Osteochondrosis and regular back pain affect 60-80% of the population over the age of 30. Untreated osteochondrosis reduces the quality of life, can lead to disability, disability, so it is important to recognize in the early stages of development and seek medical help.
In this article, we will talk about osteochondrosis, its symptoms and diagnostic methods, and how to distinguish osteochondrosis from other diseases that manifest in back pain and what to do if you show signs of osteochondrosis of the spine.
What is osteochondrosis of the spine?
Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease in which the nucleus of the intervertebral disc is gradually destroyed. Over time, damage to the intervertebral disc involves other structures in the spine in the pathological process and leads to disorders of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Osteochondrosis is also characterized by pathology due to premature aging of the joint apparatus or damage to the vertebrae, such as after injury.
The development of osteochondrosis is influenced by a number of factors, which is why the researchers systematized the reasons for the disease:
- involutionary - inflammatory processes and other injuries to the spine lead to premature cartilage aging, for example due to a sedentary lifestyle;
- degenerative - disorders of the intervertebral discs due to metabolic failure, such as an unbalanced diet and alcohol consumption;
- dysmetabolic - osteochondrosis occurs as a result of malnutrition in the intervertebral cartilage, as the number of blood vessels in them that supply blood to the blood decreases with age.
The development of osteochondrosis is a cascade in which one pathological process initiates another. Thus, for example, age-related changes and a decrease in the number of vessels in the cartilage disrupt the diet, leading to disruption of biochemical processes and damage to the intervertebral disc.
As degenerative and dystrophic lesions develop in the spine, muscle tone and nerve roots exiting the spinal cord through the natural openings in the vertebrae are interrupted. This leads to consequences for the nervous system and musculoskeletal system.
Symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease with intermittent exacerbations caused by injuries, a sedentary lifestyle, heavy lifting, hypothermia, and psycho-emotional stress. The most common and most common symptom of dystrophic disorders in the nucleus of a disc is regular aching back pain in different segments: the neck, chest, and lower back.
There are two types of symptoms of osteochondrosis: reflex and compression. Reflex symptoms are caused by irritation of the roots of the spinal cord. They present as cramps or vasodilation, muscle twitching, and weakening of muscle strength. Compression symptoms are caused by compression of the nerves (usually from a hernia in the spine) and loss of sensation in the affected segment (neck, arms, or lower back).
In addition, osteochondrosis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- tension and pain in the muscles of the neck and back;
- curvature of the spine to the side, backwards or forwards;
- violation of sensitivity and regulation of the nervous system: feeling of crawling on the skin, swinging heat and cold on the skin of the back and limbs, numbness of the arms or legs;
- weakening of the muscle strength of the limbs;
- frequent urination - up to 10-12 times a day.
Where can you give osteochondrosis?
Pain in osteochondrosis is not only localized in the back. They extend to the upper and lower limbs. In foot:
- bottom;
- the back and sides of the thighs;
- lower leg and inside of the ankle;
- the back of the foot;
- toes;
- corner.
In addition, the pain can spread to the arms:
- deltoid muscle;
- the outer edge of the hand, down to the fingers;
- the back of the hand;
- three middle fingers;
- ring finger and little finger (rare).
How is osteochondrosis diagnosed?
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis is based on survey, physical examination, and instrumental examination methods. Specific test methods will be specified in the consultation.
The doctor begins the diagnosis by taking a medical history: identifying the probable causes of the back pain, determining the location and duration of the pain, and identifying the presence of concomitant conditions such as allergies, congenital diseases, and drug intolerance. He then goes on to check. The physical examination is performed while standing or sitting. The doctor can detect curvature of the spine, assess muscle strength and reflexes, and look at skin color. Detailing the picture of the disease requires specialist consultation: a neurologist, a neurosurgeon, an oncologist, a rheumatologist, and a phthisiologist.
A neurologist will diagnose osteochondrosis if:
- regular aching back pain;
- increased pain when lifting weights, sneezing, coughing;
- numbness and sore joints;
- decreased range of motion in the joints;
- muscle cramp;
- damage to nerve roots;
- changes in the radiograph of the spine.
Do I need a x-ray of the spine?
Spinal X-ray or spondylography is one of the mandatory examinations for osteochondrosis to identify structural abnormalities in the spine. Spondylography makes it possible to find abnormalities such as thinning of the intervertebral disc. Typically, in the case of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral spines, radiographs are taken in two (and sometimes three) projections for greater detail.
Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging allow the identification of pathologies associated with osteochondrosis: disc herniation of the disc herniation and spinal cord, protrusion of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal, and compression of the spinal cord.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
With osteochondrosis of the spine, two main symptoms appear - cervicago and cervicalgia. The cervicago is an acutely painful cervical lumbar spine that occurs when the head is moved and due to muscle tension in the cervical spine. Cervicalgia is aching and severe pain in the neck. Paresthesias are added to cervical disease - a violation of sensitivity in the form of numbness and a feeling of creeping skin.
As the defeat of the nuclei of the intervertebral discs of the neck progresses, cervical radiculitis appears - painful feelings in the occiput. The pains are characterized by regularity and are sometimes exacerbated, especially when the head is moved.
This triad — cervicalgia, cervical sciatica, and cervicago — can be complicated by hand-nocturnal dysesthesia syndrome in which tenderness is distorted. For example, a hot object may feel cold with your fingers, but if you shake it with your hands, sensitivity will be restored.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is most commonly characterized by painful lumbago in the chest (dorsalgia). Chest pain is worse when moving the arm, sneezing, coughing, and lifting weights. The most common is the pain belt. In addition, paresthesias in the chest are common. Sometimes damage to the nuclei of the intervertebral discs can be masked by diseases of the internal organs, such as gastritis or angina pectoris, as the pain can be localized in the upper abdomen and heart.
How to tell - heart pain or osteochondrosis?
Pectalgic syndrome is pain in the front wall of the chest that can resemble pain in the heart. Pectalgia can be a sign of both osteochondrosis and heart problems.
However, angina pectoris and heart attack pain are different from pectalgic syndrome in osteochondrosis. Pain in angina and myocardial infarction is characterized by the fact that they are compressive in nature and extend to the left scapula, arm, and jaw.
In osteochondrosis, pectalgia syndrome does not extend beyond the anterior wall of the chest, does not extend to the arm and shoulder blade, and is not accompanied by fear of death. However, these are only subjective feelings. Therefore, a physician should be consulted and electrocardiography revealed for arrhythmia or myocardial infarction should be performed to rule out cardiac pathology.
If the pain begins to spread to the left shoulder blade, arm, jaw, accompanied by a feeling of fear, trinitroglycerin does not stop and lasts for more than 10-15 minutes, an ambulance should be called.
Why is osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine dangerous?
Lumbar or lumbodynia is the most common cause of lumbar spine osteochondrosis - regular lumbar and painful pain in the lumbar region. Due to the constant pain, the movements are limited: one cannot bend down, perform exercises, lift a heavy object.
The lumbago can go away on its own. However, they are prone to exacerbations, and each exacerbation indicates further displacement of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal. As the destruction of the intervertebral disc progresses, lumbosacral radiculitis develops, accompanied by pain in the lower back that radiates to the buttocks and thighs.
What is the difference between osteochondrosis and osteoarthritis?
Osteochondrosis and osteoarthritis (spondylogenic osteoarthritis) belong to the class of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. However, there is an important difference between them: in the case of osteochondrosis, the nucleus of the intervertebral disc is affected, and in the case of osteoarthritis, the intervertebral joints are affected. This makes a difference in symptoms and treatment.
In osteochondrosis, back pain is regular and painful, manifested in rest and increased movement, and in spondyloarthrosis, pain is accompanied by stretching and bending of the spine. In general, pain syndrome in spinal osteoarthritis is unilateral and convulsive in nature. Spondylogenic osteoarthritis is also characterized by morning stiffness that lasts 30 to 60 minutes.
What is the difference between osteochondrosis and radiculitis?
Radiculitis is an inflammation of the roots of the spinal cord, accompanied by pain along the nerves involved. In fact, these are two different diseases, but sciatica is a common complication of osteochondrosis, so it is often a symptom of osteochondrosis.
Symptoms of sciatica
In osteochondrosis, radiculitis most commonly occurs in the cervical and lumbar spine. Sciatica is accompanied by pain, sensory disturbances and sometimes movement disorders along the injured nerve. Sciatica is characterized by pain that extends beyond the back and spreads to the hips, buttocks, legs, and feet.
VSD or cervical osteochondrosis?
Vegetovascular dystonia is a syndrome in which the autonomic nervous system is disturbed. VSD is a functional disorder in which there are no structural changes in either the spinal cord or the nuclei of the intervertebral discs.
Vegetovascular dystonia is of mental origin - a neurosis associated with intrapersonal conflicts or childhood trauma. Externally, VSD and osteochondrosis may be similar: headache, dizziness, pain in the front wall of the chest.
To differentiate between diseases, instrumental diagnostics are needed - x-rays of the cervical spine and other parts, computer and magnetic resonance imaging. Unlike osteochondrosis, there will be no organic changes as a result of diagnosis with VSD.
Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia
Vegetovascular dystonia is treated with medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes. Patients are prescribed symptomatic treatment: sedatives, anxiolytics, hypnotics, restoratives, and vitamins. The job of psychotherapy with VSD is to teach the patient to control negative emotions and increase stress resilience. They also make lifestyle changes: you need to balance work and rest, train and follow a balanced diet.
Is osteochondrosis treatable or not?
Osteochondrosis is curable. The goal of treatment is to eliminate back pain and stiffness, restore muscle tone, prevent or stop neurological complications, and improve a person's standard of living. If you follow your doctor's instructions, the disease can be cured.
How to treat osteochondrosis at home?
Home treatment of osteochondrosis is not recommended. There are several reasons for this:
- it is impossible to accurately diagnose osteochondrosis at home because back pain is of different origins: neurogenic, vascular, viscerogenic (due to diseases of the internal organs), and psychogenic. That is, a person treats osteochondrosis but actually has back pain, such as kidney disease;
- it is impossible to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of treatment without control diagnostics;
- the patient is unable to make an appropriate choice of treatment and there is no evidence of folk remedies, so they are likely to be ineffective and cause side effects.
It can be treated at home in only one case - only after consultation with a doctor who diagnoses it correctly, prescribes appropriate treatment, and regularly monitors the effectiveness of the therapy with X-rays, CTs, or MRIs.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine
Treatment of osteochondrosis is conservative and surgical. Which method will be the main one depends on the stage of the disease and the neglect of the musculoskeletal system.
Conservative treatment includes medication, exercise, and lifestyle modification. Anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants are mainly prescribed to relieve pain and normalize muscle tone. One of the main conditions for healing in physiotherapy exercises is early activation, ie walking, running, training in the pool or cycling for 1 to 3 days after the pain has stopped. It is also important to switch from a lifestyle to an active lifestyle, as a sedentary lifestyle is a factor in the development of back pain and the destruction of the seeds of the cartilage discs.
Surgery is used when conservative therapy has been ineffective for 2 to 4 weeks or when there are marked structural changes in the spine. The type of surgery required is determined by the surgeon after consultation with the neuropathologist and study of the research data. For example, in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, methods are used that relieve pressure from the side of the spinal cord or hernia (discectomy and decompression).
If you experience back pain accompanied by lumbar spine or neck pain, aching chest pain, muscle weakness in the arm or leg, discomfort in the skin, and numbness, consult a neurologist.