Back pain, according to statistics, worries almost every second inhabitant of the planet over 18 years of age.They can be caused by various reasons.From this article we will learn about one of the most common causes: osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.It is possible to fight this disease, and even successfully win, if you start doing it in the early stages.
It's time to sound the alarm
If you want to successfully cope with a disease such as lumbar osteochondrosis, you should not expect obvious symptoms to immediately appear.At the first stage you will not feel them.
It is important to realize that people who spend a lot of time sitting or standing in the same position are more susceptible to danger.If, due to circumstances or other reasons, this has been the case for you for many years, perhaps there is a reason to check the condition of your spine, even if the symptoms of the disease are not visible.
You should not ignore the following “alarm bells”, which may indicate that lumbar osteochondrosis has already progressed beyond the first stage.
- Lower back pain.At first they appear only under loads that are greater than usual, disappearing during rest.Or after a long stay in an uncomfortable static position.Over time, such pain bothers me constantly, during long walks.
- Gradually, the pain becomes chronic and can manifest itself as aching, tingling (referring to the thigh), acute pain, lumbago, etc.Feeling of heat or cold in the lower back.
- Dynamically developing pain, intensifying.Part of the leg goes numb, or there is a feeling of “pins and needles”.
- Symptoms such as: constipation, urinary incontinence, numbness between the legs, menstrual irregularities (in women).
- Feet get cold for no apparent reason, the skin on the feet peels off.
- The spine begins to bend, the back muscles in the lower back are unnaturally tense, and it is difficult to fully bend over.
- Unbearable pain.
All these symptoms, especially if they appear together and their approximate sequence coincides with that described above, cannot be ignored.
Complete the prescribed examination
The doctor you visit will order certain examinations and various tests.This is due to the fact that identifying this disease is not so easy.Numerous laboratory tests aim to exclude possible other diseases (such as diseases of the internal organs) that have the same symptoms.The best way to determine the cause is MRI - magnetic resonance imaging (possibly even with paramagnetic enhancement).But radiography is also used.
Is the important stage of making an accurate diagnosis now behind us?What choices will you now be faced with among the various treatments?
Methods of influencing the affected spine
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spinal column is currently treated in a variety of ways.But all of them can be divided into two large groups: symptomatic (eliminate pain and other consequences of the disease) and pathogenetic (it is believed to act on the cause, eliminating it or preventing its development).
Treatment with medications that relieve pain.Such drugs are prescribed only by the attending physician.The treatment is symptomatic, that is, the person, glad that everything has been restored to its previous healthy state, can stop taking care of the back, and in the meantime the disease will progress without symptoms until the pain manifests itself in a more severe form.
Muscle relaxants are drugs that help relieve muscle spasms resulting from disc destruction, so this treatment is a symptomatic treatment.
Physiotherapeutic effects.These include a wide range of methods that affect lumbar osteochondrosis through the skin.This treatment:
- high frequency current;
- laser;
- magnets.
Various spinal extensions: in water or with hardware.You should be careful when using this method if lumbar osteochondrosis is already at a progressive stage.
The homeosiniatric method is a treatment in which homeo-medicines are administered precisely to the affected area (or rather, to a certain active point on the body), which help the body get rid of toxins.
Hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches).They bring invaluable help, helping many patients forget about the disease for many years.It is believed that leeches provide the body with hirudin, which helps improve blood circulation in the affected area, relieves pain, and relieves inflammation.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, provided that there are no protrusions, disc herniations and other contraindications, some trust an experienced chiropractor - a massage therapist who works with the spine.
Special exercises to relieve pain in osteochondrosis.It is best to consult a doctor when choosing a set of such activities for yourself.
Pathogenetic method developed by specialists
I would especially like to dwell on interstitial stimulation with physiological current (VTES).Under the guidance of the professor, a new method of influence was developed that allows improving blood circulation inside the bone of the vertebra itself.
It is believed that it is precisely because of the weakening of such blood flow that the nutrition of the disc noticeably deteriorates, which leads to a gradual loss of its properties, the ability to function normally and to its eventual destruction.
The essence of the method is to deliver a physiological current to the affected vertebra, bypassing the skin - a natural insulator.Physiological current is a current identical to that produced in our body, amplified many times.It is fed through a needle - an electrode inserted to a certain depth (under the skin) at the site of the pathology, that is, at a certain point on the back.The current powerfully stimulates the vessels inside the bones of the vertebra, thereby improving the nutrition of the discs.
According to the results of studies (needle rheography, polyorheography), blood circulation inside the bones, including the lumbar spine, improves dramatically.The disc is completely restored (osteochondrosis at an early stage).
In later stages, lumbar osteochondrosis produces symptoms such as severe constant back pain due to disc protrusion or herniation.Interestingly, treatment of VTES in the shortest possible time allows the re-formation of a dense woven capsule around the hernia, preventing its growth and even reducing its size.
Good tips for prevention
- Knowing that working in a stationary position for long hours, especially while sitting at a computer, can help.For example, take breaks every hour, stretching and walking.Maintain correct posture.Some people are helped with this by specially produced correctors, for example, with neodymium magnets.
- Constantly lifting heavy weights also contributes to the development of the disease, so you need to know the rules of how to lift them correctly.
- Try to avoid hypothermia and back injuries.Watch your weight, strengthen your back muscles by doing moderate sports, swimming, then you will not need treatment.
- It is quite possible to overcome lumbar osteochondrosis if you start treatment from the early stages or keep it under control.