Back pain can have many origins. However, in most cases, its cause is a disappointing diagnosis - osteochondrosis of the lumbar, thoracic or cervical spine. Should we consider osteochondrosis 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 with certainty to osteopathic practitioners. But first things first.
Rapid rejuvenation disease
Osteochondrosis is a type of spinal pathology, its essence lies in dystrophic-degenerative alterations in the articular-cartilaginous tissue.
It affects the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions, causing pain and limiting the victim's dynamic activity.
More recently, the above disease was believed to be an age-related inevitability. 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 thirties line or are just approaching it.
At the same time, medical research confirms the fact that this disease can, if not cured without a trace, prevent or delay its progress.
Stages of development of lumbar osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis progresses gradually. In the early stages, its symptoms are mild. That's why, during this period, the disease is rarely diagnosed.
This leads to an almost endless feeling of fatigue in the back.
There are now complaints of severe back pain, restricting his motor function.
Causes of Lumbar Osteochondrosis
There are no specifications to determine the causes of the disease. It is believed that osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is caused by a combination of a number of adverse factors related to lifestyle and habits:
- sedentary lifestyle - lack of physical activity, sedentary work, lack of walking and exercise lead to the weakening of the back muscles that support the spine;
- endocrinological and metabolic diseases cause disturbances in the saturation of the spinal area with nutrients;
- previously acquired problems associated with the musculoskeletal system (scoliosis, flat feet, etc. );
- abuse of physical activity - at risk are professional athletes, carriers, etc. . ;
- Poor nutrition;
- overweight;
- lack of sleep;
- stress.
Osteochondrosis Symptoms
The first and main symptom that attracts the patient's attention is pain. The intensity of pain depends directly on the stage of osteochondrosis, the degree of cartilage and disc destruction. Furthermore, the characteristics of pain are determined by the presence and level of development of the hernia or protrusion. The pain is usually painful, increasing sharply with quick, careless movements, bends and curves. It tends to intensify with prolonged stay in one position, most often sitting.
The rest of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine are described below:
- feeling of weakness, fatigue in the lower extremities;
- lack of reflex manifestations in the tendon area;
- curvature of the spine in the lower back; osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is often a consequence of scoliosis (left or right bending), lordosis (forward bending) or kyphosis (pathological smoothing of the curves);
- numbness in the legs, lack of control over stools and urination (if during osteochondrosis progression, spinal cord neurons are compressed);
- lower body temperature;
- dryness and paleness of the skin in the lower back;
- excessive sweating.
In addition to physiological symptoms, psychological symptoms of the disease often appear. The patient feels "exhausted", irritability and withdrawal arise. Sleep disturbances tend to manifest as insomnia as well as excessive sleepiness.
Possible complications
A frivolous attitude towards the problems of osteochondrosis will not do anyone any good. This insidious enemy of your health brings with it a series of complications that have a very negative impact on your quality of life, your ability to carry out daily activities and meet the most diverse needs.
The most common consequences arising from osteochondrosis:
- sciatica - inflammation of the sciatic nerve caused by its impingement in the sacrolumbar region;
- hernial formations;
- osteophytosis - pathological growth of bone tissue;
- spondyloarthrosis - destructive changes in joints;
- stenosis - narrowing of the spinal canal, leading to spinal cord dysfunction;
- lameness and gait disturbances as a result of thinning of the ilium;
- paresis of the legs, ie, decreased muscle activity.
Which doctor treats lumbar osteochondrosis?
Beginning to feel discomfort from obsessive pain sensations in the lower back, the person asks which specialist to turn to for help. What type of doctor diagnoses and treats lumbar, thoracic, and cervical osteochondrosis? From the standpoint of classical medicine, there are several answers in this case.
The orthopedist deals with the treatment of the musculoskeletal system. At the same time, with osteochondrosis, the nervous system suffers, as many of its elements are located close to the spine. Consequently, it will be helpful for the patient to be examined by a neurologist.
There is also a little-known specialist such as a vertebrologist. The aforementioned physician is closely involved in the treatment of the spine, therefore, it is he who must master the diagnostic skills and treatment methods of osteochondrosis. Unfortunately, not every clinic, especially a state clinic, has this specialist on its staff.
Since we are talking about doctors who are not at the clinic close to home, one cannot fail to pay special attention to a doctor who works in the field of osteopathy. This unique therapeutic area specializes in identifying hidden causal relationships between organs and structures in the human body. Therefore, osteophysicists are often able to treat those diseases against which others are powerless. Most of the time, the specified physician is approached precisely with musculoskeletal system problems.
Diagnosis
Thus, having obtained medical advice, the subject is referred for diagnostic procedures using the following methods.
The 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 about the state 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 and is adequate to clarify the diagnosis and its details.
There are also a number of diagnostic tests that do not require the operation of technically sophisticated equipment. Most of the time, they are used in practice by osteotherapists.
Among them are:
- various passive and active checks;
- fascial tension test (slight tissue tension in different directions);
- stretch checks;
- axial load tests;
- analysis of the craniosacral rhythm.
The latter, according to the knowledge that osteoscience carries, coincides with the cerebrospinal fluid pulsation rhythm and signals several internal dysfunctions.
With the aforementioned diagnoses, the osteopathic therapist identifies the weakest points in the spine, determines the change in the position and size of Organs internal organs, probes for muscle overtension and the degree of wear of the intervertebral discs.
Treatment
Medicine, in every possible way, seeks to stop the progress of lumbar osteochondrosis, relieve pain, return to your previous motor activity. At the same time, treatment simply must 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 rigidity.
Doctors should expect therapy aimed at providing anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in the injured area. It is necessary to stimulate blood flow and restore sensitivity to the lower body whether the disease has resulted in its partial or total loss.
If the osteochondrosis does not have an exacerbation stage, the doctor prescribes physical therapy exercises (exercise therapy) and a course of massage.
Furthermore, bathing procedures are highly recommended for victims of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. In bath or sauna conditions, the taut muscle fibers are warmed and relaxed, the movement of blood through the vessels is stimulated, metabolic and regenerative processes are triggered.
Medication
As part of the treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the doctor prescribes various medications to the client.
They are available in the form of ointments, pills and injections.
Among them are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics and corticosteroids, chondroprotectors (prevent cartilage destruction), muscle relaxants (relieve muscle spasms), in addition to vitamins, minerals and other biologically active additives.
Pharmacological treatment aims to relieve pain and fight inflammation. Please note that most of the above medications have a certain list of side effects and cannot be used without advice from a healthcare professional.
An alternative to the indicated medications is homeopathy.
Many believe their products only have a placebo effect, but that 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 needed not only for the treatment of pathologies, but also for the normal functioning of the body in the future. They stimulate the internal structures and organs, which aids in your recovery. In the context of this treatment, the symptoms of other illnesses also disappear.
Physiotherapy
What other doctor will you have to come into contact with with osteochondrosis?
As part of the complex treatment, the patient is referred to the physiotherapist's office, which aims to interrupt or at least slow down the destructive processes in the region of the intervertebral discs.
Within its structure, the following procedures are performed:
- phonophoresis;
- lasertophoresis;
- darsonvalization;
- amplitude pulse treatment;
- treatment with diadynamic current;
- exposure to MRI.
Surgery
However complex the principle of getting rid of the pathology in question is, its result is far from successful. Surgery is the fundamental solution. In the simplest case, its essence lies in removing a section of cartilage that has gone beyond normal limits. But in some cases, treatment requires replacing the intervertebral disc with an artificial graft.
One of the indications for surgery is the lack of positive dynamics for several months. Of course, such an indication must be accompanied by the results of diagnostic studies that determine the cause of the disease's development in the form of specifying the location of the degenerated discs.
During discectomy - and this is the name of the operation to eliminate the causes of lumbar osteochondrosis - the degenerated structures are removed. In the case of large-scale excision, a graft must be inserted into the spine, which is fixed to the bones themselves using metal plates. When it takes root and the bones grow together, this part of the lumbosacral region of the operated patient will remain immobile for the rest of his life.
According to a different technique, a modern elastic disc prosthesis is implanted in the spine, which is almost completely identical from a biological mechanical point of view to real cartilage and allows to maintain mobility in the lumbar region.
However, the prosthesis described above is very expensive. And the prospect of having a foreign body inside him is unlikely to please anyone until the end of his days. Many, fearful of such prospects, postpone the operation, worsening their well-being. However, there is an excellent way to avoid surgery for a large number of people who suffer from osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.
osteopathy
When neither medicine nor exercise therapy helps, and a helpless neurologist and orthopedist raise their hands, nodding toward the operating table, even the most ardent adherents of classical medicine begin to wonder if it was worth it. worth seeking help from another doctor. And someone, at the first signs of the disease, weighed all the pros and cons, analyzed the positive reviews from friends and the Internet, and went to see an osteopractor.
The main tasks of the osteopath treating lumbar osteochondrosis are to return the spine to its normal position, relieve pain and stop destructive processes.
With the treatment with osteopathic techniques, significant success can be expected in the shortest possible time - the osteopath can alleviate the pain of those suffering from osteochondrosis in the very first session.
However, for complete healing of the lower back, a full course of treatment must be completed. Its duration is determined individually and depends on the patient's characteristics and the severity of the injury.
Before starting treatment, the specialist assesses the specifics of the situation, monitoring symptoms and complications, age, etc.
The uniqueness of osteomedicine as a way to get rid of lumbar, cervical and thoracic osteochondrotic lesions lies in the fact that such treatment can be dispensed with expensive drugs that are difficult for the client to perceive. Although its use is not strictly excluded.
This aspect is relevant in the first place for people suffering from allergies, liver disease, etc.
Osteotherapy heals the entire interior of the human body, replacing joints, bones and organs. Metabolic processes, the functioning of all parts of the body are normalized. The general well-being of the osteomedical ward is improving rapidly. An osteopathy specialist can also help if you experience spasm, compression, or excessive tension in a muscle. It is a frequent companion of the pain discussed and can aggravate it. Osteotherapists are able to treat not only the pain that affects the lumbar region, but also its other types, from different locations and etiologies.
The aforementioned doctor relieves the pain of his ward using a variety of 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 the damaged areas. Using kinesio tapes, the doctor not only relieves pain but also helps with healing.
Although osteopathy treats many diseases, it has a (very short) list of contraindications:
- feverish conditions, high temperature;
- blood clots;
- benign and malignant neoplasms;
- serious infections;
- epileptic seizures.
Osteopractice is also an excellent preventive measure. Its overall healing and restorative effect on the body is priceless. In addition, preventative sessions allow you to deal with various issues that are arising. The disease tends not to manifest itself and not to cause problems for a long time, without giving in to the diagnosis. By comprehensively monitoring your own health and regularly visiting the Osteopathy Center, you will save yourself from a number of difficulties that await you on your way through life.