Back and lumbar pain is one of the most common complaints in medicine.Second is the number of all appeals, second only for respiratory diseases.Many pathologies can cause soreness in the lower back, but very often the cause of it is osteochondrosis of the lumbar region.How to treat such a disease that the symptoms and signs it possesses will be discussed below.
Not so long ago, medical science believes that osteochondrosis in the lumbosacral department is found exclusively due to changes in age related to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.However, today the age trait is not exceptional, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is diagnosed in patients in different age groups.To date
The causes of osteochondrosis on the lower back
It is impossible to point out the exact cause, almost always this will be a complete effect of various destructive factors, among which the most important can be distinguished:
- Adherence to a passive lifestyleIn terms of motor activity.By their own will, immobilized people, for example, spend many hours on the computer, do not receive a useful load, which is why the muscle of the "corset" appears and the load of the vertebrae increases.In addition, almost always such entertainment is associated with a long stay in the wrong and unnatural poses.
- Hormonal problems, leading to metabolism disorders, which affects the metabolism of the tissues of the spine in the lower back and contributes to the destructive processes.This also includes endocrine diseases.
- The presence of congenital or acquired deviationswhen the musculoskeletal system underwent certain changes.This may be affected by increased spinal stress, such as the patient with the presence of flat legs, curvature of the legs or spine.
- Chronic increased loadsFrom the lower back.Among the risks are people with certain types of professional activity, usually related to weight lifting.This also includes professional athletes who constantly expose their body with peak loads.
- Disrupted nutrition and daily routineSThis also includes regular exposure to stress.These factors are reflected in the processes of metabolism and affect the periodic restoration of their forces.
Degree of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
The above pathological factors gradually lead to the manifestation of the disease.However, it can manifest itself in different ways, and at the beginning it is almost asymptomatic or with difficulty pain in late development.Consider the main degrees of development of osteochondrosis:
- The situation in which the reactive nucleus moves in the intervertebral disc.It is characterized by pain caused by irritation of the nerve roots of the fibrous ring and longitudinal ligaments.The discomfort is felt locally at the place where a defective disc is placed.The soreness can be either acute with bastards or constantly dumb.
- When the fibrous layer of the intervertebral disc is destroyed, there is an increase in the mobility of the elements of the spine in this area, they become unstable.In order to eliminate these pathological manifestations, it is necessary to constantly maintain the muscles of this area tension, which as a result leads to chronic fatigue in the lower back.
- Then there is a breakthrough in the fibrous ring, which is why the nucleus comes out of the disc, forming the intervertebral hernia.This case will be accompanied by the excess of the ends of the nerves, which is called "radicular syndrome".
- The next degree of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral department meets severe deformity of the spine in this part.There are problems with mobility, but the pain syndrome, however strange at this stage, disappears.However, you should not enjoy it, this does not speak at all about the fading of the disease.
- The latter degree is characterized by pathological growth of bone tissue and general deterioration in the well.
Based on the degree of osteochondrosis of the lower back, certain treatments are used.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis in the lower back
The main symptom is martial syndrome in the lumbar spine.At the same time, the sensations of pain, the area of their localization and the direction in which they spread can vary.This is due to the fact that, based on the degree of damage to the intervertebral disc and the tissues around, some nerve receptors are irritated.In addition, the role is played by the presence of convexity or direct hernia, the direction of its convexity and many other factors.
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine include:
- The presence of pain in the lower back pain, which tends to increase with acute mobility or, conversely, to remain unchanged for a long time.The pain is inferior if you occupy a horizontal position.
- In addition, weakness in the body is probably under the abdomen, including the lower limbs, as well as a dull reflex of the tendon of the legs.
- There is a high probability of curvature in the lumbar spine.There is a classification of such curves, for example with an accent in the right or left side, they talk about scoliosis, lordosis is called the situation of bending forward and kyphosis is called when the natural lumbar turn, as it was, is smoothed.
- With a serious degree of disease development, spinal cord ducts are possible, which can cause its dysfunction and lead to uncontrolled urination and stool.
Among the additional symptoms they note:
- The presence of tingling and the "cold" of the skin of the lower back and buttocks.
- Peeling, dry and blue skin in the same places.
- Impaired urination.
- Erection problems.
The presence of these symptoms should warn a person, you cannot remove them by hand, it will only lead to more neglect.In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor for accurate diagnosis and treatment.By the way, treatment can be either in a hospital and in the home environment, but more later.
Diagnosis
When diagnosing it is important to understand the extent to which the disease comes.The easiest way is to palpation in the lower back by identifying areas of pain.Usually this method is uninformative and in addition to conducting examinations that give a more detailed clinical picture:
- By radiography, A cheap and widespread method, it is possible to evaluate the condition of both the spine and the individual vertebrae, for example, the lumbar region in question.The technique is not very accurate, it only allows indirect to understand how many integral intervertebral discs and spinal canals are.
- Computed tomographyA more accurate method of assessing the level of discs damage between the vertebrae, nerve roots and channels with the spinal cord.
- Magnetic resonance imagingThe most right method gives a complete picture of the lesion in the details, but it is quite expensive and inaccessible.
It should be noted that the diagnostic process is very important, since for a doctor, when prescribing tactics for treatment, all details about the developed osteochondrosis are significant.
Complications for osteochondrosis
The main complications of the pathology are hernia and convexity, necessarily occurring if you neglect the treatment and leave the development of the disease through gear.Other complications may be:
- Inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
- Spondylartrosis.
- Shraml hernia.
- Spondylosis.
- Problems caused by spinal ducts.
- Functionality disorders in the pelvis.
- The development of the lame.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the lower back
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine requires a wide range of therapy, the main aspects of which will be:
- The use of moderate loads.
- Special medicines.
- The grip of the spine.
- Manual therapy sessions.
- Physiotherapy.
- Therapeutic massages.
The concept of "treatment" for osteochondrosis implies:
- Suppression of inflammation.
- Removal of pain syndrome.
- The complex for strengthening the lumbar and adjacent muscle groups.
- Get rid of chronic muscle tension.
- Increasing the functionality of organs in the pelvis.
- Normalization of blood circulation and metabolism in the pathological zone.
Medication
A similar approach to the treatment of osteochondrosis of the lower back involves taking medicines, injections of special medicines, use of ointments and gels for external use.The main task of such drugs is to neutralize the pain and the inflammatory process.
Based on the degree of osteochondrosis of the spine in the lumbar region, the following medicines may be prescribed by the doctor:
- Analgesics that have an anesthetic effect.
- Non -steroidal inflammation preparations.
- With muscle spasms, antispasmodics.
- Cartilage remedies called chondroprotectors.Their effectiveness has not been proven, therefore they are rarely used in traditional medicine.
- In the case of serious pathologies, when the above agents do not help, they resort to corticosteroids.
- Vitamins complexes.
In addition to these agents, medicines are prescribed in tablets that aim to calm the nervous system, to fight stress and depression.
Physiotherapy treatment of osteochondrosis of the lower back
The treatment process is rarely limited to taking pills only.The pathology in question cannot be cured without stimulating the processes of spinal restoration.A wide range of physiotherapy procedures are used for these purposes, the most popular are:
- Phonophoresis.
- Diadynamic current therapy.
- Laser therapy.
In addition, the spine should be given useful loads, while fragmented it.Different types of therapeutic massage are ideal for this.It should be remembered that massage is only used for pain eliminated.As a rule, it is carried out as a restorative measure with the process of remission of the disease or with chronic osteochondrosis.After the massage, the muscle muscles exceeded by the disease relax well, its effect will increase significantly with simultaneous warming, such as in a bath or sauna.In the latter case, we will be the maximum effect due to the further stimulation of blood circulation in the pathology and surrounding areas.
Another method of physiotherapy is manual therapy.Its advantages are generally the same as massage, but in addition to such techniques, a specialist can return shifted vertebrae to normal.
Therapeutic gymnastics
Therapeutic gymnastics is also used as a restorative and preventative measure in the period when the pain and inflammatory process have already been eliminated.The guarantee of the high efficiency of therapeutic exercises in the regularity of the exercise, in this case the damaged area will constantly receive the necessary motor activity for self -generation of the new tissue and recovery.
Surgery surgery for osteochondrosis of the lower back
Surgical surgery is an exceptional measure that is prescribed for serious complications.The most common of these is the intervertebral hernia when the so -called "disco" is performed or the affected intervertebral disc is removed.The operation is very effective, but it is the ultimate extreme, its purpose only happens if other methods of therapy do not have a result for more than 6 months.Modern medicine also offers less traumatic methods for conducting such surgery, such as a microsurgical or endoscopic method.