Back pain can have many causes. However, in most cases, their cause is a disappointing diagnosis-osteochondrosis of the lumbar, thoracic or cervical spine. Should we treat osteochondrosis as a judgment? Is it possible to restore your back to its former lightness? Is surgery necessary?
The answers to the above questions are well known to practitioners of osteopathy. But first.
Quick recovery from disease
Osteochondrosis is a pathological type of the spine, and its essence lies in the malnutrition-degeneration of the articular cartilage tissue.
It affects the neck, chest, and waist areas, causing pain and restricting the victim's dynamic movements.
Recently, people think that the above-mentioned diseases are inevitability related to age. However, current statistics show that among our contemporaries suffering from osteochondrosis, more and more young people have just crossed the 30-year-old age line or just approached the 30-year-old.
At the same time, medical research has confirmed that if this disease cannot be cured without leaving a trace, its progress can be prevented or slowed down.
Stages of development of lumbar osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis gradually develops. The initial symptoms are mild. This is why this disease is rarely diagnosed during this period.
- The sign of the first stage is the displacement of the intervertebral disc nucleus. In this case, squeezing of the neuron terminals in the annulus fibrosus occurs. Pain can manifest as low back pain or pain.
- In the second stage, the fibrous fibers of the intervertebral disc begin to break down. As a result, the vertebrae lose stability, gain unhealthy mobility, and observe spinal dysfunction. The muscles close to it will continue to tense.
This can cause an almost never-ending feeling of back fatigue.
- Sooner or later, the fibers break and release the nucleus from themselves-forming a hernia, compressing the nerve.
Some people now complain of severe back pain, which limits its motor function.
- As the disease progresses, there is a deceptive relief. The pain subsided, but the motor function of the vertebrae was still limited.
- Finally, the most severe form of osteochondrosis is characterized by the proliferation of bone tissue.
Causes of lumbar osteochondrosis
There are no specific details in determining the root cause of the disease. It is believed that lumbar osteochondrosis is caused by many unfavorable factors related to lifestyle and habits:
- Lack of physical activity-lack of physical activity, sedentary work, lack of walking and exercise can weaken the back muscles that support the spine;
- Endocrine and metabolic diseases can destroy the nutrient saturation of the spine area;
- Previously acquired problems related to the musculoskeletal system (scoliosis, flat feet, etc. );
- Abuse of physical activity-professional athletes, loaders, etc. are in danger;
- Malnutrition;
- overweight;
- lack of sleep;
- pressure.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
The first and main symptom that attracts the patient's attention is pain. The intensity of pain directly depends on the stage of osteochondrosis, the degree of destruction of cartilage and intervertebral discs. In addition, the characteristics of pain are determined by the presence and development of hernias or protrusions. Usually the pain is pain, which increases sharply with rapid, careless movement, bending, and turning. It tends to aggravate with staying in one position for a long time, most commonly sitting.
The remaining symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis are summarized as follows:
- Feeling weak, tired legs;
- Lack of reflex performance in the tendon area;
- Lumbar spine curvature; lumbar osteochondrosis is usually the result of scoliosis (curved to the left or right), lordosis (curved forward), or kyphosis (pathologically smooth curvature);
- Numbness in the legs, inability to control stool and urination (if the spinal cord neurons are compressed during the progression of osteochondrosis);
- Lower body temperature;
- Dry and pale skin on the waist;
- Excessive sweating.
In addition to physiology, the disease often has psychological symptoms. The patient felt "exhausted", irritable and withdrawn. Sleep disorders often manifest as insomnia and excessive sleepiness.
Possible complications
A careless attitude towards osteochondrosis will not make anyone better. This insidious enemy of health can bring a series of complications that can have a very negative impact on your quality of life, your ability to carry out daily activities and meet various needs.
The most common consequences of osteochondrosis:
- Sciatica-inflammation caused by compression of the sciatic nerve in the sacral lumbar region;
- Hernia formation;
- Osteophyte-pathological growth of bone tissue;
- Spondyloarthropathy-destructive changes in the facet joints;
- Stenosis-narrowing of the spinal canal, leading to spinal cord dysfunction;
- Lameness and gait disturbance due to thinning of the iliac bone;
- Leg numbness, that is, decreased muscle activity.
Which doctor treats lumbar osteochondrosis?
A person starts to feel uncomfortable due to obsessive-compulsive pain in the waist area and asks which specialist to ask for help. What kind of doctor diagnoses and treats osteochondrosis of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine? From the perspective of classical medicine, there are several answers to this situation.
Orthopedics are responsible for the treatment of the musculoskeletal system. At the same time, due to osteochondrosis, the nervous system will be affected because many of its elements are located close to the spine. Therefore, it would be useful to have a neurologist examine the patient.
There is also a little-known spine specialist. The above-mentioned doctors are only involved in the treatment of the spine, so they should master diagnostic techniques and methods of treating osteochondrosis. Unfortunately, not every clinic, especially state clinics, has this expert among its employees.
Since we are talking about doctors who do not meet in clinics near home, we have to pay special attention to a doctor who is practicing in the field of osteopathy. This unique therapeutic area specializes in the study of the hidden causal relationships between human organs and structures. Therefore, orthopedic surgeons are usually able to treat diseases that others cannot do. In most cases, the designated doctor will accurately resolve musculoskeletal system problems.
diagnosis
Therefore, after obtaining medical advice, the subject will be sent for a diagnostic procedure using the following methods.
X-ray examinations provide information about the condition of bones, joints, and intervertebral discs, as well as the ability to detect hernias and herniations. In addition to information about the condition of the intervertebral disc, a computed tomography scan can also show whether the spinal cord is damaged. Finally, magnetic resonance imaging, as the most accurate research method, can describe the disease almost completely, and is suitable for clarifying the diagnosis and its details.
There are also some diagnostic tests that do not require technically complex equipment to operate. In most cases, they are used in practice by bone therapists.
Including:
- Various passive and active inspections;
- Fascia tension test (light tissue tension in different directions);
- Stretch check
- Axial load test;
- Craniosacral rhythm analysis.
The latter, according to the knowledge carried by orthopedics, coincides with the rhythm of cerebrospinal fluid pulsation, and sends out signals of various internal malfunctions.
Through the above diagnosis, the osteopathic therapist determines the weakest point of the spine, determines the changes in the position and size of internal organs, and detects muscle overwork and the degree of wear of the intervertebral disc.
treatment
Medicine seeks to prevent the progression of lumbar osteochondrosis in various possible ways, relieve pain, and resume its previous sports activities. At the same time, treatment must be comprehensive. Patients need to establish a lifestyle, monitor nutrition, physical health, muscle tone, and avoid stressful situations and lack of sleep.
An important role is to choose a good sleeping place-a sufficiently hard orthopedic mattress.
Doctors should expect treatments designed to provide anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects to the damaged area. If the disease causes its partial or complete loss, it needs to stimulate blood flow and restore sensitivity in the lower body.
If the osteochondrosis is not in the worsening stage, the doctor will prescribe physical therapy exercises (exercise therapy) and massage sessions.
In addition, it is strongly recommended that patients with lumbar osteochondrosis undergo bathing surgery. Under the conditions of bathing or sauna, the tight muscle fibers are heated and relaxed, the movement of blood through the blood vessels is stimulated, and the metabolism and regeneration process are triggered.
drug
As part of the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis, the doctor will prescribe various medications for the client.
They are available in the form of ointments, tablets and injections.
These include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics and corticosteroids, chondroprotectants (to prevent cartilage destruction), muscle relaxants (to relieve muscle spasms), and vitamins, minerals and other biologically active additives.
Medications are aimed at relieving pain and fighting inflammation. Please note that most of the above drugs have a certain list of side effects and should not be used without the appointment of a healthcare professional.
The alternative to the designated medicine is homeopathy.
Many people think that its products only have a placebo effect, but this is fundamentally wrong. Modern homeopathy is a unique combination of the successful work of genius scientists and natural wisdom.
Homeopathic formulas contain vitamins and trace elements, which are not only necessary for the treatment of pathologies, but also for the normal functioning of the body in the future. They stimulate internal structures and organs, which helps their recovery. In the context of this treatment, the symptoms of other diseases will also disappear.
physiotherapy
For osteochondrosis, which doctor do you need to contact?
As part of the complex treatment, the patient is referred to the physical therapist's office. Physical therapy aims to stop or at least slow down the destructive processes in the intervertebral disc area.
Within its framework, the following procedures are carried out:
- Vocalize
- Laser electroosmosis therapy;
- darsonvalization;
- Amplitude pulse therapy;
- Treat with reverse power current;
- Magnetic resonance exposure.
surgery
No matter how complex the principles of getting rid of the pathology in question, the results are far from always successful. Surgery is the main solution. In the simplest case, its essence is to remove a section of cartilage that is beyond the normal range. However, in some cases, treatment requires replacement of intervertebral discs with artificial grafts.
One of the indications of surgery is the lack of positive motivation for several months. Of course, such indications should be accompanied by the results of diagnostic studies that determine the cause of disease development in the form of specifying the location of degenerated intervertebral discs.
During a discectomy—this is the name of an operation that eliminates the cause of lumbar osteochondrosis—the degenerated structures are removed. In the case of a large-scale resection, the graft must be inserted into the spine, which is connected to its own bone by a metal plate. When it takes root and the bones grow together, this part of the lumbosacral area of the surgical patient will remain motionless for the rest of his life.
According to different technologies, the modern elastic intervertebral disc prosthesis is implanted into the spine. From a biomechanical point of view, it is almost identical to real cartilage and allows you to maintain the mobility of the waist area.
However, the above-mentioned prosthesis is very expensive. And before his days are over, the prospect of foreign objects inside is unlikely to please anyone. Many people worry about this prospect and postpone the operation, which intensifies their well-being. Nevertheless, for a large number of people suffering from lumbar osteochondrosis, there is a good way to avoid surgery.
Osteopathy
When drugs and exercise therapy were of no avail, neurologists and orthopedists were powerless, raised their hands and nodded towards the operating table, even the most enthusiastic believers of classical medicine began to wonder whether it was worth seeking help from other doctors. Someone has weighed all the pros and cons in the first signs of the disease, analyzed the positive reviews from friends and the Internet, and then went to see an orthopedic doctor.
The main task of an osteopath for lumbar osteochondrosis is to restore the spine to its normal position, relieve pain and stop the destructive process.
By using osteopathic technology for treatment, people can expect major success in the shortest possible time-osteopathy can reduce the pain of osteochondrosis patients during the first treatment.
However, to completely heal the lower back, a complete treatment process must be completed. Its duration varies from person to person, depending on the characteristics of the patient and the severity of the lesion.
Before starting treatment, the expert will assess the specific situation, accompanying symptoms and complications, age, etc.
The uniqueness of osteomedicine as a way to get rid of osteochondrosis of the lumbar, cervical and thoracic spine is that such treatment can avoid expensive drugs that are difficult for customers to perceive. Although their use is not strictly excluded.
This aspect is relevant, first of all, for people suffering from allergies, liver disease, etc.
Osteopathy can heal all the internal parts of the human body, replacing joints, bones and organs. Metabolic process, the normalization of the functions of various parts of the body. The general health of the orthopedic ward is improving rapidly. Osteopathic specialists can also help relieve muscle cramps, squeezing or overwork. It is a common accompanying symptom of the pain in question and can exacerbate the pain. Bone therapists can treat not only pain that affects the waist area, but also other types of pain with various locations and etiologies.
The above-mentioned doctors use various techniques to relieve pain in the ward. These include structural, craniosacral, manual and reflex therapy. The kinesio tape method showed excellent results-applying special elastic tape to the damaged area. Using intramuscular effect patches, doctors can not only relieve pain, but also help healing.
Although osteopathy can treat many diseases, it has a (very small) list of contraindications:
- Fever condition, high temperature;
- Blood clots;
- Benign and malignant tumors;
- Severe infection
- Seizures.
Osteopathy is also an excellent preventive measure. Its general healing and restorative effects on the body are simply invaluable. In addition, preventive meetings allow you to deal with many problems that are still in their infancy. This disease often does not manifest itself, nor does it cause inconvenience for a long period of time, and does not compromise the diagnosis. Comprehensively monitor your own health and visit the orthopedics center regularly to avoid many difficulties in life.