Osteochondrosis – a disease very common, accompanied by stiffness, back pain, partial loss of mobility in the legs and other troubles. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine has individual symptoms and treatment. Often the development of pathology find out unexpectedly. Usually, the patient feels unbearable pain during sudden tilting, lifting weights and any awkward movement.
Despite the unbearable pain, refers to the specialist for advice, only half of patients. And only a few start treatment. To preserve health it is necessary to disassemble the entire essence of the disease and its danger.
What is pathology, what is dangerous?
Few people know that such a degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. And certainly nobody knows what to do with osteochondrosis of the lumbar, thoracic or cervical. As a result, the disease is thrown, the proper treatment and care is not happening. It often ends with lumbago, partial or complete paralysis of the lower extremities. You should carefully study the issue.
Intervertebral osteochondrosis of the lumbar localized, as the name implies, in the lumbar region of the spine. The disease appears in the form of partial destruction of the intervertebral cartilages. At this stage of the pathology the patient and does not know. But more significant grinding discs and degeneration provoke a pinched nerve branches. The nerve branch is a branch of the spinal cord, which are connected with the rest of the nerve endings of the extremities. Nerve branches pass between the vertebrae, so the bridging of the intervertebral discs leads to their incarceration. To determine the localization of pinch at the symptoms: stiff movements, loss of sensation, and the former activity of the limbs (and sometimes complete paralysis).
The study of the question, what is degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, it is important to determine the complications and dangers. Due to the lack of timely treatment breakthrough occurs fibrous ring, and it is fraught with allocation of the nucleus pulposus and the formation of hernia.
To prevent this threat for normal functioning of the consequences, it is necessary to begin treatment of the lumbar spine.
Symptoms
In order to timely identify problems, you should learn the signs of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. Here are the following symptoms according to the existing stages of development of pathology:
- At the first stage of intervertebral degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is manifested only mild pain in the affected area during physical exertion. Also after prolonged static position or the result of improper movement. The pain goes away after a long vacation.
- The second stage happens the pinched nerve endings. At this time, the patient suffers from strong pains that accompany the person even if the implementation remains simple movements. After a long vacation pain syndrome can be passed only after medication analgesic nature.
- The third stage of osteoarthritis is the destruction of the annulus fibrosus and protrusion of nucleus pulposus. This is the symptoms of a hernia. Pain in osteochondrosis of the lumbar in this case to disturb the patient constantly. They are after relaxation and simple painkillers. There is partial shackling movements, sudden actions lead to lumbago. Severe pain in just a few seconds it paralyzes the patient. The return of old mobility in this case can happen in a few hours. At this time, the patient observes the loss of sensitivity of the surface of the skin in the affected area and pain with every movement.
- Fourth stage – this is the loss of motor activity. Sick shuffling around as all movements cause pain syndrome. In the fourth stage of degenerative disc disease experts are beginning to talk about disability.
The consequences of degenerative disc disease is an irreversible things. If the destructive process has begun, a complete cure of the pathology becomes impossible.
The development can be stopped, partially restore the original suppleness to the spine. Before analyzing the question of how to treat osteochondrosis of the lumbar, it is necessary to consider the causes of its development. This will help prevent destructive processes.
Reasons
Lumbar degenerative disc disease, treatment of which may differ to a greater degree due to the prerequisites for the development of pathology has the following reasons for its occurrence:
- premature development of aging in the intervertebral discs;
- the development of the pathology, or any other changes, leading to loss of tone of muscles;
- incorrectly distributed load on the spine. For example, work as a loader or driver leads to a significant strain on the lower back;
- genetic background – related to disease of the joints, bones, ligaments, and tendons;
- disk corruption due to injury, contusion, fracture.
In the greater degree of lumbar osteochondrosis develops today, office workers, people who prefer to spend more time behind the wheel or computer. It turns out that a common cause of destruction of intervertebral disks is a prolonged static position.
Aggravation
Very often, doctors diagnosed acute low back pain lumbar with the patient complaints of severe pain and partial or complete immobility. The aggravation is formed due to improper treatment or no. Increased symptoms might be due to the failure to comply with the recommendations for behaviour of the patient. Exacerbation of osteochondrosis of lumbar segment requires treatment. Prescribers for rapid elimination of pain and suffering.
The patient in the period of exacerbation is recommended to stay in bed for 3-7 days. This will help to eliminate the pain. Of course, in the period of exacerbation is impossible to do without medication. Assigned to corticosteroids, non-steroidal drugs anti-inflammatory in nature and other painkillers.
Often the patient in the period of exacerbation is in a clinic, where treatment using blockers is a special substance for introduction into the affected area between the vertebrae. The blockade is a procedure after which the affected link, leading to severe pain syndrome, simply drops out of the circuit. To do this, it "neutralizes" the medicine, followed by all the necessary therapy to correct the aggravation. The advantage of the blockade – absence of pain in a patient, which can lead to serious suffering at the slightest movement.
Treatment
For recovery is fully influenced by symptoms and treatment medication disease. It can take from 2 weeks to a year depending on stage. Sick of the same if you experience severe pain rightly ask the question, is it possible to cure osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. Experts answer "no" is just frustrating and that is a problem. The impossibility of a complete cure due to the lack of medicines and methods for the full restoration of damaged cartilage. But with timely treatment can stop the destruction and to partially compensate for the loss. This will get rid of suffering and will completely forget about the disease. Treat low back pain every six months, passing a comprehensive examination and following the advice of experts.
Drug
In the first place the question of how to treat osteochondrosis of a loin, is the use of drugs. Here are the following groups of assets:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. Pain in osteochondrosis of the lumbar indicate the presence of inflammation in the affected area.
- The muscle relaxants. Designed to relieve spasm of the muscles, which are also eaten and are the result of the inflammatory process.
- B vitamins Positively affects the nervous system and helps to restore damaged cells.
- Chondroprotectors. Designed to restore partially destroyed intervertebral cartilage. These drugs are unable to completely repair the destruction, but their positive effects are not fully understood.
How to treat lumbar degenerative disc disease – depends on the incident internal injuries. Lumbar osteohondroz disrupts the internal organs of the abdomen and pelvis, which is caused by poor circulation and supply of nutrients. Depending on the circumstances may be additionally prescription drugs to restore the kidneys, pancreas, intestines, urinary system.
Massage
Lumbar degenerative disc disease, the symptoms and treatment of which require comprehensive examination and application of methods, can not do without massage. Type of massage and intensity are directly dependent on the degree of destruction and defeat. Often the patient is additionally administered a CT scan and x-rays to determine the inflammation and other results of the passable medical treatment.
Massage appoint a doctor – it is guided by the results of the tests. To perform the procedure should only be a specialist in a medical facility. The beginning of self-massage is strictly forbidden because incorrectly chosen technique or contraindications to performing can only hurt the patient even more.
Physical therapy
It is important to know the fact that treated whether the degenerative disc disease of the lumbar physiotherapeutic procedures. Here comes the only positive answer, but taking into account all possible factors. Each stage requires its pathology treatment. The most common include such techniques as:
- amplipuls;
- UHF;
- magnetotherapy.
Such effective treatment for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine has an analgesic, and vasodilatory effect. In combination with the applied chondroprotectors and vitamins, the recovery occurs faster, because the active and beneficial substances to a greater extent reach the affected area.
Other methods
There are a few unusual, but effective methods, than to treat degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. Here are the following areas:
- Acupuncture – the use of acupuncture has a positive effect on the circulation of the spinal cord. It is also useful to rebuild damaged cartilage.
- Hirudotherapy – treatment with leeches has a lot of contraindications. But when properly assigned to sessions in the treatment of this pathology, there is a noticeable effect. This is due to the cleansing of the blood, which is necessary to prevent aggravation and further development of the disease.
- Myostimulation – the impact of electric current, awakening stimulates blood circulation and stimulating the internal organs. The method also has many contraindications, but quite effective to restore the damaged internal organs.
- Spinal traction – prescribed for the pinched nerve bone of the spinal cord, and in the presence of already formed hernia. The traction is carried out on a special bed, where a man's tie and pull at the extremities. Maximum traction provides increased clearance between the vertebrae up to 4 cm That gives the opportunity to eliminate the jamming, to prevent hernia formation or to remove it (though for a short time).
The methods are appointed only by the doctor according to the diagnosed stage of disease and other nuances. Pass sessions are recommended every six months to prevent relapse.
Surgery
Specialists determine how to treat osteochondrosis of the lumbar part, only after the passed examination. Often, there is assigned to the operation, which in most cases is associated with a hernia have any available for medical companies way. To surgical intervention the doctors have already resorted to conservative treatment, if it did not lead to a cure.
Sometimes the operation is performed after ineffective of closures or other drugs. A prerequisite is an ongoing pain and immobility of the patient for 3 months.
Treatment reviewed by a pathology is a long and crucial period, which could drag on for years. By the way, to pass inspection and relevant procedures, the patient will now have every six months or a year. Osteochondrosis is a pathological destruction irreversible. Therefore, the "joke" with the disease should not.