Effective methods of diagnosing and treating osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis, or chondrosis, is a disease that reduces the elasticity of the cartilage tissue of the joints. The disease can manifest itself in any joint and, depending on its location, has its own classification. The progression of the disease leads to impairment of the motor function of the joint, often complete immobility occurs.

The symptoms of osteochondrosis, its causes and methods of treating this disease are discussed in the information provided.

How osteochondrosis manifests itself

Signs of osteochondrosis appear gradually, initially with a mild pain syndrome that later becomes chronic and intense. Usually, patients see a doctor with complaints of severe pain and inability to perform certain movements.

In order for the treatment of osteochondrosis to be as successful as possible, the disease must be diagnosed at an early stage.

The following signs may indicate the development of osteochondrosis:

• pain when moving;
• crunching of the joints;
• stiffness of movement;
• muscle spasm;
• headache, increase in blood pressure and dizziness (with cervical osteochondrosis);
• pain in the chest and between the shoulder blades (thoracic osteochondrosis);
• pain in the hips and buttocks (lumbosacral osteochondrosis and hip joint);
• numbness of the limbs;
• bone pain;
• Increase the weather sensitivity.
• Decreased visual acuity.

Usually the first manifestations of the disease go unnoticed. That is why the initial stage of osteochondrosis is diagnosed rarely and, as a rule, completely accidentally.

Causes of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis does not occur spontaneously. Degenerative processes in the joint lead to its development, namely: disruption of normal blood circulation and mineral metabolism, formation of ossified formations - osteophytes. All this leads to an impairment in the mobility of the joint, changes in its structure and the appearance of unpleasant sensations during movement and walking.

The main reasons for the occurrence are:

1. Lack of constant physical activity;
2. injuries and injuries to the joint;
3. joint deformity under excessive load;
4. disorders of nutrition and blood supply to the joint;
5. overweight problems;
6. Unbalanced diet;
7. Chronic stress;
8. Hereditary disposition;
9. endocrine pathologies;
10. Age-related changes;
11. Unfavorable working conditions (prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position, hypothermia, weightlifting).

The likelihood of developing the disease increases in patients with flat feet, congenital or acquired developmental pathologies of the foot. With such ailments, the load is incorrectly distributed when walking, which leads to a change in the normal gait and, as a result, deformation of the spine, knee and hip joints.

The occurrence of osteochondrosis of the spine depends directly on diseases of the musculoskeletal system that have already been diagnosed, such as scoliosis.

In addition, chronic diseases of the internal organs can also act as a provoking factor. Infection and inflammation can affect nearby tissues, leading to the formation of pathology in the joint joints.

Classification of osteochondrosis

In medical terminology you will often find the definition of "chondrosis of the spine". This means the initial stage of osteochondrosis, which affects one of the departments (or several) of the spine. The pathology develops in the intervertebral disc and does not affect nearby tissues. This is the special deceit of chondrosis of the back, since the asymptomatic onset does not give a chance to start treatment on time and overcome the disease.

Usually, a chondrosis whose symptoms have not yet appeared is discovered quite accidentally during a comprehensive examination of the body.

Depending on the localization of the pathology, one can also talk about coxarthrosis - osteochondrosis of the hip joint. Pathology can also affect the shoulder or the accumulated joint. In turn, osteochondrosis of the back is also classified according to the place of localization.

What types of back osteochondrosis are there:

• Cervical osteochondrosismanifests itself in pain and stiffness in the neck, on the back of the head and between the shoulder blades. It is often viewed as an occupational disease for accountants, computer programmers, and other professions that involve prolonged sitting.
• Osteochondrosis of the chest regionis ​​quite rare. Because of the relative immobility of this area, symptoms are often mistaken for angina or intercostal neuralgia. In addition, the manifestations of breast osteochondrosis can resemble an attack of pancreatitis or gastritis.
• Lumbar or lumbosacral osteochondrosisis ​​the most common type of disease. This is due to the increased load on this department, even when performing normal movements. With increasing load, weight lifting and exercise, the pressure on the vertebrae of the lumbar spine increases many times, which can provoke the development of the disease. The manifestations of lumbar osteochondrosis are extremely diverse. The main symptoms are not only pain when bending, twisting and other movements, but also muscle atrophy, difficulty walking, decreased sexual function and diseases of the urinary system.
• Coccyx osteochondrosisis ​​a rare disease that mainly affects women. This is directly related to the physiological features of the structure of the small pelvis. It is determined by the pain syndrome when sitting, walking, and doing physical exercises. The beginning is usually preceded by injuries and falls as well as a prolonged stay in an uncomfortable sitting position.

• Polysegmental osteochondrosisis ​​diagnosed when degenerative lesions of adjacent joints are detected. They can be in one or more parts of the spine.
• A widespread osteochondrosismanifests itself in lesions of two or more parts of the spine. It is a difficult disease to treat with little chance of full recovery.
• Diffuse osteochondrosisis ​​diagnosed when the pathology spreads to all segments of the spine.

A progressive disease is not only characterized by pain and discomfort during movement. Inflammation of the connective tissue of the joint develops, the intervertebral roots are pinched, and bone tissue - osteophytes - begins to grow on the vertebrae.

Stages of osteochondrosis development

To determine the tactics for healing osteochondrosis, it is necessary not only to accurately diagnose, but also to determine the degree of involvement of joint elements in the pathological process. To do this, it is customary to use a classification by degrees, as well as a place of localization of the pathology.

What types of osteochondrosis are there:

1. The initial stagedoes not manifest itself as a pain syndrome and does not require specific treatment. According to statistics, the first degree of osteochondrosis is present in more than 80% of the population over 50 years of age. Recently, due to the proliferation of professions requiring permanent sitting in a sitting position and a decrease in physical activity among children and adolescents, almost one in two people under the age of 30 is diagnosed with osteochondrosis.
2. Osteochondrosis in the second stageis ​​diagnosed by an X-ray examination. The picture shows the formation of multiple fractures of the intervertebral disc, but the fibrous ring remains intact. The manifestations of the disease are insignificant, usually there is discomfort with a long stay in a sitting or standing position, after a short pause the pain disappears on its own. The diagnosed second stage of osteochondrosis can be treated with great success using conservative methods.

3. The third stageof osteochondrosis is characterized by numerous injuries to the intervertebral disc and a possible rupture of the annulus fibrosus. The pain becomes longer and constant, and can occur even at rest. Treatment of osteochondrosis in the third stage is carried out according to conservative and surgical methods. The prognosis depends on the severity of the pathology and the timely treatment of medical help.
4. Osteochondrosis in the fourth stageis ​​the most severe. It is determined by severe lesions of the joint structure. Ligaments, vessels, nerve endings and connective tissue of the joint are involved in the pathological process. Conservative methods are usually ineffective. Surgery is done more often, but even surgery does not guarantee recovery. Patients often lose joint mobility and remain disabled.

In order to prevent osteochondrosis from transitioning to the critical stage, it is essential to pay attention to the signals that the body is giving us in good time. There are cases when patients endure pain and discomfort for years and adapt to the limitation of motor skills, but do not see a doctor.

It should be noted that osteochondrosis is not a disease that can be cured at home using folk methods or just pain medication alone.

A mandatory comprehensive approach is required, which is determined by the features of the development of the pathology, the reasons for its occurrence, as well as the individual indicators of the patient.

Diagnosis of osteochondrosis

In order to ensure the correct tactics for the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is necessary to conduct special studies. They will help identify the localization and causes that led to this disease. Only when all negative factors that affect the progression of the disease are eliminated, you can begin the main treatment.

How to determine the degree and localization of the pathological process:

• X-ray examination.For reliable information, images must be recorded in several projections. The localization and degree of damage to the joint, the presence of osteophytes and the condition of the bone canals are determined.
• Doppler ultrasound.Check for disorders of blood supply, vascular integrity and blood flow velocity.
• myelography.Special examination of the spine with a contrast medium. Allows the identification of intervertebral hernias and their location.
• Computed tomography.The condition of the intervertebral discs, possible deviations in the structure and deformation, pinching of the nerve roots and changes in the structure of individual vertebrae are checked.
• magnetic resonance imaging.Usually provides a more detailed study of the structure of the joint joints. It is usually awarded when the information content of other tests carried out is low. An undoubted advantage is a more detailed examination of the condition of soft tissues.

The patient's medical history is also examined. Possible injuries sustained long before the doctor's visit, operations and chronic diseases can also lead to the development of pathological processes in the joint tissue.

In addition, a personal examination and questioning of the patient is carried out. Based on the information received, the diagnosis and the degree of joint damage is determined.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

After diagnosing and identifying the causes of osteochondrosis, the specialist creates an individual treatment plan. It must take into account the patient's physical indicators, the specifics of the development of the pathology and its localization.

An integrated approach is used for treatment.

Medication alone cannot be dispensed with, because at the same time the mobility of the joints develops, a possible inflammatory process in the surrounding tissue has to be eliminated and the negative factor that led to the development of the disease has to be neutralized.

That is why it is better to entrust the treatment of chondrosis to a specialist who will select an individual set of exercises, also taking into account the dynamics of therapy.

Drug therapy for osteochondrosis

The prescription of drugs depends on the type of lesion and the associated pathological processes in the tissue. As a rule, patients try to self-treat osteochondrosis, using pharmaceutical and homemade ointments and compresses, as well as folk remedies.

Unfortunately, this only brings temporary relief and does not contribute to the complete elimination of diseases. To effectively treat osteochondrosis, the following groups of drugs are used.

Drug therapy includes:

1. Systemic and local pain relievers.These include ointments and compresses as well as tablets and injections for severe pain syndrome. Used to treat osteochondrosis during an exacerbation.
2. NSAIDs- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used not only to relieve pain and inflammation in the affected area, but also when the temperature is caused by the disease.
3. The action of muscle relaxantsaims to relieve muscle tone. Drugs in this group are taken in courses of 30-45 days, and the dosage is prescribed strictly individually. Usually they start with minimal doses (injections are prescribed for severe hypertension), which are gradually increased. In order not to cause a withdrawal syndrome, the dosage is then gradually reduced.
4. Chondroprotectorshelp to restore the cartilage tissue and even out damaged areas. The effect of this group of drugs does not appear immediately, so a course of several months is prescribed. There are different types of medication. During the period of exacerbation, it is used in the form of injections, and then treatment is continued with tablets or capsules.
5. Angioprotectorsare used for identified blood supply pathologies. They strengthen the walls of the blood vessels, promote their relaxation and restore the metabolism. The period of admission is also several months.

6. Glucocorticosteroidsare prescribed to improve the functioning of NSAIDs and muscle relaxants. They have a pronounced anti-inflammatory and decongestant effect, and help relieve pain and cramps. The course of treatment is determined individually. In the first days of exacerbation of the disease, they are used in injection form, and then in tablet form. The dosage is gradually reduced until the drug is completely discontinued.
7. Biogenic stimulants.They accelerate the metabolism and promote the restoration of the joint tissue. Self-treatment of chondrosis at home with such drugs is impossible, but in complex therapy they proved their effectiveness.
8. Complex vitamin preparations.Promotion of the general strengthening of the body and acceleration of metabolic reactions.

Is osteochondrosis only treated with medication? Of course not. To get rid of the disease completely, it is necessary to carry out other medical interventions. Particular attention should be paid to a specific set of exercises. It is designed for each section of the spine or the joints of the limbs.

Important point:The lessons are carried out under the supervision of a specialist and only after the inflammation in the affected area has been removed.

Remedial gymnastics

What to do with osteochondrosis and which movements are better to refuse, says a special trainer with the appropriate qualifications. First, the exercises are carried out under his control, then the patient can continue to train alone.

Home treatment for osteochondrosis requires regular exercise to restore mobility to the joint.

Massage and Physiotherapy

Various alternative medicine methods are used in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine. These include mud wraps, acupuncture, magnetotherapy, and manual therapy.

Among the medical procedures, electrophoresis with drugs, laser therapy and thermotherapy are often used. An important point is sanitary treatment in specialized sanatoriums.

What is osteochondrosis? More and more patients are learning about this disease at a young age. Lack of exercise, decreased muscle tone and uneven load on the joints - these negative weight factors lead to the development of degenerative processes in the structure of cartilage tissue.

A decrease in elasticity, as well as a violation of integrity, is manifested in constant or periodic pain, stiffness and even dysfunction of the internal systems.