Osteochondrosis - what kind of ailment? Osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine: symptoms and treatment

Osteochondrosis is a problematic disease of the spine, from which every fourth inhabitant on planet Earth suffers. Among the most common diseases of the world, this illness ranks second, second only to cardiovascular diseases. Most often, osteochondrosis, a photo of which is presented to your attention, affects the lumbosacral spine.

The back experiences a constant load, but most of all the waist suffers. Therefore, the intervertebral discs in it are more deformed than in other departments. Problems caused by various diseases of the back - this is the result of a systematic and prolonged stay of a person in a sitting position. Due to lack of reasonable physical activity, the muscle corset begins to change, which leads to painful sensations. In time, the detected symptoms and properly prescribed treatment will help to get rid of the pain and the disease as a whole.

What is osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis is a common disease of the musculoskeletal system, in which the cartilage surface of the bones changes. Most often this disease affects the lumbosacral spine. Its free and active movement occurs due to intervertebral discs, which are a cluster of cartilaginous tissue.

When these structures affect the osteochondrosis, the photo of which you see, their elasticity is lost, eventually they become delaminated and deformed. As a result of such changes, the distance between the vertebrae is reduced. Nervous roots are squeezed, pain appears. If the disease is not treated, the pain and swelling intensifies, as the nerve bundles of blood vessels become more infringed over time.

How to know what is osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis is an ailment that affects a lot of muscles and internal organs of a person, as there is an infringement of vascular-neural bundles, which worsens innervation and blood supply. So, if the lumbar spine is involved in the process, a person begins to have problems with the digestive and urinary systems, impotence. An accurate diagnosis is established depending on the localization of pain in the spine. Even in the last century osteochondrosis was mostly sick people of the older generation.

At present, young people are exposed to this disease. According to statistics, in our country more than 90% of the population shows any disease of the support apparatus. Thousands of people suffer from such a disease as osteochondrosis of the sacral spine, which negatively affects the functioning of the body as a whole.

Sacral spine

The vertebral column consists of several sections, one of which is sacral. It has five vertebrae, which, due to the absence of intervertebral discs, are interconnected motionless and are an integral part of the pelvis. The lumbar spine has the same number of vertebrae and intervertebral discs.

Osteochondrosis is a disease characterized by a lesion of intervertebral discs. Since they are not present in the sacral region, therefore, the osteochondrosis of this zone of the spine is very rare. It is one of the stages of development of lumbar osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine The spine is the defeat of the discs. They are located between the vertebrae of the lumbar region and the last vertebrae that is attached to the sacrum.

Stages of the disease

If the lumbosacral osteochondrosis is not treated, the disease will progress and may reach the last stage of development (there are only four), which leads a person to disability. Let's consider each of them.

1. The initial stage of the disease is characterized by the appearance of cracks in the intervertebral discs. Feels uncomfortable in the lower back, which is markedly increased during exercise, and disappears during rest. The pains are permanent as well as temporary, with lumbago. But it does not deliver tangible inconveniences to a person, and he does not hurry to consult a doctor.
2. The second stage is characterized by a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae, pinching of the nerve endings and destruction of the fibrous ring. The pain becomes pronounced, often in the thigh and thigh. During seizures, there is profuse sweating. At the person there is a desire to address for consultation to the doctor.
3. At this stage of the disease there is a curvature of the spine. There are severe pains that can occur unexpectedly and give up in the fingers and leg. Bone osteophytes appear. They begin to squeeze the vessels, nerves and tissues.
4. When the disease reaches the fourth, the last stage of development, a person experiences great difficulties during movement, as his spine is twisted. There are sprouting on the bones. Lumbosacral osteochondrosis in neglected form leads to disability.

What are the causes of osteochondrosis?

• Insufficiency of physical activity. It is experienced by people who have a sedentary lifestyle.
• Inexactly active physical exertion on the spine and raising excess cargo. This disease often affects people involved in weightlifting.
• Incorrect posture, uncomfortable position of the body during sleep, work activity or exercise, if this occurs systematically and for a long time.
• Hereditary predisposition, anomalies of the development of the spine, fragile structure of cartilage tissue.
• Flat feet, in which the foot is not able to distribute evenly the load on the entire spine.
• The weight of a person, if it is much higher than normal.
• Obtained injuries of the lumbosacral spine, which can deform the discs.
• Diseases of the heart, digestive and endocrine systems.
• Diseases of the spine. So, rheumatoid arthritis can cause osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine.
• If a person adheres to the wrong way of life: how he feeds himself, chronically does not sleep, does not observe the regime of the day, constantly experiences stress, is subject to depression.
• Supercooling of the body and prolonged exposure to drafts.
• Changes with age, when the intervertebral discs lose their elasticity and begin to react sharply to all kinds of unfavorable conditions.

Symptoms of the disease

When the disease reaches the second or third stage of development, the symptoms of the disease begin to appear. An exception may be a severe hypothermia of the body or a person's stress. In this case, the ailment makes itself felt by attacks of sharp pain already in the first stage of development. By itself, it does not endanger human health. But the development of the disease is accompanied by a dangerous symptomatology that leads a person to disability, promotes the development of heart and vascular diseases, becomes the impetus to the beginning of protrusion of the discs between the vertebrae. When a person has a backache, this is most often a lumbosacral osteochondrosis. Symptoms of the disease are as follows:

• Pain with sudden movements and physical exertion. Gradually, painful sensations become more frequent and prolonged. They can occur at the slightest load, for example, sneezing or coughing. The pain is accompanied by numbness.
• The sensitivity of the legs is lost.
• There is chronic fatigue and persistent depression.
• Violated mobility of the sacrum.

Characterized by a pinched nerves lumbosacral osteochondrosis. Symptoms are characterized by other unpleasant sensations:

• There is a muscle weakness.
• The reflex capacity of tendons decreases.
• Violated sweating.
• Arterial spasms and a feeling of coldness in the feet.
• The normal functioning of internal organs is disrupted.

Polysegmentary osteochondrosis. What it is?

The vertebral column has 24 segments, five of them belong to the sacral department. Each segment has its spinal nerves responsible for the work of certain human organs. The vertebral-motor segment includes: adjacent vertebrae with ligaments and intervertebral disks. Polysegmentary osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine afflicts several segments at the same time.

This disease can be determined by abnormal functioning of the abdominal organs and pain in the pelvis. They can also appear in the thigh, lower leg or buttocks and are accompanied by lameness. The consequence of this form of osteochondrosis can be the displacement of the discs between the vertebrae. This is dangerous because the spinal nerves begin to taper. Over time, this condition leads to infringement and inflammation of the roots.

Polysegmentary sacral osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are very diverse, most often affects the spine. Aching in the back often does not allow walking and sitting normally. She worries, even if the person is motionless. The cause of this condition is a pinched nerve. This disease can not be cured completely. But properly selected therapy will relieve pain, prevent all kinds of exacerbations and complications.

How to treat sacral osteochondrosis with medications?

The primary task in the treatment is to eliminate or slow down the destructive processes in the intervertebral discs. Lumbosacral osteochondrosis, whose treatment begins with the removal of pain, can not be eliminated without medication if the disease has reached the second or third stage of development. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Ketorol, Nimesulide and others, is mandatory. If the pain is moderate, the doctor may prescribe these drugs in the form of a gel, ointment or cream. If strong - in the form of injections, capsules, tablets or candles.

At the same time, the patient takes medications that relieve spasms of the dorsal muscles, such as "Midokalm". For very severe pains, which are not eliminated by the drugs listed above, the doctor prescribes "Prednisolone", "Dexamethasone" and others. These are potent anti-inflammatory drugs, they will quickly relieve pain. But they are used in extreme cases, since these drugs have side effects.

If the pain is very severe, the treatment is carried out by the position. A person, lying on his back, chooses a position in which the pain is least felt. As soon as it subsides, a complex of physiotherapy exercises is carried out with a gradual increase in the load. Simultaneously, the patient is prescribed a massage, which relaxes, strengthens the back muscles and supports the spine. To enhance the therapeutic effect, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed.

How to cure osteochondrosis?

Only the load on the spine can not be corrected. It is necessary to actively treat medicines. To improve blood circulation in the spine area help: "Nicotinic acid", "Trental". Thanks to these drugs, the flow of blood to the arteries of the spine improves. The outflow of venous blood is activated by such drugs as "Ascorutin" and "Troxevasin". To ensure the influx of energy to the cells, it is necessary to stimulate cellular metabolism. This is promoted by vitamin "B". Protect cartilage tissue from destruction such medicines as "Chondroitin", "Donna", "Structum".

Treatment with folk methods and means

With spine disease, people often wonder about how to cure osteochondrosis. If the disease is at an early stage of development, a person does not think to consult a doctor. But he wants to get rid of unwanted symptoms. In this case, people's ways and means come to the rescue.

• Back pain can be eliminated with an ordinary rolling pin. It is necessary to take it alternately, then into the right, then into the left hand and tap on the spine. Exercise should be done regularly, and the result will not take long to wait.

• With the use of a rolling pin, salt deposits can be broken. To do this, lie back on it and ride for 15-20 minutes. The next day the back will ache, this is the way it should be. Do not stop doing the exercise. The main thing is regularity.
• It is useful to apply compresses. Any ointment for rubbing joints, for example "Sustamed", "Chondroitin", rub into the skin in the region of the waist and cover with polyethylene. It is better to use fresh leaves of lilac, mint, sage or lemon balm instead. Top of the second layer is laid leaves of cabbage or burdock. Back wrapped with a woolen shawl or blanket. If there is no time to lie patiently with the compress, you can fix it and walk with it.

Recipes of Alternative Medicine

If the disease can not be treated with medicines, we treat osteochondrosis at home using folk remedies. Recipes of some of them:

• Compress of burdock is applied to the waist, top covered with cellophane, then with a woolen shawl and hold for 20 minutes. Prepare the broth easily: the leaves of the plant are crushed and poured 250 ml of boiling water. Insist half an hour, filtered, cooled. In the broth, a soft cloth is wetted. Compress is ready.
• Compress from elderberries. Tincture of 4 parts of alcohol and 1 part of the berries is infused 7-10 days. For a compress on the back, it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3.
• Decoction of the roots of parsley. It is prepared as follows: 3 tsp. Dry plant and 500 ml of water boil on low heat, filter and take 1 tbsp. L. Every 12 hours.

Exercises of the first complexity group

They are designed for the elderly, in the period of exacerbation and at a severe stage of the disease. Exercises perform prone.

• Reach with elongated toe socks. Repeated several times.
• Legs bend at the knees. Each knee alternately wraps around itself and pulls itself back and forth. Exercise is done 10 times.
• The starting position is the same. One leg straightens and slowly rises, then descends. Repeat 4-5 times and go to the second leg.
• Get up from the couch and slowly reach up, and then relieve tension. To do this, you need to bend and limp with your hands down.

The second group of complexity

Next, we will describe what exercises are for lumbosacral spine osteochondrosis, when the disease is at the third stage of development.

• The complex begins with the last exercise of the previous group.
• Torso turns to the right and left with relaxed hands.
• Hands at the waist. 5 times incline to the right and left, forward and backward.
• All the movements of the last exercise are successively connected. First the slopes are clockwise, then against.
• Rotations are made by the lower part of the trunk in the likeness of the last exercise.
• Stand on your half-bent legs, lower your arms or put them on your hips. Bend in the back, shoulder blades back. Then arched an arch, shoulders to reduce.
• The same exercise, only kneeling.
• Lie down on the floor and perform the exercise from the complex of the first group with the pull of the knee, but with a deeper amplitude.
• Bend the legs in the knees and alternately put them to the right and left.

The third group of complexity

Exercises are available to people with the first stage of osteochondrosis and during the recovery period after the illness.

• Lie on your back, raise your elongated legs and hold them for a few seconds. Then lower, rest and raise again. So do 10 times.
• Lying on your back perform slow turns of both feet simultaneously to the right and left. Repeat 10 times.
• Lie on your back, legs straight. We perform small steps.
• Cross leg movements are scissors. Do not forget to rest.
• Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms along the trunk, raise the body and swing right and left.
• Lie on your back, hands behind your head, raise 10 times and lower your upper body.
• Kneel at point-blank range, raise your right foot and your left arm. Then vice versa.
• Sit on the floor, spread legs. Perform alternate slopes to the legs.
• We do the same thing while standing up. The slopes are deep.

Exercises are divided into groups conditionally. Depending on the stage of the disease and sports training for one person, they seem simple, and the other - complex. Everyone will choose something for themselves. The main thing is not to be lazy and regularly perform these exercises.