Everyone has experienced back pain, many live with such pain all the time. In 2/3 of cases, the cause of back problems is spinal osteochondrosis. With osteochondrosis, bones, cartilaginous tissues of the spine - cervix, thorax, lumbar, are destroyed. With age, the risk of tissue wear increases, every second resident of the planet over the age of 30 has signs of osteochondrosis.
Spinal disease causes back injuries, constant stress during hard physical work. Genetic predisposition, intense exercise, improper diet, inactive lifestyle play a role - most urban dwellers are at risk.
How to recognize osteochondrosis
With osteochondrosis, the symptoms are general, specific, characteristic of degenerative changes in articular cartilage, discs, spinal tissues.
Osteochondrosis will manifest itself with persistent back pain, numbness in the affected part of the vertebrae, restriction of movement, increased pain with sudden movements, weight lifting.
Specific signs of osteochondrosis:
- cervical type leads to disturbances in blood circulation, causing headaches, tinnitus, "flies" in front of the eyes. There are problems with brain nutrition, which lead to constant stress;
- with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, intercostal neuralgia develops, pain appears in the chest, ribs;
- lumbar spine disease causes the development of diseases - lumbago, sciatica (sciatica), lumbar sciatica.
With sciatica, the sciatic nerve is affected. Symptoms are pain in the back, calf hypotension, gluteal muscles.
Lumbago is recognized by sharp pain in the lower back caused by vertebral displacement, spinal disc prolapse.
With sciatica lumbar pain appears in the gluteal region, given to the back of the thighs, lower legs, feet, popliteal fossa.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
The clinical manifestations of spinal osteochondrosis are different, sometimes you need to visit different doctors to understand the cause of the disease. The correct diagnosis will be made by a neurologist, an orthopedist, in some private clinics - vertebrologists, vertebroneurologists, doctors who deal with diseases of the spine.
The doctor will report the primary diagnosis at the first examination, when feeling the patient's back. After X-ray, computed tomography, MRI, treatment is prescribed.
Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis pursues the goal of relieving pain, preventing further tissue destruction, spinal deformities.
Vertebral osteochondrosis is a chronic disease, there is a stage of deterioration, remission. Treatment of spinal diseases during exacerbations includes bed rest for 1-2 weeks, painkillers taken for severe pain.
With cervical osteochondrosis during exacerbations, it is recommended to wear a special limiter collar. If the thorax, lumbar region are affected, a corset for the spine will help with deterioration. Corset type:
- for the thoracic area - a bandage that resembles a vest. It is used to straighten the spine;
- for vertebral fractures - plaster, extended corset;
- rigid corsets worn after spinal surgery, injuries. Helps support internal organs when muscles are weak;
- corset in the form of a wide belt for the lumbar spine. Recommended for hernias, displacement.
Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis should be comprehensive: drug treatment, exercise therapy, manual therapy, diet - conservative treatment. Sometimes surgery.
Drug treatment
The doctor will prescribe medication for osteochondrosis. Drug groups have different treatment goals.
In the early stages, anti-inflammatory drugs are taken. If back pain persists for more than 2 weeks, but less than 3 months, additional painkillers are taken. If back pain is more than 3 months, antidepressants are added.
Medication, the dose is prescribed by the attending physician, self -destructive activity - the drug has side effects.
Treatment with folk remedies
Treatment of the disease with folk remedies is carried out in addition to the main, it does not replace the pill. With osteochondrosis of the spine, home treatment methods will reduce pain, reduce inflammation.
Recipe:
- One teaspoon of dried burdock leaves in a glass of boiling water. Compressed is placed on the sore spot, kept for 20-30 minutes. Then the sore spot is wrapped with a warm scarf.
- Three teaspoons of crushed medicinal marshmallow root is poured into a glass of cold boiled water. Insist 8 hours, make a compress.
During the remission period, an infusion of medicinal herbs is taken orally - it provides prevention of exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
Manual therapy treatment
An effective way for conservative treatment of this disease is manual therapy for spinal osteochondrosis. It is worth finding a highly qualified specialist. A good chiropractor will relieve pain syndromes, relieve muscle spasms, and improve intervertebral joint mobility. An unqualified therapist will cause irreparable damage to the spine.
In order for manual therapy to help with dystrophic changes, it is important to follow the rules. Before the massage, it is worth warming up the tense muscles, stretching the muscles smoothly so that the patient does not feel pain. Then the muscles are relaxed, after half a minute, with a deep breath, the patient is stretched as much as possible until mild pain appears. The muscles in this state are set for half a minute, then relax. Due to the irritation of the nerve endings, a therapeutic effect occurs.
Exercise treatment
Training for the spine with osteochondrosis with other methods improves metabolism, spinal mobility, strengthens muscles, and restores damaged intervertebral discs.
Morning exercises for spinal osteochondrosis include exercises:
For the cervical spine:
- keep your head and shoulders straight. Slowly turn your head to the right, left;
- we tilt our head back, with our right ear trying to reach the left shoulder. We repeat to the left.
For the thoracic region:
- we sat on chairs, hands between knees. While inhaling, we lean to the side, while exhaling, we straighten ourselves. We repeat in the other direction;
- we sat on a chair with our backs low so that the shoulder blades rested on it. Slowly bend back to look at the back wall.
For the lumbar spine:
- We lay on our backs, bend our knees, press to our chests. We swing back and forth - from back to sacrum, for 1. 5-2 minutes. We stretched out, lying quietly.
Complex training for exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the spine, complex treatment should be found on the Internet, ask an orthopedic specialist.