A common disease affecting the spine is chondrosis (osteochondrosis) of the lower back: this ailment is expressed in negative changes in the state of the intervertebral discs, deformation and gradual destruction.
Chondrosis is the initial stage of development of osteochondrosis, in the absence of proper treatment, the disease can lead to serious problems with the back.In the first stages, the disease is often asymptomatic, in the future pains, difficulties in movements, a feeling of muscle flow.Symptoms and treatment of chondrosis, diagnostic and prevention methods will be considered below.
The reasons for the appearance of the problem
Lumbar chondrosis occurs in the following cases:
- Violations of posture leading to an uneven distribution of the load on the spinal column.
- Heavy physical labor, irregular loads with a general sedentary lifestyle.
- Weak muscle corset.
- Hypothermia of the lumbar region.
- Long -term stay in immobility, a sedentary lifestyle, many hours of trips at the wheel.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine system.
- Problems with metabolism.
- Congenital or emerging pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.
- Professional sports activities associated with lifting a large weight.
Chondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms of which do not immediately appear and require treatment as soon as possible, more often appears in people from 50 years and older, people suffering from hypodynamia, stress, excess weight.The constant violation of posture provokes dystrophy of the intervertebral discs, the lack of beneficial substances and vitamins in the diet weakens the musculoskeletal system.Another problem that can increase the risk is wearing an excessively high -heeled or platform shoes: this reason often causes chondrosis among the fair sex.
Symptoms of lumbar chondrosis
A characteristic feature of the problem is the pain syndrome concentrating in the lumbar region, the sacrum and the lower extremities.
Other symptoms of the disease:
- Noning the muscles of the legs.
- Problems with the organs of the genitourinary system, surrendering.
- Sharp bouts of pain, shots in the lumbar zone with sudden changes in the body poses (bending, extension of the back), during severe cough, when lifting heavy objects.
- Dryness and change in the skin shade to bluish.
- Scoliosis, distortions of the spinal column.
Often, patients notice that after rest and stay in a calm state, the pain becomes quieter and feels weaker, and when lifting weights or a sharp movement, the syndrome exacerbates, localizing in the lower back.
In the absence of medical care, you can encounter the following consequences:
- Disorders of the nervous system, since the displacement of discs helps to pinch the nerve roots.
- Bone deformations, hernias of disks.
- If there is a deformation of the fourth lumbar nervous spine, difficulties arise with the knee reflex.
- With the development of lumbosacral chondrosis, the reflexes of the Achilles tendon and flexion of the fingers can weaken or disappear.
The appearance of symptoms of the disease requires a comprehensive diagnosis.The procedure in the clinic consists of several stages: at first the specialist clarifies the clinical picture, learning about the lifestyle, injuries, loads, type of pain and other points.A visual inspection is carried out to check muscle tone, palpation reveals how symmetrically the vertebrae are located, at what distance from each other they are.
If a visual inspection did not allow you to draw up an objective clinical picture, the doctor may prescribe the following types of examination:
- X -ray.The picture is performed in 2 projections to determine the condition of the spinal column, detect bone deformations, disk destruction, and sealing processes.
- MRITo check the state of blood vessels and fibrous rings.
The development of the disease
The disease proceeds gradually, it is classified according to the stages:
- At the first stage, discomfort appears in the lower back area, pain rarely occurs, usually with physical exertion (weight lifting).The radiograph shows minor bone deformations.
- At the second stage, fibrous rings are destroyed, the intervertebral distance decreases, the mobility of the vertebrae is limited.The pain appears after physical activity and unscheduled, becomes stronger.More often, patients come to the doctor precisely at this stage of the development of chondrosis.
- The third stage occurs if the treatment was not prescribed;The pain becomes constant, serious deformations of the vertebrae, the hernia of the disks are manifested.
- At the fourth stage, the spinal column is very twisted, the movement is made difficult or impossible.With a neglected state, disability is often prescribed.
Chondrosis treatment
Experts prescribe therapy, which may include the following actions:
- Drug treatment.The doctor prescribes anti -inflammatory drugs produced in the form of tablets or liquids for intramuscular injections.To restore the state of the sewing and sacrum intervertebral discs, chondroprotectors are used, and support for the immune system is carried out by adding products enriched with vitamin B to the diet. With severe pain, the blockade is used.
- Exercise therapy.Therapeutic physical education exercises accelerate blood circulation, strengthen muscle tissue, and contribute to the correction of posture.
- Physiotherapy with ultraviolet radiation and diadynamic current exposure (relevant in the restoration process).
- Shock-wave treatment that helps eliminate the manifestations of fibrosis.
- Manual therapy that restores blood flow and helps relax muscle tissue.
- Reflexotherapy that allows you to enhance the effectiveness of treatment, stop pain and improve sleep.
- In the last stages of chondrosis, surgery is used to correct deformations, to eliminate intervertebral hernia and complications.
To determine how to treat lumbar chondrosis, you need to consult a doctor - in some cases, the methods are combined to achieve the best effect.
The use of traditional medicine is also allowed, among which the following recipes are most popular:
- Take 3 lemons, grind, without removing the zest, put in a glass jar with a capacity of 1 liter and pour boiling water.The tool is insisted for 5 hours, take 1 tablespoon on an empty stomach in the morning.Store the jar is required in the refrigerator.
- A piece of cottage cheese is placed on a piece of fabric, add a couple of drops of vinegar, make a bandage.The fabric is required to be applied to the lumbar region, to keep for 1.5-2 hours.
- Radish (350 g) is rubbed on a grater, mixed with vodka and honey (100 ml and 250 g, respectively).The mixture is used for rubbing the lumbar region.
- Also extremely effective massage with cans;
- Wearing a belt from natural dog wool during the day;Before going to bed, it is removed.
- Pour 0.5 liters of an ordinary lilac flowers into a jar with a capacity of 0.5 liters, add vodka, close and put in a dry, dark place.The container is released after 21 days, filtered and consumed before taking food 3 times a day.Duration of treatment - 3 months, dosage - 30 drops.
- The baddyug is mixed with olive oil (proportions 1 to 30), rubbed with a mixture of a affected area, torn with a plastic bag and warm wool fabric.
How to prevent chondrosis of the lumbar spine?
This ailment can be warned, and preventive measures can be as follows:
- Limiting loads on the spinal column.
- Control of metabolic processes, enrichment of the diet with vitamins, increased attention of the state of the endocrine system.
- Improving activity, healing a monotonous routine using fitness, easy exercises, charging.
- Wearing orthopedic agents (corsets, belts);
- Sports, including swimming.
- Procedures for the general hardening of the body.
Lumbar and lumbosacral osteochondrosis are manifested in people who experience serious constant or irregular loads on the spine.The presence of the problem is indicated by acute paroxysmal pain, numbness and other symptoms, and treatment is required to begin as soon as possible.The method of therapy is prescribed by the doctor, and often the methods are combined to achieve the result and the fastest getting rid of the disease.