Osteochondrosis is a degenerative disease of articular cartilage tissues, which can be localized in any joint, as well as intervertebral discs.
The name of the disease comes from the Greek words meaning “bone” and “cartilage”.Osteochondrosis develops due to a physiological (i.e. normal, provided by nature) weakening of the nutrition of the intervertebral discs.This leads to the fact that cartilage tissue is poorly restored even after minor injuries.In addition, most people, especially those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, unevenly load their back muscles due to prolonged stay in the same position at work, talk for a long time on the phone with their ear on their shoulder, carry bags on one shoulder, and use too soft mattresses and pillows.
Causes of osteochondrosis
Almost all middle-aged and elderly people are at risk of developing spinal osteochondrosis, since the processes that cause the degeneration of cartilage tissue are completely natural.Risk factors and causes of osteochondrosis in the most pronounced forms are:
- flat feet;
- excess weight;
- heavy physical activity;
- physical inactivity;
- inheritance;
- spinal injuries.
Previously, it was believed that spinal osteochondrosis mainly occurs after the age of 35, but recently patients aged 18 to 20 years complain of back pain caused by osteochondrosis.The probable reasons for the prevalence of osteochondrosis among young people are not only a sedentary lifestyle, but also frequent stress and poor posture.
Manifestations of osteochondrosis: pain and limited movement
There are osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine and osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.But regardless of the type of disease, a person always complains of pain.In which part of the back it manifests itself and whether it radiates to the limbs depends on the localization, i.e. on which part of the spinal column the degenerative processes occurred.Pain can be caused by various reasons, for example, pinched (compressed) nerve roots or herniated intervertebral discs.A herniated disc is a rupture of the fibrous ring and a protrusion of the nucleus of the disc, that is, of the cartilaginous tissue itself.Herniation of intervertebral discs in many cases occurs precisely against the background of osteochondrosis.
Men and overweight people suffer from herniated discs much more often than others
Pain with osteochondrosis can vary not only in intensity, but also in location.With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, pain occurs not only in the neck, but also in the shoulder, radiating to the arm.
Sometimes patients experience headaches and dizziness.
Osteochondrosis in the thoracic spine sometimes "mimics" pain in the heart.It can intensify with various movements, be abrupt or pull.With osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, pain can radiate to the leg.In the presence of herniated intervertebral discs, numbness of the limb sometimes occurs, as if it were being "taken away".Low back pain significantly limits range of motion and can affect the functioning of internal organs.
Intervertebral disc herniation occurs mainly in the cervical and lumbar spine, much less often in the thoracic spine.
Complications of osteochondrosis and its treatment
This disease of the spine is associated with pain, so treatment of osteochondrosis is necessary to eliminate or significantly reduce it, thereby increasing the quality of life.The question of how to cure osteochondrosis causes a lot of controversy.The treatment process of osteochondrosis is very long;it is associated with the restoration of spinal structures and the strengthening of back muscles and, if indicated, with the surgical treatment of herniated discs.All this time it is necessary to fight pain, since the cause of the disease - degenerative phenomena in the tissues of the articular cartilage - is irreversible and can mainly affect the surrounding tissues.Improving blood circulation and strengthening the muscle corset occurs through physiotherapy, massage and swimming.However, the pain, even with diligent and regular exercises and procedures, does not disappear immediately.
Complex treatment of osteochondrosis: additional options
To reduce pain in osteochondrosis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for external and internal use are used (unfortunately, their long-term use in the form of tablets has significant side effects) and B vitamins. B vitamins are called neurotropic, as they help restore the functions of nerve fibers.The most important are vitamin B1 (benfotiamine) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).pills.Benfotiamine normalizes metabolic processes in damaged nerve roots, and pyridoxine improves the passage of nerve impulses, while both vitamins help reduce pain.B vitamins for osteochondrosis are one of the elements of an integrated approach to therapy.