Osteochondrosis

Many people often hear it, but do not know exactly what osteochondrosis is. In fact, this disease is not so rare. This disease is characterized by dystrophic-degenerative changes in the vertebral tissues, further deformation of the discs between the vertebrae, and the adjacent ligaments of the spinal cord apparatus.

Usually, the pathology first negatively affects the ligaments, then the bones and other tissues. Patients go to the doctor when they feel regular pain.

Statistics show that osteochondrosis of the spine affects 50-90% of the world's population. Symptoms of osteochondrosis often appear in people who have crossed the 30-year threshold, but there is a risk of manifestations even in adolescence.

Stages of disease development

In medicine, the course of the disease has several stages:

• in section 1drying out of the nucleus pulposus is observed, which in turn leads to the appearance of deformations in the fibrous ring. The initial stage is characterized by the development of symptoms within the disc. Signs of osteochondrosis are not pronounced. Treatment of osteochondrosis at this stage can be carried out with the help of exercise therapy and massage;
• in section 2after the disc height changes and the ligament dries out, the muscles begin to converge. This is why they condescend. Signs of osteochondrosis include excessive mobility of the vertebral region. This, in turn, can cause the process of displacement of the vertebrae;
• in section 3The signs of osteochondrosis become the most pronounced, as the patient may have protrusion or even prolapse of the intervertebral discs. In addition, due to changes in the bones and muscles, the joints suffer, which causes the development of arthrosis;
• in Section 4the patient's spine is already adapting to the changes that have occurred. The body tries to stabilize the spine as much as possible in order to preserve its protective and locomotor function. At the same time, osteophytes begin to spread in the intervertebral discs - bone growths that form on nearby vertebrae. The resulting osteophytes can cause damage to the nerve endings. The result is their speech.

Causes of the disease

Signs of osteochondrosis can occur for the following reasons:

• spinal cord injury;
• tendency to musculoskeletal diseases;
• natural aging process;
• the presence of constant physical overload;
• obesity;
• incorrect posture;
• the presence of constant vibration - relevant for many professions, for example, drivers of large trucks;

Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of osteochondrosis do not appear immediately. The main symptoms include discomfort in the back and pain. The symptoms of osteochondrosis most often appear when the patient exposes the body to great physical stress. Numbness of the limbs is also a symptom of the disease. If at least one of these signs appears, you should pay attention to their nature and intensity - pain in the leg or arm can manifest itself in different ways. Other signs of osteochondrosis are disc herniation and nerve ending protrusion or pinching.

Depending on the location, osteochondrosis of the spine is of the following types:

• in the neck region;
• in the region of the sternum;
• in the lumbosacral region.

Treatment of the disease

Treatment of osteochondrosis involves a combination of the following methods:

• therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis or exercises;
• physiotherapy procedures (acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, electrical stimulation);
• diet for osteochondrosis;
• traction on the spine;
• massage for osteochondrosis.

Treatment of osteochondrosis should be started as early as possible, but even in the last stages there is a great chance to overcome the disease.

Osteochondrosis gymnastics is one of the most effective ways to prevent and stop the manifestations of the disease. Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis includes exercises that can strengthen the muscles of the back and the whole body. Exercise should be done daily to achieve the effect after a few sessions. Osteochondrosis gymnastics includes popular exercises that are probably familiar to many, as they are used in the complex of morning exercises.

Practical therapy of osteochondrosis not only contributes to rapid recovery, but can also prevent the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease. Instead of morning exercises, you can do exercise therapy in osteochondrosis.

Filling with osteochondrosis should correct the unevenness of the spine, strengthen the corset of the back muscles, improve metabolism and blood circulation in the tissues. Proper exercise in osteochondrosis improves blood supply to the brain and promotes the gap between the vertebrae, which allows the release of previously pinched nerve endings. For a patient, performing osteochondrosis exercises only takes a few minutes a day, but even this can lead to a noticeable reduction in the manifestations of the disease within a few weeks. And in the early stages, exercise with osteochondrosis is not the main treatment method at all.

Another advantage of practicing osteochondrosis is that the complex is designed for all ages, as it takes into account the age characteristics and capabilities of the body. Exercises for osteochondrosis can be performed at home or in the clinic on special simulators. It should be noted that with high-quality and appropriate exercises, treating osteochondrosis at home will bring the same effective results as performing therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis in the clinic.

Nutrition for osteochondrosis should include lean meat, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. The diet for osteochondrosis provides for frequent meals (5-6 times a day). Drink a glass of fermented milk product at the last meal of the day.

The diet of osteochondrosis sharply limits the intake of legumes, grapes and their products, muffins, spices and various refined products. When the doctor draws up a nutritional plan for the patient's osteochondrosis, it also includes baked goods containing bran, fruits, vegetables and berries (especially sea buckthorn).

In osteochondrosis, nutrition fulfills the body's restorative function, providing the cells with building material. It is important to note that the diet for osteochondrosis (as well as for the prevention of many other diseases) includes careful chewing of food. The process of simultaneous eating takes at least 15 minutes. The more saliva and gastric juices are secreted, the greater the effect of a rational and balanced diet in osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis is also treated with massage. Massage for osteochondrosis is performed when the patient does not feel pain when touched. Therapeutic massage for osteochondrosis has a reflex effect on painful areas by stimulating areas of the body that are not sensitive to the disease. At the same time, osteochondrosis massage should be started very gently so as not to cause discomfort in the form of muscle tension.

The osteochondrosis massage technique suggests that the patient lies on his stomach in the most relaxed position during the session. The general goals of massage against osteochondrosis are as follows:

• pain relief;
• improvement of metabolism in the zone of occurrence of the disease;
• muscle relaxation;
• suppression of inflammatory processes in the area of the intervertebral disc.

In addition, the debate about the home treatment of osteochondrosis does not subside. There are many alternative methods, but their use should be discussed with the attending physician. Now all doctors unanimously say that massage and exercises for osteochondrosis are the right methods to reduce all the symptoms of the disease and then completely overcome it.