Everyone has experienced back pain, many live with such pain all the time. In 2/3 of cases, the cause of back problems is osteochondrosis of the spine. With osteochondrosis, the bone, cartilaginous tissue of the spine - cervical, thoracic, lumbar, is destroyed. With age, the risk of tissue wear increases, every second inhabitant of the planet over 30 years old has signs of osteochondrosis.
Diseases of the spine provoke back injuries, constant stress during hard physical work. Genetic predisposition, intense training, improper diet, a sedentary lifestyle play a role - most urban residents are at risk.
How to recognize osteochondrosis
With osteochondrosis, the symptoms are general, specific, characteristic of degenerative changes in the articular cartilage, discs, tissues of the spine.
Osteochondrosis will manifest itself with constant aching back pain, numbness of the affected vertebral sections, restriction of movement, increased pain with sudden movements, lifting weights.
Specific signs of osteochondrosis:
- the cervical type leads to disturbances in blood circulation, provokes a headache, tinnitus, "flies" in front of the eyes. There are problems with the nutrition of the brain, which leads to constant stress;
- with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, intercostal neuralgia develops, pains appear in the chest, ribs;
- disease of the lumbar spine causes the progression of diseases - lumbago, sciatica (sciatica), lumbar sciatica.
With sciatica, the sciatic nerve is affected. Symptoms are pain in the buttocks, hypotension of the calf, gluteal muscles.
Lumbago is recognized by the sharp pain in the lower back caused by the displacement of the vertebrae, prolapse of the spinal disc.
With sciatica lumbar pain appears in the gluteal region, given to the back of the thigh, lower leg, foot, popliteal fossa.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
The clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis of the spine are different, sometimes you have to visit different doctors to understand the cause of the ailment. The correct diagnosis will be made by a neurologist, an orthopedist, in some private clinics - a vertebrologist, a vertebroneurologist, doctors dealing 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 osteochondrosis of the spine pursues the goal of removing pain, preventing further tissue destruction, deformity of the spine.
Vertebral osteochondrosis is a chronic disease, there are stages of exacerbation, remission. Treatment of spinal disease during exacerbation includes bed rest for 1-2 weeks, pain relievers are taken for severe pain.
With cervical osteochondrosis during exacerbation, it is recommended to wear a special limiting collar. If the thoracic, lumbar regions are affected, a corset for the spine will help with exacerbations. Varieties of corset:
- for the thoracic region - a bandage that resembles a vest. It is used to straighten the spine;
- for spinal fractures - plaster, extension corset;
- a rigid corset is worn after spinal surgery, injuries. Helps support internal organs when muscles are weakened;
- corset in the form of a wide belt for the lumbar spine. Recommended for hernias, displacements.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine should be comprehensive: drug treatment, exercise therapy, manual therapy, diet - conservative treatment. Sometimes surgery.
Medication treatment
The doctor will prescribe medication for osteochondrosis. The drug groups have different treatment goals.
In the early stages, anti-inflammatory drugs are taken. If the back pain continues for more than 2 weeks, but less than 3 months, pain relievers are additionally taken. If the back pain is more than 3 months old, antidepressants are added.
Medicines, the dosage is set by the attending physician, self-activity is destructive - the drugs have side effects.
Treatment with folk remedies
Treatment of the disease with folk remedies is carried out in addition to the main one, it does not replace pills. With osteochondrosis of the spine, home treatment methods will reduce pain, reduce inflammation.
Recipes:
- A teaspoon of dried burdock leaves in a glass of boiling water. The compress is put on the sore spot, kept for 20-30 minutes. Then the sore spot is wrapped in a warm scarf.
- Three teaspoons of the crushed roots of medicinal marshmallow are poured into a glass of cold boiled water. Insist 8 hours, make compresses.
During the period of remission, infusions of medicinal herbs are taken orally - they provide prevention of exacerbations of osteochondrosis.
Manual therapy treatment
An effective means of conservative treatment of the disease is manual therapy for osteochondrosis of the spine. It is worth finding a highly qualified specialist. A good manual technician will relieve pain syndrome, remove muscle spasm, and improve the mobility of the intervertebral joints. An insufficiently qualified therapist will cause irreparable harm 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 tense muscles, smoothly stretching the muscles so that the patient does not feel pain. Then the muscle is relaxed, after half a minute, on a deep breath, the patient is stretched as much as possible until mild pain appears. The muscle in this state is fixed for half a minute, then relaxed. Due to the irritation of the nerve endings, a therapeutic effect occurs.
Exercise treatment
Exercises for the spine with osteochondrosis with other methods improve metabolism, mobility of the spine, strengthen muscles, and restore damaged intervertebral discs.
Morning exercises for osteochondrosis of the spine includes exercises:
For the cervical spine:
- keep your head and shoulders straight. Slowly turn your head all the way to the right, left;
- we throw our head back, with our right ear trying to reach the left shoulder. We repeat to the left.
For the thoracic region:
- we sit on a chair, hands between the knees. While inhaling, we tilt to the side, while exhaling, we straighten ourselves. We repeat in the other direction;
- we sit on a chair with a low back so that the shoulder blades rest against it. Slowly bend back to see the back wall.
For the lumbar spine:
- We lie on our backs, bend our knees, press them to our chest. We swing back and forth - from the back to the sacrum, for 1. 5-2 minutes. We stretch out, lie quietly.
Complex exercises for exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the spine, treatment complexes should be found on the Internet, ask an orthopedist.