Back and waist pain are one of the most common complaints in medicine.They rank second in terms of number of all requests, behind respiratory illnesses.A variety of conditions can cause lower back pain, but it's often caused by osteochondrosis of the lower back.How to treat this disease and what its signs and symptoms are are discussed below.
Not long ago, medical science believed that the development of lumbosacral osteochondrosis was entirely due to wear and tear on the vertebrae and discs caused by age-related changes.Today, however, age symptoms are no longer unique.Lumbar osteochondrosis can be diagnosed in patients of all ages.Today, the cut-off age is considered to be 25 years and above.
Causes of lumbar osteochondrosis
It is impossible to name the specific cause; it is almost always a complex effect of various destructive factors, the most important of which are:
- Commit to a passive lifestyleFrom a sports activity perspective.For example, a motionless person who sits in front of a computer for a long time does not receive enough useful load according to his wishes, which is why the "corset" muscles relax and the load on the vertebrae increases.Furthermore, this pastime is almost always associated with prolonged exposure to incorrect and unnatural postures.
- Hormone level issues, leading to metabolic disorders, affecting the metabolism of lumbar spinal tissue and leading to destructive processes.This also includes endocrine disorders.
- Presence of congenital or acquired abnormalitiesWhen certain changes occur in the musculoskeletal system.This may be reflected in increased loads on the spine, for example, in patients with flat feet, leg or spinal curvatures.
- increased chronic loadIn the lower back.Here, risks include people who engage in certain types of professional activities, usually associated with weightlifting.This also includes professional athletes who constantly subject their bodies to peak loads.
- Disruption to food intake and daily routine.This also includes being under constant stress.These factors influence metabolic processes and the body's regular recovery of strength.
Degree of lumbar osteochondrosis
The above pathological factors gradually lead to the manifestation of the disease.However, it can manifest in different ways, starting with few symptoms or causing excruciating pain later in development.Let's consider the main degrees of development of osteochondrosis:
- Movement of the nucleus pulposus within the intervertebral disc.It is characterized by pain caused by stimulation of the nerve roots of the annulus fibrosus and longitudinal ligament.There will be localized discomfort in the area where the defective disc is located.The pain may be sharp, shooting pain, or it may be a dull, constant ache.
- When the fibrous layer of the intervertebral disc is destroyed, the mobility of the spinal elements in this area increases and they become unstable relative to each other.To eliminate these pathological manifestations, it is necessary to constantly maintain muscle tension in this area, which ultimately leads to chronic fatigue of the waist.
- Next, the annulus fibrosus breaks through, causing the nucleus pulposus to escape from the disc boundary, forming an intervertebral hernia.This condition is accompanied by pinching of nerve endings and is called "radiculopathy syndrome."
- Next-level osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region occurs in cases of severe deformation of the spine in this area.Mobility problems developed but, strangely, the pain syndrome subsided by this stage.However, you shouldn't celebrate; this doesn't mean the disease is going away.
- The final stage is characterized by pathological growth of bone tissue and a general deterioration of health.
Depending on the degree of lumbar osteochondrosis, certain treatment methods are used.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis in the lower back
The main symptom is Lumbar Combat Syndrome.Also, the sensation of pain, the area in which it is localized, and the direction in which it travels may vary.This happens because certain nerve receptors are stimulated depending on the degree of damage to the disc and surrounding tissue.Additionally, the presence of the protrusion or hernia itself, the direction in which it protrudes, and many other factors also play a role.
The main symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis include:
- Pain in the lower back often worsens when you move suddenly or remain unchanged for a long time.The pain is lessened if you assume a horizontal position.
- Additionally, weakness may occur in areas of the body below the abdomen, including the lower limbs, and decreased tendon reflexes in the legs.
- Lumbar curvature is very likely.There is a classification for this curvature, for example they talk about scoliosis when the focus is on the right or left side, lordosis is when the curve is forward and kyphosis is when the natural waist curve is smoothed out.
- As the disease progresses to greater severity, the spinal canal may be compressed, causing its dysfunction and resulting in loss of control of urination and bowel movements.
Other symptoms include:
- Numbness and "coldness" to the skin of the lower back and buttocks.
- The skin in the same area appears flaky, dry and blue.
- Urination disorders.
- Erection problems.
The appearance of these symptoms should cause people to be alert; people should not give up on them, which will only lead to greater neglect.In this case, you must consult a doctor for accurate diagnosis and treatment.By the way, treatment can be carried out in the hospital or at home, more about this later.
Diagnosis of disease
When making a diagnosis, it is important to know how far the disease has progressed.The easiest way is to palpate the lumbar area to determine the area of pain.As a rule, this method does not provide much information, in addition, the examinations performed can provide a more detailed clinical picture:
- by radiographyIt is an inexpensive and widely available method that can assess the condition of the entire spine and individual vertebrae, such as the associated lumbar region.The technique is less accurate; it only gives us an indirect idea of how intact the discs and spinal canal are.
- computed tomographyA more accurate method that allows you to assess the extent of disc damage between the vertebrae, nerve roots, and spinal canal.
- magnetic resonance imagingThe most accurate method, which can provide a complete image of the lesion in detail, is quite expensive and difficult to achieve.
It should be noted that the diagnostic process is very important, since all the details of osteochondrosis are important for the doctor when formulating a treatment strategy.
Complications of osteochondrosis
The main complications of the pathology are hernias and herniations, which will inevitably occur if treatment is neglected and allowed to progress.Other complications may include:
- Inflammation of the sciatic nerve.
- Spondyloarthropathy.
- Schmohl's hernia.
- Spondylosis.
- Problems caused by compression of the spinal canal.
- Pelvic dysfunction.
- Development of lameness.
Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis
When diagnosed with lumbar osteochondrosis, extensive treatment is required, the main aspects of which are:
- Apply moderate loads.
- Special medicines.
- Traction of the spine.
- Manual therapy sessions.
- physiotherapy.
- Therapeutic massage.
The concept of “treatment” for osteochondrosis means:
- Suppresses inflammation.
- Pain relief syndrome.
- Complex for strengthening the waist and adjacent muscle groups.
- Relieve chronic muscle tension.
- Enhances the function of pelvic organs.
- Blood circulation and metabolism in pathological areas are normalized.
drug treatment
Similar methods of treating lumbar osteochondrosis include taking medications, injecting special medications, and using topical creams and gels.The main task of this class of drugs is to neutralize pain and inflammation.
Depending on the degree of osteochondrosis in the lumbar spine, your doctor may prescribe the following medications:
- Analgesics with analgesic properties.
- Drugs that combat non-steroidal sources of inflammation.
- For muscle spasms, antispasmodic.
- Medications used to restore cartilage tissue are called chondroprotectants.Their effectiveness has not been proven and therefore they are rarely used in traditional medicine.
- For severe cases, when the above remedies do not help, resort to corticosteroids.
- Vitamin complex.
In addition to these drugs, medications are also prescribed in the form of tablets, the purpose of which is to calm the nervous system and combat stress and depression.
Physical therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis
The treatment process is rarely limited to taking medications.There is no way to cure the pathology involved without stimulating the recovery process of the spine.For these purposes, a variety of physical therapy procedures are used, the most popular of which are:
- Sonic therapy.
- Counter flow therapy.
- Laser treatment.
Additionally, the spine needs to be subjected to useful loads while stretching.All types of therapeutic massage are ideal.It must be remembered that massage should only be used when pain is relieved.Usually, it is performed as a restorative measure when the disease begins to go into remission or when osteochondrosis is chronic.After a massage, muscles that have been overstressed due to illness are well relaxed; the effect is significantly enhanced when warming up at the same time, for example in a bath or sauna.In the latter case, we will achieve maximum results due to the additional stimulation of blood circulation in the pathological zone and adjacent areas.
Another type of physical therapy is manual therapy.Its advantages are generally the same as those of massage, but in addition, with the help of this technique, specialists are able to restore displaced vertebrae to their normal position.
therapeutic gymnastics
Therapeutic exercises can also be used as restorative and preventative measures during periods when pain and inflammation have subsided.The key to efficient therapeutic exercises lies in the regularity of the exercises; in this case, the damaged area will constantly receive the necessary physical activity to self-generate new tissue and recover.
Surgery for lumbar osteochondrosis
Surgery is a last resort and is used to treat severe complications.The most common of these is intervertebral hernia, where a so-called "discectomy" or removal of the affected disc is performed.The surgery is very effective but is performed as a last resort only after other treatments have failed for more than 6 months.Modern medicine also offers less invasive methods of performing such surgeries, such as microsurgery or endoscopic methods.