This article talks about what lumbar spinal osteochondrosis is in simple words - this information will allow you to understand what happens when the intervertebral disc is destroyed and how to perform effective and safe treatment.
According to medical statistics, more than 70% of modern population knows what osteochondrosis is.Inactivity lifestyle, lack of normal physical activity, excessive calorie intake in diet with micro deficiency and vitamins in it - all of which and more leads to the fact that intervertebral discs start to decline at a young age.First, tedious pain, does not disturb appear, and then sharp and persistent pain in the lumbar region.One cannot move freely;Any movement causes severe pain and discomfort.Organ recovery -internal abdominal cavity and small pelvis are interrupted.
To understand what spinal osteochondrosis is, you need to have a structural and functional idea.Let's start with the second question.Therefore, the spinal column is the support of the human frame.Top shoulder girdle, lower and chest members, and skulls are attached to it.The most important function of the spinal column is to ensure spinal cord safety - the middle part of the autonomic nervous system, which ensures the performance of the whole human body.
Anatomically, the spinal column consists of two parts of the structure: the vertebral body with the arcuate and spinous process and the intervertebral disc.Vertebral body accounts for 70-75% of spinal height, and intervertebral disc (depending on the age of the patient) -from 25 to 30%.The intervertebral disc shape follows the vertebral body shape and the arcuate process.The disc ensures uniform distribution of shock absorber loads transmitted from the bottom of the leg and other parts of the body.It also provides protection to the radicular nerves that leave the spinal cord.
What is lumbar osteochondrosis?It is the degenerative destruction of the cartilage of the fibrous rings of the intervertebral disc L5-L4, L4-L3, L3-L2, L2-L1.Overall, the lumbar region contains five vertebral bodies and 4 intervertebral discs separating them.Through the foraminal opening of the body -vertebral body, the radicular nerve departs, responsible for the preservation of the following parts:
- L1 and L2 - abdominal and upper thighs;
- L3 - genitals, knees and bladder;
- L4 - feet, feet and prostate glands;
- L5 - toes, feet, feet.
This radicular nerve branch forms the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the gluteal region to the popliteal fossa.There it divides the tibial and fibular branches and further monitor the lower leg and legs.Also, the individual branches of the lumbar spine radicular nerve are part of the nerve plexus called Cauda Equina.
With the development of osteochondrosis, a gradual disorder occurs.Diseases of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis can develop.In severe cases, the lower leg muscle fiber atrophy, partial foot paresis, and others develop.
You can find out more about what osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment in this article.Here are some tips on what to do when such a diagnosis is made and which doctor you need to contact for effective treatment.
What is osteochondrosis and what is the reason?
Modern science knows the answer to the questions about osteochondrosis and why, but, unfortunately, applying this knowledge in practice for effective prevention and treatment is difficult due to the fact that patients need to make every effort to fight the disease.
Anatomically and physiologically, the intervertebral disc body consists of almost 80% of fluids.It is this condition that allows to effectively distribute the shock absorption load on the surface of the separated vertebra body.But the annular fibrosus or nucleus of the intervertebral disc pulposus has its own capillary network.Therefore, there is no blood supply here.All liquid intake and components needed dissolve in it occur through absorbed exchange.It is only performed if adequate physical pressure is used for the surrounding muscles.If the back and lower back muscles are not working, then the diet stops.
Pathology begins to develop:
- First, the fibrous ring only becomes dehydrated and loses its elasticity;
- Then the surface begins to undergo major destruction, resulting in inflammation (suppression of osteochondrosis) and calcium salt deposition to restore damaged tissue integrity;
- Calcification film prevents more absorbent nutrition, so even with active work of the surrounding muscles, the spontaneous recovery of fibrous ring tissue does not occur;
- The next stage is the fluid accumulation of the pulposus nucleus located in the fibrous ring;
- At this stage, the pulposus nucleus loses its mass, stopping to distribute the shock absorber load evenly, and the height of the intervertebral disc decreases;
- At the protrusion stage, the intervertebral disc goes beyond the body -vertebral body and begins to pressure the soft tissue and radicular nerves, causing persistent pain and movement stiffness;
- The third stage is the rupture of the fibrous ring (extrusion) and the release of part of the pulposus nucleus (disc herniation).
What are the causes that can cause this pathological development from the spinal column:
- lack of adequate and normal physical activity in the back and lower back muscle frames;
- incorrect organizations and workspace when located where micro -blood circulation and lymph fluid in the spinal column area are interrupted;
- Disorders of metabolic processes in the body, the first sign of overweight;
- Poor posture and spinal column curvature, resulting in changes in distribution of shock absorption loads along the spine;
- maintaining an inactive lifestyle and inactive work;
- Endocrine disease, for example, diabetes mellitus with included angiopathy;
- Back injuries (ligaments and tendons, muscle tears, displacements and subluxations of vertebral body, compression and cracking).
There are other reasons, but they are less common and do not pose a danger as listed above.
What is lumbar osteochondrosis
In general, whether osteochondrosis disease is explained above.Now let's stay a little bit about the question of lumbar osteochondrosis and why it's so common.In recent decades, the disease has become younger.If it had previously been diagnosed with people who have crossed the 40-year threshold, now the first signs of dystrophic degenerative changes in intervertebral discs are found not only in people ages 20, but in adolescents ages 14-16.
Of course, expanding the possibility of early diagnosis plays a certain role in this regard.With the appearance of MRI examinations, the early cases of the disease began to be detected more frequently.Therefore, patients used to learn about intervertebral osteochondrosis due to severe appearance of pain.And now, during the examination, it is possible to capture the pathology in the early stages of development.
The lower back is the weakest place in the spine.This is where the maximum shock absorption load occurs when performing the body.During pregnancy, significant changes occur here with vertebral body shifts, posture changes and the development of the intervertebral space.Therefore, pregnancy for a woman is almost always a period where the spinal column begins to decline.
What is the osteochondrosis of the spinal cord?This is a condition where persistent clinical manifestations have emerged and patients have to seek medical help.As a rule, in the second stage of the development of degenerative dystrophic pathology, the decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc and the thinning of the fibrous ring tissue were observed.
What is the osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral area
Whether sacred area osteochondrosis can only be felt by patients under the age of 25.During this time, a complete combination of the body of the vertebrae in the sacred spine occurs.Intervertebral disc atrophy.Therefore, signs of clinical inflammation may indicate a completely different pathology.
More often they ask questions about lumbosacral osteochondrosis, as it affects the intervertebral disc located between the sacred and lumbar areas.This is the L5-s1-it contributes to the center of the human body gravity and the maximum physical load and shock.
It is important to understand what lumbosacral area osteochondrosis is and how it can be treated effectively.First of all, all possible causes of pathology should be excluded.Then need to strengthen the muscle tone that surrounds the lower back.The best treatment is performed using manual therapy and therapeutic training.
The signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis
Now you understand what the spinal osteochondrosis is, and when the symptoms appear, you will be able to identify and eliminate the potential causes of pathological change.
Many patients ask what are the signs of osteochondrosis on X-rays and MRI examination results.Therefore, in the pictures, doctors can see the cracks on the surface of the fibrous ring, decreased the height of the intervertebral disc and the change in its form.These are the main signs of osteochondrosis.
Clinical symptoms include:
- pain in the lumbar region;
- the spread of pain along the surface of the thighs, feet and feet;
- lower muscle strength in the lower leg;
- Posture changes by straightening the spinal physiological curve in the lumbar region;
- the stiffness of their movement and the restrictions of their amplitude;
- Muscle tension in the lumbar region.
In cases of advanced, numbness from lower legs, seizures, lumbago, and others may appear.
What is polysegmental or normal osteochondrosis?
The question of polysegmental osteochondrosis can be answered briefly.This is a degenerative dystrophic change that does not affect one, but some intervertebral discs.The same can be said about the usual osteochondrosis of the spinal column.This is a condition where pathological changes are detected not in one, but in some parts of the spine.For example, if one has only two lumbar discs affected, then this is a form of polysegmental disease.If one disc is affected in the lumbar and lumbosacral areas, then this is the same shape.
What is radicular osteochondrosis (in simple language)
And now some words about radicular osteochondrosis and why this condition is dangerous to human health.Therefore, talking easily about what is - osteochondrosis, it can be noted that it literally level the layer between the vertebrae.
When moving or in the body's static position, due to the action of gravity, colosal pressure is observed in the spinal column.Each excess vertebra puts pressure on the lower one.The intervertebral disc separating it is in a compressed state.If they do not have enough fluids, they lose their ability to resist and be subject to leveling.At the same time, they lose the ability to provide adequate intervertebral space height so that the widespread radical nerves of the spinal cord are not subject to compression.
If the disc has lost its height and shape, the radicular nerves become pinched.Osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome occurs.It is accompanied by neurological manifestations expressed in numbness, paresis, paralysis, decreased muscle strength, paresthesia appearance, etc.
Effective osteochondrosis treatment
We have learned what osteochondrosis is, now we can talk about effective treatment for the disease.As it has become clear, for the complete recovery of the intervertebral disc, it is necessary to restore the absorbent diet that is absorbed from the cartilage of the fibrous ring.This can only be done with the help of manual therapy and therapeutic training.No pharmacological drugs can restore nutrition from the cartilage of the intervertebral disc.And injection of chondroprotectors in the absence of absorbent metabolism.They do not penetrate the cartilage.
For effective treatment, it is necessary to:
- Change your lifestyle, making it more active with adequate physical activity and proper diet;
- Avoid extreme physical activity on the back muscles;
- Carry out several procedures for the spinal column attraction to restore the physiological height of the intervertebral space;
- Visit osteopath to restore the elasticity of cartilage and its ability to absorb exchange with muscle tissue;
- Perform several massage sessions to increase tissue permeability, elasticity, restore micro -blood circulation and lymph fluid;
- Develop individual courses of therapeutic training with vertebrologists.
Physiotherapy, kinesiotherapy, laser therapy and more are also shown.Treatment of osteochondrosis should be performed under the supervision of a vertebrologist or neurologist.