Osteochondrosis is one of the most common diseases of the spine.In this disease, the cartilage of the spine and the disc is affected.Typically, osteoarthritis affects the lumbar region, because it is the maximum load when walking, sitting, running and other activities.
If the treatment does not start promptly, the disease can lead to radioactive inflammation, hernia Intervertebral, Lumbago, Ishias, and disabilities.
Development phase
The disease is usually divided into several stages:
- Phase 1- There are small changes in the disc, spine is not deformed, one person feels slight pain in the lower back.
- Phase 2- Pain in the affected area becomes stronger, violating in the intervertebral discs becomes more noticeable.
- Stage 3- There is an intervertebral hernia, deformed spine.Patients feel intense pain in the affected area.
- 4th phase- A person becomes difficult to walk and perform any movements.Pain occurs with mild motion.At this stage, later, the patient was disabled, as a rule.
Reason
Typically, people with occupations or types of activities are related to physical efforts and large loads on the lumbar parts: construction houses, motivation, utility workers and athletes suffered from osteoarthritis.In addition, the pathology can occur in teachers, cashiers, office workers, because they spend most of the time in the seating position.
There are many factors affecting the appearance of osteoarthritis:
- Lack of physical strength, conducting a sedentary lifestyle.
- Strong load on the waist area.
- Diseases of joints and spine.
- Lumbar spine injury.
- Flat feet or club legs.
- Obesity.
- Persever disorders, bow back.
- Scoliosis or kyphosis.
- Long body heat.
- Changes related to age in the spine.
- Genetic trend.
- Some internal diseases of cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine systems.
- Nutrition is not suitable.
Symptom
The main signs of osteoarthritis on the lower back are:
- Strong pain in the lower back, sometimes abandon the legs and enhance when performing any movement, sneezing, cough, etc.
- Continuous tension of back muscles.
- Unable to straighten the back after a long time in the same position.
- Feeling uncomfortable when tilting or widening the back.
- Lights on the lower back.
- Loss of sensitivity in the buttocks, hips.
- Goosebumps, a tingling feeling in the legs.
- Numbness of legs and feet.
- The continuous cold of the feet and the cold feeling in the feet.
- Varicose veins.
- Potential violations in men.
- Irregular menstruation in women.
The main symptom of pathology is pain, when the appearance you need to urgently consult your doctor.
Diagnose
Diagnosis of osteoarthritis begins by careful examination of the patient and the collection of anamnesis disease - the doctor asks the patient about cases of osteoarthritis in the limb, chronic disease, lifestyle, activity, arthritis and spine.
Moreover, experts stipulate the method of diagnostic tools, in which:
- X -ray of the waist area- Allow you to detect the presence of pathology and the extent of vertebrae damage.
- Computer class cutting (CT)- A more accurate research method allows you to determine the damage to the disc, the degree of change, the level of deformation of the spine.
- MRI- Allow you to carefully study the discs, provide information on small disorders in the spine, used in difficult cases or if the test images use CT or X -Ray tests are not clear.
- Myelography- A type of diagnosis in which a contrast agent is used to detect the Intervertebral hernia.
Based on data, experts determine the level of pathology and the necessary treatment regulations.
Treatment
Osteoarthritis treatment is done comprehensively.The necessary drugs and procedures are only prescribed by a doctor, strict personal.
First of all, the patient is prescribed some drugs based on NSAID -Anti -inflammatory infections can not reduce inflammation and eliminate pain in the affected area.Chondroprotector is also prescribed - drugs that prevent cartilage destruction and cartilage tissue.Vitamins improve the condition of all prescribed organisms as supplements.
For many diseases of the spine, including osteoarthritis, physiotherapy is prescribed.Procedures can enhance blood circulation at damage, reduce stress from muscles, eliminate pain and inflammation.For osteoarthritis, electrophoresis, acupuncture, magnetic therapy and other procedures are prescribed.
The patient is also prescribed massage, mud bath or hydrotherapy that can reduce stress and fatigue of muscles, relax them and increase blood flow.Mud bath can eliminate inflammation.
In the first phase of the disease, exercise therapy is prescribed - a color gymnastics, efficiency helps restore the ability to move the spine, to enhance the muscles of the back.In 3 and 4 stages of joints, this type of treatment is not used.
Diet is very important in the treatment of disease - need to be put into diet products rich in minerals - fruits, vegetables, porridge.Be sure to eat little meat, because it is rich in protein - it will be most helpful when eating chicken or turkey.It will be helpful to use fermented dairy products.Should reduce the amount of fat, sharp, smoked, fried.It is important to observe the diet - be sure to drink at least 1 liter of clean water per day.
With osteoarthritis of the lumbar region, treatment in a treatment house will be helpful, in which experts in all patients in the complex area will treat the disease and the patient continuously under the supervision of the doctor.
If conservative treatments do not help, then surgical treatment is used.During operation, the wheel is affected or cartilage is replaced by implant.And if there is an intervertebral hernia, it will be removed.
Prevent
- Load limit on the lower back.
- Play sports, do morning exercises.
- Eat correctly.
- Try to prevent the injury of the lumbar spine.
- Avoid lowering the body's lower back.
- With a long seat, changing the position of the body more often, often standing up and performing simple exercises to warm or just walk.
- Save the appropriate posture, no back.
- In the case of a club or flat foot leg, wearing special orthopedic bases reduces the load on the spine.