Lumbar osteochondrosis: symptoms, causes, degrees

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is a pathology accompanied by degenerative processes in cartilaginous tissues.

This disorder leads to damage to all joints, but mainly the intervertebral discs are affected.

If you feel pain in the lower back, you should immediately consult a doctor. If you do not do this, the pathology will lead to serious complications.

What is lumbar osteochondrosis?

This term refers to a disease that provokes damage to the intervertebral discs. They are a gel-like substance found in the annulus fibrosus. The upper and lower parts of the discs are covered with thin cartilage tissue.

After some time, the gel-like mass loses moisture, becomes thinner and less elastic. Under the influence of loads, deformation of cartilage tissue occurs. The consequence of these processes is the formation of a protrusion or hernia. The formations provoke compression of the nerve roots, which causes the disease.

Lumbar osteochondrosis is quite common and causes negative health consequences. Pinching of the sciatic nerve often occurs with this disorder. As a result, there is a risk of severe pain.

Possible complications of the disease

If the treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis is not started on time, the pathology will lead to dangerous health consequences. The disease can cause reactive spondylosis. It also provokes the appearance of arthrosis of the knee or hip joint.

In women, damage to the lumbar vertebrae can cause complications during pregnancy. This is especially dangerous during the third trimester, which is characterized by a large load on the spine. In men, degenerative processes provoke potency problems.

In addition, the lack of adequate and timely therapy provokes the following consequences:

• sciatica;
• spinal deformity;
• loss of sensation in the limbs;
• vertebral instability;
• pathologies of internal organs;
• sciatica;
• complete loss of motor activity.

Main symptoms and signs of lumbar osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is characterized by slow development. Often, the diagnosis is made in advanced situations, when severe manifestations are present. That is why it is so important to identify the signs of lumbar osteochondrosis in time. These include the following:

• Backache. In the initial stage of the disease, this symptom appears only after lifting weights. As the pathology progresses, the pain syndrome becomes unbearable.
• Decreased physical activity. This symptom is caused by compression of nerve fibers. When bending or turning, discomfort appears, which radiates to the legs.
• Loss of sensation in the lower extremities. With the development of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the symptoms of numbness are caused by permanent damage to the nerve roots. This symptom waxes and wanes periodically. In this case, the patient experiences a burning sensation, numbness, tingling in the lumbar region and below.
• Local lowering of skin temperature. It becomes pale, dry and flabby.
• Excessive sweating.
• Spinal syndrome. This symptom occurs in advanced cases. Often people experience sexual dysfunction and problems with urination.

Causes of lumbar osteochondrosis

The appearance of osteochondrosis is due to the increased load on the spine. Excessive pressure on the lower back provokes destruction of the cartilage structure. The risk of developing the disease increases under the influence of the following factors:

• Bad posture.
• Lack of physical activity. Lack of physical activity leads to muscle weakness.
• Disorder of calcium metabolism.
• Chronic lack of micro- and macroelements. This may be due to dietary disturbances.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Hypothermia.
• Stress factors.
• Strength or extreme sports.
• Damage to the musculoskeletal system.
• Overweight.

What are the stages of the disease?

The disease develops gradually. Doctors distinguish the following stages of lumbar osteochondrosis:

• First, at this stage there is tolerable pain in the lumbar region, which increases after physical exertion. This symptom indicates destructive processes in the discs. The face feels burning and tingling. Sometimes these symptoms radiate to the buttocks.
• Second, at this stage the distance between the vertebrae decreases and the annulus fibrosus breaks down. A person experiences severe pain. When moving, it radiates to the thighs, buttocks and legs. The affected area may feel cold or burning. During an attack, the patient is forced to lean in the opposite direction.
• Third, at this stage the fibrous ring is completely destroyed. The spinal tissues are severely deformed. This provokes the appearance of an intervertebral hernia. With the development of this degree of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, there is constant pain of high intensity.
• The fourth is accompanied by abnormal disc growth and bone destruction. At this stage, the cartilage tissue strongly atrophies. This leads to a violation of a person's motor activity and even to disability.

When should you see a doctor?

If you feel discomfort in the lumbar region, you should immediately consult a doctor. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the specialist prescribes diagnostic tests. To do this, a study and examination of the patient is conducted. In addition, the doctor prescribes X-rays and nuclear magnetic resonance.

Complex therapy is used to deal with the pathology. It should solve the following problems:

• stop inflammation;
• strengthening the muscle tissue of the legs;
• elimination of the pain syndrome;
• improvement of metabolic processes and blood circulation;
• normalization of the functioning of the pelvic organs;
• restoration of sensitivity.

The pathology is characterized by the progression of pain. In the initial stages, the use of tablet analgesics is sufficient. In advanced situations, it is impossible to do without injectable drugs.

Drug therapy includes the use of the following drugs:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They help to deal with swelling and inflammation. Thanks to this, it is possible to remove the compression of blood vessels and fibers and reduce pain. The most effective drugs include Diclofenac, Nimesil.
• Analgesics. They are prescribed in a period of exacerbation of the pathology, which is accompanied by severe pain. Such drugs have many side effects. Therefore, they must be prescribed by a doctor. Baralgin or Pentalgin are most often prescribed.
• Muscle relaxants. Such means help to cope with muscle spasms. This allows you to eliminate discomfort. This category includes Mydocalm, Sirdalud.
• Glucocorticosteroids. These are hormonal agents that help to deal with inflammation and improve the functions of the nervous system. The drug Ambene is highly effective.

In addition to drugs, the following therapeutic methods are used:

• Physiotherapy. Performing special exercises helps to strengthen the muscles. This helps to form a correct posture, increase the flexibility of the ligaments and prevent the complications of osteochondrosis. Gymnastics improves blood circulation, normalizes metabolic processes, increases the distance between the vertebrae and reduces the load on them.
• Manual therapy. It involves the use of individualized manual techniques to help manage pain and improve posture. This type of treatment restores motor activity, normalizes blood flow, strengthens the immune system and activates metabolic processes.
• Massage. This procedure can have a relaxing or toning effect on the body. With its help, it is possible to reduce the load on the muscles, stimulate blood flow and activate lymphatic drainage. Massage also relieves pain and has a restorative effect.
• Physiotherapy. In lumbar osteochondrosis, ultrasound, low-frequency currents and a magnetic field are used. This helps to cope with pain, relieve inflammation and normalize blood circulation. Physiotherapy products stimulate recovery processes and increase the effectiveness of drugs.

Prevention of lumbar osteochondrosis

To avoid the occurrence of lumbar osteochondrosis, you must follow the main recommendations:

• avoid hypothermia of the lower back;
• posture control;
• exercise;
• changing the position of the body when performing monotonous work;
• refuse to lift heavy objects;
• Healthy food.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is a common pathology that provokes dangerous complications. In order to reduce the symptoms of the disorder, it is necessary to consult a neurologist in a timely manner. The doctor will conduct diagnostic tests and choose an adequate therapy.

How is the treatment carried out in a modern clinic?

Consultation with a doctor: history, myofascial diagnostics, functional diagnostics.

how it goes

Collection of anamnesis - analysis of the disease, identification of limitations and contraindications, explanation of the principles of kinesitherapy, characteristics of the recovery period.

Myofascial diagnosis is a manual diagnostic method in which the doctor assesses the range of joint movements, determines painful tightness, swelling, hypo- or hypertonus of the muscles and other changes.

Functional diagnostics (performed in the rehabilitation room) - the doctor explains how certain exercises are performed on the equipment and observes: how the patient performs them, what range of motion he can work with, what movements cause pain, what weight the patient can do. work with, how the cardiovascular system reacts. Problem areas have been identified. The data is entered into the card. Accents are set.

Based on the results of the primary examination by a doctor and functional diagnostics, a preliminary individual treatment program is drawn up.

It is recommended to have with you:

• for spine pain - MRI or CT (magnetic resonance or computed tomography) of the problem area;
• in case of joint pain - X-rays;
• in the presence of accompanying diseases - extracts from the medical history or outpatient card;
• comfortable (sports) clothes and shoes

Lessons with an instructor

At the beginning of the treatment cycle, the doctor and the patient draw up a treatment plan, which includes the date and time of the treatment session, follow-up visits to the doctor (usually 2-3 times a week).

The basis of the treatment process is treatment sessions in the rehabilitation room with the help of simulators and sessions in the gym.

Rehabilitation simulators allow you to precisely dose the load on individual muscle groups, ensuring an adequate regimen of physical activity. The treatment program is drawn up by the doctor individually for each patient, taking into account the characteristics of the body. Supervision is carried out by qualified instructors. At all stages of recovery, it is important to follow the correct movement and breathing technique, know your weight standards when working on machines, adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen and follow the recommendations of specialists.

Joint gymnastic sessions help to restore visual coordination, improve joint mobility and elasticity (flexibility) of the spine and are an excellent preventive system for independent use.

Each treatment cycle consists of 12 sessions. Each lesson is supervised by an instructor. The duration of one procedure is from 40 minutes to 1. 5 hours. The instructor draws up a program taking into account co-morbidities and the patient's condition on the day of the class. Teaches the technique of performing the exercises and monitors their correct performance. A second consultation with a doctor is held every 6th lesson, changes and additions are made to the program depending on the dynamics.

How many cycles will it take? – individually for everyone

It is important to know:

• How long have you had this problem (stage of the disease)
• How is your body prepared for physical activity (do you do gymnastics or any sport)

If the disease is in an early stage and the body is prepared, one cycle of treatment is sufficient. (example - young people aged 20-30 who are involved in sports. We focus their attention on the technique of performing exercises, breathing, stretching, excluding "wrong" exercises that are harmful to problem areas. Such patients undergo trainingand gain the skill of "taking care of your body", receive referrals in case of exacerbation and continue to study independently).

If the problem has been around for a long time, you don't do gymnastics or you have concomitant diseases, then you will need a different period of time:

• Mitigating Aggravation? One or two cycles are enough
• Recovery of function, walking without interruption (climbing stairs), bending over, doing certain work without effort, standing still for long periods while traveling, general improvement Three or more treatment cycles may be required

Each organism is individual and the program for each patient is individual.