Despite widespread opinions, osteochondrosis of the spine is not considered part of the aging process. Like shock absorbers, the elastic discs between the vertebrae are responsible for the flexion and extension of the back. Over time, they wear out and no longer provide a full range of motion. As we age, daily stress on the spine and accidental injuries (including minor injuries) can damage the intervertebral discs of the back and cause lumbar osteochondrosis.
Who suffers from this lower back disease?
In most cases, the first symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis appear at 11-12 years old. The disease is clearly manifested at the age of 16, but the most serious course and frequent complications occur between 15 and 20 years of age.
Children under the age of 15 rarely suffer from severe osteochondrosis, which is to some extent related to the good condition of their musculoskeletal system (especially the spine). In addition, this disease will take some time to develop, an average of five years.
Fortunately, children are more likely to treat these diseases than adults.
Symptoms
Reflex syndrome
- Cervical Spondylopathy-The manifestations of neck pain (pull, tingling, shooting) are different, the neck muscles have a "squirming" sensation, and the neck is mobileAnd flexibility decreases.
- Lumbagois a severe pain in the waist that may be accompanied by numbness or swelling. Instead of the word "back pain", you can use the word "lumbodynia" or "psoas sciatica".
- Chest Pain-Pain of the chest, shoulder blades and ribs of different natures. These pains constantly appear or occur during human movement.
Compression Syndrome
Pain syndrome in lumbar osteochondrosis occurs due to:
- Compression of the root structure (radiculopathy).
- Compression of the spinal cord (myelopathy).
- Spinal cord injury caused by insufficient blood supply.
- Stenosis (stenosis) of arteries and veins (vasocompressive bone marrow ischemia).
Disease detection methods
Differential diagnosis
Not all diseases can be diagnosed by simple laboratory tests. Many conditions can cause similar symptoms. For example, many infections can cause fever, headaches and fatigue.
Many mental illnesses are caused by:
- Sadness;
- Follow;
- Sleep problems.
The differential diagnosis identifies diseases that may cause symptoms. Usually, this diagnosis is based on multiple tests. These tests can exclude conditions and/or determine whether other tests are needed.
Differential diagnosis is used to diagnose physical or mental health problems that cause similar symptoms.
Differential diagnosis is also commonly used in the field of psychiatry/psychology, where two different diagnoses can be made for patients with multiple disease symptoms. For example, considering the similarities in the symptoms of the two diseases, patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder may also be differentially diagnosed as borderline personality disorder.
Who is diagnosed more?
If the disease is not diagnosed in patients as early as 45 years later, then about 27% of teenagers today have some degree of osteochondrosis or another degree.
The spread of this disease is understandable-children start to spend a lot of time sitting in a sitting position, including due to computers and the Internet. Isn’t it good? Time will prove everything, but the facts still exist-the cost of a sedentary lifestyle is very high. Osteochondrosis is far from the most serious disease that this lifestyle can cause, but it is the most serious disease. Common (after obesity).
How to define disease and its extent?
First release
Under normal conditions, the intervertebral disc is constantly regenerating, but the process slows down and diseases such as grade 1 osteochondrosis occur.
There are many reasons for this:
- Obesity;
- Metabolism disorder;
- Low immune function, etc.
Unfortunately, because many people neglect diagnosis and treatment and try to heal the pain on their own, the instability of a given degree of pain is affected. For this, please use ointments and various tinctures. But this is the biggest mistake.
First-degree lumbar osteochondrosis can be easily cured by contacting excellent experts and performing many simple operations.
Grade 1 osteochondrosis is the seal of the intervertebral cartilage in the lumbar region. The main symptom at this stage is slight pain when turning or bending. Sometimes, due to sudden exercise or a lot of fatigue, the symptoms will be more severe and short-lived.
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The obvious symptom of the disease is waist pain, which increases with any exercise. The pain radiates above the spine.
When suffering from osteochondrosis, the pain radiates to the lower limbs.
The second stage of osteochondrosis is characterized by severe pain, even when coughing.
Other symptoms are related to compression of nerve endings:
- The sensitivity of the lower limbs changes. The main symptoms are: pain, numbness of the legs, and hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity of the lower limbs.
- Impaired mobility. People with osteochondrosis (grade 2) notice that as the disease progresses, it becomes difficult to move.
- Increase fatigue and constant sleepiness. The patient suffers from chronic fatigue and is accompanied by irritability. This symptom can be explained by the pain syndrome that continues to plague people.
- Difficulty and painful urination in the kidney area.
Third place
By the time the patient enters stage 3, his posture has changed significantly. In more advanced cases, bone deformation occurs. At this stage of lumbar osteochondrosis, the patient's overall physical and/or mental state also deteriorates significantly, and energy is severely lost.
The third stage is characterized by narrowing of the intervertebral foramen in the context of previous changes. Form hernia of the intervertebral disc, damage to blood vessels in the neck and muscles. The patient is dizzy and has a headache.
Fourth
Terminal stage occurs when the intervertebral disc degenerates and destroys the intervertebral disc space. At this stage, the thinning of the intervertebral disc reaches its maximum, or even worse, disappears completely. Postural imbalance is severe, and movement and flexibility are extremely restricted.
Stage 4 of lumbar osteochondrosis is usually characterized by severe pain and a higher degree of physical and/or mental deterioration. Growth and energy levels are also permanently lost. Stage 4 is generally considered irreversible.
Doctor consultation
Which doctor should I contact?
When independent treatments no longer bring analgesic effects, patients begin to ask questions: Which doctor treats osteochondrosis? The first person you can contact for treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis is your local therapist. But in this case, he played the role of a dispatcher because he would not be able to prescribe a sufficient treatment prescription-this is not his specialty.
Most likely, he will send you to a neurologist. This expert will conduct the necessary research and help develop a treatment plan. The therapist may also refer you to a vertebral surgeon. The doctor directly treats spinal diseases.
Zoom and test
Quality of Life Assessment
General characteristics such as quality of life are especially important for a group of patients with comorbidities because they can affect the effectiveness of treatment. This is especially important for comparing the results of several studies, economic analysis, and understanding of the whole problem.
Methods to assess the quality of life include:
- Oswestry Quality of Life Questionnaire.
- Roland-Morris questionnaire.
- Stratford scale.
- Quebec Back Pain Scale-a questionnaire about how back pain affects your daily life).
Pain Scale
Pain is an unpleasant feeling and emotional experience associated with tissue damage. Its purpose is to enable the body to respond and prevent further tissue damage.
Methods to assess pain syndrome include:
- won the Corff Chronic Pain Assessment Scale.
- McGill Pain Questionnaire.
- Verbal Pain Scale.
Evaluation of treatment effect
- McNabb's subjective rating scale.
- Patient satisfaction scale.
- Prolo function and economic performance scale.
- Waist ac achievement scale.
- Nurik scales.
Hardware test
X-ray
X-rays can provide detailed bone structure in the spine and can be used to rule out back pain caused by:
- Lumbar spondylolisthesis.
- Tumor.
- Cracks.
The calcium in the bone prevents X-ray penetration, and the image of the bone is seen as a shadow on the film. X-rays provide excellent visibility of all details because bones are mainly composed of calcium. However, the intervertebral discs and nerve roots do not contain calcium, so X-rays cannot capture images of these structures. Therefore, X-rays cannot be used to diagnose other causes of lumbar disc herniation or nerve compression.
X-ray examinations should not be performed on pregnant women.
Complications and possible consequences
Complications and possible consequences of lumbar osteochondrosis include:
- Muscle weakness-Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, paresthesias, weight loss and changes in consciousness.
- Neurogenic bladder-nerve problems that control the bladder and urination
- Damage to lower motor neurons. Raynaud’s phenomenon is a state in which cramps occur and the capillaries of the fingers and toes become narrow.
- Pain in the neck, back, and legs.
Treatment
Treatment methods may vary, depending on the severity of symptoms and how much they restrict your daily activities.
Here are some treatments your doctor may prescribe based on your pain level:
- Non-surgical treatment-Not all patients with osteochondrosis require surgical intervention. For mild to moderate pain, more conservative treatment.
- Cervical Spondylopathy-Surgical treatment of osteochondrosis.
Prevention
Prevention of lumbar osteochondrosis is to eliminate the risk factors leading to this disease. Eliminating factors is the main preventive measure.
The normalization of physical activity and the strengthening of back muscles prevent the greatest burden on the lower back and prevent the development of diseases that cause lower back pain. All these are preventive measures to prevent the symptoms of lumbar spine chondropathy.
Moderate exercise, lifestyle changes and good nutrition can help prevent painful and disabling symptoms.
If you find symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis, please do not strain and seek medical attention immediately. Diseases detected in time are easier to treat without consequences.