Low back pain is a condition in which there is a series of irregularities in the articular cartilage degenerative character. Low back pain can manifest itself in different joints, but more often low back pain affects the intervertebral discs. If you consider the place of localization of the illness, low back pain are divided on the chest, cervical, and lumbar.
Low back pain is a malocclusion that becomes the cause of back pain in approximately 80% of the cases. In the case of complications of degenerative disc disease, hernias of the intervertebral discs , the pain sensation sometimes occur in the head, limbs, other organs. The most common is considered to be the lumbar, low back pain, causing pain in the legs. Many people complain of manifestations of cervical osteoarthritis, which hurt the hands and the head. When the thoracic form of the disease, the pain occurs in internal organs.
Causes of degenerative disc disease
The original cause of the onset of osteoarthritis of the spine is considered to be the biped position human. There are a lot of different theories regarding the causes of the onset of degenerative disc disease. Such, for example, are the genetic predisposition of character, injury, violation of metabolic processes in the body. Definition of the causes of this disease is complicated by the fact that the disease manifests itself in people of all ages, of different stature and physical level of development.
There is also the theory that the cause of the degenerative disc disease becomes the deposition of salts in the spine. However, experts argue that to a certain extent, is a mistake. And it is precisely the correct analysis of the causes of the disease is the basis of an effective treatment of the disease.
Osteochondrosis of the forecast disease is non-inflammatory, degenerative-degenerative diseases. In the process of the development of the disease is broken, the nutrition of the fabric, it revives its structure. The people who are constantly active physical exercise, have a more resistant and elastic tissue of the bone. This is due to the fact that the discs of the vertebral column in an adult's own ships did not, as a result, the oxygen and nutrients in the discs come from tissues that are nearby. A similar process can be complete only if the circulation, which is possible only in a constant process of intense muscular work.
Each intervertebral disk is composed of two parts. The center of the disc is the nucleus gelatinous, which makes the flexible disc, and the surrounds of the fiber ring durable. If the power supply of the intervertebral disc deteriorates, however, the structure of biopolymer compounds can collapse. Because of the reduction of the moisture content in the disk becomes brittle. And if the spine undergoes an overload, the gelatinous nucleus is divided into fragments. Because of its elasticity is greatly reduced. Ring fibrous and also lose concentration. These phenomena are the starting point for human development of degenerative disc disease.
Because of the manifestations of degenerative disease and degenerative changes of the spine occurs calcification damaged discs, ligaments, and capsules. A similar phenomenon – the last phase of the process of the development of the disease.
Unfortunately, the reverse process after these changes in the spine is almost impossible. So the main task of the treatment of degenerative disc disease is to maintain the current status.
Above all, the manifestations of the degenerative disc disease become more pronounced in people after they have reached thirty-five age. In this case, the older a person becomes, the more manifestations of the disease has been observed. Recently, however, with back pain more and more young people as doctors.
The causes of an early onset of degenerative disc disease is, in the first place, it is very light physical activity, posture problems, and also to deform the spine, flat feet and obesity. Up to now, the main causes of degenerative disc disease considered to be the following:
- the genetic predisposition of the character;
- the problem is up to date with exchange rates of processes, intoxication, infection;
- the presence of an excess of weight, unhealthy diet (low consumption of liquid lack of trace elements);
- the presence of lesions of the spine, its curvature, poor posture, flat foot;
- the existence in poor environmental conditions;
- an active lifestyle;
- regular weight lifting, working in awkward positions for long period of time, the activities in which the person is often repeated jerk movement, twists and bending of the trunk;
- too strong physical load, overload of the vertebral column due to diseases of the foot, discomfort in the process of wearing the shoes, but also the load during the period of pregnancy;
- the sudden cessation of the training, the people who are into sports, stress, and the volunteer structure.
The symptoms of degenerative disc disease
People who suffer from osteochondrosis, in the first place it is manifest, tangible pain. Sometimes similar to the pain accompanied by numbness and even sensations, pain in the limbs. If the treatment of degenerative disc disease does not start in time, then the man quickly lose weight, there occurs an atrophy of the limbs. During the exercise, and load, as well as in the process of lifting too heavy, in the process of sneezing and coughing, the pain can become more intense. The patient osteochondrosis decreases the amount of movements, you experience the muscle spasms.
Cervical back pain is manifested due to structural features of the cervical spine. The vertebrae of the cervical spine are considerably more small in size, the vertebrae other departments of the vertebral column. Therefore, cervical back pain manifests itself because of a constant load to the neck. The symptoms of cervical osteoarthritis are expressed as follows: the pain occurs in the hands, the neck, the shoulders, and may experience headaches. For this type of disease is characterized by the vertebral artery syndrome. The manifestation of this syndrome is the human perceives the presence of noise in the head, before the eyes are blinking "target", turn your head. In front of the eyes may occur stains multicolor, in parallel, the person feels a strong pain in the head character button. The symptoms of cervical osteoarthritis sometimes resemble symptoms of angina, but in this patient in the study were not observed changes in the heart.
In patients with osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the patient feels pain in the chest. The pain can give in the region of the heart, but also in other internal organs.
Sick osteochondrosis lumbosacral spine feel pain, that can give in the legs, the pelvis, the pelvic organs. Have affects the nerve roots, disturbed sensitivity, can decrease the reflections and the manifestation hypotension.
The diagnosis of degenerative disc disease
The preliminary diagnosis "low back pain" specialist determines already during the first examination of the patient. As a general rule, the inspection keeps the doctor-neurologist. Usually the patient arrives at the appointment with the pain complaints, but also to the deformation or the limitation of mobility.
The research of the vertebral column of the patient is kept in the upright, supine and sitting, the doctor examines and in motion and at rest. During the visit, the doctor necessarily draws attention to the posture of a person, the characteristics of the physical characteristics of the vertebral column, muscles of the relief, which are located near the spine.
Due to the sensitivity of the spinal column results of inspection of the patient, it is possible to integrate the information about a deformity of the spine, where the localized pain, but also to determine the degree of intensity. In the process of sensitivity is also determined how tense the muscles near the spine, because the muscle tone accompanies the majority of diseases and injuries. To determine the amplitude of the movements in the different departments of vertebral column, to study the possibility of its decline.
The diagnosis of degenerative disc disease is often applied to ct scans, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging. These methods allow us to understand if what is the level of spinal cord injury, determine if there are hidden malocclusion and to flesh out the diagnosis.
Thanks to a correct approach to the diagnosis the doctor can determine what tactics therapy to choose, for the result was more highly effective.
The treatment of degenerative disc disease
Treatment of cervical osteoarthritis, and also other forms of disease and their complications is carried out with the application of the methods of the conservatives, whose purpose is to eliminate pain, restore functionality, and the spinal roots, also to prevent phenomena dystrophic in the structures of the spine.
If all methods of conservative treatment does not bring the desired effect, and for this there are special instructions, the sick are sometimes assigned to the surgical techniques for the treatment of degenerative disc disease. The volume of surgical intervention depends on the extent to hit the spine and intense the symptoms of the disease.
The severity of the disease depends also on the duration of therapy. As a general rule, the active phase of treatment with conservative mainly takes about 1-3 months. After surgery, the patient is restored to about a year. After the start of conservative treatment in many patients, osteochondrosis, there has been a strengthening of the pain. This translates reaction muscle and other formulations for the treatment.
If the pain is too strong, it can stop relatively fast with the help of physiotherapy techniques, medications, and the application of a complex of specially designed exercises for people with osteochondrosis. It is important to note that an important factor that influences the effectiveness of the treatment, is correct, the behavior of the patient, his adequate regard to the need to comply with developed the method of treatment. For this it is important to the perseverance, the patience and the desire to defeat the disease. It has been shown that the most effective way is to perform a conservative treatment, and recovery after surgery in the sanatorium conditions, even in medical centers that specialize in the treatment of this disease. If you have the equipment, but also a qualified doctor complete the treatment will be more effective and productive.
In the complex therapy in the treatment of cervical arthrosis necessarily include physiotherapy exercises, massage, physiotherapy, manual therapy, reflexology, the application of drugs.
One of the most important methods of impact on the state of the musculoskeletal system of man is the therapeutic exercise. The patient regularly performs a number of exercises, during which there is gradual, decompression of the nerve roots, correction corset muscle, increases flexibility ligamentous-of the muscular system. Special exercises with osteochondrosis of the cervical can also provide a valuable prevention of the further development of the disease. The main condition is the regularity of the execution of all the exercises.
When you use the physiotherapy takes place the treatment of degenerative disc disease with the help of physical factors – magnetic fields, a low frequency current, ultrasonic , etc. This technique allows to reduce the rehabilitation period after the operation, and enhance the impact of different drugs.
With the help of massage can relieve muscle tension, improve blood circulation, produce a firming effect in general.
To relieve the severe pain used chiropractic. This technique also allows you to adjust the posture. Also relieve the pain with the help of unloading of the spine – procedures performed on special equipment. When reflexology occurs the impact according to the area of the human body, and allows greatly enhance the impact of other methods.
During an acute exacerbation of the disease, applies the treatment with the help of drugs, which is removed the inflammation, stopped by a pain, activate the body's metabolic processes. The drugs are administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
The most tangible results of the treatment were observed during the use of different methods in the complex. However, when the treatment of cervical osteoarthritis and other forms of the disease assign them should only the doctor.