.
By reconsidering your lifestyle, diet and eradicating bad habits, you can prevent the onset or progression of osteochondrosis.The ability to move easily and freely is a real luxury, a gift of nature for every person.Unfortunately, the value of painless movements only becomes clear when the pathological process immobilizes the human body.
Taking care of your health today means a happy and fulfilling life in the future.