Common Osteochondrosis Of The Spine: Symptoms, Treatment, Causes

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 19:51

Widespread osteochondrosis of the spine

The content of the article:

Risk factors
Causes and mechanism of development
Symptoms
Diagnostics
Treatment
A set of exercises for osteochondrosis
Course and forecast
Prevention
Video

Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease, the development of which is associated with degenerative changes in the cartilage of the intervertebral discs and reactive changes in the vertebral bodies, surrounding soft tissues. Common osteochondrosis is spoken of in cases where the pathological process extends not to one, but simultaneously to several parts of the spinal column (cervical, thoracic, lumbar).

Common osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to several parts of the spine

The disease is widespread. According to medical statistics, 95% of neck and back pains are caused by osteochondrosis.

Risk factors

There are a number of factors that significantly increase the risk of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cartilage tissue of intervertebral discs. These include:

sacralization or lumbarization;
congenital narrowness of the intervertebral canal;
asymmetry of the position of the intervertebral joints;
physical overstrain (prolonged stay in the same position, hard physical labor, professional practice in some sports);
obesity;
smoking or drinking alcohol;
exposure to vibration, such as when driving vehicles;
reflected myofascial (muscle pain);
somatic spondylogenic pain (due to diseases of the internal organs).

Causes and mechanism of development

At the heart of the intervertebral disc is the nucleus pulposus, which provides flexibility to the spine and acts as a shock absorber. Under the influence of unfavorable static and dynamic loads, the processes of depolymerization of polysaccharides begin in it, as a result of which it gradually loses its physiological properties. Areas of dead tissue begin to appear in it. The annulus fibrosus surrounding the nucleus pulposus begins to protrude under the influence of physical exertion, which is regarded by doctors as the initial form of an intervertebral hernia.

Instability of the vertebral segment is accompanied by the development of reactive changes both from the side of the adjacent vertebral bodies themselves, and from the side of the intervertebral joints, ligaments, muscles.

All this leads to a number of syndromes in the patient:

Syndrome	Description
Compression	Its occurrence is due to compression, tension or deformation of the substance of the spinal cord or nerve roots, blood vessels
Reflex	When the nerve root is irritated, a reflex tension of the muscles innervated by it occurs. This is accompanied by the appearance of dystrophic, vascular and muscle-tonic disorders.
Myoadaptive	It is manifested by discoordinating motor reactions, that is, a violation of the tone of individual muscle groups

Symptoms

The clinical picture of common osteochondrosis includes signs characteristic of the defeat of several parts of the spine at once:

Localization of the lesion	Symptoms
Cervical	Patients complain of pain in the neck, which can radiate to the back of the head. They usually intensify with prolonged stay in one position or with movements in the neck. Due to the tension of the cervical muscles, the patient keeps his head in a forced position. With deep palpation, soreness of some spinous processes is revealed. In a severe course of the disease, patients develop concomitant conditions: vertebral artery syndrome, uncovertebral arthrosis, spondyloarthrosis, Arnold-Chiari syndrome
Chest	The main symptom of the disease is the occurrence of pain along the costal arch (intercostal neuralgia). They are aggravated by movement, coughing, sneezing. Pain in chest osteochondrosis can simulate the clinical manifestations of other diseases (angina pectoris, cholelithiasis or urolithiasis, pleurisy)
Lumbar	Under the influence of physical activity or hypothermia, the patient experiences pain in the lumbar region. They can radiate to the buttock and the back of the thigh. At rest, the severity of pain syndrome decreases

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of common osteochondrosis is carried out on the basis of the characteristic clinical signs of the disease and examination data, which may include the following methods:

general blood test - an increase in ESR is detected;
biochemical blood test (acidic and alkaline phosphatase, total protein and protein fractions, calcium level);
X-ray examination of the spine;
spinal scintigraphy;
magnetic resonance and / or computed tomography;
myelography (performed when the patient develops a neurological deficit).

Differential diagnosis is carried out with a number of diseases in which the spine is also affected:

spondylolisthesis;
dyshormonal spondylopathy;
ankylosing spondylitis;
osteomyelitis of the spine;
rheumatoid arthritis;
primary and metastatic neoplastic processes.

Also, common osteochondrosis should be differentiated from a number of diseases of internal organs and blood vessels:

aneurysm of the abdominal aorta;
inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy;
urolithiasis, pyelonephritis;
diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Treatment

Treatment of common osteochondrosis should be carried out only by a doctor. In the acute period, the patient is assigned to bed rest for a short period (no more than 2 days). With severe pain syndrome, novocaine blockade is indicated. If necessary, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, centrally acting muscle relaxants are prescribed. Injections of vitamins of group B also have a good effect. As the patient's condition improves, the motor regimen is gradually expanded.

Without exacerbation, the following methods of conservative therapy are shown:

physiotherapy;
acupuncture;
massage;
manual therapy;
physiotherapy (hydrotherapy, magnetotherapy, laser therapy, dynamic currents);
traction of the spine;
post-isometric relaxation is a method of restoring normal muscle tone.

The indications for surgery are:

spondylogenic cervical myelopathy;
acute or subacute spinal cord compression;
development of cauda equina syndrome.

Treatment of osteochondrosis is predominantly conservative

A set of exercises for osteochondrosis

Outside the period of exacerbation, therapeutic exercises have a good therapeutic effect. They allow you to normalize muscle tone, improve the mobility of the spinal column, and eliminate pain. We offer an approximate set of exercises:

Starting position (I. P.) sitting, back straight, gaze directed forward. Slowly tilt your head first to the left and then to the right shoulder;
I. P. sitting. Tilt your head forward, trying to reach the upper sternum with your chin, and then take it back;
I. P. sitting. Raise and lower your shoulders;
I. P. sitting. Perform rotational movements with your shoulders back and forth;
I. P. lying on his stomach, arms extended above his head forward. Lift your upper body and legs off the floor, arching in your back. Hold this position for a few seconds and return to the starting position;
I. P. lying on his back. Bend your knees and pull them to your chest, wrap your arms around. Lift your upper torso and perform rocking movements on your back.
I. P. lying on his back, arms extended along the body. Raise your outstretched legs and perform movements that resemble the movement of scissor blades.

Each exercise must be performed 7-10 times. If pain or discomfort occurs, the gymnastics should be stopped immediately and consult a doctor.

Course and forecast

Vertebral pain syndromes occur in the form of remissions and exacerbations, lasting on average 7-15 days. Repeated attacks last longer and usually with the addition of new symptoms.

With extensive lesions of the spine, occurring with persistent pain syndrome, patients lose their ability to work for a long time. If within four months it is not possible to achieve an improvement in the state of health, then they are sent for a medical examination to resolve the issue of establishing a disability group.