Back pain can have various origins. However, in most cases, their cause is a disappointing diagnosis - osteochondrosis of the lumbar, thoracic or cervical spine. Should we take osteochondrosis as a verdict? Is it possible to restore your back to its former lightness? Is surgery a necessary measure?
The answers to the above questions are known to osteopathic practitioners. But first.
Rapidly rejuvenating disease
Osteochondrosis is a type of pathology of the spine, its essence lies in dystrophic-degenerative changes in joint-cartilage tissue.
It affects the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions, causing pain and limiting the dynamic activity of its victim.
More recently, the above disease was believed to be an age-related fatality. However, current statistical information suggests that among our contemporaries suffering from osteochondrosis there are more and more very young people who have recently crossed the thirty-year age line or are approaching it.
At the same time, medical research confirms the fact that this disease can, if not be cured without leaving a trace, then prevent or slow down its progression.
Stages of development of lumbar osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis progresses gradually. In the early stages, its symptoms are mild. That is why, during this period, the disease is very rarely diagnosed.
- The first stage is marked by the displacement of the nucleus of the intervertebral discs. In this case, there is compression of the neuronal endings in the fibrous ring. The pain can be either lumbago or painful.
- In the second stage, the fibrous fibers of the disc begin to break down. As a result, the vertebrae lose their stability, acquire unhealthy mobility, and dysfunction of the spine is observed. There is constant tension in the muscles located near it.
This leads to an almost endless feeling of back fatigue.
- Sooner or later the fibrous fibers break, freeing the core on their own - a hernia is formed, compressing the nerves.
Now there are complaints of severe back pain, limiting his motor function.
- With the subsequent progression of the disease, there is a deceptive relief. The pain subsides, but the motor function of the vertebrae remains limited.
- The last and most serious degree of osteochondrosis is characterized by the proliferation of bone tissue.
Causes of lumbar osteochondrosis
There are no details to determine the root causes of the disease. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is believed to be caused by a combination of a number of unfavorable factors related to lifestyle and habits:
- physical inactivity - lack of physical activity, sedentary work, lack of walking and exercise leads to weakening of the back muscles that support the spine;
- endocrinological and metabolic diseases lead to disturbances in the saturation of the area of the spine with nutrients;
- already acquired problems related to the musculoskeletal system (scoliosis, flat feet, etc. );
- abuse of physical activity - professional athletes, chargers, etc. are at risk;
- bad nutrition;
- Overweight;
- lack of sleep;
- stress.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
The first and foremost symptom that catches the patient's attention is pain. The intensity of pain directly depends on the stage of osteochondrosis, the degree of destruction of cartilage and disc. In addition, the characteristics of pain are determined by the presence and level of development of the hernia or protrusion. Usually the pain is aching, increasing sharply with rapid, careless movements, turns and turns. It tends to intensify with prolonged stay in one position, most often sitting.
Other symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine are described below:
- feeling of weakness, fatigue of the lower limbs;
- absence of reflex manifestations in the area of the tendon;
- curvature of the spine in the lumbar region; osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is often a consequence of scoliosis (left or right flexion), lordosis (forward flexion) or kyphosis (pathological smoothing of curvatures);
- numbness in the legs, lack of control of bowel movements and urination (if during the progression of osteochondrosis the neurons of the spinal cord are compressed);
- decrease in temperature in the lower body;
- dryness and paleness of the skin in the lumbar region;
- excessive sweating.
In addition to the physiological, psychological symptoms of the disease often appear. The patient feels "exhausted", irritability and withdrawal appear. Sleep disturbances tend to manifest as insomnia as well as excessive sleepiness.
Possible complications
A frivolous attitude to the problems of osteochondrosis will not lead to any good. With this insidious enemy of your health comes a series of complications that have a very negative impact on your quality of life, your ability to perform daily activities and meet a wide variety of needs.
The most common consequences of osteochondrosis:
- sciatica - inflammation of the sciatic nerve caused by its pinching in the sacro-lumbar region;
- hernial formations;
- osteophytosis - pathological growth of bone tissue;
- spondylarthrosis - destructive changes in the facet joints;
- stenosis - narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in dysfunction of the spinal cord;
- lameness and difficulty walking as a result of thinning of the ilium;
- paresis of the legs, that is, decrease in their muscle activity.
Which doctor treats lumbar osteochondrosis?
Beginning to experience discomfort caused by obsessive painful sensations in the lumbar region, a person wonders which specialist to turn to for help. What type of doctor diagnoses and treats lumbar, thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis? From the point of view of classical medicine, there are several answers in this case.
The orthopedic doctor deals with the treatment of the musculoskeletal system. At the same time, with osteochondrosis, the nervous system suffers, since many of its elements are located near the spine. Accordingly, it will be helpful if the patient is examined by a neurologist.
There is also a specialist as little known as the vertebrologist. The aforementioned doctor is closely involved in the treatment of the spine, so it is he who is supposed to master the diagnostic skills and methods of treating osteochondrosis. Unfortunately, not all clinics, especially state ones, have this specialist on staff.
Since these are doctors who do not meet in the clinic near the house, we can only pay special attention to a doctor practicing in the field of osteopathy. This unique therapeutic area specializes in identifying hidden causal relationships between organs and structures in the human body. Consequently, very often the osteomedicine is able to treat these ailments before which others are powerless. Most often, the specified doctor precisely deals with problems of the musculoskeletal system.
Diagnostic
So, after obtaining a medical opinion, the subject is sent to undergo diagnostic procedures using the following methods.
X-ray examination provides information about the condition of bones, joints, intervertebral discs, as well as the ability to detect hernial protrusions and protrusions. Computed tomography, in addition to information on the condition of the disc, shows whether there is damage to the spinal cord. Finally, magnetic resonance imaging as the most accurate research method gives an almost complete picture of the disease, it is suitable for clarifying the diagnosis and its details.
There are also a number of diagnostic tests that do not require the use of technically sophisticated equipment. Most often, they are used in practice by osteotherapists.
Among them are:
- various passive and active controls;
- fascial tension test (slight tissue tension in different directions);
- stretch checks;
- axial load tests;
- craniosacral rhythm analysis.
The latter, in accordance with the knowledge that osteoscience carries, coincides with the rhythm of the pulsation of the cerebrospinal fluid and signals various dysfunctions inside.
With the aforementioned diagnoses, the osteopath identifies the weakest points of the spine, determines the change in position and size of internal organs, probes muscle overstrain and the level of wear of the intervertebral discs.
Treatment
Medicine seeks by all means to stop the progression of lumbar osteochondrosis, to relieve pain, to regain its former motor activity. At the same time, the treatment simply needs to be comprehensive. The patient will need to establish a lifestyle, monitor nutrition, fitness, muscle tone, avoid stressful situations and lack of sleep.
An important role is played by the selection of a good place to sleep - an orthopedic mattress of sufficient stiffness.
Doctors should expect therapy aimed at providing anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on the damaged area. It is necessary to stimulate blood circulation and restore lower body sensitivity if the disease has resulted in its partial or total loss.
If osteochondrosis does not currently have an exacerbation stage, the doctor prescribes physiotherapy exercises (exercise therapy) and a course massage.
In addition, bathing procedures are highly recommended for victims of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. In the conditions of a bath or sauna, tense muscle fibers are warmed up and released, the movement of blood in the vessels is stimulated, metabolic and regenerative processes are triggered.
Medicines
As part of the treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the doctor prescribes various drugs to the client.
They are available as ointments, tablets and injections.
Among them are anti-inflammatory drugs of non-steroidal origin, analgesics and corticosteroids, chondroprotectors (preventing the destruction of cartilage), muscle relaxants (relieving muscle spasms), as well as vitamins, minerals andother biologically active additives.
Pharmacological treatment is designed to relieve pain and fight inflammation. Please note that most of the above drugs have a certain list of side effects and cannot be used without the appointment of a healthcare professional.
An alternative to the indicated drugs is homeopathy.
Many believe that its products only have a placebo effect, but this is fundamentally wrong. Modern homeopathic remedies are a unique combination of the successful work of talented scientists and the wisdom of nature.
Homeopathic formulations contain vitamins and trace elements that are necessary not only for the treatment of pathology, but also for the normal functioning of the body in the future. They stimulate internal structures and organs, which facilitates their recovery. Against the background of such treatment, the symptoms of other ailments also disappear.
Physiotherapy
Which other doctor should you contact for osteochondrosis?
As part of the complex treatment, the patient is referred to the physiotherapist's office. Physiotherapy is designed to stop or at least slow down destructive processes in the area of the intervertebral discs.
Within its framework, the following procedures are carried out:
- phonophoresis;
- lasertophoresis;
- darsonvalization;
- amplitude-pulse processing;
- treatment with diadynamic current;
- exposure to magnetic resonance.
Surgery
No matter how complex the principle of getting rid of the pathology in question, its outcome is far from always successful. Surgery is the cardinal solution. In the simplest case, its essence lies in the removal of a section of cartilage that has exceeded the normal range. But in some cases, the treatment requires the replacement of the intervertebral disc with an artificial graft.
One of the indications for surgery is the absence of positive dynamics for several months. Of course, such an indication should be accompanied by the results of diagnostic studies that determine the cause of the development of the disease by specifying the location of the degenerated discs.
During discectomy - and this is the name of the operation to remove the causes of lumbar osteochondrosis - degenerated structures are removed. In the case of large-scale excision, a graft must be inserted into the spine, which is attached to its own bones by means of metal plates. When it takes root and the bones grow together, this part of the lumbosacral region of the operated patient will remain motionless throughout their life.
In accordance with a different technique, a modern elastic disc prosthesis is implanted into the spine, which is biologically almost completely identical to real cartilage and helps maintain mobility in the lumbar region.
However, the prosthesis described above is very expensive. And the prospect of having a foreign body inside probably won't please anyone until the end of their days. Many, fearing such prospects, postpone the operation, exacerbating their well-being. Still, there is a great way to avoid surgery for many people with osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.
Osteopathy
When neither drugs nor exercise therapy help, and a helpless neurologist and orthopedic surgeon raise their hands and nod their heads towards the operating table, even the most ardent adherents of classical medicine begin toconsider whether it is worth seeking help from another doctor. And someone already at the first signs of the disease weighed the pros and cons, analyzed the positive reviews from friends and the Internet and went to an osteopractor.
The main tasks of an osteopath who treats lumbar osteochondrosis are to return the spine to its normal position, relieve pain and stop destructive processes.
With treatment using osteopathic techniques, one can expect significant success in the shortest possible time - the osteopath can relieve the pain of a person with osteochondrosis from the first session.
However, for complete healing of the lower back, comprehensive treatment should be performed. Its duration is determined on a case-by-case basis and depends on the characteristics of the patient and the severity of the injury.
Before starting treatment, the specialist assesses the specifics of the situation, the accompanying symptoms and complications, age, etc.
The uniqueness of osteomedicine as a means of getting rid of lumbar, cervical and thoracic osteochondrotic lesions is that such treatment can be provided with expensive drugs that are difficult for the client to perceive. Although their use is not strictly excluded.
This aspect is relevant, in the first place, for people with allergies, liver ailments, etc.
Osteotherapy heals all the interiors of the human body, replaces the joints, bones and organs. Metabolic processes, the functioning of all parts of the body are normalized. The general well-being of the osteomedicine service is improving rapidly. An osteopathic specialist can also help with muscle spasm, pinching, or overexertion. It is a frequent companion of the evoked pain and can make it worse. An osteotherapist is able to treat not only the pain that has affected the lumbar region, but also its other types, of various localization and etiology.
The aforementioned doctor relieves the pain of his service using various techniques. These include structural, craniosacral, manual and reflexology. Excellent results are shown by the Kinesio taping method - the application of special elastic adhesive tapes to damaged areas. With the help of kinesio tapes, the doctor not only relieves pain, but also helps in healing.
Although osteopathy treats many ailments, it has a (very small) list of contraindications:
- feverish conditions, high temperature;
- blood clots;
- benign and malignant neoplasms;
- serious infections;
- epileptic seizures.
Osteopractic is also an excellent preventive measure. Its general healing and restorative effect on the body is simply priceless. In addition, the prevention sessions make it possible to deal with many problems that are in the bud. The disease tends not to manifest itself and cause inconvenience for a long time, without giving in to the diagnosis. By carefully monitoring your own health and regularly visiting the Osteopathy Center, you will spare yourself a number of difficulties that await you on the path of life.