Lumbar osteochondrosis: symptoms, causes, degree

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is a pathology associated with degenerative processes in cartilage tissue.

This disorder leads to damage to all joints, but the intervertebral discs are mainly affected.

If you have pain in the lower back, you should immediately consult a doctor. If you do not do this, the pathology will lead to serious complications.

What is lumbar osteochondrosis?

This term refers to a disease that causes damage to the intervertebral discs. They are a gel-like substance located in the annulus fibrosus. The upper and lower parts of the discs are covered with thin cartilage tissue.

After some time, the gel-like mass loses moisture, becomes thinner and less elastic. Under the influence of loads, deformation of the cartilage tissue occurs. The consequence of these processes is the formation of a protrusion or hernia. The formations provoke compression of the nerve roots, which causes the disease.

Lumbar osteochondrosis is quite common and causes negative health consequences. With this disorder, pinching of the sciatic nerve often occurs. As a result, there is a risk of severe pain.

Possible complications of the disease

If the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis is not started in time, the pathology will lead to dangerous health consequences. The disease can cause reactive spondylosis. It also provokes the appearance of osteoarthritis of the knee joint or hips.

In women, damage to the lumbar vertebrae can cause complications during pregnancy. This is especially dangerous in the third trimester, which is characterized by a high load on the back. In men, degenerative processes provoke problems with potency.

In addition, the lack of adequate and timely therapy provokes the following consequences:

• sciatica;
• deformation of the spine;
• loss of sensation in the limbs;
• vertebral instability;
• pathologies of internal organs;
• radiculitis;
• complete loss of motor activity.

The main symptoms and signs of lumbar osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is characterized by slow development. Often the diagnosis is made in advanced situations, when severe manifestations appear. That is why it is so important to identify the signs of lumbar osteochondrosis in time. These include the following:

• Pain in the lower back. In the initial stage of the disease, this symptom appears only after lifting weights. As the pathology progresses, the pain syndrome becomes unbearable.
• Sedentary physical activity. This symptom is caused by compression of nerve fibers. When bending or turning, there is discomfort that radiates to the leg.
• Loss of sensation in the lower extremities. With the development of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, symptoms of numbness are caused by permanent damage to the nerve roots. This symptom waxes and wanes periodically. In this case, the patient experiences a burning sensation, numbness, tingling in the waist region and below.
• Local reduction of skin temperature. It becomes pale, dry and weak.
• Excessive sweating.
• Spinal syndrome. This symptom appears in advanced cases. Often people experience sexual dysfunction and problems with urination.

Causes of lumbar osteochondrosis

The appearance of osteochondrosis is caused by increased loads on the back. Excessive pressure on the lower back provokes a breakdown of the cartilage structure. The risk of developing the disease increases under the influence of the following factors:

• Bad attitude.
• Physical inactivity. Lack of physical activity leads to muscle weakness.
• Disorder of calcium metabolism.
• Chronic lack of micro- and macroelements. This may be due to dietary disorders.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Hypothermia.
• Stress factors.
• Vigorous or extreme sports.
• Damage to the musculoskeletal system.
• Excess weight.

What are the stages of the disease?

The disease develops gradually. Doctors distinguish the following stages of lumbar osteochondrosis:

• First, at this stage there is tolerable pain in the lumbar region, which increases after training. This symptom indicates destructive processes on the disks. The person experiences a burning and tingling sensation. Sometimes these symptoms radiate to the back.
• Second, at this stage the distance between the vertebrae decreases and the destruction of the fibrous ring occurs. The person experiences sharp pains. When you move, it radiates to your hips, buttocks and legs. The affected area may feel cold or burning. During an attack, the patient is forced to bend in the opposite direction.
• Third, at this stage the fibrous ring is completely destroyed. Vertebral tissues are severely deformed. This provokes the appearance of an intervertebral hernia. With the development of this degree of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, constant pain of high intensity appears.
• The fourth is associated with abnormal disc growth and bone destruction. At this stage, the cartilage tissue atrophies a lot. This causes disruption of a person's motor activity and even causes disability.

When should you see a doctor?

If you have any discomfort in the lumbar region, you should immediately consult a doctor. To make an accurate diagnosis, a specialist prescribes diagnostic tests. To do this, a study and examination of the patient is carried out. The doctor also prescribes x-rays and magnetic resonance.

To cope with the pathology, complex therapy is used. He must solve the following problems:

• stop inflammation;
• strengthen leg muscle tissues;
• elimination of pain syndrome;
• improvement of metabolic processes and blood circulation;
• normalization of the functioning of the pelvic organs;
• restore sensitivity.

The pathology is characterized by the progression of pain. In the initial stages, the use of tablet analgesics is sufficient. In advanced situations, it is impossible to do without injectable drugs.

Drug therapy includes the use of the following drugs:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They help deal with swelling and inflammation. Thanks to this, it is possible to eliminate compression of blood vessels and fibers and reduce pain. The most effective remedies include Diclofenac, Nimesil.
• Analgesics. They are prescribed during a period of worsening pathology, which is accompanied by severe pain. Such drugs have many side effects. Therefore, they must be prescribed by a doctor. Most often, Baralgin or Pentalgin are prescribed.
• Muscle relaxants. Such tools help to cope with muscle spasms. This allows you to eliminate worry. This category includes Mydocalm, Sirdalud.
• Glucocorticosteroids. These are hormonal agents that help deal with inflammation and improve the functions of the nervous system. The drug Ambene is very effective.

In addition to medicines, the following methods of therapy are used:

• Physiotherapy. Doing special exercises helps to strengthen the muscles. This helps to form the correct posture, increase the flexibility of the ligaments and prevent the complications of osteochondrosis. Gymnastics improves blood circulation, normalizes metabolic processes, increases the distance between vertebrae and reduces the load on them.
• Manual therapy. It involves the use of individual manual techniques to help manage pain and improve posture. This type of treatment restores motor activity, normalizes blood circulation, strengthens the immune system and activates metabolic processes.
• Massage. This procedure can have a relaxing or tonic effect on the body. With its help, it is possible to reduce the load on the muscles, stimulate blood flow and activate lymphatic drainage. Massage also relieves pain and has a restorative effect.
• Physiotherapy. For lumbar osteochondrosis, ultrasound, low-frequency current and a magnetic field are used. This helps to cope with pain, relieve inflammation and normalize blood circulation. Physiotherapy products stimulate recovery processes and increase the effectiveness of medications.

Prevention of lumbar osteochondrosis

To avoid the appearance of lumbar osteochondrosis, you should follow the basic recommendations:

• avoid hypothermia of the lower back;
• check posture;
• exercises;
• change body position when performing monotonous work;
• refuse to lift heavy objects;
• Healthy food.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is a common pathology that provokes dangerous complications. To reduce the symptoms of the disorder, it is necessary to consult a neurologist at the right time. The doctor will perform diagnostic tests and choose the appropriate therapy.

How is the treatment carried out in a modern clinic?

Doctor's consultation: medical history, myofascial diagnosis, functional diagnosis.

how is it going

Collection of anamnesis - analysis of the disease, identification of limitations and contraindications, explanation of the principles of kinesitherapy, features of the recovery period.

Myofascial diagnosis is a manual diagnostic method in which the doctor evaluates the range of motion of the joints, determines painful stiffness, swelling, hypo- or hypertonicity of the muscles and other changes.

Functional diagnosis (performed in the rehabilitation room) - the doctor explains how to perform certain exercises on the equipment and observes: how the patient performs them, with what range of motion he can work, what movements cause pain, what weight the patient can work with, how the cardiovascular system reacts. vascular system. Problem areas have been identified. The data is entered on the card. Accents are placed.

Based on the results of the initial examination by a doctor and functional diagnostics, a preliminary individual treatment program is drawn up.

It is recommended to have with you:

• for pain in the spine - MRI or CT (magnetic resonance or computerized tomography) of the problem area;
• for joint pain - x-ray;
• in the presence of concomitant diseases - extracts from the medical history or outpatient card;
• comfortable clothes and shoes (sports).

Lessons with an instructor

At the beginning of the treatment cycle, the doctor and the patient draw up a treatment plan, which includes the date and time of the treatment session, follow-up visits to the doctor (usually 2-3 times a week).

The basis of the treatment process is treatment sessions in the rehabilitation room using simulators and sessions in the gym.

Rehabilitation simulators allow you to accurately dose the load on individual muscle groups, ensuring an adequate regimen of physical activity. The treatment program is drawn up by the doctor individually for each patient, taking into account the characteristics of the body. Supervision is carried out by qualified instructors. At all stages of recovery, it is important to follow the correct movement and breathing technique, know your weight standards when working on exercise machines, adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen and follow the recommendations of specialists.

Joint gymnastics sessions help to restore visual coordination, improve mobility and elasticity (flexibility) of the spine and are an excellent preventive system for self-use.

Each treatment cycle consists of 12 sessions. Each lesson is supervised by an instructor. The duration of a treatment session is from 40 minutes to 1. 5 hours. The instructor designs a program, taking into account co-morbidities and the patient's condition on the day of the lesson. Teaches the technique of performing exercises and monitors the correct execution. Every 6 hours, there is a second consultation with the doctor, changes and additions are made to the program, depending on the dynamics.

How many cycles will it take? – individually for everyone

It is important to know:

• How long have you had this problem (stage of the disease)
• How does your body prepare for physical activity (do you do gymnastics or any sport)

If the disease is in the early stages and the body is prepared, one cycle of treatment is enough. (example - young people 20-30 years old who do sports. We focus their attention on the technique of performing exercises, breathing, stretching, excluding "wrong" exercises that are harmful to problem areas. Such patients undergotraining and get the ability to "take care of your body", get recommendations in case of deterioration and continue studying on your own).

If the problem has existed for a long time, you do not do gymnastics or you have concomitant diseases, then you will need another period of time:

• Ease the deterioration? One or two cycles are enough
• Restore function, walk without rest (climb stairs), bend over, perform certain tasks without effort, remain motionless for a long time while traveling, improve condition in general. Three or more treatment cycles may be needed

Each organism is individual and the program for each patient is individual.