Many of us are familiar with back pain that disrupts normal life for a long time. Although the cause may be trauma, neurological disease, or spinal cord dysfunction, lumbar spine osteochondrosis often becomes a provocateur of unpleasant sensations. This degenerative disease can occur even at a young age, its primary manifestations can be manifested in both adults and students, but most patients after the age of 40 are people. Osteochondrosis-related changes in the spinal column can occur anywhere, from the cervix to the lumbar and sacrocyte. But the most common form, which brings patients a lot of unpleasant and painful sensations, is lumbar spine osteochondrosis. What kind of pathology it is, what is characteristic of it and excruciating pain always speaks of this disease.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine: what is the essence of the pathology?
Osteochondrosis is a term derived from two words: Greek osteon, which means bone, and chondron, which means cartilage. Thus, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine (and all others) begins with changes in the cartilage of the discs, which are the natural "shell" of the spine and shock absorber during movement. The height of the disc decreases, causing its physiological function to be lost, causing instability and changes in the vertebral joints. As the disease progresses, a reaction occurs on the plate at the end of the vertebral body. Stage, sclerosis.
Causes of spinal osteochondrosis
Our spinal discs gradually begin to deform and change when we are about 20 years old. A gradual decrease in fluid in the body of the disc leads to a reduction in the size of the space between the spines (chondrosis). This means that the disc can no longer function as a shock absorber and the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments of the spine are replaced. As a result, the spinal joints are subjected to much more strain, which increases from year to year. The vertebrae of the spine are not properly positioned and unevenly stretched, and the moving segments of the spine gradually become unstable. The dorsal segment usually consists of two adjacent vertebral bodies and a disc between them. The plates at the upper and lower end of the body of the spine experience more stress, gradually developing thickening zones (sclerosis) and ridges on the borders (spondylophytes). Because of such changes, the whole clinical picture of the disease is formed in the future.
What are the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine?
Almost any form of the disease manifests itself as excruciating back pain that is difficult to control and that affects a specific segment of the spine (from the neck to the lower back and groin). Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine may be limited to the spine (lumbar region) or spread to the legs if they come from the lumbar spine, or the arms if they come from the cervical spine.
Symptoms may be manifested by rest, exercise, or normal activity. There may be radicular symptoms caused by compression, irritation of the nerve root area, or pseudo-radical symptoms if the cause is in the ankle joint or adjacent muscles. Often, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is combined with lesions in other areas - the chest, the cervical spine - then the symptoms will be more extensive. In other words, discomfort and pain cause not only one damaged segment, but several areas of osteochondrosis at once. The disease has a wavy course with periods of exacerbation (symptoms can seriously interfere with normal life) and temporary remissions when the manifestations are reduced or almost disappear. But any factor, physical or mental, can cause a sudden relapse.
How is spinal osteochondrosis diagnosed?
Diagnosis is based on examining the patient's medical history and complaints, identifying typical symptoms, and performing a neurological examination. Today, doctors are increasingly striving for instrumental diagnostics, as other pathologies are often hidden under the guise of osteochondrosis.
For example, among patients who experience persistent back pain and plan surgery to relieve pain, bone health is an important factor. If a patient is found to have low bone density before surgery, this may affect the osteochondrosis treatment plan before, during, and after the procedure. A study by the New York Special Surgery Hospital (HSS) showed that computed tomography of the lumbar spine before surgery showed that a significant number of patients had low bone density that had not been previously diagnosed.
Nearly half of the nearly 300 patients tested were diagnosed with osteoporosis, or its precursor, osteopenia. It is especially important to consider this at the age of over 50 years. The prevalence of bone mineral density in this group was 44%, while 10. 3% were diagnosed with osteoporosis. Low bone density is a known risk factor for spinal fractures and this condition can be an exacerbating factor for the treatment of osteochondrosis.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine
Treatment options depend on the severity of your symptoms. Physical therapy is the main method of pain relief in the early stages. Used in ultrasound, electrotherapy, heat treatment. Treatment is complemented by proper pain management such as NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, and steroids. Injection practice can be used - blockade, trigger point injection. Manual therapy, osteopathy, exercise therapy are shown.
Surgical treatment is always the last resort. There are situations when surgery is needed. For example, there may be paralysis of the bladder or rectum caused by narrowing of the spinal canal or impaired disc, a large herniated disc. Operation options are selected in consultation with your doctor. But after surgical treatment, the problem is not completely eliminated, long-term rehabilitation and lifelong supportive treatment are needed. This is due to the fact that osteochondrosis disappears nowhere, it can progress to other sections.